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As an architect, maintaining your registration is crucial for your continued practice and legal recognition in the UK. To do so, you must make your professional declarations, complete your CPD record and ensure that your details are up to date in our records.
You must also pay an annual retention fee set by ARB to cover the cost of carrying out the regulatory functions set for us in law. For 2027, the annual fee is £232.
Regulation exists to protect the public. The benefits of registration provide greater assurance to the public that all those on the Register are suitably competent and qualified; have made statutory declarations; are committed to upholding the Code of Conduct and Practice; develop and maintain their competence through regular CPD; and that disciplinary sanctions can be applied in cases of serious professional incompetence or unprofessional conduct. The title ‘architect’ is legally protected. Last year, in 2025, ARB investigated 586 instances of misuse of the title by those not on the Register.
You can read more about ARB’s role and the work we do, with facts and figures demonstrating our performance, on our website: arb.org.uk/publications/publications-list/annual-report/2025-year-in-review/
Key points
- Fee: The fee for 2027 is £232.
- Dates: The fee for 2027 must be paid by 31 December 2026. You must make an online professional declaration before you can make your fee payment.
- You must pay your retention fee personally; an employer cannot pay your retention fee on your behalf. This is because you will be asked to make a professional declaration relating to conduct and CPD is required at the time of payment, detailing where CPD is recorded.
- Payment method is debit or credit card, or ApplePay or GooglePay. No other payment methods are accepted. We cannot accept cash, cheques, BACS bank transfers, or postal orders.
- Continued use of the title: Architects who have not paid their retention fee before the fee collection period closes are automatically removed from the Register, and cannot use the title ‘architect’ in business or practice. If you are removed from the Register for non-payment of the retention fee but wish to continue using the title, you will have to pay an additional fee to be reinstated.
- Managing your registration: MyARB is your portal for accessing registrant services. MyARB allows you to manage your registration online, including fee payment, updating contact details, and accessing your certificates and receipts.
- Contact details: It’s essential to keep your contact details up to date and accurate. Your business details appear on the public Register, helping potential clients and the public verify your status as a registered architect, and we contact you about your registration at your address or email.
- CPD records: You must have finished recording your CPD by midnight on the 31 December. Architects who are RIBA members can record on the RIBA system. You still need to tell us this as part of your professional declaration when you pay your fee on MyARB. Non-RIBA architects should record their activities directly on MyARB but cannot upload certificates, because these are not needed for the CPD assessment.
Follow the steps of the process and see our FAQs here.
Sent 2 January 2026
The retention fee period has ended, and we are about to remove you from the Register of UK architects
On 2 January 2026, we sent an email to architects because they had either not used their MyARB profile to pay the fee, or had not completed the transaction fully.
Sent 30 December 2025
You have 24hrs to declare your CPD and pay the 2026 retention fee
On 30 December 2025, we sent an email to architects as our records show that they have not yet completed your CPD declaration and paid their 2026 retention fee.
Sent 22 December 2025
You have 9 days to declare your CPD and pay the 2026 retention fee
On 22 December 2025, we sent an email to architects as a reminder, that they have 9 days to declare their CPD and pay the 2026 retention fee.
Sent 19 December 2025
You must record your CPD by 31 December to remain registered next year
On 19 December 2025, we sent an email to architects as a reminder, that they must your their CPD by 31 December to remain on the Architects Register next year.
Sent 17 December 2025
You must complete the retention process by 31 December to remain registered
On 17 December 2025, we sent an email to architects as a reminder, that they must complete the retention process by 31 December to remain on the Architects Register.
Sent 12 December 2025
Reminder: Three weeks to go: record your CPD before 31 December
On 12 December 2025, we sent an email to architects as a reminder, that there's only three weeks to go to renew their registration and record their CPD.
Sent 10 December 2025
Reminder: Three weeks to go to renew your registration and record your CPD
On 10 December 2025, we sent an email to architects as a reminder, that there's three weeks to go to renew their registration and record their CPD.
Sent 5 December 2025
There's still time to pay your 2026 Retention Fee and record your CPD - don't leave it until too late
On 5 December 2025, we sent an email to architects as a reminder, that there's still time to pay your 2026 Retention Fee and record their CPD.
Sent 5 December 2025
There’s still time to record CPD - don’t leave it until too late
On 5 December 2025, we sent an email to architects as a reminder, that there's still time to record their CPD.
Sent 26 November 2025
Reminder: record your CPD before 31 December
On 26 November 2025, we sent an email to architects as a reminder, that ARB’s continuing professional development (CPD) scheme is a mandatory requirement for all architects.
Sent 21 November 2025
You have started, but not completed your 2026 retention fee payment
On 21 November 2025, we sent an email to architects because you have started, but not completed, your retention fee payment.
Reminder: direct debit is no longer a payment option for the retention fee
On 21 November 2025, we sent an email to architects because last year you paid your annual retention fee by direct debit. Direct debit is no longer a payment option, which means you will need to log in to MyARB and make a one-off payment as part of the process for your retention on the Architects Register for 2026..
Sent 18 November 2025
Are you recording CPD with RIBA again this year?
On 18 November 2025, we sent an email to architects who last year recorded their CPD for the ARB scheme through RIBA’s platform asking them to confirm whether they are you recording CPD with RIBA again this year.
Sent 13 November 2025
Guidance on paying your 2026 retention fee, and fulfilling your CPD obligations
On 13 November 2025, we sent an email to architects that we can see from our systems (correct at 12:00hrs on Thursday 13 November 2025), to ensure that you have all of the information you need to complete the payment before the deadline of 31 December 2025.
