New Hampshire Architect CE Requirements (2026): 24 Hours Every 2 Years
Requirements Overview
New Hampshire regulates architect continuing education in Administrative Rule Arch 403, administered by the Board of Architects under the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC). Licenses renew biennially, and each licensee must obtain at least 12 units each year of the biennium — a total of 24 units per two-year cycle.
Every unit must be in the areas of health, safety, and welfare (HSW). Under the rule readopted with amendments effective March 24, 2026, there is no longer a separate sustainable-design sub-category — older third-party summaries describing an 8 HSW + 4 sustainable-design split reflect the superseded rule. If you exceed the requirement, up to 12 units may be carried forward into the next renewal period.
Licensees report compliance through CE Broker and must retain attendance verification records for at least 4 years. Self-directed learning is allowed but requires a comprehension test, and a licensee on active military duty exceeding 120 consecutive days in a year is exempt.
Mandatory Topics
| Topic | Hours | Frequency | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Health, Safety & Welfare (HSW) | 24 | Every renewal | All continuing education must be in the areas of health, safety, and welfare — at least 12 units each year of the biennium, so all 24 units across the two-year renewal must be HSW. Under the rule readopted effective March 24, 2026, there is no separate sustainable-design sub-category; every unit must be HSW. |
Exemptions
- Active Military Duty (Over 120 Days) — A licensee is exempt from the continuing education requirements for serving on temporary active duty in the armed forces of the United States for a period exceeding 120 consecutive days in a year.
How You Can Complete Your CE
New Hampshire CE Rules & Limits
Details specific to New Hampshire that generic CE guides tend to miss:
- Annual minimum — at least 12 hours must be completed each year of the cycle, not just by the renewal deadline.
- Carry-over — If a licensee exceeds the requirement, a maximum of 12 continuing education units may be carried forward into the subsequent renewal period.
- New Hampshire requires at least 12 continuing education units each year of the biennium, all in the areas of health, safety, and welfare (HSW) — 24 units per two-year renewal (N.H. Admin. Rule Arch 403.01).
- The rule was readopted with amendments effective March 24, 2026. Under the current rule all units must be HSW; there is no separate sustainable-design requirement (earlier/secondary sources describing an 8 HSW + 4 sustainable-design split reflect the superseded rule).
- Up to 12 continuing education units may be carried forward into the subsequent renewal period. Self-directed learning requires a comprehension test.
- Licenses renew biennially; licensees report through CE Broker and must retain attendance verification records for at least 4 years. A licensee on active military duty exceeding 120 consecutive days in a year is exempt.
Tips for New Hampshire Architects
- Earn 12 HSW units each year of your biennium, not 24 all at once — the rule sets a per-year minimum, so plan for both years.
- Everything must be HSW. The current rule has no sustainable-design carve-out, so don't rely on older guidance that split the hours into HSW plus sustainable design.
- Report through CE Broker at renewal and keep your attendance records for at least 4 years in case of audit.
- If you overshoot, up to 12 units carry forward into the next renewal period — useful for banking a heavy course year.
- Self-directed courses count but require passing a comprehension test; verify a provider meets that condition before relying on self-study.
Sources
Each figure on this page is taken directly from the New Hampshire Board of Architects (Office of Professional Licensure and Certification, OPLC)'s official rules and continuing-education sources and recorded with the exact source excerpt. Last verified Jul 2026. Read how we compile and verify this data.