AIA California Survey on Interior Design

The AIA California Board of Directors is reviewing AIA CA’s position regarding the professional status of Interior Designers as defined by State law. Until recently, both the American Institute of Architects (AIA) and the National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB) opposed the enactment of Interior Design Practice Acts in any state. NCARB, however, allowed its policy to expire meaning that NCARB now is neutral on whether states should enact an Interior Design Practice Act and license Interior Designers. New AIA National Policy no longer expresses universal opposition to the enactment of an Interior Design Practice Act: the new policy allows AIA state components to decide their own positions.

 

The Way It Is Now In California
Currently, Interior Designers practice under a Title Act which means that the State regulates how an individual may earn and use the title “Certified Interior Designer.”  Under the Title Act, however, the State does not regulate the actual practice of Interior Design. The title “Certified Interior Designer” is conferred by a private non-profit organization local to California, the California Council for Interior Designer Certification (CCIDC). The CCIDC Certification helps consumers know a Certified Interior Designer has demonstrated competency through education, experience, and examination. Since the Interior Design Title Act was created in 1990,  AIA CA has supported the Act as written in the California Buildings and Professions Code Section 5800.

 

Some Interior Designers would like the State to recognize and regulate the practice of Interior Design under a Practice Act.  Under a Practice Act, the State would define and regulate a scope of practice; confer and regulate licensure; regulate practitioners and their titles; and regulate other aspects of practice with a State board similar to the California Architects Board (CAB). The proposed creation of a Practice Act is not universally agreed upon by the Interior Design profession: some interior designers do not support a Practice Act and prefer to maintain a Title Act whereby they would continue to practice without State oversight.  AIA CA recognizes and supports Interior Designers as allied professionals who help shape the built environment but AIA CA has historically opposed an Interior Design Practice Act.

 

1. California Architects practice under the Architect’s Practice Act (BPC 5500 et seq).  Architects, licensure, the use of the word “Architecture,”  and the scope of Architectural practice are regulated by the State of California by the California Architects Board. Engineers, land surveyors, accountants, and medical doctors are among those who are licensed by the State of California and also have a scope of practice.

2. Three states have Interior Design Practice Acts, 23 states have Title Acts, 1 state has a hybrid Certification-Practice Act, and 23 states have neither a Title Act or Practice Act. 

 

The purpose of this survey is to obtain AIA CA membership’s opinion about whether AIA CA should continue to support the Interior Designer Title Act only or whether AIA CA should consider supporting an Interior Designer Practice Act provided that terms for a Practice Act can be agreed to by many stakeholders including AIA CA.  If terms for an ID Practice Act are agreed to, the revision of BPC 5800 would need to be adopted by the State Legislature.

 

We hope you will take a few moments to complete this survey to help your colleagues make a decision that reflects the view of the members of AIA CA.