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Regulated Jurisdictions
Professional licensing and regulations protect the health and safety of the public from fraudulent, unqualified, and unethical practitioners. Each jurisdiction has its own specific rules for regulatory compliance. CIDQ strongly encourages interior design practitioners to be fully knowledgeable and in compliance with the requirements of the states and provinces in which they practice.
CIDQ supports policies and legislation that enable interior designers to practice to the full extent of their capabilities by administering a rigorous, objective exam that assesses the professional competency of interior designers to practice in keeping with such policies and legislation to protect the public health, safety, and welfare.
CIDQ Member Boards
CIDQ's membership is made up of U.S. state boards and Canadian provincial associations that regulate the profession of interior design. Member Boards are represented on the CIDQ Assembly of Delegates by an appointed delegate, who is responsible for keeping open lines of communication and a regular flow of information between CIDQ and the regulatory body that s/he represents.
To discuss membership for your jurisdiction, contact CIDQ CEO Thom Banks at tbanks@cidq.org or call 202.721.0220.
Twenty-nine states, DC and Puerto Rico, and all Canadian provinces have some level of legislation in place related to the regulation of the interior design profession. With the joint efforts of CIDQ, the Member Boards, interior design coalitions, and professional interior design organizations, more progressive advancements will be made on both the federal and local levels in the future.
In the United States and Canada, interior design is regulated through two different types of law: Practice Acts and Title Acts. Jurisdictions with Practice Acts require certification and registration in order to practice in that jurisdiction. In jurisdictions with Title Acts, registration with the jurisdiction is optional, and comes with a protected title. In some Title Act jurisdictions, additional practice rights, such as permitting privileges, are offered to registrants. The map below shows the different types of regulation adopted by each North American jurisdiction.
