Connecticut to Montana: home inspector license reciprocity
Montana has a specific endorsement rule for Connecticut home inspectors.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Licensure by endorsement from Connecticut
The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.
Montana publishes a per-state substantial equivalency table for the home inspector credential, and Connecticut is marked substantially equivalent on it. An inspector holding an active Connecticut home inspector license in good standing can therefore apply for licensure by endorsement under Montana Code Annotated section 37-1-304 rather than rebuilding the underlying qualifications. Montana administers no home inspector examination, so nothing is waived in the way an exam waiver works in other trades; the practical effect is that the department accepts the Connecticut license as meeting Montana's 40-hour instruction requirement. The applicant still has to hold membership in a national home inspection association and carry at least $125,000 in errors and omissions coverage, because Montana law requires both to be maintained for as long as the license is held.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
- Agreement
- Active
What you must already have
- Your Connecticut license must be active and in good standing.The origin license must be active and in good standing when the Montana application is filed.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.Montana asks for official license verification from every state in which the applicant holds or has ever held a professional license of any type, and requires a written explanation with supporting documents for any disciplinary history.
What you'll do to get licensed in Montana
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($80). Application fee of $80, paid online when the application is filed. An application expires one year after it is first submitted to the department..
- 2Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($125,000). Errors and omissions liability insurance of at least $125,000. The minimum rose from $100,000 to $125,000 when House Bill 225 converted the registration into a license, and the coverage must be maintained for as long as the license is held..
- 3Other. Membership in a national home inspection association, evidenced by proof of membership filed with the application and maintained for continued licensure. Montana law does not name which associations qualify..
Published fees on this path total $80, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance · $125,000
How Montana licenses home inspectors
Montana home inspector · “Home Inspector”
Statewide license
Issued by Montana Home Inspector Program, Department of Labor & Industry (Business Standards Division)
Montana licenses home inspectors statewide, and the license is new. Until the end of 2025 the state ran a home inspector registration; House Bill 225, enacted in the 2025 session, turned that registration into a license and wrote the qualifications into a new chapter of the Montana Code Annotated, Title 37, chapter 55. Since January 1, 2026 no one may practice home inspection in Montana without a home inspector license, and everyone who held an active registration on December 31, 2025 was converted to the new license automatically. The program sits in the Department of Labor & Industry's Business Standards Division and has no board of its own; it is one of the department's board-less licensing programs, alongside the boiler operator, crane and hoisting operator, fire protection and property management programs. There is only one grade of the credential, with no apprentice, associate or trainee tier, and the qualifications are short: forty hours of department-approved comprehensive home inspection instruction, membership in a national home inspection association, and at least $125,000 of errors and omissions liability insurance. Montana writes no examination at all, requires no continuing education, and charges $80 to apply and $80 to renew, with licenses renewing every two years. The association membership and the insurance are not one-time hurdles; state law requires both to be maintained for as long as the license is held. Chapter 55 also sets conduct rules that apply regardless of where an inspector trained: a written report is mandatory unless the client releases the inspector in writing, the report has to identify the systems inspected, any major visible defects and any recommendations for further evaluation, and an inspector may not take pay from more than one financially interested party without written approval from all of them, may not accept a commission or allowance from anyone associated with the client, and must promptly disclose any business interest or relationship that could affect the client.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Montana home inspector exam if I'm licensed in Connecticut?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with Connecticut.
- What does it cost to get a Montana home inspector license from Connecticut?
- Published fees on this path total $80, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Connecticut work hours count in Montana?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Montana's eligibility requirements.
Sources
- Montana Department of Labor & Industry - Licensing Boards and Programs index · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- Montana Home Inspector Licensing Requirements and Application Checklist · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Form · verified September 17, 2026
- Montana Home Inspector Program - Home Inspector license information · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- Montana Home Inspector Program - program home page · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- Montana Substantial Equivalency Determinations - Home Inspector table · Montana Department of Labor & Industry, Business Standards Division · Agreement Document · verified September 17, 2026
- Montana DLI notice to registrants - House Bill 225 home inspector licensing changes · H.B. 225 (2025); Ch. 481, L. 2025 · Montana Department of Labor & Industry · Other · verified September 17, 2026
- Mont. Code Ann. sec. 37-1-304 - Licensure by endorsement; reciprocity · Mont. Code Ann. sec. 37-1-304 · Montana Legislative Services Division · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
- Montana Code Annotated, Title 37, Chapter 55 - Home Inspectors · Mont. Code Ann. secs. 37-55-101 to 37-55-104 · Montana Legislative Services Division · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.