OAA Seal

OAA members must use the professional seal issued to them by the OAA in accordance with the rules governing the use of professional seals contained in the Ontario Regulation 27 (the regulations) under the Architects Act (the Act) and any applicable laws, regulations, and bylaws that may apply in a particular scenario.

An OAA seal is a representation to the public—including clients, other consultants, approval-granting entities such as local governments and authorities having jurisdiction, contractors, consultants, and sub-trades—that not only does the OAA member who applied it take responsibility for the document, but also the document was prepared by that OAA member or under their personal supervision and direction.

The seal is a solemn confirmation that a qualified, licensed member is sufficiently aware of the relevant considerations that went into the design such that, in the member’s opinion, the design is ready for publication and intended to be relied upon and used by others for the purposes intended.

The regulations establish an expectation the OAA member who prepared the documents requiring a seal—or who had direct knowledge, supervised, and controlled their preparation—must seal them. This means the member having comprehensive, coordinated knowledge of the documents, and who has exercised professional judgment that the documents are ready for publication and reliance by others, should be the one applying a seal—not a colleague (principal or otherwise) with inadequate knowledge of, or involvement with, a project.

Seals are issued by the OAA to certain members for their use while registered as members. As set out in Subsection 42(22) of the regulations, any person who ceases to be a member “must return the seal to the Registrar.” This statutory expectation applies upon:

cancellation, revocation, or suspension of a licence, certificate of practice (CoP), CoP issued under Section 23 of the Act, or temporary licence;
dissolution of a corporation or partnership;
termination of a practice of architecture or project described in a temporary licence or CoP issued under Section 23 of the Act; or
when no longer required to use a seal in their capacity as an employee.

The seal should be kept safely secured. Members are expected to advise the OAA promptly if the seal is lost, stolen, or compromised and to bring in a damaged seal to the OAA for replacement. The seal must never be altered for any reason.

Important Information on Seals and an OAA Member’s Duty to the Public

Misuse of an OAA seal is considered among the more serious breaches of a member’s duty to the public. Underscoring the gravity of the matter is the fact that the use of the seal is addressed specifically in the regulations.
Many of the concerns relating to misuse of the seal are found in Regulatory Notice RN.01, OAA Professional Seal–Application (Usage). This includes the fundamental expectation the OAA member who prepared the document or personally supervised and directed its preparation must apply the seal and signature. RN.01 also includes best practices and more information on which documents must be sealed.

An OAA seal is not for sale, and the term “rubber stamping” is an appropriately derogatory term to describe the actions of members who apply a seal to documents they did not personally prepare or supervise and direct.

Requests to do so are often sparked by clients looking to have their ‘in-house’ design (or that provided by a non-member consultant) sanctioned by a professional. Such misuse of the seal brings the architectural profession and the validity of the seal as a public representation of professional qualifications and responsibility into disrepute.

The stakes are even higher when an OAA member applies a seal to a non-member’s drawing, because it appears to legitimize, and thereby aids and abets, the unauthorized practice of architecture by unregistered individuals and businesses. Aiding and abetting unauthorized practice is professional misconduct under the regulations.

Applying for an OAA Seal

The OAA professional seal is purchased directly via the OAA’s Office of the Registrar. To complement the use of the professional physical seal, the OAA will provide the applicant with high-resolution images of their seal.

The current seals issued to OAA members and temporary licence holders indicate information accordingly:

licence, licence number, and name;
licence (subject to terms, conditions, and limitations), licence number, and name; or
temporary licensee, name, and project information.

There are three application conditions for a professional seal.

An applicant for a certificate of practice may apply for a seal after their CoP has been approved or have a seal when applying for the CoP.
For an employee of a holder of a CoP to be eligible for a seal, the holder must provide confirmation in writing to the OAA indicating the seal will be used only for projects under that holder.
For an employee of other than a holder of a CoP to be eligible, the OAA member and the employer must provide confirmation in writing to the OAA indicating the seal will be used only for projects that are owned, and continue to be owned, by the employer.

To obtain your OAA seal, please complete the application form. Please ensure you have read and understand the guidelines. Once complete, submit your application and supporting documents to the Office of the Registrar.
Once you have a seal:

The employer must notify the Office of the Registrar of any changes that may affect whether the employee is entitled to a seal.
The employee must immediately notify the Office of the Registrar of any changes that may affect whether they are entitled to a seal.

Digital Authentication

OAA members should authenticate electronic documents using secure, legally compliant platforms alongside the OAA-issued seal to ensure the integrity of designs and protect the public.

Standards for digital authentication and OAA seal application include:

approved platforms: use only digital authentication platforms that comply with relevant laws, including those respecting electronic commerce;
secure access: platforms should offer strong data encryption, audit trails, and multi-factor authentication to maintain document integrity and accountability;
traceability: electronic signatures should provide traceability for identity verification and reliable digital authentication records; and
OAA seal requirement: every digitally authenticated document should display the OAA-issued seal as proof of authority.

Members are responsible for controlling their digital authentication tools and the OAA-issued seal to prevent unauthorized use. They must ensure their methods align with OAA standards and relevant legal requirements, including the Architects Act, the regulations, OAA Bylaws, and Canadian and Ontario digital laws. Members are encouraged to seek expert guidance on the appropriate use of digital authentication and approved technologies.

As an option, OAA members can subscribe to Notarius to digitally authenticate their documents. Contact the Office of the Registrar for more information.

CONTACT

Office of the Registrar
t: 416.449.6898 Ext: 285 or 297
e: officeoftheregistrar@oaa.on.ca

REFERENCES

OAA Certificate of Practice Holders

Only an Architect who is licensed in Ontario and is a holder of a Certificate of Practice (CoP) in Ontario is permitted to offer and/or provide to a member of the public a service that is part of the practice of architecture.