If a person applies for licensure but does not satisfy the requirements of Section 61-24C-8 NMSA 1978, the department may on a case-by-case basis review and issue a license to an applicant who provides evidence to the department that the applicant:
A. has active licensure in another state or country where the qualifications are equal to or exceed those required by the Interior Designers Act and the applicant complies with all other requirements of the Interior Designers Act; or
B. has apprenticed for at least eight years under a licensed interior designer who passed the national council for interior design qualification examination or another nationally recognized examination approved by the department.