Okla. Stat. tit. 59, § 59-46.21bv1: Architects required for certain buildings - Code Use

Groups - Exempted buildings.

A. An architect shall be required to plan, design and prepare

plans and specifications for the following Code Use Groups except

where specifically exempt from the provisions of the State

Architectural and Registered Commercial Interior Designers Act. All

Code Use Groups in this section are defined by the current

International Building Code.

B. The construction, addition or alteration of a building of

any size or occupancy in the following Code Use Groups shall be

subject to the provisions of the State Architectural and Registered

Commercial Interior Designers Act:

1. Code Use Group I - Institutional;

2. Code Use Group R-2 - Residential, limited to dormitories,

fraternities and sororities, and monasteries and convents;

3. Code Use Group A-1 - Assembly and theaters;

4. Code Use Group A-4 - Assembly, arenas and courts;

5. Code Use Group A-5 - Assembly, bleachers and grandstands;

and

6. Buildings for which the designated Code Use Group changes

are not exempt from the State Architectural and Registered

Commercial Interior Designers Act.

C. The following shall be exempt from the provisions of the

State Architectural and Registered Commercial Interior Designers

Act; provided that, for the purposes of this subsection, a basement

is not to be counted as a story for the purpose of counting stories

of a building for height regulations:

1. The construction, addition or alteration of a building no

more than two stories in height and with a code-defined occupancy of

no more than fifty (50) persons for the Code Use Groups A-2 and A-3

- Assembly and Code Use Group E - Education;

2. The construction, addition or alteration of a building no

more than two stories in height and no more than sixty-four

transient lodging units per building for the Code Use Group R1 -

Residential, including, but not limited to, hotels and motels;

3. The construction, addition or alteration of a building no

more than two stories in height and with a gross square footage not

exceeding one hundred thousand (100,000) in the Code Use Group B -

Business;

4. The construction, addition or alteration of a building no

more than two stories in height and with a gross square footage not

exceeding two hundred thousand (200,000) in the Code Use Group M -

Mercantile;

5. The construction, addition or alteration of a building no

more than two stories in height in the following Code Use Groups or

buildings:

a. Code Use Group U - Utility,

b. Code Use Group F - Factory and Industrial,

c. Code Use Group H - High hazard,

d. Code Use Group S - Storage,

e. Code Use Group R2 - Residential, including apartments

containing no more than thirty-two dwelling units or

thirty-two guest units per building,

f. Code Use Groups R3 and R4 - Residential,

g. all buildings used by a municipality, county, state,

public trust, public agency or the federal government

with a construction value under One Hundred Fifty-

eight Thousand Dollars ($158,000.00),

h. incidental buildings or appurtenances associated with

paragraphs 1 through 5 of this subsection, and

i. all uninhabitable, privately owned agricultural

buildings; and

6. Single or two-family residential dwellings, as defined by

the International Residential Code adopted by the Oklahoma Uniform

Building Code Commission.

D. The addition, renovation or alteration of buildings where

the use was exempt as new construction shall remain exempt if the

Code Use Group does not change.

E. Upgrades, repairs, replacements and changes made on projects

in Code Use Groups found in this title requiring an architect are

exempt from hiring an architect if the upgrades, repairs,

replacements or changes do not affect the existing primary

structural, mechanical, or electrical systems, life-safety systems,

fire codes or exit passageways and/or egress as determined by the

building official having jurisdiction.