Licensure and registration.

(1) The department shall license or register any applicant who the board certifies is qualified for licensure or registration and who has paid the initial licensure or registration fee. Licensure as an architect under this section shall be deemed to include all the rights and privileges of registration as an interior designer under this section.

(2) The board shall certify for licensure or registration by examination any applicant who passes the prescribed licensure or registration examination and satisfies the requirements of ss. 481.209 and 481.211, for architects, or the requirements of s. 481.209, for interior designers.

(3) The board shall certify as qualified for a license by endorsement as an architect or registration as a registered interior designer an applicant who:

(a) Qualifies to take the prescribed licensure or registration examination, and has passed the prescribed licensure or registration examination or a substantially equivalent examination in another jurisdiction, as set forth in s. 481.209 for architects or registered interior designers, as applicable, and has satisfied the internship requirements set forth in s. 481.211 for architects;

(b) Holds a valid license to practice architecture or a license, registration, or certification to practice interior design issued by another jurisdiction of the United States, if the criteria for issuance of such license were substantially equivalent to the licensure criteria that existed in this state at the time the license was issued; or

(c) Has passed the prescribed licensure examination and holds a valid certificate issued by the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards, and holds a valid license to practice architecture issued by another state or jurisdiction of the United States.

An architect who is licensed in another state who seeks qualification for license by endorsement under this subsection must complete a 2-hour class approved by the board on wind mitigation techniques.

(4) The board may refuse to certify any applicant who has violated any of the provisions of s. 481.223, s. 481.225, or s. 481.2251, as applicable.

(5) The board may refuse to certify any applicant who is under investigation in any jurisdiction for any act which would constitute a violation of this part or of chapter 455 until such time as the investigation is complete and disciplinary proceedings have been terminated.

(6) The board shall adopt rules to implement the provisions of this part relating to the examination, internship, and licensure of applicants.

(7) For persons whose licensure requires satisfaction of the requirements of ss. 481.209 and 481.211, the board shall, by rule, establish qualifications for certification of such persons as special inspectors of threshold buildings, as defined in ss. 553.71 and 553.79, and shall compile a list of persons who are certified. A special inspector is not required to meet standards for certification other than those established by the board, and the fee owner of a threshold building may not be prohibited from selecting any person certified by the board to be a special inspector. The board shall develop minimum qualifications for the qualified representative of the special inspector who is authorized under s. 553.79 to perform inspections of threshold buildings on behalf of the special inspector.

(8) A certificate of registration is not required for a person whose occupation or practice is confined to interior decorator services or for a person whose occupation or practice is confined to interior design as provided in this part.