The Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ) was established in 1972 to set standards for the profession of Interior Design. In 1982, Alabama passed the first interior design legislation. Then the following year the Interior Design Continuing Education Council formed (becoming IDCEC). In the following years, 38 states in the US have passed active legislation for the practice of interior design. Although there have been attempts at passing legislation, there has never been Interior Design Legislation in the states of AL, ID, and WA.

Legislation will allow commercial interior designers who meet the requirements of certification, to stamp and seal their own non-structural / non-seismic drawings. This will allow a Commercial Interior Designer the ability to do non-structural / non-seismic work independent of an architect or engineer. There will be more clarity on the impact of legislation on the commercial interior designer’s right to practice once the bill has been written, but we foresee commercial interior designers to be more profitable due to the ability to stamp and seal as well as more competitive in the market for non structural work.

Legislation will not limit residential Interior Designers’ scope of work, and will allow residential designers to continue to partner with other licensed professionals as needed. Residential interior design will not be impacted.

An interior designer seeking to practice Commercial Interior Design with stamp and seal privileges within each state will be required to pass the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ). In order to qualify to sit for the NCIDQ exams, designers will be required to meet the education and work experience requirements. Education must be a minimum of 60 semester hours of post-secondary interior design coursework that encompasses a degree, certificate or diploma from an accredited institution to be eligible. Work experience requires between 2-4 years of full time work experience earned under a Direct Supervisor. Please visit https://www.cidq.org/paths for more information.

Legislation will ensure that qualified Commercial Interior Designers understand the relevant safety codes and practices necessary to design a safe, effective space in regards to the health, safety, and welfare of the public Enacting reasonable regulations will secure equitable access to the design marketplace for commercial interior design practitioners and ensure that only competent and qualified designers work independently in code regulated public spaces. Legislation will allow interior designers to compete on an equal playing field with other design professionals like architects and engineers without their business being dependent on these fields to complete projects. Legislation may allow for easier access to ownership opportunities within Professional Service Corporation Architecture firms. Currently interior design is not a professional service without legislation.

Stamping and sealing rights for commercial interior designers has the potential to reduce the cost and duration of construction projects by avoiding unnecessary layers of review and bureaucracy. This helps small businesses by increasing consumer choice and allowing commercial interior designers to be more accessible to the public.

Join IIDA’s Advocacy campaign by volunteering and participating in planned events and getting the word out to others in the profession about the need for legislation. Sign up in support by texting: 52886 Email iidanpc.advocacy@gmail.com to get involved

IIDA- https://iida.org/advocacy ASID- https://www.asid.org/advocate-by-design CIDQ- https://www.cidq.org/advocacy Consortium for Interior Design- https://consortiumforinteriordesign.splashthat.com/

The Consortium is a unified alliance of ASID, CIDQ and IIDA. Their efforts are based on the shared belief that interior design regulation should echo the impact interior designers have on the built environment. Interior designers create spaces that protect public health, safety, and welfare of the public, and should be recognized for that work.

Yes, passage of the NCIDQ Examination is required for interior design licensure/registration in every regulated jurisdiction within the United States and Canada with the exception of California. It is the only examination recognized by these state and provincial regulators and therefore required for the practice of many types of interior design. All requirements of maintaining your NCIDQ credential will need to be met as well.

No. Membership to these organizations is not mandatory.