🧑🎓 This article is for Attendees who are licensed by the California Architects Board.
California architects must complete continuing education to maintain their license through the California Architects Board (CAB). This article explains what documentation CAB requires, where to find it in your CEU Events account, and how to meet specific CAB requirements — including the Zero Net Carbon Design (ZNCD) requirement that took effect for renewals on or after January 1, 2023.
CAB documentation requirements
California Business and Professions Code 5600.05(b) requires certificates of completion or official records from the provider to contain the following:
- Course title
- Subjects covered
- Name of provider
- Name of educator or trainer
- Date of completion
- Number of hours completed
- Statement about the trainer's or educator's knowledge and experience background
All of this information is available through your CEU Events account — the first six items appear on the Certificate of Completion, and the seventh (the trainer's statement) is accessible through your Attendee Dashboard.
Where to find each required item
On the Certificate of Completion (page 1) — Course title, name of provider, name of educator/trainer, date of completion, and course length.
On the Certificate of Completion (subsequent pages) — Subjects covered (such as ADA) and credits awarded by each recognized organization, including CAB.
On your Attendee Dashboard — The trainer's or educator's statement of knowledge and experience. Click the instructor's name to view their bio.
How to access the trainer or educator statement
- As an attendee, sign in to your CEU Events account at www.ceuevents.com.
- Go to the Events tab.
- Click on the instructor's name for the event you need the statement for.
- The instructor's bio — which should include their statement of knowledge and experience — will display.
- Screenshot the bio page to submit alongside your other documentation to CAB.
📝 Note: If the instructor's name is not hyperlinked, their profile hasn't been enabled yet. Contact the instructor directly using the contact information listed under their name and ask them to enable their profile and provide their statement of knowledge and experience. Once they complete this step, their name will appear as a hyperlink.
Zero Net Carbon Design (ZNCD) — a California requirement
California Governor Gavin Newsom signed Assembly Bill 1010 into law, requiring California architects to complete five hours of continuing education supporting Zero Net Carbon Design (ZNCD) in addition to existing ADA requirements. This applies to all license renewals on or after January 1, 2023.
The California Code of Regulations governing ZNCD course qualifications became effective December 28, 2023.
What qualifies as ZNCD coursework
Qualifying coursework must provide information and practical guidance on how architects can reduce carbon-based energy consumption through design, efficiency measures, and on-site and off-site renewable energy. Topics that count include:
- Operational vs. Embodied Carbon Emissions
- 2030 Zero Net Carbon Challenge
- Greenhouse Gas (GHG) Emissions
- Life Cycle Assessments (LCA)
- Green building material choice
- Energy code
- Carbon reduction and impact
- Renovation vs. new build carbon strategies
- Carbon Capture
- Energy efficient building systems
- Deep energy efficient retrofits of existing buildings
- Adaptive reuse
- Natural ventilation
- Daylighting
- Solar harvesting design
- CALGreen — Title 24, Part 11, of the California Code of Regulations
- Climate sustainability
- Resilient design
- Environmental justice
And more as building codes, standards, and environmental expectations evolve.
⚠️ Important: ZNCD content must be delivered by a subject matter expert to qualify for credit. CAB requires participants to submit a trainer or educator statement of knowledge or expertise demonstrating:
"Demonstrated knowledge and expertise in zero net carbon building design, including the planning and design of carbon-neutral and/or high-performance buildings, structures, or building portfolios."
Use the same Attendee Dashboard workflow described above to access and screenshot the instructor's bio for ZNCD-specific submissions.
Getting a course reviewed for ZNCD
If you'd like a course reviewed and recognized for ZNCD credit, email us at review@ceuevents.com.
Find CAB-approved events
Browse CAB recognized courses and upcoming events.
For broader event discovery, see Browse Courses and Upcoming Events on CEU Events.
Best practices
- Screenshot the instructor bio page at the same time you download the certificate. The trainer statement is a separate piece of required documentation that won't appear on the certificate itself.
- Track ZNCD hours separately from your other CE hours. Five of your total credits must specifically support Zero Net Carbon Design — keeping a running tally throughout the year avoids a scramble at renewal time.
- Plan ADA and ZNCD requirements together. Both have specific hour requirements; balancing your course selection across both keeps you on track.
Troubleshooting
- The instructor's name isn't hyperlinked on your dashboard. Their profile hasn't been enabled yet. Contact the instructor directly using their listed contact info and ask them to enable their profile and provide their statement of knowledge and experience. Once they complete this step, the link will become active.
- You can't find the subjects covered or credit info on your certificate. This information appears on subsequent pages of the certificate (after page 1), in the Associations section. Make sure you're viewing all pages.
- You attended a ZNCD-related event but the instructor doesn't have a ZNCD subject-matter expertise statement. Contact the instructor directly to request they update their bio with the required statement. ZNCD specifically requires a subject-matter expert statement, distinct from the general trainer statement.
- Still have questions? Contact CEU Events support and we'll help.