Illegal practice
10.—(1)  Subject to the provisions of this Act, a person must not draw or prepare any architectural plan, drawing, tracing, design, specification or other document intended to govern the construction, enlargement or alteration of any building or part of a building in Singapore unless the person —
(a)is a registered architect —
(i)who has in force a practising certificate; or
(ii)who, if he is not required to obtain a practising certificate, is doing so in accordance with any prohibition, restriction or condition of his registration;
(b)is doing so under the direction or supervision of a person mentioned in paragraph (a); or
(c)is exempt under section 36 from this section.
[Act 20 of 2017 wef 06/10/2017]
(2)  Subject to the provisions of this Act, no person shall sign and submit to a building authority or to a public authority (as defined in section 3(4)) —
(a)any architectural plan, drawing, tracing, design, specification or other document intended to govern the construction, enlargement or alteration of any building or part thereof in Singapore; or
(b)any report, certificate or other document relating to the construction, enlargement or alteration of any building or part thereof which is required by any written law to be signed by an architect,
unless the person is a registered architect who has in force a practising certificate.
[3/95]
[28/2005 wef 01/12/2005]
(2A)  Any document that is signed in contravention of subsection (2) shall be invalid.
[3/95]
(3)  Subject to the provisions of this Act, no person shall —
(a)use verbally or otherwise the word “architect” or any of its derivatives in connection with his business designation, or any other words, name or designation that will lead to the belief that the person is an architect unless the person is a registered architect who has in force a practising certificate;
[Act 20 of 2017 wef 06/10/2017]
(b)advertise or hold himself out, or conduct himself in any way or by any means, as a person who is authorised to supply architectural services in Singapore, unless the person is —
(i)a registered architect who has in force a practising certificate; or
(ii)an architectural practice;
[Act 20 of 2017 wef 06/10/2017]
(c)use the word “architect” or any of its derivatives as part of the name of an architectural practice unless the person is authorised under this Act to supply architectural services; or
[Act 20 of 2017 wef 06/10/2017]
(d)use verbally or otherwise the word “architect” or the abbreviation “Ar.” as a title before his name unless he is a registered architect who has in force a practising certificate.
[Act 20 of 2017 wef 06/10/2017]
(4)  Nothing in subsection (3)(b) shall apply to prevent a corporation or limited liability partnership that ceases to have in force a licence from carrying on any activity necessary to the winding up of the corporation or limited liability partnership.
[3/95]
[28/2005 wef 01/12/2005]
(5)  Subject to the provisions of this Act, a person must not —
(a)supply architectural services in Singapore unless the person is —
(i)a registered architect who has in force a practising certificate and is doing so on the person’s own account or under, or as an employee of, an architectural practice;
(ii)a registered architect who, if he is not required to obtain a practising certificate, is doing so in accordance with any prohibition, restriction or condition of his registration; or
(iii)a licensed corporation or licensed limited liability partnership; or
(b)offer to supply architectural services in Singapore unless the person is —
(i)a person mentioned in paragraph (a); or
(ii)an allied professional who is doing so only by reason of being a partner in a licensed partnership or licensed limited liability partnership.
[Act 20 of 2017 wef 06/10/2017]
(5A)  Notwithstanding subsection (5), a builder may supply or offer to supply architectural services in Singapore in connection with any building works which he undertakes to carry out if the architectural services are provided by a person referred to in subsection (5)(a)(i) or (iii).
[18/2003 wef 01/01/2004]
[Act 20 of 2017 wef 06/10/2017]
(6)  Any person who contravenes subsection (1), (2), (3) or (5) shall be guilty of an offence and shall be liable on conviction —
(a)in the case of a natural person —
(i)to a fine not exceeding $5,000; and
(ii)if the person is a repeat offender, to a fine not exceeding $10,000 or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or to both; and
(b)in the case of a body corporate —
(i)to a fine not exceeding $5,000; and
(ii)if the body corporate is a repeat offender, to a fine not exceeding $10,000.
[Act 20 of 2017 wef 06/10/2017]
(7)  In this section, a person is a repeat offender if the person who is convicted, or found guilty, of an offence under subsection (6) has (whether before, on or after the date of commencement of section 11(g) of the Architects (Amendment) Act 2017) been convicted or found guilty on at least one other earlier occasion of —
(a)an offence under subsection (6) for contravening subsection (1), (2), (3) or (5); or
(b)an offence under subsection (6) as in force immediately before that date for contravening subsection (1), (2), (3) or (5) as in force immediately before that same date.
[Act 20 of 2017 wef 06/10/2017]