Opinion ID: 205765
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: License Requirement for Individual Interior Designers

Text: In light of these factors, we conclude that Florida's license requirement does not have a discriminatory effect on out-of-state interior designers. Florida's license requirement does not exclude a class of predominately out-of-state interior designers. The license requirement does not apply to out-of-state interior designers practicing in residential settings in Florida. Further, out-of-state unlicensed interior designers may practice in commercial settings in Florida under the instruction, control, or supervision of a licensed architect or while acting as a contractor in the execution of work designed by an architect. See Fla. Stat. § 481.229(2). While the requirement somewhat restricts entry into Florida's commercial interior design market, it does not block entry altogether. Rather, it merely requires interior designers, both in and out-of-state, to achieve proficiency in the field before practicing. Any cost imposed on out-of-state residents is one that Florida residents must also bear, because they too must obtain a license to practice interior design in commercial settings. Appellants next ask us to find the license requirement unconstitutional because of the alleged discriminatory effect of the former grandfather clause. In the past, a grandfather clause insulated Florida-based interior designers from the more onerous requirements that apply to out-of-state designers. See Fla. Stat.1988, ch. 88-383, § 21 (repealed 2000). Designers with a Florida municipal or county license [6] who held themselves out as interior designers for one year prior to the passage of the licensing requirement in 1988 could obtain a Florida license by passing the NCIDQ exam but without undergoing any formal education. Id. Other interior designers needed at least six years of experience to obtain a Florida license. Id. We conclude that the license requirement's former grandfather clause does not change the result. The grandfather clause was not limited to Florida residents, but merely to designers, both in- and out-of-state, who held occupational licenses in Florida counties prior to the passage of the licensing requirement. Thus, in- and out-of-state interior designers alike benefitted from the clause. We cannot say that any added burden the clause imposed on interstate commerce disproportionately impacted out-of-state designers. We likewise reject Appellants' argument that Florida acted with a protectionist purpose in passing the interior design license requirement. Florida's license requirement is a safety regulation and thus carries a strong presumption of validity. See Kassel v. Consol. Freightways Corp. of Del., 450 U.S. 662, 670, 101 S.Ct. 1309, 1316, 67 L.Ed.2d 580 (1981) (quotation marks omitted). The statutory text reveals that the Florida legislature was primarily concerned with protecting Florida consumers from safety risks in passing the licensing statute: The primary legislative purpose for enacting this part is to ensure that every architect practicing in this state meets minimum requirements for safe practice. . . . The Legislature further finds that it is in the interest of the public to limit the practice of interior design to interior designers or architects who have a design education and training. . . . Fla. Stat. § 481.201. Moreover, the legislative history confirms that the legislature highlighted safety concerns, such as failure to comply with fire and building codes and higher levels of indoor pollution, when considering whether to implement the licensing requirement. See Fla. S. Comm. on Approp., Senate Staff Analysis and Economic Impact Statement, S. CS/CS/SB 127, 20th Sess., at 1-2 (May 1988) [hereinafter Senate Report]. Because Florida's license requirement does not discriminate against out-of-state residents, it is constitutional under the Dormant Commerce Clause unless the burden it imposes on interstate commerce clearly exceeds its putative local benefits. Pike, 397 U.S. at 142, 90 S.Ct. at 847. The Florida legislature justified the license requirement by citing safety benefits. If safety justifications are not illusory, the Court will not second-guess legislative judgment about their importance in comparison with related burdens on interstate commerce. Kassel, 450 U.S. at 670, 101 S.Ct. at 1316. When the legislature passed the license requirement, it relied on a report that suggested that the unlicensed practice of interior design could lead to decreased compliance with building and fire codes as well as increased pollution. See Senate Report, at 1-2. We cannot say that the Florida legislature's safety justification was merely illusory. We therefore decline the invitation to second guess the legislature's judgment as to the relative importance of the safety justifications versus any burdens imposed on interstate commerce. In light of the strong presumption of validity we must accord safety regulations, we conclude that Florida's interior designer license requirement, as applied to individual designers, passes muster under the Dormant Commerce Clause.