LARE Exam Preparation and Study-Guide: Maine Landscape Architect License Requirements

Maine Landscape Architect License Requirements

How to Become a Registered Landscape Architect in Maine

Maine is a fascinating state with rugged, rocky shoreline and inland forests combined with an abundance of natural resources which makes for a fantastic place to live and work. Landscape architects protect and contribute to the natural beauty of the state. Get your landscape architect license and take the lead in keeping Maine beautiful.

Basic Requirements

Here are a few prerequisites that you will need to complete before you can apply for a landscape architect license in the state of Maine.

Education

There are several different ways to satisfy the state of Maine’s education requirement. The amount of work experience you need to qualify for a license varies with the amount and kind of education you have.

The most common route to licensure: Most candidates will graduate from a LAAB-accredited first professional degree in landscape architecture. The first professional degree can be either a masters or bachelors degree. After graduation, you need two years of work experience under the supervision of a licensed landscape architect.

If you first professional degree from from a non-accredited landscape architecture program, you can still qualify for licensure with three years of qualifying professional landscape architecture experience.

What if you don’t have a degree in landscape architecture (or a related discipline like civil engineering) but have lots of work experience working for landscape architects? You can still qualify for licensure if you have five years of work experience including four years under the direct supervision of a licensed landscape architect.

Perhaps you never went to college but have acquired many years of professional experience working in a landscape architecture firm. You can substitute 12 years of qualifying work experience for the professional education requirement.

Work Experience

You will need to have at least two years of diversified work experience working under the direct supervision of a landscape architect. You’ll need to verify your work experience with the Maine board when you apply for a landscape architect license.

Experience as a principal (i.e. self-employed) is valued at a lower level than work experience gained under the direct supervision of a licensed landscape architect. For example, if you earned an accredited first professional degree in landscape architecture and started your own garden design firm right out of school, you need to have five years of work experience to qualify for licensure.

What qualifies for work experience in Maine? Your work experience must meet one of the following requirements to satisfy the work experience requirement:

Diversified experience working under the direct supervision of a licensed landscape architect.
Diversified experience in landscape architecture lawfully practicing as a principal.
Diversified experience relating to landscape architecture under the direct supervision of a civil engineer, licensed architect, or credentialed planner.
Fifty-percent of your work experience can be from teaching landscape architecture in a LAAB-accredited program.
Or, you can use 50 percent of the experience time if you work experience directly related to “onsite construction, maintenance or installation” of landscapes.
You can also satisfy 50 percent of the time if it was non-diversified experience in landscape architecture under the direct supervision of a licensed landscape architect, urban or regional planner, architect, or civil engineer.

The Maine state board defines “diversified experience” as “documented involvement in site analysis, site programming, design, construction documentation, code research, cost estimation and field observation across a range of project scales, project types and project settings”.

Step-by-Step Guide

Follow these steps on your path towards your initial landscape architect license in Maine:

Graduate from a first professional degree landscape architecture program. You can qualify with either a masters degree or bachelors degree.
Get work experience in the field of landscape architecture. There are several ways you can satisfy this requirement. See the discussion above under work experience for some suggested ways to get experience.
Create a Council Record with the Council of Landscape Architect Registration Boards (CLARB) at the CLARB website. Complete the file with all of the required education and work experience information. CLARB will evaluate your completed record and send you a statement of eligibility to register for the LARE exam.
Register for the LARE exam through CLARB’s website. CLARB administers both the graphic and multiple-choice sections of the LARE in Maine.
Prepare for the LARE. Many candidates are surprised by how difficult it is to pass every section of the LARE. CLARB’s own statistics show that some sections of the LARE have dismally low passing rates. You don’t have to be a statistic. Prepare for the LARE by reading their recommended technical books on landscape architecture topics covered on the exam, join a LARE Google group, try practice exams at home, or attend a LARE workshop. The more you know and the better your prepare for the exam, the better your odds are of passing the LARE on the first attempt.
Take and pass each section of the LARE. Once you pass every section, have CLARB forward your Council Record to the state board.
Apply for a landscape architect license with the Maine licensing board. Go to their website for the application packet and forms. You can find their website at http://www.maine.gov/pfr/professionallicensing/professions/architects/landscape.htm.
Wait for your license to come in the mail. Celebrate when you get it! You have now joined the ranks of licensed landscape architects.
Purchase a stamp so you can sign and seal drawings.
Don’t forget to renew your license annually. Annual renewal payments are due by June 30^th every year.

Final Thoughts

The road to licensure can seem long and winding while you are on the path towards licensure. Just remember that all of the preparation is worth acheiving your goal of becoming a licensed landscape architect. Many have stood where you are and have successfully become registered. You can do it, too.

For More Information

For more information on the state of Maine’s landcape architecture licensing requirements and regulations, visit the the Office of Professional and Occupational Regulation website at http://www.maine.gov/pfr/professionallicensing/professions/architects/landscape.htm. ASLA also has information on becoming a licensed professional. Check out ASLA’s website at www.asla.org. If you are not a member of ASLA, consider becoming one. It is an investment in your professional development.

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