Terms & conditions for AIA membership

By agreeing to these terms and conditions, you acknowledge that you have read, understood, and agree to abide by the membership policies set by The American Institute of Architects (AIA).

A man sitting at a desk with architecture drawings on the table

General member terms & conditions

Eligibility and membership qualifications: By submitting your application, you affirm that you meet the eligibility requirements for the membership type selected, as outlined by the AIA Bylaws. AIA reserves the right to verify your professional status, educational background, and employment history as part of the application process. Providing false or misleading information may result in denial or termination of membership. Failure to provide proof of membership eligibility upon request may result in termination.

AIA National dues and component dues: AIA sets pricing only for national membership dues. Local and state component dues (if applicable) are set at the sole discretion of each component's board of directors and are separate from national dues. AIA collects dues on behalf of all components.

Payment terms: By placing this order, you confirm your purchase as selected and authorize AIA to charge the disclosed membership fees to the provided payment method. A convenience fee of three percent (3%) may apply to credit card transactions. This convenience fee will be disclosed before completing your purchase.

Non-refundable fees: All fees paid to AIA are non-refundable. However, AIA recognizes that there may be exceptional circumstances. Requests for refunds will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis and any refunds will be granted at AIA’s sole discretion.

Terms of acceptance and additional responsibilities: By joining AIA, you confirm that you have read and accepted AIA's Terms of Use, AIA's Privacy Policy, and any Component-specific disclaimers displayed during the membership renewal process. Further, by joining AIA you agree to abide by the AIA Code of Ethics & Professional Conduct, AIA’s Professional Standards, and any other policies that may be adopted in the future as a condition of membership.

Membership status and renewal: AIA membership must be renewed annually. Failure to renew your membership by the specified deadline may result in the membership lapse and loss of associated benefits. If you fail to renew for an entire membership year, your status may change to terminated. Reinstatement may require reapplication and payment of any applicable fees. Members may opt into the Automatic Membership Renewal Program to avoid lapses. AIA membership statuses are:

Active: A current member with full access to benefits. Active members must renew annually to maintain their status.
Lapsed: A member who has not renewed by the deadline but remains eligible to renew during the current membership year. Lapsed members do not have access to benefits until they renew.
Terminated: A former member who has gone at least one full membership year without renewing. Terminated members do not have access to benefits and may need to reapply and pay applicable fees to reinstate their membership.

Hardship waivers and dues adjustment requests: Members may request dues adjustments or hardship waivers for financial hardship, unemployment/partial employment, medical disability, sabbatical and family leave. Requests are subject to approval by the Secretary of the AIA. Requests must be approved annually and are renewable for up to a total of three consecutive years. Requests must be initiated through the member’s local or state component and must be accepted prior to renewing membership.

Amendment of terms and conditions: AIA reserves the right to amend the foregoing terms and conditions at any time. You will be notified of any terms and conditions changes via email, and the updated terms and conditions will apply to you from the date specified in the notice. Continued participation or registration after the specified date will constitute your acceptance of the amended terms and conditions.

Contact information: For questions regarding membership, special offers, or eligibility, please contact AIA Member Support at (800) 242-3837, Option 2.

Special offers and promotions

AIA is a three-tiered organization, including local, state, and national components, each with its own pricing rules. Promotional offers only apply to national dues. Additional local or state fees may apply.

Pro-rated dues

Eligibility: First-time or terminated members.

Promotional offer: National dues are pro-rated based on the month in which a member joins or reinstates at the following rates:

January 100%
February 91.67%
March 83.33%
April 75%
May 66.67%
June 58.33%
July 50%
August 41.67%
September 33.33%

Promotional period: January 1, 2025, to September 30, 2025.

Exclusions & limitations: Active and lapsed members are not eligible.

15-for-12 promotion

Eligibility: First-time or terminated members joining between October 1 and December 31.

Promotional offer: When a new member joins or reinstates by paying full national dues for the upcoming year, they receive membership benefits for the remainder of the current year at no additional cost.

Promotional period: October 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025.

Exclusions & limitations: Active and lapsed members are not eligible.

