1. A. A license shall be issued to every person who presents satisfactory evidence of possessing the qualifications of education, experience and, as appropriate, the examination performance required by the provisions of the Interior Designers Act; provided that the applicant has reached the age of majority and, except as provided in Section 61-1-34 NMSA 1978, pays the required fees.
2. B. Each original license shall authorize the holder to use the title of and be known as a licensed interior designer from the date of issuance to the next renewal date unless the license is suspended or revoked.
3. C. All licenses shall expire four years after the date of issuance and shall be renewed by submitting a completed renewal application, and except as provided in Section 61-1-34 NMSA 1978, accompanied by the required fees.
4. D. A license may not be renewed until the licensee submits satisfactory evidence to the department that, since the initial issuance or last renewal if the license has been renewed, the licensee has participated in not less than twenty hours of continuing education approved by the department. The department may make exceptions from this continuing education requirement in cases that the licensee provides evidence of an emergency or hardship.
5. E. The holder of a license that has expired through failure to renew may renew the license, upon approval of the department.

6. F. In accordance with the provisions of the Uniform Licensing Act [Chapter 61, Article 1 NMSA 1978], the department may deny, refuse to renew, suspend or revoke a license or impose probationary conditions when the licensee has:

   1. (1) obtained the license by means of fraud, misrepresentation or concealment of material facts;
   2. (2) committed an act of fraud or deceit in professional conduct;
   3. (3) made any representation as being a licensed interior designer prior to being issued a license, except as authorized under the provisions of the Interior Designers Act;
   4. (4) been found by the department to have aided or abetted an unlicensed person in violating the provisions of the Interior Designers Act; or
   5. (5) failed to comply with the provisions of the Interior Designers Act or rules adopted pursuant to that act.

History: Laws 1989, ch. 53, § 10; 2007, ch. 245, § 5; 2020, ch. 6, § 53; 2023, ch. 190, § 34.

ANNOTATIONS

The 2023 amendment, effective July 1, 2023, struck a provision requiring annual renewal of an interior designer license and made interior designer licenses valid for four years, increased the required number of hours of continuing education as a condition of license renewal, and clarified language in the section; in Subsection C, after "shall expire", deleted "annually" and added "four years after the date of issuance"; in Subsection D, after "evidence to the", deleted "board" and added "department"; after "not less than", deleted "eight" and added "twenty"; deleted "board. The board shall approve only continuing education that builds upon basic knowledge of interior design. The board" and added "department. The department"; and added "cases that the licensee provides evidence of an"; in Subsection E, deleted "at any time within two years from the date on which the license expired", and after "approval of the", deleted "board" and added "department"; deleted former Subsection F and redesignated former Subsection G as new Subsection F; and in Subsection F, substituted each occurrence of "board" with "department", and in Paragraph F(2), after "professional conduct", deleted "or been convicted of a felony".

The 2020 amendment, effective July 1, 2020, provided an exception to the licensure fee and renewal fee for qualified military service members, their spouses and dependent children, and for certain veterans; in Subsection A, after "majority and", added "except as provided in Section 61-1-34 NMSA 1978"; and in Subsection C, after "renewal application", added "and except as provided in Section 61-1-34 NMSA 1978".

The 2007 amendment, effective June 15, 2007, amends Subsection C providing for the annual expiration and renewal of licenses.