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5
58-86-102
58-86-301
4
Interior Designer Amendments
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Luz Escamilla
House Sponsor: Ken Ivory
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This bill modifies the State Certification of Commercial Interior Designers Act.
Highlighted Provisions:
This bill:
modifies definitions;
removes occupancy group limitations to allow practice within any occupancy
classification within a specified scope;
deletes the wall partition height limitation;
adds conduct to unlawful conduct; and
makes technical and conforming changes.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Utah Code Sections Affected:
AMENDS:
58-86-102
, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2016, Chapter 294
58-86-301
, as enacted by Laws of Utah 2016, Chapter 294
Be it enacted by the Legislature of the state of Utah:
Section 1. Section
58-86-102
is amended to read:
58-86-102
. Definitions.
In addition to the definitions in Section
58-1-102
, as
As
used in this chapter:
(1)
"Building" means an enclosed structure, including the structural, mechanical, and
electrical systems, utility services, and other facilities
required for the structure
the
structure requires
, that has human occupancy or habitation as
its
the structure's
principal purpose and is subject to the State Construction Code or an approved code
under
Title 15A, State Construction and Fire Codes Act
.
(2)
"International Building Code" means the edition of the International Building Code,
issued by the International Code Council, most recently adopted by the state in Section
15A-2-103
.
(3)
(a)
"Practice of commercial interior design" means, in relation to obtaining a building
permit independent of an architect licensed under
Title 58, Chapter 3a, Architects
Licensing Act
, the preparation of a plan or specification for, or the supervision of
new construction, alteration, or repair of, an interior space within a newly constructed
or existing building when the core and shell structural elements are not going to be
changed.
(b)
"Practice of commercial interior design" only includes the preparation of a plan or
specification for, or the supervision of new construction, alteration, or repair of, a
building
to be used for the following occupancy groups as described in the
International Building Code:
for any occupancy classification in the International
Building Code if the work is limited to non-structural, non-seismic, and
non-load-bearing interior elements in accordance with this section.
(i)
B; and
(ii)
M.
(c)
"Practice of commercial interior design" does not include:
(i)
providing commercial construction documents, independent of a licensed
architect, for a space that:
(A)
does not already have
is lacking
base building life safety components
installed or designed and permitted, including required exit stairs and
enclosures, paths of travel, ramps, horizontal exit passageways, disabled
access, fire alarm systems, and base building fire suppression systems; or
(B)
is undergoing a change of occupancy classification
as described in the
International Building Code
when a licensed architect or a licensed engineer is
required in accordance with the International Building Code
; or
(ii)
making
changes to or
the
an
addition of:
(A)
foundations, beams, trusses, columns, or other primary structural framing
members or seismic systems
a foundation, a beam, a truss, a column, or other
primary structural framing member or seismic system
;
(B)
structural concrete slabs, floor and roof framing structures, or bearing and
shear walls
a structural concrete slab, a floor or roof framing structure, or a
bearing or shear wall
;
(C)
openings in roofs, floors, exterior walls, or bearing and shear walls
an
opening in the roof, a floor, an exterior wall, a bearing or shear wall
;
(D)
exterior doors, windows, awnings, canopies, sunshades, signage, or similar
exterior building elements
an exterior door, a window, an awning, a canopy, a
sunshade, signage, or a similar exterior building element
;
(E)
as described in the International Building Code, life safety equipment,
including
a
smoke, fire, or
a
carbon dioxide
sensors or detectors, or other
overhead building elements;
sensor or detector, or an overhead building
element; or
(F)
as described in the International Building Code, partial height partitions with
mounted or anchored casework, shelving, or equipment;
(G)
as described in the International Building Code, bracing for partial height
partitions if the top of the partition is more than eight feet above the floor; or
(H)
(F)
a piece of
heating, ventilating, or air conditioning equipment or
distribution systems,
a heating, ventilating, or air conditioning distribution
system, a
building management
systems,
system, a
high or medium voltage
electrical distribution
systems,
system, a
standby or emergency power
systems or distribution systems, plumbing or plumbing distribution systems,
system, plumbing, a
fire alarm
systems, fire sprinklers systems,
system, a fire
sprinkler system, a
security or monitoring
systems, or
system, or a
related
building
systems
system
.
(4)
"State certification" means a designation
granted by the division
the division grants
on
behalf of the state to an individual who
has met
meets
the requirements
for state
certification related to
for
an occupation or profession
described in
this chapter
describes
.
(5)
"State certified" means, when used in conjunction with an occupation or profession
described in this chapter, a title that:
(a)
may be used by a person who has met the state certification requirements related to
that occupation or profession described in this chapter; and
(b)
may not be used by a person who has not met the state certification requirements
related to that occupation or profession described in this chapter.
(6)
(5)
"Unlawful conduct" means the same as that term is defined in Sections
58-1-501
and
58-86-301
.
Section 2. Section
58-86-301
is amended to read:
58-86-301
. Unlawful conduct.
"Unlawful conduct" includes:
(1)
(a)
using the title "state certified commercial interior designer" if the person is not a
state certified commercial interior designer in good standing under this chapter; or
using the title state certified commercial interior designer, or representing that the
individual is a state certified commercial interior designer if the individual is not a
state certified commercial interior designer; or
(b)
using any other name, title, or initials that would cause a reasonable person to
believe the person is licensed under this chapter if the person is not properly licensed
under this chapter; or
(2)
engaging in the practice of commercial interior design unless exempted from licensure
or state certification under Section
58-1-307
or
58-86-206
.
Section 3.
Effective Date.
This bill takes effect on
May 6, 2026
.
3-11-26 12:04 PM