Get Your Interior Design License
Get ready to start your interior designer career—but see if you need licensure.
Becoming a Licensed Interior Designer
As you begin working as an interior designer, all of the education, job experience and testing leads up to one last hurdle: licensure. Several U.S. states and jurisdictions (including Puerto Rico) and seven Canadian provinces currently have laws on the books that require an interior design license for professional designers.
Each governing body has a unique set of criteria an interior designer must meet in order to practice. It is important to understand the interior design license requirements early in the process, so that there will be no surprises when you apply for licensure. The following states and jurisdictions (shown in dark green) have interior designer licensing requirements:
U.S. States with Interior Designer Licensure Requirements
| Alabama | Illinois | Michigan | Oklahoma |
| Arkansas | Indiana | Minnesota | Puerto Rico |
| California | Iowa | Missouri | Tennessee |
| Colorado | Kentucky | Nevada | Texas |
| Connecticut | Louisiana | New Jersey | Virginia |
| Florida | Maine | New Mexico | Washington, DC |
| Georgia | Maryland | New York | Wisconsin |
Canadian Provinces with Interior Designer Licensure Requirements
Alberta, British Columbia, Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Ontario and Saskatchewan.
Interior Design Resources
Getting Started
Planning Your Education
Prepare for Interior Design School
Top Ten Interior Design Schools
Interior Design Training Courses
Get a Degree Online
Getting Job Experience
NCIDQ Certification
Getting Your License
School Spotlight
Industry Information
Career Outlook
Salary Info
Interior Design Specialties
Home Interior Design
Sustainable Interior Design
Career Path: Interior Decorating
Interview: Starting Your Interior Designer Career
Interview: Interior Designer Career Perspective
Helpful Links