Missouri Legislature Updates Statute to Include Independent Practice Rights for Qualified Interior Designers

JEFFERSON CITY, Missouri (July 13, 2026) – Missouri has become the latest state to pass legislation that grants independent practice rights for qualified interior designers through modernized legislation. Senate Bill 1233 includes language building on the state’s existing Title Act to allow qualified, licensed interior designers to practice independently and sign and seal their own documents. The bill was passed by the Missouri Legislature on May 28, 2026, and signed into law by Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe on July 13, 2026. 

The bill makes Missouri the latest state to establish or modernize interior design legislation, joining Alaska, Idaho, and Utah in 2026; Oklahoma, Nebraska, and Pennsylvania in 2024; Iowa in 2023; Wisconsin and Illinois in 2022; and North Carolina in 2021. 

The modernization of Missouri’s statute represents the culmination of a multi–year advocacy effort led by the Missouri chapters of the American Society of Interior Designers (ASID) and the International Interior Design Association (IIDA), with support and guidance from The Consortium for Interior Design. The Consortium is a collaborative advocacy group composed of ASID, IIDA, and the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ) working to advance recognition and reasonable regulation of the interior design profession.

“With the signing of Missouri's bill, the interior design profession gains even more momentum — and legislators continue to honor their constituents' need for safe, healthy, well-designed spaces,” said IIDA Executive Vice President and CEO, Cheryl S. Durst, Hon. FIIDA. "We thank the Missouri legislators who recognized  the importance of interior design’s impact in their communities, and applaud the design professionals who continue to unite around their shared goals of protecting public safety and wellbeing.” 

SB 1233 includes language that modifies the registration process for interior designers through Missouri’s Division of Professional Registration and establishes a framework for recommendations from the Interior Design Council to the Missouri Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Professional Land Surveyors, Professional Landscape Architects, and Licensed Interior Designers.