The licensing and certification of interior designers in the United States

Abstract

The intent of this investigation is to explore the issues related to the licensing and certification of interior designers in the United States. To achieve this, the national organizations in the field of interior design were contacted to provide information about the status of licensure on the national scene. Those organizations are: the American Society of Interior Designers; the Foundation for Interior Design Education and Research; the Institute of Business Designers; the Interior Design Educators Council, Inc.; the International Society of Interior Designers; the National Council for Interior Design Qualification; and, the National Legislative Coalition for Interior Design. In addition, an in-depth examination of the requirements of the states of California and New Mexico, and the District of Columbia provide a comparison of three different legislative programs currently in operation. This study also examines the conflicts between the fields of interior design and architecture in the context of the licensing of interior designers.