New Mexico to Ohio: home inspector license reciprocity
Ohio has a reciprocity agreement with New Mexico: a New Mexico home inspector can get a Ohio license without retaking the trade exam.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Board-approved state: New Mexico
A signed state-to-state agreement. The trade exam is waived; you apply, prove your history, and pay the fee.
The Ohio Home Inspector Board has determined that New Mexico's requirements meet or exceed Ohio's, and New Mexico is on the list of approved states the Division publishes as the first of its four out-of-state options. The Board narrows it to one path, naming the New Mexico license obtained by training and experience only. A New Mexico licensee who qualified that way and is in good standing may file the Ohio out-of-state application without Ohio's qualifying education, parallel inspections or the National Home Inspector Examination, and Ohio has no law-and-rules examination to add. There is no minimum holding period and no recent-practice test on this route. The application fee, the general liability insurance and the two criminal records checks still apply.
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 New Mexico license must be active and in good standing.
What you'll do to get licensed in Ohio
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($235). Initial licensure fee under OAC 1301:17-1-03(A), applied to the out-of-state application by OAC 1301:17-1-04(A)(4)..
- 2Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($100,000). Commercial or comprehensive general liability insurance of at least $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 in the aggregate under R.C. 4764.11(A), evidenced by a certificate of insurance filed with the application. Errors and omissions cover does not satisfy it..
- 3Background check. Complete a background check. Fingerprint-based criminal records checks through both the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation and the FBI. The bureau's fee is paid by the applicant and is not published on the Division's home inspector pages..
Published fees on this path total $235, 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 · $100,000
How Ohio licenses home inspectors
Ohio home inspector · “Licensed Home Inspector”
Statewide license
Ohio licenses home inspectors statewide, which is the reverse of how the state treats builders: Ohio issues no general or residential building contractor license at all and leaves house building to local building departments, yet since 1 July 2021 nobody may perform a home inspection in Ohio for compensation without a state license. The seven-member Ohio Home Inspector Board sets the standards and the Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing issues and renews the licenses, under R.C. Chapter 4764 and Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 1301:17-1. There is one tier and no apprentice, associate or trainee grade to arrive into; an unlicensed person may work only as a supervised candidate completing parallel inspections toward an application of their own. The license is held by the individual, and every licensee carries a commercial or comprehensive general liability policy of at least $100,000 per occurrence and $300,000 in the aggregate. Ohio's only examination is the National Home Inspector Examination and the state writes no paper of its own. Licenses run three years, and renewal depends on 14 hours of continuing education a year and on the insurance staying in force.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Ohio home inspector exam if I'm licensed in New Mexico?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path under the agreement with New Mexico.
- What does it cost to get a Ohio home inspector license from New Mexico?
- Published fees on this path total $235, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my New Mexico work hours count in Ohio?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Ohio's eligibility requirements.
- Does it work the other way, from Ohio to New Mexico?
- Not necessarily. Reciprocity is directed. Going from Ohio to New Mexico, the mechanism is endorsement.
Sources
- Ohio Administrative Code Chapter 1301:17-1 - Ohio Home Inspector Board · OAC 1301:17-1-03, -04, -05, -07, -10, -13, -14 · Ohio Home Inspector Board / Ohio Department of Commerce · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
- Ohio Revised Code Chapter 4764 - Home Inspectors · R.C. 4764.02, 4764.03, 4764.05, 4764.07, 4764.08, 4764.09, 4764.10, 4764.11, 4764.21 · Ohio Legislative Service Commission · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
- Home Inspectors - What We Do - Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing · Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- Insurance Requirements for Ohio Home Inspectors - Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing · Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing · Faq · verified September 17, 2026
- Home Inspector License Requirements - Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing · Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- Out of State License Applicant - Ohio Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing · Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- Renewing Your License - Ohio Home Inspector Program · Ohio Department of Commerce, Division of Real Estate and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.