Tennessee to Vermont: home inspector license reciprocity
Vermont has no reciprocity agreement with Tennessee. A Tennessee home inspector applies by endorsement.
Reference only, not legal advice. Rules change; confirm with the licensing board before you apply. Full disclaimer.
Fast Track Endorsement (any state)
The board reviews your out-of-state credentials case by case. Some exam is usually still required, often only a law or code exam.
Vermont's endorsement route is origin-independent by statute. An applicant who has been actively licensed or certified in good standing in another United States jurisdiction for three or more years immediately before applying qualifies for Fast Track Endorsement, and the statute says in terms that this applies regardless of whether the other jurisdiction's licensing requirements are substantially similar to Vermont's. There is no list of partner states and no equivalence finding to argue about. The applicant files the online application with the non-refundable fee and a Verification of Licensure form showing continuous licensure in good standing for the three years preceding the application, and neither the 80 hours of education nor the national examination is required. An inspector with less than three years of licensure elsewhere falls back to the ordinary routes and has to satisfy the education and examination requirements like any other new applicant.
Vermont accepts the National Home Inspector Examination, and does so by name. The office's rule provides that the Director adopts the National Home Inspector Examination developed by the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors as the examination required by 26 V.S.A. section 1091(3), and the office's forms page directs candidates to PSI, which administers it for Vermont. Results are valid for one year from the date passed, both parts have to be passed, and an applicant who fails three consecutive times cannot reapply without showing the Director additional core education. There is no Vermont law-and-rules paper riding on top of it. That examination is only relevant on the paths other than this one. An applicant who cannot show three years of licensure elsewhere has two alternatives. The Examination path takes 80 hours of education from an approved course provider plus a pass in the National Home Inspector Examination. The Certification path takes evidence of ASHI certification with ACI membership; the office also still accepts NAHI certifications issued on or before 2 July 2020 because those included the proctored national examination, but an InterNACHI certificate issued after that date does not qualify for the Certification path, although its education component is approved, so the holder applies by the Examination path instead. Vermont requires no insurance, no bond and no financial statement from property inspectors, which is unusual among licensing states; carry errors and omissions cover if the work warrants it, but the state will not ask for it. The timeline shown reflects the office's normal processing of a complete endorsement application; the office does not publish a figure, so confirm it before relying on it.
At a glance
- Trade exam
- Waived
- Law / code exam
- Not required
- Out-of-state hours
- Count toward eligibility
What you must already have
- You must have held your Tennessee license for at least 3 years.The applicant must have been actively licensed or certified in good standing in another jurisdiction for three or more years immediately preceding the application, shown on a Verification of Licensure form covering continuous licensure across that period.
- Your Tennessee license must be active and in good standing.3 V.S.A. sec. 136a(a) requires a current, active license in good standing in another United States jurisdiction. The Director may waive the practice requirement on a showing that the waiver follows State policy and the public is adequately protected.
- You must have no disciplinary action or unresolved complaints on your record.Good standing across the whole three-year period is what the verification has to show, so a break or a disciplinary interruption defeats this route and pushes the applicant onto the examination or certification path.
What you'll do to get licensed in Vermont
- 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($275). Non-refundable initial licensing fee of $275, paid through the office's Online Services System when the application is filed. Renewal is $115 every two years, on 30 June of odd-numbered years; the office's 90 day initial licensing policy determines whether a license issued close to that date runs through the next full period..
- 2Other. A Verification of Licensure form providing verification of the most current state of licensure and showing proof of continuous licensure in good standing for the three years preceding the application. Online verifications are acceptable and may be uploaded by the applicant; where online verification is not available the other state must send it directly to the office..
- 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam (if applicable). Not required on this route. Applicants who cannot show three years of licensure elsewhere must instead pass the National Home Inspector Examination, which Vermont adopts by rule and PSI administers for the state, or qualify on the certification path with ASHI certification and ACI membership..
- 4Insurance. Carry the required insurance (if applicable). Vermont requires no insurance from property inspectors. Neither 26 V.S.A. chapter 19 nor the office's rules impose errors and omissions, general liability or bonding requirements, so any cover carried is a commercial decision rather than a licensing condition..
Published fees on this path total $275, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.
What you'll need to buy or arrange
Exam preparation
Most boards contract PSI, Prov, or ICC for exams. Check which code edition the exam is written to before buying a prep course.
- Trade exam · if applicable
Liability insurance
Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.
- Insurance · if applicable
How Vermont licenses home inspectors
Vermont home inspector · “Property Inspector”
Statewide license
Issued by Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, Secretary of State
Vermont licenses home inspectors, but calls them property inspectors, which is why the credential is easy to miss when searching. Chapter 19 of Title 26 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated has since 2014 provided that no one may practice, or offer to practice, property inspecting without a current license, and it defines the practice as performing or offering to perform for the public, for a fee or other compensation, services involving the physical inspection of real property structures and other improvements in order to evaluate the condition of the property, including any safety issues or material defects. The Office of Professional Regulation at the Secretary of State runs the program under the director model, advised by two property inspectors who each have at least five years in the trade; there is no board and there is only one grade of license. Building the license from scratch takes 80 hours of approved education covering heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical systems, structural components, foundations, roof coverings, exterior and interior components, and site aspects that affect the building, plus a nationally recognized proctored examination. Vermont requires no insurance and no bond, which sets it apart from most licensing states, and it charges $275 to obtain the license and $115 to renew it every two years on 30 June of odd-numbered years. The office's rules also set standards of practice that bind from the first job: a Vermont property inspection is a non-technical, limited, visual survey and basic performance evaluation using normal controls, the inspector must operate fixed and installed equipment in at least one mode at typical settings, and the written report, including any recommendation for further evaluation by a specialist, has to reach the client within five days unless the client agrees otherwise in writing. Do not confuse this license with Vermont's residential contractor registration, which has been in force since April 2023 and is a separate credential for people who build and repair rather than inspect.
Common questions
- Do I have to take the Vermont home inspector exam if I'm licensed in Tennessee?
- No. The trade exam is waived on this path.
- How long do I need to have held my Tennessee license?
- At least 3 years before applying.
- What does it cost to get a Vermont home inspector license from Tennessee?
- Published fees on this path total $275, not counting exam vendor fees or bonds.
- Do my Tennessee work hours count in Vermont?
- Yes. Documented out-of-state experience counts toward Vermont's eligibility requirements.
Sources
- National Home Inspector Examination - Exam Overview Packet · Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors · Other · verified September 17, 2026
- 26 V.S.A. chapter 19 - Property Inspectors · 26 V.S.A. secs. 1051-1095 · Vermont General Assembly · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
- 3 V.S.A. sec. 136a - Uniform process for endorsement from other states · 3 V.S.A. sec. 136a · Vermont General Assembly · Statute · verified September 17, 2026
- Vermont Office of Professional Regulation - Fast Track Endorsement · 3 V.S.A. sec. 136a · Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- Vermont OPR initial licensing and renewal fees, renewal dates and 90 day licensing policy · 3 V.S.A. sec. 125 · Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- Vermont Property Inspector Forms & Instructions · Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- Vermont Office of Professional Regulation - list of regulated professions · Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
- Vermont Property Inspector Application Instructions, February 2026 · Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation · Form · verified September 17, 2026
- Vermont Administrative Rules for Property Inspectors, effective 1 December 2015 · Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation · Admin Rule · verified September 17, 2026
Verified dates are when a person last opened each source and confirmed the facts above. Cite the board, not us.