self-certification: the coveted right to sign off on building plans without city review (US)

The Department of Buildings also charged Scarano with negligence at 
three job sites in Brooklyn and one in Manhattan, where excavations 
overseen by the architect left adjacent dwellings “structurally unsound.”

If the DOB wins, the architect will lose his ability to “self-certify” 
his designs, the coveted right to sign off on building plans without 
city review.
....
Scarano is right that the charges could slow him down. Losing his 
privilege of self-certification — a common accreditation that speeds up 
the building process and saves money for developers and the city — would 
dull his competitive edge, experts said.

cont'd....
http://www.brooklynpapers.com/html/issues/_vol29/29_23/29_23nets9.html