InspectDayLicense
North Carolina home inspector license
The Home Inspector Licensure Board, in the Office of State Fire Marshal, licenses home inspectors, and anyone who inspects for compensation must hold a license.
North Carolina's license law, checked on
- Who licenses
- The Home Inspector Licensure Board, in the North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal.
- Who can apply
- A high school diploma or its equivalent and a Board-approved education program finished within three years before you apply, or education and experience the Board finds equivalent, or six months licensed as a general contractor, architect or professional engineer. A national criminal history records check is required.
- Education and field training
- Applicants may complete a Board-approved 120-hour classroom course and an 80-hour field training course to meet the education and experience requirements.
- Exam
- The Board's own exam of 200 multiple-choice questions, taken in 4 hours with no references. You need 70 percent to pass. You need the Board's authorization before you schedule it.
- Insurance
- General liability insurance of $250,000, and either minimum net assets or a surety bond, in an amount the Board sets between $5,000 and $10,000, or errors and omissions insurance of $250,000.
- Fees
- $35 application, waived for active duty military, veterans and their spouses. $80 exam registration. $160 license.
- Renewal
- The license runs from October 1 to September 30. Renew online with the $160 renewal fee. A late renewal costs a $30 late fee. Before renewing, complete continuing education, due by September 10, upload proof of general liability insurance, and attest to net assets of at least $5,000, a surety bond of at least $5,000, or $250,000 of errors and omissions insurance.
- Continuing education
- 12 hours a year, made up of a 4-hour Board update course and 8 hours of elective courses. If you did not take the 200-hour pre-licensing course, add 4 hours a year for your first three years.
- Out-of-state applicants
- An application from a home inspector licensed out of state may be referred to the Application Evaluation Committee and the Board for review. The Board accepts a license from another state whose laws and rules are similar to Article 9F and to the Board's rules as evidence of experience. You must still pass the Board's written examination and meet the other licensing requirements.
Sources
- North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal, “Home Inspector Licensure Board (HILB) | OSFM”
- North Carolina General Assembly, “Chapter 143 - Article 9F”
- North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal, “HILB - Apply for License | OSFM”
- North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal, “HILB - Pre-Licensing Program | OSFM”
- North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal, “OSFM QUEST Candidate Information Bulletin (CIB)”
- North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal, “Scheduling HILB Exam | OSFM”
- North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal, “Licensure Insurance Requirements | OSFM”
- North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal, “HILB - Licensing Renewal | OSFM”
- North Carolina Office of State Fire Marshal, “HILB - Continuing Education Information | OSFM”
- North Carolina Home Inspector Licensure Board, “Home Inspector Licensure Act and Board Rules”