LicensebyState

Moving to Delaware as a home inspector: every state's rule

Delaware has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: endorsement.

Delaware home inspector · “Home Inspector (the junior tier is the Home Inspector Trainee registration)”

Statewide license

Verified September 17, 2026· 12 sources

Issued by Delaware Board of Home Inspectors (Division of Professional Regulation)

Delaware licenses home inspectors statewide. The Board of Home Inspectors sits in the Division of Professional Regulation under chapter 41 of title 24 of the Delaware Code, and nobody may inspect, advertise or hold themselves out as a home inspector in the state without its license. This is a professional license and should not be confused with Delaware's contractor position, which is a Division of Revenue business tax registration rather than a Division of Professional Regulation credential. The board licenses through four published routes: endorsement for an inspector already licensed elsewhere, experience for an inspector based in a state that licenses nobody, examination for a newcomer, and the Home Inspector Trainee registration that the examination route is built on. The trainee tier is a training registration rather than a second destination: a trainee practices only under the direct, personal supervision of a Delaware-licensed inspector, who reviews and signs every report and takes total responsibility for it, and a trainee may not be charged a fee or made to sign a non-compete by that supervisor. The full Home Inspector license is what an experienced inspector moving to Delaware applies for. Delaware designates the National Home Inspector Examination as its written examination, and it writes no law and rules paper of its own. Insurance is a real condition of licensure here rather than an afterthought: the applicant or the applicant's employer must carry at least $50,000 of errors and omissions cover and at least $250,000 of liability cover, certified directly by the carrier. Licenses expire on August 31 of odd-numbered years and renew on 40 hours of approved continuing education. Applications and renewals run through the DELPROS online system, and the board reviews a completed file at its next meeting, held on the second Tuesday of January, March, May, July, September and November.

Every origin state

Endorsement 36Experience credit 1No credit 13
Every state's path into Delaware
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaEndorsement2026-09-17
AlaskaEndorsement2026-09-17
ArizonaEndorsement2026-09-17
ArkansasEndorsement2026-09-17
CaliforniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
ColoradoNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
ConnecticutEndorsement2026-09-17
District of ColumbiaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
FloridaEndorsement2026-09-17
GeorgiaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
HawaiiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
IdahoNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
IllinoisEndorsement2026-09-17
IndianaEndorsement2026-09-17
IowaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
KentuckyEndorsement2026-09-17
LouisianaEndorsement2026-09-17
MaineNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
MarylandEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-17
MassachusettsEndorsement2026-09-17
MichiganNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
MinnesotaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
MississippiEndorsement2026-09-17
MissouriNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
MontanaEndorsement2026-09-17
NebraskaEndorsement2026-09-17
NevadaEndorsement2026-09-17
New HampshireEndorsement2026-09-17
New JerseyEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-17
New MexicoEndorsement2026-09-17
New YorkEndorsement2026-09-17
North CarolinaEndorsement2026-09-17
North DakotaEndorsement2026-09-17
OhioEndorsement2026-09-17
OklahomaEndorsement2026-09-17
OregonEndorsement2026-09-17
PennsylvaniaExperience creditexplicit agreement2026-09-17
Rhode IslandEndorsement2026-09-17
South CarolinaEndorsement2026-09-17
South DakotaEndorsement2026-09-17
TennesseeEndorsement2026-09-17
TexasEndorsement2026-09-17
UtahEndorsement2026-09-17
VermontEndorsement2026-09-17
VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-17
WashingtonEndorsement2026-09-17
West VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-17
WisconsinEndorsement2026-09-17
WyomingNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17

Getting licensed in Delaware from scratch

No license yet, or nothing that transfers? This is how Delaware issues a home inspector license to a first-time applicant.

