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June 2000
NCARB Votes at Annual Meeting to Oppose
the Licensing of Interior Designers
At their Annual Meeting and Conference
this past week in Chicago, Illinois, the National Council of Architectural
Registration Boards' delegates, representing regulatory boards of
all 50 states plus those of the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico,
Guam, the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands, voted
their opposition to interior designer licensing laws being promulgated
around the country.
NCARB's position has been taken solely with the protection of the
public health, safety, and welfare in mind. Concern on this subject
has been heightened by recent efforts of interior designers to make
inroads into the building departments of the United States by advancing
the proposition that "registered design professionals" (i.e.,
architects and engineers) also include interior designers, to prepare,
stamp and seal, and submit drawings to local building departments.
Such proposals seriously impact public safety.
The government census has identified some 200,000 persons who call
themselves "interior designers." Of those individuals, apparently
successfully practicing their trade, only 14,313 have availed themselves
of the self-certifying test of minimal competency produced by the
National Council for Interior Design Qualifications. Approximately
20,000 people are regulated in the 20 United States jurisdictions
that currently certify interior designers. And many of those practitioners
are architects.
In addition, considerable numbers of those regulated have not passed
NCIDQ's rudimentary examination, having been "grandfathered."
The fact that a preponderance (more than 85 percent) of those calling
themselves interior designers in this country are successfully practicing
their trade without the demonstrated need for governmental regulation
is obvious.
NCARB's Member Boards overwhelmingly supported Resolution 00-1, Opposition
to Interior Designer Licensing. The full text resolution reads:
"RESOLVED, inasmuch as the licensing of interior designers may
not protect the health, safety and welfare of the public in the built
environment, the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards
opposes the enactment of additional interior designer licensing laws
and directs the Board of Directors (i) to monitor the licensing efforts
of the interior designers, (ii) to take appropriate action to oppose
such efforts, and (iii) to continue to support Member Boards of the
Council with accurate information with which the Member Boards may
effectively oppose such efforts."
In several workshops and open meetings leading up to the final vote,
the subject was strenuously debated. It was pointed out that leaders
of the interior design associations have consistently promulgated
licensing as a means for their constituency to create a market for
their services. NCARB points out that the purpose of governmental
regulation is not to create specific markets. There must be a demonstrable
need to protect the public from unqualified practitioners.
Additional information about other matters debated at the 2000 Annual
Meeting may be found here.
NCARB is composed of the architectural registration boards of all
50 states plus those of the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, Guam,
the Virgin Islands, and the Northern Mariana Islands. NCARB assists
its member state registration boards in carrying out their duties
and provides a certification program for individual architects.
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