Landscape Architect License Defense
Representation Before the State Board of Landscape Architects
The State Board of Landscape Architects licenses landscape architects in the Commonwealth and regulates the use of the professional seal. The Board's regulations define professional misconduct in detail, including the sealing of documents, the delegation of work and the accuracy of statements to clients and to the Board.
Complaints most often concern plans submitted for a project, the use of a seal on work not prepared under the licensee's supervision, or representations about the licensee's qualifications. Continuing education audits are also a common source of Board matters.
Mimm Law, LLC represents landscape architects at every stage of a Board matter, from the initial inquiry through final order.
Governing Law
- Board
- State Board of Landscape Architects
- Statute
- Landscape Architects' Registration Law, 63 P.S. § 901 et seq.
- Regulations
- 49 Pa. Code Chapter 15
- Licensees
- Landscape architects
- Renewal
- Biennial; licenses expire May 31 of odd-numbered years
Who the Board Regulates
- Registered landscape architect license, active or inactive
- Temporary permit
Grounds for Discipline
The Registration Law authorizes the Board to suspend or revoke a license for gross negligence, incompetence or misconduct in practice. The Board's regulations (49 Pa. Code § 15.63) define misconduct to include:
- Lack of good faith toward a client or employer
- Misleading or fraudulent statements about the licensee's own practice or that of another
- Undertaking work beyond the licensee's competence
- Delegating professional work to an unqualified person
- Aiding unlicensed practice
- Misrepresenting or concealing facts to obtain or reinstate a license
- Sealing documents the licensee did not prepare or supervise
- Failing to provide proof of continuing education, or providing false information about it
Sanctions the Board May Impose
The Board may suspend or revoke a license and may reinstate a suspended license. A licensee whose license is revoked must reapply, and the Law authorizes civil penalties.
In addition to the sanctions in the Board's own statute, Chapter 31 of Title 63 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated Statutes authorizes each licensing board to impose a civil penalty of up to $10,000 per violation and to assess the costs of investigation against a licensee found to have violated the law.
Obligations That Often Lead to Board Matters
The Seal
A landscape architect's seal may be placed only on documents prepared by the licensee or under the licensee's supervision. Digital seals and signatures are permitted, subject to the Board's rules.
Continuing Education
Licensees must complete 24 hours of continuing education each biennial period, no more than half by distance learning, and must keep proof of completion for audit. Certificates and renewal forms must be kept for six years after the course and produced on demand.
Reporting Obligations
Licensees must report licensure and discipline in other jurisdictions and qualifying criminal convictions. Under the general rule for Pennsylvania licensees, notice is due in writing within 30 days. The Board's own rule also requires reporting on the renewal application or in writing within 90 days of final disposition, whichever is sooner, alongside the 30-day general rule.
Matters We Handle
- Client complaints concerning plans or services
- Sealing of documents not prepared under the licensee's supervision
- Practice without a current license
- Advertising and title use
- Continuing education audits
- Criminal charges and convictions affecting licensure
How We Can Help
Board Investigations
Upon receipt of a letter of inquiry, a subpoena or contact from an investigator, the firm evaluates the allegations, reviews the licensee's records, prepares a written response and attends any investigative interview. In some matters, an early, well-documented response may resolve the matter before formal charges are filed.
Formal Charges and Hearings
When the Commonwealth files an Order to Show Cause, the time to respond is short, and a respondent who misses the deadline may be held in default and the facts alleged deemed admitted. The firm prepares and files the answer, negotiates a consent agreement where one serves the client's interests, and tries the matter before the hearing examiner or the Board where it does not.
Applications and Reinstatement
For applicants whose history may raise questions, and for licensees seeking reinstatement after suspension, revocation or lapse, the firm assembles the application and supporting record and presents the matter to the Board.
Questions Licensees Ask
I was selected for a continuing education audit and cannot find a certificate. What should I do?
Contact the course provider for a replacement and gather any other proof of attendance before responding. A licensee should never estimate or reconstruct hours without documentation, because a false statement about continuing education is a separate ground for discipline.
May I seal a plan prepared by a consultant?
Only if the plan was prepared under your supervision. Using or permitting the use of your seal on a document you did not actually prepare or supervise the preparation of is misconduct under the Board's regulations.
Does a contract dispute with a client lead to discipline?
Not by itself. The Board is concerned with incompetence, negligence and misconduct, not with ordinary business disputes. A prompt and measured response addressing the professional standards at issue is usually the best course.
Should I speak with an investigator before I have counsel?
A licensee who receives a letter of inquiry, a subpoena or a telephone call from an investigator with the Bureau of Enforcement and Investigation should be courteous and should note the investigator's name and contact information, but should not give a substantive statement before obtaining advice. Anything said to an investigator may be included in the report reviewed by the prosecuting attorney and, later, by the Board. Counsel can determine what is being alleged, gather the relevant records and prepare a response that is accurate, complete and appropriately limited.
Must I report a criminal conviction, plea or ARD, or discipline in another state?
Yes. Pennsylvania law requires every licensee to notify the licensing board in writing within 30 days of discipline imposed by a licensing authority in another jurisdiction and of a finding of guilt, guilty plea, plea of nolo contendere, probation without verdict, disposition in lieu of trial or Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition on a felony or misdemeanor charge. Some boards' regulations impose additional or earlier reporting duties, including, for nurses and massage therapists, a duty to report the filing of criminal charges within 30 days. A failure to report is itself a ground for discipline, and it is frequently charged alongside the underlying conduct.
Meet Your Attorney
Steven A. Mimm, Esq.
Founder, Mimm Law, LLC. Admitted in Pennsylvania (2008) and New Jersey (2022).
From 2014 to 2022, Attorney Steven A. Mimm served as a prosecuting attorney bringing disciplinary actions on behalf of the Bureau of Professional and Occupational Affairs before Pennsylvania's licensing boards. That experience informs how the firm evaluates evidence, negotiates with the Commonwealth and prepares cases for hearing. Where a licensee also faces criminal charges, the firm handles the licensing matter and coordinates with the licensee's criminal defense counsel.
Related: All Licensing Boards · Licensing and FAQs
Last reviewed September 2026. The information on this page is general in nature and is not legal advice. Contacting the firm does not create an attorney-client relationship.