Verified September 23, 2026· 11 sources

Home Inspector by examination (after Home Inspector Trainee registration)

Someone with no home inspector license anywhere starts in Delaware by registering as a Home Inspector Trainee, which needs a signed verification of supervision from a Delaware-licensed home inspector. The trainee then completes at least 75 home inspections with the supervisor on site; inspections done before the registration is issued do not count. Before applying for the Home Inspector license, the applicant must also finish at least 140 hours of approved classroom or online training and pass the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE). Delaware has no separate state law and rules exam. The license application goes through the DELPROS online system with proof of a high school diploma or GED, the training certificates, the experience log, the exam score sent by the testing service, and an insurance certificate showing at least $50,000 of errors and omissions coverage and at least $250,000 of liability coverage.

The NHIE must be passed before the license application is filed. It is a four-hour computer-based exam given at PSI test centers; scores are scaled from 200 to 800 and 500 passes. A candidate who fails may retake it after 30 days and pays the fee again each time. The 140-hour course must cover heating, cooling, electrical and plumbing systems, structural components, foundations, roof coverings, exterior, interior, insulation and ventilation, manufactured housing, inspection documents and contracts, Delaware licensure law and report writing. A supervisor must hold a Delaware license in good standing and may supervise no more than two trainees on any one inspection. A trainee may help write and co-sign reports (showing the trainee registration number), but the supervisor reviews and signs every report and takes full responsibility for it. A trainee must carry the registration card while inspecting and keep the experience log available for the board. A supervisor may not charge the trainee a fee or require a non-compete agreement. Each supervisor sends a separate supervision verification form directly to the board office. The trainee registration is not open to someone who currently holds a home inspector license in another jurisdiction; that person applies by endorsement. The board reviews a complete application at its next meeting, held on the second Tuesday of January, March, May, July, September and November. An application started in DELPROS must be submitted within six months. The board does not publish a processing time. Questions go to the Division of Professional Regulation at (302) 744-4500.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
PSI (for the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors)
Renewal
Every 2 years
Continuing education
40 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • Hold a Registration as a Delaware Home Inspector Trainee, sponsored by a supervising Delaware-licensed home inspector. first.No minimum time as a trainee is set. The registration must be issued before any supervised inspection counts toward the license.
  • At least 75 home inspections completed as a registered trainee with a licensed home inspector on site, recorded on the board's Experience Log and certified by the supervising inspector.The board may ask for sample inspection reports to verify the experience.
  • High school diploma or equivalent, shown by a diploma, certified transcript or GED.
  • No conviction of a crime substantially related to home inspection, no drug or alcohol impairment that would affect safe practice, no administrative penalties as a home inspector, and no disciplinary proceedings or unresolved complaints pending in any jurisdiction.The board lists the crimes it treats as substantially related in section 20.0 of its rules. It may grant a waiver for a conviction after a hearing or document review if licensing would not create an unreasonable risk to public safety.

Other ways to qualify

Each of these replaces the requirements above. You only need one.

Licensure by experience: five years of home inspection experience

For an applicant who lives in a state or territory that does not license home inspectors, such as Pennsylvania, and has at least five years of experience performing home inspections. Experience is shown with notarized employer verification forms or W-2s for employed periods, and tax documents, a business license and an inspection log for self-employed periods. No trainee registration is needed, but the 140 hours of training, the NHIE, the education requirement and the insurance still apply.

  • Lives in a state, territory or the District of Columbia that does not license home inspectors.
  • You must document at least 5 years of qualifying work experience.
  • High school diploma or equivalent, shown by a diploma, certified transcript or GED.
  • No conviction of a crime substantially related to home inspection, no disqualifying impairment, no administrative penalties as a home inspector, and no pending disciplinary proceedings or unresolved complaints in any jurisdiction.

Licensure by experience: 75 inspections plus certified membership

Also for a resident of a state or territory that does not license home inspectors: a log of at least 75 home inspections plus certified membership in the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), the National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI) or the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors (InterNACHI). The 140 hours of training, the NHIE, the education requirement and the insurance still apply.

