The Lowdown on Interior Design Licensing Legislation

In all, 25 states throughout the U.S. and 6 provinces in Canada have interior design licensing legislation. The interior design licensing legislation may take the form of a title act, practice act, self-certification act, or permitting statute. Based on the legislation of the state or province, an interior designer also falls under one of three categories: a certified interior designer, a registered interior designer, and a licensed interior designer. A certified interior designer is a design professional who has passed the licensing exam and is registered at locations with title acts. A registered interior designer is someone who has passed the licensing exam and has registered with the interior design board of her state or province, typically with a title act or practice act. A licensed interior designer is a design professional who has passed the licensing exam and is registered with the interior design board of his state or province, typically with a practice act. To find out more about whether there is specific interior design licensing legislation in your state, visit the National Council for Interior Design Qualification (NCIDQ) Web site at www.ncidq.org.