Reciprocity Agreement

Frequently Asked Questions about Reciprocity: Applying to Practice in Another Canadian Jurisdiction

What is the objective of the National Reciprocity Agreement?

The objective of the National Reciprocity Agreement is to clarify the process of practicing as a landscape architect in another Canadian jurisdiction. Note that the National Reciprocity Agreement does not guarantee that movement.

How does the Agreement apply to a CSLA member?

All CSLA members have a straightforward process to change jurisdictions or work in multiple jurisdictions.

Am I required to seek membership outside my home province/territory?

YES, the expectation set in this Agreement is that every CSLA member, when working on a project outside their home jurisdiction (that is, the province or territory in which they are registered or are a member) MUST apply for membership in the host jurisdiction (that is, the province or territory in which they would like to work and are not registered or a member).

Will my credentials automatically be recognized in another jurisdiction?

No. The National Reciprocity Agreement signed by all Canadian jurisdictions clarifies requirements but does not lead to automatic membership for all members. Depending on which jurisdiction you are applying from and your education, years of practice, and whether you have previously written the LARE, there may be multiple requirements, including (but not limited to):

take the Landscape Architecture Registration Examination (LARE),
pass an oral interview, or
complete a professional development program.

In addition, all members applying to work in another jurisdiction may be asked to take a local examination. The objective of the jurisdictional exam is to demonstrate local or regional awareness, as determined by each Component, which is critical to your ability to work in the region.

What is the Component Association’s Role?

The Component Associations are the sole controller of whom they accept as members.

Every signatory to the National Reciprocity Agreement agrees to do everything in their power to require their members to register in any Canadian jurisdiction in which they are working as a landscape architect. Each Component Association will determine the enforcement they can legally defend to ensure their members apply for registration when practising in host jurisdictions.

Upon the request of a member, component associations can share member regulatory information with other components to support the member in their application for membership.

Read the Reciprocity Agreement

All Nine Canadian Provincial, Regional and Territorial Landscape Architecture Associations Sign Updated Reciprocity Agreement

July 9th, 2020 - Nine provincial, regional, and territorial landscape architecture associations signed an agreement to establish the conditions under which a landscape architect, who is a full member in one Canadian jurisdiction (either regulated or non-regulated) is able to have his/her professional membership recognized in another Canadian jurisdiction (either regulated or non-regulated).

In 1979, the CSLA Board of Directors approved a motion encouraging reciprocity amongst provincial associations and struck a committee to examine the question in more detail. Since that time, the CSLA Board of Directors has struck various committees, task forces and working groups to achieve their objective of establishing an agreement between component associations. An agreement was signed in 2013 which included 8 of the 9 associations. This involved reviewing membership criteria, establishing common standards and negotiating with up to ten provincial associations at a time. Finally, a group of volunteers drafted an agreement in 2010 which was refined over the next three years. In July, 2013, at the CSLA Congress in Regina, eight out of nine provincial, regional and territorial landscape architecture associations signed the Reciprocity Agreement.

The updated agreement was signed in July 2020 by all nine associations: