Oklahoma § 59-46.47 - No authority to engage in practice of architecture or

§ 59-46.47. No authority to engage in practice of architecture or

landscape architecture.

Licensure under the State Architectural and Licensed Interior

Designers Act shall not authorize a licensed interior designer to

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 59. Professions and Occupations

engage in the practice of architecture or landscape architecture as

described herein.

Added by Laws 2021, c. 443, § 29, eff. July 1, 2021. Amended by

Laws 2024, c. 138, § 29.

§59-46.21bv1. Architects required for certain buildings - Code Use

Groups - Exempted buildings.

A. An architect shall be required to plan, design and prepare

plans and specifications for the following Code Use Groups except

where specifically exempt from the provisions of the State

Architectural and Registered Commercial Interior Designers Act. All

Code Use Groups in this section are defined by the current

International Building Code.

B. The construction, addition or alteration of a building of

any size or occupancy in the following Code Use Groups shall be

subject to the provisions of the State Architectural and Registered

Commercial Interior Designers Act:

1. Code Use Group I - Institutional;

2. Code Use Group R-2 - Residential, limited to dormitories,

fraternities and sororities, and monasteries and convents;

3. Code Use Group A-1 - Assembly and theaters;

4. Code Use Group A-4 - Assembly, arenas and courts;

5. Code Use Group A-5 - Assembly, bleachers and grandstands;

and

6. Buildings for which the designated Code Use Group changes

are not exempt from the State Architectural and Registered

Commercial Interior Designers Act.

C. The following shall be exempt from the provisions of the

State Architectural and Registered Commercial Interior Designers

Act; provided that, for the purposes of this subsection, a basement

is not to be counted as a story for the purpose of counting stories

of a building for height regulations:

1. The construction, addition or alteration of a building no

more than two stories in height and with a code-defined occupancy of

no more than fifty (50) persons for the Code Use Groups A-2 and A-3

- Assembly and Code Use Group E - Education;

2. The construction, addition or alteration of a building no

more than two stories in height and no more than sixty-four

transient lodging units per building for the Code Use Group R1 Residential, including, but not limited to, hotels and motels;

3. The construction, addition or alteration of a building no

more than two stories in height and with a gross square footage not

exceeding one hundred thousand (100,000) in the Code Use Group B Business;

4. The construction, addition or alteration of a building no

more than two stories in height and with a gross square footage not

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 59. Professions and Occupations

exceeding two hundred thousand (200,000) in the Code Use Group M Mercantile;

5. The construction, addition or alteration of a building no

more than two stories in height in the following Code Use Groups or

buildings:

a.

Code Use Group U - Utility,

b.

Code Use Group F - Factory and Industrial,

c.

Code Use Group H - High hazard,

d.

Code Use Group S - Storage,

e.

Code Use Group R2 - Residential, including apartments

containing no more than thirty-two dwelling units or

thirty-two guest units per building,

f.

Code Use Groups R3 and R4 - Residential,

g.

all buildings used by a municipality, county, state,

public trust, public agency or the federal government

with a construction value under One Hundred Fiftyeight Thousand Dollars ($158,000.00),

h.

incidental buildings or appurtenances associated with

paragraphs 1 through 5 of this subsection, and

i.

all uninhabitable, privately owned agricultural

buildings; and

6. Single or two-family residential dwellings, as defined by

the International Residential Code adopted by the Oklahoma Uniform

Building Code Commission.

D. The addition, renovation or alteration of buildings where

the use was exempt as new construction shall remain exempt if the

Code Use Group does not change.

E. Upgrades, repairs, replacements and changes made on projects

in Code Use Groups found in this title requiring an architect are

exempt from hiring an architect if the upgrades, repairs,

replacements or changes do not affect the existing primary

structural, mechanical, or electrical systems, life-safety systems,

fire codes or exit passageways and/or egress as determined by the

building official having jurisdiction.

Added by Laws 2006, c. 163, § 17, eff. July 1, 2006. Amended by

Laws 2006, c. 193, § 6, eff. July 1, 2006; Laws 2007, c. 50, § 1,

emerg. eff. April 24, 2007; Laws 2009, c. 184, § 15, eff. July 1,

2009; Laws 2014, c. 234, § 13, eff. July 1, 2014; Laws 2021, c. 443,

§ 14, eff. July 1, 2021; Laws 2024, c. 147, § 7, eff. Nov. 1, 2024.

