(225 ILCS 305/14) (from Ch. 111, par. 1314)

(Section scheduled to be repealed on January 1, 2030)

Sec. 14. Seal. Every architect shall have a reproducible seal, or facsimile, the impression of which shall contain the name of the architect, the license number, and the words "Licensed Architect, State of Illinois". The architect shall affix the signature, current date, date of license expiration, and seal to the first sheet of any bound set or loose sheets of technical submissions used as contract documents between the parties to the contract or prepared for the review and approval of any governmental or public authority having jurisdiction by that architect or under that architect's responsible control. The sheet of technical submissions in which the seal is affixed shall indicate those documents or parts thereof for which the seal shall apply. The seal and dates may be electronically affixed. The licensee may provide, at his or her sole discretion, an original signature in the licensee's handwriting, a scanned copy of the document bearing an original signature, or a signature generated by a computer. All technical submissions issued by any corporation, partnership, professional service corporation, or professional design firm as registered under this Act shall contain the corporate or assumed business name and design firm registration number, in addition to any other seal requirements as set forth in this Section.

"Responsible control" means that amount of control over and detailed professional knowledge of the content of technical submissions during their preparation as is ordinarily exercised by architects applying the required professional standard of care. Merely reviewing or reviewing and correcting the technical submissions or any portion thereof prepared by those not in the regular employment of the office where the architect is resident without control over the content of such work throughout its preparation does not constitute responsible control.

An architect licensed under this Act shall not sign and seal technical submissions that were not prepared by or under the responsible control of the architect except that:

(1) the architect may sign and seal those portions of the technical submissions that were prepared by or under the responsible control of persons who hold a license under this Act, and who have signed and sealed the documents, if the architect has reviewed in whole or in part such portions and has either coordinated their preparation or integrated them into his or her work;

(2) the architect may sign and seal portions of the professional work that are not required by this Act to be prepared by or under the responsible control of an architect if the architect has reviewed and adopted in whole or in part such portions and has integrated them into his or her work; and

(3) a partner or corporate officer of a professional design firm registered in Illinois who is licensed under the architecture licensing laws of this State, and who has professional knowledge of the content of the technical submissions and intends to be responsible for the adequacy of the technical submissions, may sign and seal technical submissions that are prepared by or under the responsible control of architects who are licensed in this State and who are in the regular employment of the professional design firm.

The architect exercising responsible control under which the technical submissions or portions of the technical submissions were prepared shall be identified on the technical submissions or portions of the technical submissions by name and Illinois license number.

Any architect who signs and seals technical submissions not prepared by that architect but prepared under the architect's responsible control by persons not regularly employed in the office where the architect is resident shall maintain and make available to the board upon request for at least 5 years following such signing and sealing, adequate and complete records demonstrating the nature and extent of the architect's control over and detailed professional knowledge of such technical submissions throughout their preparation.

(Source: P.A. 101-346, eff. 8-9-19.)