My name is Thom Banks and I am the CEO for the Council of Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ). I am writing this letter to express my strong support of the continued regulation of the interior design profession. My organization develops and administers the NCIDQ Exam, a competency assessment used by all regulated jurisdictions in the United States (27 states plus 2 federal jurisdictions) except for one as a requirement for licensure, certification, or registration of interior designers. CIDQ does not represent interior designers or the profession of interior design. Our members are the jurisdictional regulatory boards that oversee the practice of interior design; our mission is to help protect the health, safety, and welfare (HSW) of the public by providing a means for assessing the related knowledge and competencies of interior designers.
Certified Interior Designers (CIDs) do complex design drafting work in large public and code-regulated spaces like hotels, hospitals, corporate offices, and multifamily housing where public life-safety is implicated. CIDs possess a knowledge of building codes, standards, and other laws and regulations that are essential to the safe construction of public and other code-regulated buildings. Being a Certified Interior Designer in Virginia assures the public that an individual has completed a minimum set of requirements, including education, experience, and examination.
The Virginia Board for Architects, Professional Engineers, Land Surveyors, Certified Interior Designers and Landscape Architects ensures public protection by establishing the standards necessary for practice and only licenses/certifies individuals who meet those standards. Requiring the regulation of these professions creates an essential layer of protection for the public and serves as the foundation of a safe built environment in Virginia. The Board continuously works to reduce unnecessary barriers to entry and ensure Virginia’s regulatory requirements are aligned with minimum national standards to maintain public protection. Virginia’s requirements are largely aligned to current national standards, allowing the Board to:
And Virginia’s initial certification and subsequent renewal fees of $45 are well below the national averages of $117 and $152 respectively. Voters are largely open to regulation and say it is warranted and beneficial, especially when it addresses issues related to public safety, well-being, and health. Sixty-six percent of voters agree that government regulations over industries and professions are needed to keep the public safe.
In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, interior designers are at the forefront of efforts to help Americans return safely to workplaces and public spaces. The need for their expertise is why the NCIDQ Exam has been deemed “essential” within the testing centers where it is administered to ensure our exam candidates are afforded every opportunity to test barring jurisdictionally mandated COVID related closures. Given the increasing complexity of their work and its importance to our nation’s return to some sense of post-pandemic normalcy, the need for assurance of interior design practitioners’ competency to protect the safety of the public has never been greater. I urge you not to eliminate the regulation of interior designers.