Legal Associate membership is awarded in recognition of achievement and demonstrable competence in planning law. The status of Legal Associate of the RTPI, denoted by the post-nominals LARTPI, is an important milestone and a mark of professional recognition. It shows clients and other professionals that you have both experience of, and expertise in, planning law.

Why join

• Gain recognition for your specialist expertise in planning law from the largest planning institute in Europe.
• Use the post-nominals LARTPI and logo to showcase your knowledge and expertise.
• Access networks and discounted events.
• Access RTPI member benefits and services.

Eligibility

To be eligible to submit your Legal Associate membership application:

• You must be a qualified legal practitioner (solicitor, advocate or barrister, or Chartered Legal Executive). You will be required to demonstrate proof of this.
• You must have experience specialising in planning law which was gained within the last 5 years leading up to the application, while a qualified legal practitioner. To demonstrate this you need at least:

• 720 hours per year for 3 years; or
• 432 hours per year for 5 years (more applicable to candidates working part time).

What is the Legal Associate application?

Candidates must prepare a 4,250 word written submission (+/-10%) demonstrating their experience and how they have developed their competence. There are three parts to the submission:

• Practical Experience Statement (PES)
• Professional Competence Statement (PCS)
• Professional Development Plan (PDP)

Your Legal Associate submission must contain the following items:

To complete your application for Chartered membership through the Legal Associate route, you will need the following: 

• Copies of proof of legal qualification. 
• A signed sponsor declaration form. 
• Corroborator declaration form/s. 
• Your written submission, including the three components: PES, PCS and PDP. 
• Your employment history. 
• The number of hours spent on planning law per year. 
• A credit/debit card for payment. 

Download the main guidance from our Resource Centre.

Submitting your application 

2026 new applications:

Please submit your application via the online joining portal. The RTPI will accept files up to 10 MB each. If an individual document is larger than this, please contact the Membership team for advice on how to resave your submission in a smaller file size. 

See the How to submit page for more information on how to submit your application online. 

All first-time and resubmissions from February 2026 onwards should be made via the online joining portal. We will no longer accept applications via email.  

Fees

An administration fee is required to process your application and should be paid on submission. Further information on administration fees can be found here.

Visit the membership subscription fees page for more information about how to maintain your membership.   A confirmation of fees notice will be issued to you once you have joined and will be pro-rated based on the month you join.