§59-46.21bv2. Architects required for certain buildings - Code Use

Groups - Exempted buildings.

A. An architect shall be required to plan, design, and prepare

plans and specifications for the following Code Use Groups except

where specifically exempt from the provisions of the State

Architectural and Licensed Interior Designers Act. All Code Use

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 59. Professions and Occupations

Groups in this section are defined by the current International

Building Code.

B. The construction, addition, or alteration of a building of

any size or occupancy in the following Code Use Groups shall be

subject to the provisions of the State Architectural and Licensed

Interior Designers Act:

1. Code Use Group I - Institutional;

2. Code Use Group R-2 - Residential, limited to dormitories,

fraternities and sororities, and monasteries and convents;

3. Code Use Group A-1 - Assembly and theaters;

4. Code Use Group A-4 - Assembly, arenas and courts;

5. Code Use Group A-5 - Assembly, bleachers and grandstands;

6. Code Use Group H – High hazard; and

7. Buildings for which the designated Code Use Group changes

are not exempt from the State Architectural and Licensed Interior

Designers Act.

C. The following shall be exempt from the provisions of the

State Architectural and Licensed Interior Designers Act; provided

that, for the purposes of this subsection, a basement is not to be

counted as a story for the purpose of counting stories of a building

for height regulations:

1. The construction, addition, or alteration of a building no

more than two stories in height and with a code-defined occupancy of

no more than fifty (50) persons for the Code Use Groups A-2 and A-3

- Assembly and Code Use Group E - Education;

2. The construction, addition, or alteration of a building no

more than two stories in height and no more than sixty-four

transient lodging units per building for the Code Use Group R1 Residential, including, but not limited to, hotels and motels;

3. The construction, addition, or alteration of a building no

more than two stories in height and with a gross square footage not

exceeding one hundred thousand (100,000) in the Code Use Group B Business;

4. The construction, addition, or alteration of a building no

more than two stories in height and with a gross square footage not

exceeding two hundred thousand (200,000) in the Code Use Group M Mercantile; and

5. The construction, addition, or alteration of a building no

more than two stories in height in the following Code Use Groups or

buildings:

a.

Code Use Group U - Utility,

b.

Code Use Group F - Factory and Industrial,

c.

Code Use Group S - Storage,

d.

Code Use Group R2 - Residential, including apartments

containing no more than thirty-two dwelling units or

thirty-two guest units per building,

e.

Code Use Groups R3 and R4 - Residential,

Oklahoma Statutes - Title 59. Professions and Occupations

f.

all buildings used by a municipality, county, state,

public trust, public agency, or the federal government

with a construction value under Three Hundred Thousand

Dollars ($300,000.00),

g.

incidental buildings or appurtenances associated with

paragraphs 1 through 5 of this subsection, and

h.

all uninhabitable, privately owned agricultural

buildings.

D. The addition, renovation, or alteration of buildings where

the use was exempt as new construction shall remain exempt if the

Code Use Group does not change.

E. Upgrades, repairs, replacements, and changes made on

projects in Code Use Groups found in this title requiring an

architect are exempt from hiring an architect if the upgrades,

repairs, replacements, or changes do not affect the existing primary

structural, mechanical, or electrical systems, life safety systems,

fire codes, or exit passageways or egress as determined by the

applicable building official having jurisdiction.

F. Nonstructural interior construction projects in Code Use

Groups requiring an architect are exempt from hiring an architect if

the services are performed by a licensed interior designer.

Added by Laws 2006, c. 163, § 17, eff. July 1, 2006. Amended by

Laws 2006, c. 193, § 6, eff. July 1, 2006; Laws 2007, c. 50, § 1,

emerg. eff. April 24, 2007; Laws 2009, c. 184, § 15, eff. July 1,

2009; Laws 2014, c. 234, § 13, eff. July 1, 2014; Laws 2021, c. 443,

§ 14, eff. July 1, 2021; Laws 2024, c. 138, § 16; Laws 2025, c. 208,

§ 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2025.