Interior Designer states
51
Above median
Occupational licensing · Design · 51 state boards
Interior Designer Licensing Requirements by State
Interior Designer licensing rules differ by state. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL) compilation and responsible state boards (current as of May 15, 2026), this registry compares education hours, initial and renewal fees, exams, background checks and reciprocity notes across 51 boards. Use the table to compare differences, then verify the current rule with the responsible board before applying.
Interior Designer across 51 state boards. Nearest coverage peers (51-state band): Landscape Architect, Amusement Ride Operator, Animal Breeder.
- States regulated
- 51
- Avg initial fee
- $113
- Require an exam
- 31%
Board Pathway Strip
Interior Designer: 51 boards · exam on 31% · avg first fee $113. Same-lane boards: Landscape Architect, Amusement Ride Operator, Animal Breeder.
Interior Designer vs. every tracked profession
Average confirmed pre-licensure education hours, board-sourced state requirements
0 47th of 47 the lowest of 47 professions
professions with confirmed education-hour requirements, bucketed by value
Each bar is a band; taller bars hold more professions. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count and share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source PlainCredential NCSL and state-board corpus · 2026
Plans and designs interior spaces for functionality and aesthetics.
Interior Designer initial fees swing $50 (WY) to $346 (CA), a $296 spread across 51 boards ; Landscape Architect often lands on a different fee band.
Board thresholds for Interior Designer drift board-to-board; the same pattern shows up on Landscape Architect and Amusement Ride Operator in design. Methodology notes live on our methods page.
Interior Designer first fee
$113
Below median
Interior Designer renewal
$183
Top quartile, highest
Board gates for Interior Designer: exam on 16/51 (31%), background check on 0/51 (0%) , CE on 16/51 (avg 10 hrs/cycle) . Stack that against Landscape Architect / Amusement Ride Operator before calling this license soft or hard.
Other licenses near Interior Designer's board count
Coverage band
- Security Alarm Installer · 51 states
- Amusement Ride Operator · 51 states
- Animal Breeder · 51 states
- Arborist / Tree Surgeon · 51 states
Cheapest vs priciest jurisdiction for Interior Designer
A $296 fee spread for the same credential
Initial licensing fees in Wyoming ($ 50) and California ($ 346) bracket the field, a 6.9× spread for identical practice rights.
WY
Wyoming
$50 initial licensing fee
CA
California
$346 initial licensing fee
Interior Designer boards vs Landscape Architect / Amusement Ride Operator - state table
51 statesWhat to do with this
Interior Designer is regulated in 51 states -- here's how to use that before you act.
- Interior Designer ranks #47 of 47 professions by average pre-licensure education hours -- see how it compares to similar roles. Browse all professions
- #41 of 97 professions by number of states requiring a license -- see which states are strictest overall. State burden rankings
- Initial fees for Interior Designer range from $50 (WY) to $346 (CA) -- check whether your license transfers before assuming you'd need to pay again. Reciprocity guide
Requirements are compiled from NCSL and Institute for Justice research and verified against state board sites where possible; always confirm current rules with the licensing board before relying on any single row.
Every figure on PlainCredential is rendered directly from NCSL and state occupational- licensing board data, no number is typed in by an editor. Interior Designer requirements from NCSL and state board schedules: 51 rows, no hand-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error.