Since 1974, CIDQ’s mission has been to create, test and promote guidelines for determining competency in the practice of interior design. NCIDQ Certification has been the global standard for interior design professionals for 50 years.

Why Become an NCIDQ Certified Interior Designer?

Validate your expertise and promote your skills through NCIDQ Certification.  Join more than 38,000 individuals of a select but growing community who have been certified through the NCIDQ Examination. These highly competent professionals have distinguished themselves by demonstrating a specific set of core interior design competencies, supported by verified work experience and a college degree. Earn this prestigious benchmark of interior design expertise and share the benefits of certification.

• Give clients and employers the added confidence they seek by enabling them to easily verify your knowledge, experience and skill with NCIDQ Certification.
• Practice to the fullest extent of your capabilities wherever life’s opportunities take you. NCIDQ Certification is fully portable and accepted by all regulated jurisdictions throughout North America.
• Gain wider industry visibility and recognition as an NCIDQ Certified designer.
• Expand your network of expert, connected and passionate colleagues.
• Receive first-year professional membership for free in the American Society of Interior Designers, the largest association of your peers.
• Highlight your services to potential clients on the Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ) public directory of certified interior design professionals, which is searchable by geography.

Why NCIDQ Certification Matters

For 50 years, the strenuous requirements of the NCIDQ Examination have enabled clients and employers to have confidence in the caliber of work from certified designers. The exam covers the core competencies of interior design and the test’s contents are continually updated to ensure they reflect the most current skills required to design secure, functional and innovative interior spaces.

The Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ) administers the NCIDQ Exam. CIDQ, which is comprised of regulatory boards from across the United States and Canada, takes seriously its responsibility to protect the public. Accordingly, NCIDQ Certified interior designers must complete a minimum of six years of specialized education and work experience and pass the three-part NCIDQ Exam, that is based on CIDQ’s independent, comprehensive analysis of the profession and the daily practice of interior design in a range of settings. NCIDQ Certification meets legal and regulatory standards for the interior design profession as established by more than half of the states across the U.S. and the provinces in Canada.

For Eligibility to take the NCIDQ exam, go to:  https://www.cidq.org/paths

For Information About the Exam Format, go to: https://www.cidq.org/exams 

For Employer Advantages for hiring NCIDQ Certified Interior Designers, go to: https://www.cidq.org/employer-advantages

For a List of NCIDQ Registered Interior Designers (RID’s) in Alabama, go to: https://abrid.alabama.gov/find-a-designer/

Legislatively speaking:

• Many U.S. states and Canadian provinces have passed laws requiring interior designers to be licensed or registered to practice in specific scopes of practice and to document their formal education and training. Additionally, many states and provinces also specifically require practicing interior designers to earn the NCIDQ Certification to demonstrate their experience and qualifications.
• As of 2024, here is the status of interior design regulation in North America.