Interior Designers Speak More Freely

Jacob Sullum | April 16, 2007

New Mexicans who design interiors are now free to call themselves "interior designers," even if they are not licensed as such by the state. This month Gov. Bill Richardson signed a law that eliminates a protectionist speech restriction that was challenged on First Amendment grounds by an Institute for Justice lawsuit filed last September. If you're worried that anybody with a flair for color can now pretend to have the training necessary to be licensed, fear not: The term licensed interior designer will still be reserved for those who have met the government's credential requirements.