Review the official 20-hour breakdown, approved provider options, and documentation rules for Florida interior designer registration renewal.
| Category | Hours | Important detail |
|---|---|---|
| Health, Safety & Welfare (HSW) | 14 | Coursework must be HSW-designated by an approved provider. |
| Advanced Florida Building Code | 2 | Specialized or advanced Building Code coursework; also qualifies as HSW. |
| Elective / Other | 4 | Additional approved interior design coursework. |
| Total | 20 | Standard biennial requirement. |
Automatically accepted: AIA-CES, NCARB, IDCEC Core Member courses, the Construction Industry Licensing Board, and the Florida Building Officials and Inspectors Board — plus Board-approved providers like Education Pathways.
Education Pathways reports your completions directly to the DBPR (Florida Board of Architecture and Interior Design) on your behalf.
Retain certificates, transcripts, and receipts for at least four years in case of a Board audit.
At least 2 of the 20 required hours must come from specialized or advanced Florida Building Code coursework.
Yes. The Advanced Building Code course qualifies as HSW coursework in addition to satisfying the Building Code requirement.
Education Pathways includes it in the 20-Hour Renewal Bundle so the mandatory hours are covered alongside the rest of the requirement.
Registered Florida interior designers complete 20 continuing education hours each two-year cycle: 14 Health, Safety, and Welfare (HSW) hours, 2 specialized or advanced Florida Building Code hours, and 4 elective hours.
An HSW course addresses health, safety, and welfare topics relevant to interior design practice. Course approval numbers and HSW designation are set by the approving organization.
At least 2 of the 20 required hours must be specialized or advanced Florida Building Code coursework. This coursework also counts toward the 14 HSW hours.
No. The Florida Board of Architecture and Interior Design does not allow continuing education hours to carry over between bienniums. All 20 hours must be completed within the current two-year cycle.
The Florida Board of Architecture and Interior Design automatically accepts continuing education from AIA-CES, NCARB, IDCEC Core Member courses, the Construction Industry Licensing Board, and the Florida Building Officials and Inspectors Board, in addition to coursework from Board-approved providers such as Education Pathways.
Education Pathways reports your completed continuing education directly to the DBPR (Florida Board of Architecture and Interior Design) on your behalf. We recommend also keeping your own certificates as a personal record.
Retain certificates, transcripts, and supporting documentation for at least four years. Organized records make it easier to respond if the Board requests documentation during an audit.
Yes. Florida’s continuing education rule for interior designers requires at least 2 of the 20 hours to be specialized or advanced Building Code coursework, so it is part of the standard requirement rather than optional.
The course is included because the Building Code hours are a mandatory part of the 20-hour requirement, and bundling it with HSW and elective coursework gives designers a single, convenient package.
Yes, when the coursework is from an approved provider and otherwise meets the applicable Florida requirements. Education Pathways offers self-paced online courses for the required subjects.
Get the full 20-hour renewal bundle, including the required Advanced Florida Building Code course.
