FAR 52.236-25—Requirements for Registration of Designers.
Plain-English Summary
FAR 52.236-25, Requirements for Registration of Designers, is a construction clause that addresses who may prepare, review, and approve the design of the project’s professional engineering and architectural features. It requires that architects or engineers who are registered to practice in the relevant professional field in a State, the District of Columbia, or an outlying area of the United States perform that design responsibility. The clause specifically covers architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, civil, and other engineering features of the work, so it applies to the technical disciplines that affect the safety, integrity, and compliance of the construction effort. In practice, the clause is meant to ensure that design work is performed or checked by properly licensed professionals under applicable state or territorial registration laws, which helps protect the Government from defective design and supports code-compliant construction. It also signals to contractors that design responsibility cannot be assigned casually to unregistered personnel when professional licensure is required. Because the clause is brief, its practical effect depends heavily on the underlying licensing rules of the jurisdiction and the scope of the design services being performed.
Key Rules
Registered professionals required
Architects or engineers must be registered to practice in the particular professional field involved. The clause ties design responsibility to lawful professional licensure, not merely experience or internal company qualification.
Applies to design features
The requirement covers the design of architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, civil, and other engineering features of the work. It is aimed at the technical portions of the project that require professional judgment and licensure.
Jurisdiction matters
Registration must be in a State, the District of Columbia, or an outlying area of the United States. The clause does not create a federal license; it relies on the applicable local registration authority.
Prepare, review, and approve
The registered professional may either prepare the design or review and approve it. This allows the Government to require professional oversight even when the actual drafting or production work is done by others.
Clause is contract-specific
The clause is inserted when prescribed by FAR 36.609-4. Its effect depends on whether it is included in the solicitation and contract, but when included it becomes a binding contract requirement.
Responsibilities
Contracting Officer
Include the clause when required by FAR 36.609-4 and ensure the solicitation and contract clearly reflect any professional registration expectations for design services.
Contractor
Use properly registered architects or engineers for the relevant design disciplines and ensure those professionals prepare, review, or approve the applicable design features.
Registered Architect or Engineer
Perform the design work, or review and approve it, only within the scope of the professional field in which the individual is properly registered and authorized to practice.
Agency/Technical Evaluators
Verify that the design effort is being handled by appropriately registered professionals and that the design submissions reflect required professional oversight.
Practical Implications
Contractors should confirm licensure early, especially on design-build or architect-engineer-heavy projects, because a missing registration can create compliance problems and delay approval of design submittals.
The clause does not tell you which state license is enough in every case, so contractors must check the applicable state or territorial licensing rules and any project-specific requirements.
A common pitfall is assuming that an experienced designer or in-house engineer can approve work without the proper registration; if the discipline requires licensure, that assumption can lead to noncompliance.
Contracting officers and technical staff should look for evidence that the named professional is actually registered in the relevant discipline and that the registration is current.
Because the clause is short, it works together with other construction and design requirements; users should not treat it as a complete statement of all professional, code, or quality-control obligations.
Official Regulatory Text
As prescribed in 36.609-4 , insert the following clause: Requirements for Registration of Designers (June 2003) Architects or engineers registered to practice in the particular professional field involved in a State, the District of Columbia, or an outlying area of the United States shall prepare or review and approve the design of architectural, structural, mechanical, electrical, civil, or other engineering features of the work. (End of clause)