The Professional Governance Act

Legislating Interior Design Under The Professional Governance Act

IDIBC is seeking provincial government regulation and legislated professional status for Registered Interior Designers (RIDs) under the Professional Governance Act (PGA) in the best interest of public health, safety, and welfare.

The introduction of this legislation provides a consistent and best practice governance framework for self-regulating professions in British Columbia and to strengthen provincial government oversight of those regulatory bodies. It helps ensure that professions under the Act, like architects and engineers, are effectively regulated and that practitioners meet specific obligations and standards of professional practice and ethical conduct.

The Importance of Regulating B.C.’s Interior Design Profession

Interior design plays a vital role in shaping built environments, creating interior spaces that are code-compliant as well as functional, aesthetic, accessible, healthy, and safe. It is a distinct profession that involves the planning, design, and oversight of interior aspects of buildings – from corporate office towers, to institutional facilities like hospitals and recreation centres, to restaurants and other retail environments, and individual living spaces.

IDIBC’s registrants are highly trained interior design professionals who must meet stringent professional standards of education, experience, examination, competence, and professional conduct, comparable to those of other self-regulated built environment professions like architecture and engineering. They possess specialized knowledge and skills in providing comprehensive, highly technical, and creative design solutions that are integral to many construction projects.

However, while only IDIBC’s qualified registrants in good standing may use the title “Registered Interior Designer”, there is currently no legislation preventing unqualified persons from practicing interior design in B.C.

Additionally, unlike architects and engineers designated as registered professionals under the PGA with recognized scopes of practice, RIDs in B.C. do not have this legislated professional status. Despite their training, credentials, and overlapping expertise with other built environment professionals, RIDs cannot practice independently to the full scope of their capabilities under the BC Building Code.

Government regulation of interior design under the PGA would:

  • Align the standards and responsibilities of RIDs with other designated built environment professions in B.C.
  • Provide more clarity across the industry and better protect the public by ensuring that only those with the necessary education, experience, and technical expertise and who are registered with IDIBC can perform interior design work and refer to themselves as interior designers in B.C. This would enhance public safety and improve understanding and trust regarding who is legally qualified to competently practice interior design.

Transitioning IDIBC’s governance under the PGA would:

  • Allow a more effective means of regulating and strengthening the interior design profession and disciplining non-compliant practitioners across the sector.
  • Ultimately streamline the building regulatory system across B.C.
  • Align regulation of the interior design profession with other provincial jurisdictions.

By seeking provincial government regulation and legislated professional status for RIDs under the PGA, IDIBC aims to elevate and strengthen the profession of interior design, enhance public trust and safety, and safeguard the best interests of both clients and qualified practitioners.

Our Progress To Date

IDIBC, supported by its registrants and interior design regulatory bodies across other provincial jurisdictions, is actively advocating for formal acknowledgement and stronger regulation of the practice of interior design throughout Canada.
Through collaborative efforts, we are advancing discussions, conducting research, and engaging with policymakers and other built environment professions to pave the way for official recognition and legislated regulation of the interior design profession in British Columbia.

IDIBC submitted its application for inclusion under the PGA in October 2024 and is working with the Office of the Superintendent of Professional Governance (OSPG), which oversees the governance of regulatory bodies and administers the Act. The OSPG will evaluate IDIBC’s application to assess its suitability for designation and readiness to transition. The final decision lies with the Lieutenant Governor in Council, following a recommendation for inclusion by the Superintendent and Minister of Post-Secondary Education and Future Skills.

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