New Grad Associate

Eligibility: First-time members who meet either of the following criteria:

NAAB-accredited Degree Holders: Individuals who have earned a NAAB-accredited architecture degree within the past 18 months.
or
Non-NAAB Degree Holders: First-time members who have earned a non-NAAB accredited architecture degree within the past 18 months and currently work under the supervision of an architect; or, first-time member currently working under the supervision of an architect and currently enrolled in an AXP or equivalent activity.

Promotional offer: Up to 18 months of membership at no cost. Eighteen month estimate is based on graduating in spring and receiving the rest of the graduation year AND the following year for free. The free membership period begins upon the date of graduation, not your join date. Graduates of NAAB-accredited schools of architecture with an eligible undergraduate, graduate, or post-graduate degree may receive complimentary Associate-level AIA membership, until you receive full licensure when you will be required to become an Architect member. Non-NAAB degree holders or individuals currently enrolled in AXP or equivalent activity may also be eligible if working under an architect's supervision and that work is in a professional or technical capacity directly related to the practice of architecture.

Promotional period: January 1. 2025, to December 31, 2025.

Exclusions & limitations: This is a one-time offer for first-time members only and applies to national dues. The complimentary membership period begins on the date of graduation, not on the membership join date. Some local and state chapters charge a nominal membership fee.

Newly Licensed Architect

Eligibility: Active Associate members moving to Architect membership for the first-time.

Promotional offer: Reduced national dues for two membership years following the initial license date. Newly Licensed Architect dues are determined by the initial license date and calculated as follows:

Year 1: Associate rate + one-third the difference between Architect and Associate rates
Year 2: Associate rate + two-thirds the difference between Architect and Associate rates
Year 3: Full Architect rate

Promotional period: January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025.

Exclusions & limitations: This is a one-time offer and only applies to national dues. Terminated Associate members who reinstate as Architect members are not eligible. Some local and state chapters charge a nominal membership fee.

International Dues Adjustment

Eligibility: International Associate AIA members assigned to the AIA International component and living outside the United States.

National dues adjustments based on the World Bank’s economic income ranking for the country in which they live or work. Adjustments will be automatically applied at checkout for eligible individuals as follows:

High-Income Countries: 27% adjustment
Upper Middle-Income Countries: 50% adjustment
Lower Middle-Income Countries: 75% adjustment
Low-Income Countries: 90% adjustment

Promotional period: January 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025.

Exclusions & limitations: Architect, Associate, and National Allied members are not eligible. Residents of the United States are not eligible.

NOMA Discount

Eligibility: This promotion is available only to individuals who satisfy all of the following criteria:

The individual is either a first-time AIA member or a reinstating former member (i.e., not an Active or Lapsed AIA member); and
The individual holds active National Organization of Minority Architects (“NOMA”) membership as of the date of application; and
The individual joins or reinstates AIA membership between October 1, 2025 and January 15, 2026; and
The individual is eligible for Architect, Associate, or International Associate membership; and
The individual enters the promotion code NOMAJOIN50 at the time of application.

Promotional offer: Eligible individuals receive a 50% discount on applicable national, state, and local AIA membership dues at the time of joining or reinstatement.

Promotional period: October 1, 2025-January 15, 2026.

Exclusions & limitations: This offer is not valid for current or renewing AIA members. This offer is not valid for Allied membership categories. The individual must maintain active NOMA membership status at the time of application. The discount must be redeemed through the online join application. The discount must be redeemed during the promotional period and may not be applied retroactively. The discount shall be applied directly at the time of payment and cannot be redeemed for cash, credit, or reimbursement.

Additional terms: To facilitate validation of member eligibility, AIA will send a weekly report to NOMA containing a list of all individuals who used the discount code. By using the discount code, the individual expressly consents to the disclosure of their personal data (including name, email address, and AIA membership status) to NOMA for verification purposes. This data sharing will comply with AIA’s Privacy Policy, AIA’s Terms of Use, and applicable data protection laws, including the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). The data shared will be limited to what is necessary for confirming active NOMA membership status. AIA will cancel the AIA membership of individuals who are determined to be ineligible. This offer may not be combined with any other offer, discount, or promotion. AIA reserves the right to modify or terminate this offer at any time without prior notice.

Discretionary discounts

AIA may offer additional promotions or discounts at its sole discretion.

