Advocacy

About

IIDA advocates for the advancement in design excellence, legislation, leadership, accreditation, and community outreach to increase the value and understanding of interior design. We are strong advocates for the registration, and/or certification of practicing interior designers who work in a code-impacted environment.

An Evolving Profession

Interior design is a distinct, deeply valuable profession, and designers play a pivotal role in protecting the health, safety, and well-being of people in public spaces. Yet in many states, designers are still advocating for legal recognition of the profession as well as independent practice rights, or the ability to stamp and seal their own interior, nonstructural construction plans for permitting.

The good news? Excitement for interior design advocacy and legislation is contagious. Around the country, interior design practitioners and advocates are changing the legislative landscape for the better, increasing awareness and understanding of the role they play in ensuring that spaces and places meet the needs of all who move through them.

IIDA members are taking a lead role in advocacy efforts, not just in moving legislation forward but in educating their communities, growing public awareness, and building relationships with stakeholders. Collectively, these advocacy efforts move the profession forward, and positively impact the career trajectory and earning potential of individual designers.

Tools below include a map reflecting the current status of interior design legislation across the United States and Canada; a state-by-state snapshot of IIDA members advocating for the profession; and the latest advocacy news.

LEGISLATIVE MAP

Twenty-nine states, plus Washington, DC, and Puerto Rico (for a total of 31 jurisdictions) have some type of legal recognition related to the regulation of interior design. All Canadian provinces are regulated.

Interior design is typically regulated via two types of law: practice acts and title acts. In some cases, the title act is accompanied by additional practice rights or permitting privileges. In jurisdictions with practice acts, designers must register with the state. In jurisdictions with title acts, registration with the jurisdiction is optional, and comes with a protected title.

Learn about the regulatory status and interior design laws in each state or providence of the United States and Canada—click the map to view or download.

State-by-State

Select your state to learn more

Resources

Webinars

Advocating for Change: Strategies and Successes in Interior Design Legislation

Advocacy 101: National Trends, Colorado Impact

Designing Michigan’s Future: Our Legislative Process

Progress! Breaking Down Barriers for NY Interior Designers

NCIDQ “The Q and You”

May the Force Be With You: Florida Interior Design Advocacy JEDIS

People

Advocacy Advisory Council

The Advocacy Advisory Council provides guidance to the IIDA International Board and support to practitioners and advocates for strengthened recognition, visibility, and public perception of the education, experience, examination, and expertise of the interior design profession and its role in protecting the health, safety, and well-being of the public. Learn more.

Susanne Molina, FIIDA

Stacey Crumbaker, IIDA, Associate AIA

Marci Merola

Chair, IIDA Advocacy Advisory Council

Susanne Molina, FIIDA | Southern California Chapter | Design Manager, Gensler

VP of Advocacy

Stacey Crumbaker, IIDA, Assoc. AIA | Northern Pacific Chapter | Associate Principal, Mahlum Architects

Director of Advocacy

Marci Merola | IIDA

Advocacy Advisory Council Members

Jill Dexter, IIDA | Illinois Chapter | Associate & Senior Interior Designer, Stantec
Chelsea Harrell Lawrence, IIDA | Carolinas Chapter | Associate Principal, LS3P
Stephanie McCrery, IIDA | Ohio Kentucky Chapter | President, Reese Design Collaborative
Jon Otis, IIDA | New York Chapter | Founder & Principal O|A
Cyndi Pederson | Advocacy Advisory Council Advisor | Vice President, Pederson Consulting

The Consortium for Interior Design

The Consortium for Interior Design is a collaboration of The American Society of Interior Designers (ASID), the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ), and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA) in pursuit of reasonable regulation of the interior design profession. Learn more.

News

IIDA Advocacy News

Everything you need to know from the latest bill news and interior design advocacy news.

Oklahoma Interior Designers Pass Modernized Practice Rights Legislation

OKLAHOMA CITY, OK (Oklahoma Interior Design Coalition) April 29, 2024—Oklahoma legislation passed last week changes the legally recognized title of interior design to provide clarity for scopes of practice within the profession. Read the full press release

Nebraska Passes Historic Design Legislation

IIDA Great Plains Chapter (Nebraska) VP of Advocacy, Stacy Spale, IIDA, as she unravels the pivotal moments leading to the enactment of Legislative Bill 16, signed into law on March 5, 2024. Read more

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