OAA Seal

OAA licensed members, if eligible, 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 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 who has 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 in accordance with Section 41 of the regulations, which establishes the following:

41. (1) A member of the Association who is,

(a) a holder of a certificate of practice;
(b) a member of a partnership that holds a certificate of practice;
(c) an employee of the Crown of Ontario or of Canada, a crown agency, sole proprietorship, partnership or a corporation, if required to use a seal in the member’s capacity as an employee; or
(d) an officer, director or full-time employee of a holder of a certificate of practice who personally supervises and directs the practice of architecture by the holder of the certificate of practice, is entitled, upon application in the form that shall be provided by the Registrar and upon payment of the fees prescribed by the by-laws, to be issued a seal in a design approved by the Council.

(2) A holder of a temporary licence is entitled, upon application in the form that shall be provided by the Registrar and upon payment of the fees prescribed by the by-laws, to be issued a seal in a design approved by the Council.

(3) The ownership of every seal issued by the Association is retained in the Association.

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.

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.

OAA Seal Retention

A member who does not anticipate requiring an OAA seal in the future may choose to permanently surrender it for disposal, rather than have it retained by the OAA. This option is intended for members who have permanently ceased, or do not anticipate resuming, professional practice requiring an OAA seal, including those who change their status to Retired Member. Any seal subsequently issued to the member will be considered a newly issued seal.

A member who may require an OAA seal again in the future may temporarily surrender the seal to the OAA, returning it for secure retention. If the member subsequently becomes entitled to use an OAA seal again, the previously returned seal may be reissued to the member, provided it remains suitable for use and there is no regulatory or other reason to withhold or replace it.

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;
limited licence, limited 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 licence application form or the limited licence 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

The OAA seal and digital authentication are distinct. Members must first apply to the OAA for a seal using the application process above. Digital authentication services do not issue OAA seals. 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 Portage CyberTech (formerly known as 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 or Licensed Technologist who 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.