Section 530. Application requirements  


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  • A. All applicants shall be incorporated in the Commonwealth of Virginia or, if a foreign professional corporation, shall have a certificate of authority to conduct business in Virginia from the State Corporation Commission in accordance with § 13.1-544.2 of the Code of Virginia. The corporation shall be in good standing with the State Corporation Commission at the time of application to the board office and at all times when the board registration is in effect.

    B. Each application shall include:

    1. For applicants incorporated in Virginia, the applicant shall provide a copy of its articles of incorporation, bylaws, or charter, and the certificate of incorporation issued by the Virginia State Corporation Commission.

    2. For applicants incorporated in a state other than Virginia, the applicant shall provide a copy of its articles of incorporation, bylaws, or charter, the certificate of incorporation issued by the foreign state of incorporation, and the certificate of authority issued by the Virginia State Corporation Commission.

    C. Articles of incorporation or bylaws.

    1. The articles of incorporation or bylaws shall specifically state that cumulative voting is prohibited.

    2. The bylaws shall affirmatively state that the professional corporation meets the requirements of § 13.1-549 of the Code of Virginia.

    3. The bylaws shall state that nonlicensed or noncertified individuals will not have a voice or standing in any matter affecting the practice of the corporation requiring professional expertise, in any matter constituting professional practice, or both.

    D. The board of directors shall meet the following requirements:

    1. A corporation may not elect to its board of directors more than one-third of its members who are employees of the corporation and are not authorized to render professional services;

    2. At least two-thirds of the board of directors shall be licensed to render the services of an architect, professional engineer, land surveyor, or landscape architect or be duly certified to use the title of certified interior designer, or any combination thereof; and

    3. At least one director, currently licensed or certified in each profession offered or practiced, shall be resident at the business to provide effective supervision and control of the final professional product.

    E. Joint ownership of stock. Any type of joint ownership of the stock of the corporation is prohibited. Ownership of stock by nonlicensed or noncertified employees shall not entitle those employees to vote in any matter affecting the practice of the professions herein regulated.

    F. The name of the business and any assumed, fictitious, trading as, or doing business as names of the firm shall be disclosed on the application.

    G. Any branch office offering or rendering professional services shall complete a branch office registration application from the board. Each branch office shall have a responsible person resident at the branch office for each profession offered or rendered.

Historical Notes

Derived from VR130-01-2 § 8.3, eff. October 18, 1985; amended, Volume 04, Issue 08, eff. March 1, 1988; Volume 06, Issue 20, eff. September 1, 1990; Volume 07, Issue 14, eff. May 8, 1991; Volume 08, Issue 07, eff. February 1, 1992; Volume 10, Issue 15, eff. May 19, 1994; Volume 13, Issue 23, eff. October 1, 1997; Volume 16, Issue 03, eff. December 1, 1999; Volume 18, Issue 07, eff. March 1, 2002; Volume 23, Issue 01, eff. February 1, 2007; Volume 26, Issue 04, eff. July 1, 2010; Volume 32, Issue 06, eff. January 1, 2016.

Statutory Authority

§§ 54.1-201 and 54.1-404 of the Code of Virginia.