Interorganizational Council on Regulation

About

For over 50 years the Interorganizational Council on Regulation (ICOR) has supported licensing boards that regulate the professions of architecture, engineering, interior design, landscape architecture and surveying. ICOR serves as a platform for collaboration, sharing best practices and advocating for the critical role licensure boards play in protecting public health, safety and welfare.

Originally founded in 1972, ICOR is made up of four nonprofit regulatory organizations:

• Council for Interior Design Qualification (CIDQ)
• Council of Landscape Architectural Registration Boards (CLARB)
• National Council of Architectural Registration Boards (NCARB)
• National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying (NCEES)

Each of these organizations represents U.S. (and in some cases, Canadian) licensing boards responsible for ensuring professionals meet rigorous standards before being granted licensure. In many jurisdictions, a single board oversees multiple design professions, making ICOR’s collaborative efforts essential to streamlining regulatory processes and improving efficiency.

Mission

ICOR is committed to supporting and advocating for responsible licensure, ensuring that licensing frameworks remain consistent, effective and focused on public protection. The council works to harmonize policies, processes and procedures across design professions — reducing administrative friction and enhancing mobility for licensed professionals. Through its work, ICOR strengthens the regulatory community by equipping licensing boards with the tools, insights and advocacy resources needed to uphold defensible, competency-based regulation.

Areas of collaboration

As an active ICOR member, CLARB collaborates with its ICOR partners to provide training, resources and advocacy support for licensing boards that regulate design professions. Together we ensure boards have the tools needed to uphold defensible, competency-based regulation and adapt to evolving challenges.

Addressing practice overlap among design professions

Because landscape architecture intersects with architecture, engineering, interior design and surveying, CLARB is working with ICOR to clarify practice boundaries. This initiative develops clear definitions and guidelines to help licensing boards regulate interdisciplinary collaboration while ensuring each profession practices within its area of expertise. By defining where responsibilities overlap and where distinct competencies apply, this effort strengthens fair, consistent and defensible licensure standards across jurisdictions.

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Training and resources for licensing boards

Through biannual orientations, CLARB and its ICOR partners equip new board members and executives with knowledge and tools to navigate their regulatory responsibilities. Additionally, ICOR provides a Licensing and Regulation Report, a customizable tool that helps boards respond to sunset reviews, legislative inquiries and other regulatory challenges.

By working together, CLARB and ICOR help strengthen professional licensure, streamline regulatory processes and support licensing boards in their mission to protect the public. Through collaboration and innovation, we are shaping a regulatory framework that is clear, effective and adaptable to the evolving needs of the design professions.