The architect of record (in English: architect of record) is the architect or architectural firm whose name appears on the building license or construction permit issued for a specific project on which that architect or firm provided services.[1]​.

Building permits are issued by a government agency, usually a local government, with the authority to control the construction of buildings and verify compliance with building codes in a certain jurisdiction. Generally, the contractor submits the license application to the public authority, along with the project plans and specifications (collectively called "construction documents"),[1]​ but in some jurisdictions it is the architect who is required to submit the construction documents necessary to obtain the building license.[1]​ On some construction projects, more than one building license is issued. This happens, for example, when several different architects provide services on different parts of a single construction project.[1]​ In these cases, therefore, there would be more than one architect of record.

When an architect or architecture firm works on a project that is outside their geographic scope or field of expertise, they often choose to work alongside an architect local to the project location or an expert in that particular field of expertise. In this case, the lead architect works alongside the local architect to complete the project, and the local architect becomes the “architect of record.” This type of working relationship is common when a high-profile architect (or “starchitect”) wins an architectural competition but finds themselves needing architects with more practical skills or greater knowledge of local conditions, or, for practical reasons, the high-profile architect simply needs an architect local to the project location to facilitate more frequent site visits and project supervision.

Local architectural firms that are responsible for liaising with government agencies on compliance with planning regulations, preparing tender documents, communicating with clients, creating up to 90% of construction documents and conducting site visits are similar, but are also referred to as “executive architects”.