What's happening
This bill updates certification requirements for interior designers in New York, aligning them with standards from national certifying organizations.
Why it matters
Aligns state certification with national standards. By tying education and experience requirements directly to those established by approved national certifying organizations, the bill creates a more uniform and possibly more rigorous bar for entry into the profession in New York, which could enhance professional credibility and mobility.
Reduces state-specific hurdles. The bill removes New York’s unique, detailed education and experience pathway (e.g., the “seven years” rule) in favor of widely recognized national criteria, potentially making it easier for qualified out-of-state professionals to become certified and for New York designers to have credentials recognized elsewhere.
Streamlines examination process. Instead of separate state examinations—especially the extra test on New York fire, safety, and building codes—the bill allows applicants to qualify by passing a national examination (as long as the certifying body is approved), simplifying the process and reducing redundancy.
Expands exemptions and clarifies language. The bill explicitly exempts licensed architects from duplicative requirements and updates language to be more inclusive and precise, which may benefit professionals who work across disciplines or who have credentials from other states.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Update Interior Designer Rules
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to higher education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Update Interior Designer Rules
Passed Senate · Sponsor John T. McDonald III
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1141
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 8, 2025
Introduced by Sen. HOYLMAN-SIGAL -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Higher Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the requirements for certification for certified interior designers
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 8305 of the education law, as added by chapter 905 of the laws of 1990, paragraph (b) of subdivision 2 as amended by chapter 653 of the laws of 1993, is amended to read as follows:
§ 8305. Requirements for certification. 1. To qualify for certification to use the title "certified interior designer", an applicant shall fulfill all the following requirements:
(a) Application: file an application with the department;
(b) Education: have [received at least seven years of professional training consisting of academic study and work experience relating to interior design and in accordance with the commissioner's regulations. These seven years shall contain at least two but not more than five years of post secondary education, including an associate degree or the equivalent, in an approved program of interior design] met the educational requirements required to sit for an examination offered by a national certifying organization for interior design professionals, provided that such certifying organization is approved by the commissioner;
(c) Experience: have met experience [satisfactory to the board and in accordance with the commissioner's regulations] requirements deemed necessary to sit for an examination offered by a national certifying organization for interior design professionals provided that such certifying organization is approved by the commissioner;
(d) Examination: (1) pass an examination satisfactory to the board in accordance with the commissioner's regulations, and (2) [pass a separate examination satisfactory to the board relative to the fire, safety and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03484-01-5
building codes of the state] provide a verification from a national certifying organization for interior design professionals that an applicant has passed an examination offered by such certifying organization for interior design professionals, and that the applicant is a certificate holder in good standing from such certifying organization for interior design professionals, provided that such certifying organization is approved by the commissioner;
(e) Age: be at least twenty-one years of age;
(f) Citizenship: meet no requirements as to United States citizenship;
(g) Character: be of good moral character as determined by the department; and
(h) Fees: pay a fee of three hundred dollars to the department for admission to the two department conducted examinations and for an initial license, a fee of one hundred fifty dollars for each reexamination, a fee of one hundred thirty-five dollars for an initial license for persons not requiring admission to a department conducted examination, and a fee of two hundred ten dollars for each triennial registration period.
2. On recommendation of the board, the department may exempt:
(a) from the requirement of subparagraph one of paragraph (d) of subdivision one of this section, an applicant who holds a license of certification to practice as an interior designer issued to [him or her] the applicant upon examination by a legally constituted board of examiners in any other state or political subdivision of the United States, provided that at the time the license or certificate was issued by such state or political subdivision the applicant met the requirements of paragraph (b) of subdivision one of this section for certification to use the title "certified interior designer" established by this article; [or]
(b) from the requirements specified in paragraph (b) of subdivision one of this section provided the applicant submits, prior to January first, nineteen hundred ninety-six, satisfactory evidence that the applicant has [held himself or herself out as] presented the applicant to be an interior designer and has prepared interior design documents in accordance with the requirements set forth in section eighty-three hundred three of this article for a minimum of seven years, has received a secondary school diploma or equivalent, and has passed the examinations required under paragraph (d) of subdivision one of this section[.]; or
(c) from the requirements of subparagraph one of paragraph (b) of subdivision one of this section, an architect licensed under article one hundred forty-seven of this chapter.
§ 2. This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date upon which it shall have become a law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to the requirements for certification for certified interior designers
Purpose or general idea of bill
To align New York requirements for the certification of interior design- ers with those of a national certification organization for interior design professionals.
Summary of provisions
Section 1. amends § 8305 of the education law to align education, expe- rience, and examination requirements for the certification of interior designers with those of a national certification organization for inte- rior design professionals, provided that such certifying organization is approved by the commissioner. This section also allows the Board to exempt licensed architects from the requirements of the statute.
Section 2 Provides an effective date of January 1st after the date on which it becomes a law, provided that the addition and/or repeal of any rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Justification
To be eligible in New York State for registration as a Certified Interi- or Designer, practitioners must take and pass the NCIDQ Exam, the nationally recognized examination for the interior design profession.
NCIDQ Certificate Holders must undergo formal education, thousands of hours of paid, supervised experience, and an internationally recognized, eleven-hour certification exam to prepare for protecting the health, safety, and welfare of the public in practice.
NCIDQ Certificate holders are highly qualified to independently design nonloadbearing, non-seismic, and non-structural interior design elements in code-regulated spaces. However, some NCIDQ Certificate holders, despite having passed the exam and thus demonstrating minimal competence to protect the public, are not eligible for the New York State Certified Interior Designer title.
Currently, New York is one of two states that require more education and experience to acquire the state-protected title than is required to be eligible to sit for the NCIDQ Exam. As part of the eligibility require- ments for the Certified Interior Designer title, New York State even specifies educational content requirements, such as color theory, that not all NCIDQ Certificate holders may receive, despite having passed the examand established themselves as being minimally qualified and compe- tent. As a result, qualified practitioners who passed the exam and would be eligible for registration in most other regulated jurisdictions cannot become Certified Interior Designers in New York State.
This legislation would update statutory qualification requirements for certified interior designers with those of the NCIDQ, and remove barri- ers to entry for certification for many otherwise qualified interior designers already working in New York.
Prior legislative history
S.9064 (Hoylman-Sigal): Died in Committee
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
None.
Effective date
This act shall take effect on the first of January next succeeding the date upon which it shall have become a law. Provided, however, that effective immediately, the addition and/or repeal of any rule or regu- lation necessary for the implementation of this act on its effective date are authorized and directed to be made and completed on or before such effective date.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.