Sent 11 November 2025
You have started, but not completed your 2026 retention fee application. You need to take action to remain registered in 2026
On 11 November 2025, we sent an email to architects that we can see from our systems (correct at 08:00hrs on Tuesday 11 November 2025), have already logged in to their MyARB profile, and begun their application to renew their registration for 2026 but haven't completed it yet.
Sent 7 November 2025
You have started, but not completed your 2026 retention fee application
On 7 November 2025, we sent an email to architects that we can see from our systems (correct at 08:00hrs on Friday 7 November 2025), have already logged in to their MyARB profile, and begun their application to renew their registration for 2026 but haven't completed it yet.
Sent 28 October 2025
If you have received a SMS from us recently, let us explain its purpose:
On 28 October 2025 we sent an sms to architects who have provided a personal email address but have unsubscribed or asked their internet service provider to block emails from us.
We need you to contact us on info@arb.org.uk so that we can either change your email address or please click here and resubscribe to remove the restriction on your email address. Please note that you can still pay your retention fee by logging in to myarb.arb.org.uk and you should do this by 31 dec 2025, but if you do not contact us you will not receive any emails relating to your registration, and this may mean that you do not act, and are removed from the register in January 2026.
Sent 23 October 2025
Annual Retention Fee 2026
The 2026 Statutory Notice was sent out on Thursday 23 October 2025 advising you that your annual retention fee for 2026 is due by the 31 December 2025.
Please contact info@arb.org.uk if you have any further questions.
Sent 2 September 2025
Confirmation your MyARB login is now your personal email address
As outlined in our updates below, we emailed you on Thursday 21 August 2025 advising you we were changing your username to match your personal email address.
This has now been actioned.
Please contact info@arb.org.uk with any further questions about logging into your MyARB profile.
Sent 21 August 2025
Upcoming change to Your MyARB Login Email: action only required if your personal email has changed
Following the email we sent on Thursday 21 August, we will be updating your MyARB login details. On 1 September 2025, we will automatically update the email address that you use to login to your MyARB profile to match the personal email address that we use to communicate with you.
This update is being made to make logging in to MyARB and receiving important updates more convenient.
What you need to do
You do not need to take any action unless you no longer have access to your personal email address.
If that is the case, please email info@arb.org.uk before 1 September 2025. We would ask that you please avoid calling us about this change as our phone lines are often busy – email enquiries will receive a response.
Sent 8 August 2025
Confirmation that your Direct Debit has been cancelled
Following the email we sent on Wednesday 11 June, I am writing to confirm that the Direct Debit you set up to pay the annual retention fee has been cancelled.
This means that when it is time to renew your registration, later this year, you will need to log in to MyARB to make your professional declarations and also make an online card payment for your retention fee.
We will write to your personal email address, that we hold on our records, to tell you when the annual retention process is open.
What do I need to do now?
We suggest that you log in to MyARB to check that you can access the system before the annual retention process begins in late October. You may also want to contact your bank, or log in to your online banking account, to cancel the direct debit.
However, if you still feel unsure about what you have received or how to log in and make a change, then you can email us at info@arb.org.uk for further help.
Important message about your ARB Registration; please take action
Since launching MyARB in 2023, many architects have logged in to their personal portal and updated their registered details.
As part of routine data audits here at ARB, we need to make sure that a personal email address and a log in email address are one and the same.
In any instance where there is a difference in one of these email addresses, we are contacting you and asking you to make them the same.
We cannot assume which of the two addresses you would like to use, so we cannot make this change for you.
Please be assured that this email request is legitimate and is designed only to ensure we hold the correct and most up to date information for you.
However, if you still feel unsure about what you have received or how to log in and make a change, then you can email us at info@arb.org.uk for further help.
Updated 20 January 2025
Reinstatement to the Register
We are required by UK law to remove those who have not paid the retention fee, as the Register must accurately display those who currently meet the Board’s requirements as part of our public protection function. The deadline for payment was 31 December, and we removed the non-payers on 15th January 2025, having provided a series of reminders to the email addresses supplied by the architects.
Those who have been removed must apply to be reinstated, using their MyARB profile. The Rejoin the Register button appears on the Home page.
It is not possible to reverse a removal administratively, or to pay the fee previous fee over the telephone or make a bank transfer. An application and declaration must be made, using the MyARB portal. Please go to MyARB to log in.
The fees for reinstatement are £36 admin charge plus £82 prescribed fee, plus £205 retention fee, totalling £323.
We must receive the full fee before we process any application. Applications take up to five working days to process.
Updated 13 January 2025
The retention fee period is now closed.
We are not accepting any further payments. The deadline for payment was 31 December 2024.
We will contact any architects who have not paid the 2025 fee, to explain what they need to do if they wish to use the title “architect” in 2025.
It is not possible to upload, or amend, CPD generated in 2024.
If you have queries about your registration status, you should email info@arb.org.uk – including your full name, your registration number, and your date of birth for security purposes – setting out the issue or circumstances.
Please note that we cannot discuss these issues on the telephone, and will require an email of the circumstances before we can resolve them.
Updated 6 January 2025
CPD
Your 2025 CPD record is now live on MyARB.
Your 2024 CPD record is locked, and it is not possible to record your 2024 CPD activities anymore.
If you have are trying to renew your registration for 2025, you must request a deferment for your 2024 CPD record. As a result of deferring your 2024 CPD records your 2025 CPD will be selected for review in 2026.
If you declared you would record your CPD on MyARB by 31 December and have not, you must contact the CPD team immediately at CPD@ARB.org.uk