  • Lives in a state, territory or the District of Columbia that does not license home inspectors.
  • A log of at least 75 home inspections and certified membership in ASHI, NAHI or InterNACHI.The board may ask for sample inspection reports to verify the experience.
  • High school diploma or equivalent, shown by a diploma, certified transcript or GED.
  • No conviction of a crime substantially related to home inspection, no disqualifying impairment, no administrative penalties as a home inspector, and no pending disciplinary proceedings or unresolved complaints in any jurisdiction.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Application fee. Pay the application fee ($186). Home Inspector Trainee registration application fee, paid in DELPROS. Fees are nonrefundable. Applicants who qualify by experience skip this step..
  2. 2Pre-license course. Complete the required pre-license course. At least 140 hours of classroom or online home inspection training approved by the board, ASHI or InterNACHI, covering the topics listed in section 5.2 of the board's rules, including Delaware licensure law and report writing. Copies of the training certificates are filed with the license application. The board publishes a list of approved education providers; course fees are set by the provider..
  3. 3Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. National Home Inspector Examination, given by PSI for the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors: four hours, scaled score of 500 (on a 200 to 800 scale) to pass. The passing score must be sent to the board office directly by the testing service..
  4. 4Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($225). Paid to the exam provider when registering, per attempt, and nonrefundable. The exam board's candidate packet lists $225 per test in most states and asks candidates to confirm the price when they register. The Division does not publish the fee..
  5. 5Application fee. Pay the application fee ($333). Home Inspector license application fee, paid in DELPROS. Fees are nonrefundable, and the Division resets them each two-year licensing period, so check the fee schedule before paying..
  6. 6Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($50,000). Errors and omissions insurance of at least $50,000, held by the applicant or the applicant's employer and kept in force while licensed. The certificate must be sent directly to the board office by the insurance carrier..
  7. 7Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($250,000). Liability insurance of at least $250,000, held by the applicant or the applicant's employer, shown on the same carrier-issued certificate. No bond is required..

Published fees on this path total $744, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 2 years with 40 hours of continuing education per cycle.

40 hours of continuing education approved by the board, ASHI, NAHI or InterNACHI in each two-year period ending August 31 of odd-numbered years. At the first renewal, no hours are due from someone licensed less than a year, and 20 hours from someone licensed one to two years. The same course may not be taken more than twice in a period. Licensees attest to their hours at renewal and must show proof if audited.

Licenses expire on August 31 of odd-numbered years and are renewed in DELPROS. The Division does not publish the renewal fee in advance; the amount is given at renewal time. A late renewal costs an extra 50 percent of the renewal fee, and a license lapsed more than six months requires a new application.

Pre-license education

Where a board mandates a course before the exam, it publishes a list of approved schools. Confirm a provider is on that list before enrolling.

  • Pre-license course

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

Liability insurance

Some states require proof of general liability or workers' compensation coverage at licensing time.

  • Insurance · $50,000
  • Insurance · $250,000

Continuing education

Renewals usually need approved CE hours, often on the latest NEC. Reciprocal licensees are rarely exempt.

  • Continuing education

Sources for this section

  1. 24 Del. Admin. Code 4100 - Delaware Board of Home Inspectors Rules and Regulations · 24 Del. Admin. Code 4100 · Delaware Registrar of Regulations · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  2. 24 Del. C. sec. 4108 - Qualifications of applicant · 24 Del. C. sec. 4108 · Delaware Code Online, Delaware General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  3. 24 Del. C. sec. 4109 - Home inspector trainee; requirements of supervision · 24 Del. C. sec. 4109 · Delaware Code Online, Delaware General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  4. Delaware DPR - Board of Electrical Examiners continuing education and audit information · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  5. Delaware DPR - Home Inspector Licensure by Examination · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  6. Delaware DPR - Home Inspector Licensure by Experience · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  7. Delaware DPR - Board of Electrical Examiners fee schedule · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  8. Delaware Board of Home Inspectors · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  9. Delaware DPR - Board of Electrical Examiners license renewal · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  10. Delaware DPR - Home Inspector Trainee · Delaware Division of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  11. National Home Inspector Examination - Exam Overview Packet · Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors · Other · verified September 23, 2026

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