Amendments of terms

Contact information: For questions regarding membership, special offers, or eligibility, please contact AIA Member Support at (800) 242-3837, Option 2.

Automatic Membership Renewal Program terms & conditions

AIA Automatic Membership Renewal Program enables eligible individual members to renew their membership annually by authorizing AIA to charge a saved credit card.

Eligibility: You must be a current and active member of AIA to participate in the Automatic Membership Renewal Program or auto-renewal. The program is optional, and you reserve the right to opt out at any time.

Enrollment: By selecting the auto-renewal option, you consent to enroll your annual dues for all tiers of membership that apply (national, state, and/or local chapters). Contributions to the AIA ArchiPAC program, local or state-level PAC donations, and mandatory or optional chapter assessments will not be auto-renewed.

Payment authorization: By enrolling in auto-renewal, you authorize AIA to charge your dues payment for the amount designated in your renewal invoice. Membership dues for national, state, and local chapters are subject to change on an annual basis. The preview of your renewal will allow you to note any changes in dues.

Renewal date: Your auto-renewal will process on November 30 for the upcoming renewal year. If November 30 falls on a weekend or holiday, your auto-renew will process on the next business day.

Membership changes: Any changes to your membership category and/or chapter assignment that are submitted before August 31 will be reflected in your renewal invoice. Changes submitted after that date are not guaranteed to be reflected on the renewal invoice and therefore may not be reflected in the total amount charged for auto-renewal.

Invalid or declined payment: If the credit or debit card on file cannot be processed, AIA will notify you at the primary email address on your membership record and will provide instructions on updating or revising the card on file. Missed charges will be processed at the time a new payment method is provided. If the card on file is not updated and the dues remain unpaid by March 31, you will be removed from the auto-renewal program and your membership is subject to lapse.

Canceling enrollment: You may opt out of the auto-renewal program at any time by logging into your account at me.aia.org and selecting Manage My Auto-renewal or you may contact the AIA Member Support Center at (800) 242-3837, Option 2 to request an immediate cancellation.

Refund policy: Requests for membership dues refunds are reviewed on a case-by-case basis. If you are charged in error for auto-renewal, a full refund will be processed upon request.

Termination of membership and auto-renewal enrollment: AIA reserves the right to remove you from the auto-renewal program for non-compliance with the AIA Code of Ethics.

Contact information: For questions regarding membership, special offers, or eligibility, please contact AIA Member Support at (800) 242-3837, Option 2.

Group Enrollment Program terms & conditions

AIA’s Group Enrollment Program (“Program”) allows participating organizations (“Participant(s)”) to easily manage their employee’s membership records and enjoy unique benefits.

Eligibility & enrollment requirements: Participant must enroll and maintain a minimum of ten (10) individual AIA members at any time during Program participation. Members may be in any membership category. Memberships purchased through the Program belong to the individual members, not to the Participant, and are non-transferable.

Point of contact: Participant must designate a single point of contact (POC) for administrative and billing purposes.

Program benefits: While enrolled in the Program, Participant will receive the following benefits:

Single annual invoice for enrolled members
Concierge onboarding and support
Recognition on AIA.org as a participating firm
One (1) complimentary 30-day job posting annually on the AIA Career Center
Complimentary National Allied memberships based on the number of enrolled members:
10–24 enrolled members: 1 Allied membership
25–49 enrolled members: 2 Allied memberships
50–74 enrolled members: 3 Allied memberships
75–99 enrolled members: 4 Allied memberships
100+ enrolled members: 5 Allied memberships
Access to exclusive Program promotions and offers

Fees & payment: All Program fees must be paid annually via ACH transfer. Credit card payments are not accepted. Program pricing is based on standard AIA dues. AIA may offer discretionary discounts for certain organizations, such as government agencies or academic institutions.

Use of name & logo: Participant grants AIA permission to use and display Participant’s name and logo in promotional or informational materials related to the Program, including recognition on AIA.org. Logo should be provided as a PNG with transparent background.

Canceling enrollment: You may opt out of the Group Enrollment Program at any time by contacting your Account Concierge or the AIA Member Support Center at (800) 242-3837, Option 2.

Contact information: For questions regarding membership, special offers, or eligibility, please contact AIA Member Support at (800) 242-3837, Option 2.