LicensebyState

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

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

Florida home inspector · “Home Inspector”

Statewide license

Verified September 23, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR)

Florida licenses home inspectors statewide under chapter 468, part XV of the Florida Statutes. There is no home inspector board: the Department of Business and Professional Regulation licenses directly and its Bureau of Central Intake and Licensure processes the applications. The license is personal and there is one tier, so a Florida home inspector either holds the license or does not; the only variation is whether it is on active or inactive status. A licensed home inspector must maintain a commercial general liability insurance policy of at least $300,000, and that is the only insurance the law requires. Florida writes no examination of its own and no law or rules paper; it approves examinations set by nationally recognized bodies and requires a 120-hour approved course from anyone qualifying by examination. The one-off grandfathering route for code-certified inspectors and Division I contractors closed to applications postmarked after July 1, 2012 and is no longer available.

Every origin state

Endorsement 37No credit 13
Every state's path into Florida
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
AlaskaEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
ArizonaEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
ArkansasEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
CaliforniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
ColoradoNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
ConnecticutEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
DelawareEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
District of ColumbiaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
GeorgiaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
HawaiiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
IdahoNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
IllinoisEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
IndianaEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
IowaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
KentuckyEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
LouisianaEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
MaineNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MarylandEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
MassachusettsEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
MichiganNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MinnesotaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MississippiEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
MissouriNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MontanaEndorsement2026-09-23
NebraskaEndorsement2026-09-23
NevadaEndorsement2026-09-23
New HampshireEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
New JerseyEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
New MexicoEndorsement2026-09-23
New YorkEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
North CarolinaEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
North DakotaEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
OhioEndorsement2026-09-23
OklahomaEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
OregonEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
Rhode IslandEndorsement2026-09-23
South CarolinaEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
South DakotaEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
TennesseeEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
TexasEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
UtahEndorsement2026-09-23
VermontEndorsement2026-09-23
VirginiaEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
WashingtonEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
West VirginiaEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
WisconsinEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23
WyomingEndorsementexplicit agreement2026-09-23

Getting licensed in Florida from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 13 sources

Home inspector license by examination

Florida licenses home inspectors through the Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR), and there is one license with no apprentice or associate tier. To qualify from scratch you complete a department-approved pre-licensure course of at least 120 hours and pass one of four department-approved examinations, then apply on Form DBPR HI 0401. Florida writes no examination of its own and has no state law or rules paper. With the application you pay $230 in state fees, submit electronic fingerprints for a state and FBI background check, and attest that you carry $300,000 of commercial general liability insurance if you want an active license. There is no experience, supervised-inspection, education or minimum-age requirement in the statute or rule.

The four approved examinations are the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE), the Florida Association of Building Inspectors (FABI) examination, the InterNACHI Florida Home Inspector Licensing Examination, and the Association of Construction Industry's Certified Home & Property Inspector Examination (CI-HPI). Any of them qualifies, and each must be proctored and cover the structure, electrical system, HVAC system, roof covering, plumbing system, interior components, exterior components and site conditions that affect the structure. The NHIE in Florida is delivered by Pearson VUE under the name "FL - EBPHI"; it allows four hours, does not permit notes, books or calculators, and is reported as a scaled score from 200 to 800 with 500 needed to pass. You finish the course and pass the examination before applying, and you register and pay for the examination with its provider, not DBPR. Fingerprints are taken through a Livescan provider registered with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement right after you submit the application. You may ask for the license on inactive status, which does not require the insurance but still requires continuing education to renew. The department has up to 90 days to approve or deny a complete application and reports an average turnaround of three to four weeks once all documents are in. Questions go to the DBPR Customer Contact Center at 850.487.1395.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Renewal
Every 2 years
Continuing education
14 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • Good moral character: a personal history of honesty, fairness and respect for the rights of others and for the law. The department may refuse a license on this ground only where the lack of good moral character is substantially connected to a home inspector's responsibilities and is shown by clear and convincing evidence.Rule 61-30.102(4), F.A.C. lists what counts against an applicant, including crimes directly related to home inspection such as fraud, theft, burglary, forgery and assault, a pattern of unlawful behavior, and adverse civil judgments or licensing actions involving fraud, dishonesty or unlicensed practice. Applicants may submit mitigating evidence such as proof of rehabilitation and character references, and an incomplete or false answer on the application is itself grounds for denial.
  • Florida sets no minimum experience, supervised or ride-along inspections, apprenticeship, formal education or minimum age for the home inspector license. The 120-hour course and a passed examination are the eligibility requirements.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Pre-license course. Complete the required pre-license course. A department-approved course of study in home inspection services of at least 120 hours covering the structure, electrical system, HVAC system, roof covering, plumbing system, interior components, exterior components and site conditions that affect the structure. Attach the certificate of completion to the application. DBPR publishes the list of approved pre-licensure courses on its home inspector page; course fees are set by the provider, and an approved course only has to be taken once..
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Pass one of the four department-approved home inspector examinations: the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE), the FABI examination, the InterNACHI Florida Home Inspector Licensing Examination, or the CI-HPI examination. Submit proof of passing with the application. Passing once is enough; the examination does not have to be retaken to renew..
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($225). Set by the examination provider and paid directly to it under Rule 61-30.103(4), F.A.C.; DBPR does not collect or publish it. The NHIE publisher lists the NHIE at $225 per attempt in most states and asks candidates to confirm the price when registering. Examination fees are not refundable..
  4. 4Application fee. Pay the application fee ($125). Application fee, paid to DBPR with Form DBPR HI 0401. It is not refundable if the application is denied..
  5. 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($100). Initial licensure fee, paid with the application. It is refunded on written request if the application is denied..
  6. 6Other. Unlicensed Activity fee, paid with the application; with the application and licensure fees the total is $230. Eligible military veterans, their spouses and Florida National Guard members may qualify for a fee waiver. ($5).
  7. 7Background check. Complete a background check. A complete set of electronic fingerprints, taken by a Livescan service provider registered with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement immediately after you submit the application. FDLE runs the state check and forwards the prints to the FBI; results can take up to five days to reach DBPR. You pay the provider's processing fee, which DBPR does not publish..
  8. 8Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($300,000). Commercial general liability insurance of at least $300,000, required by s. 468.8322, F.S. The application asks you to attest to the cover rather than file a certificate, and the policy may be held by your company if you are named on it. Florida does not require errors and omissions insurance or a bond. An applicant who asks for an inactive license is not asked for the insurance..

Published fees on this path total $450, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 2 years with 14 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $105 renewal fee.

At least 14 hours in the two years before each renewal: 12 hours of department-approved courses on home inspection services or the components of a home, and at least 2 hours of hurricane wind mitigation training that covers the Uniform Mitigation Verification Inspection Form. The requirement applies to active and inactive licensees.

Every license expires on July 31 of each even-numbered year. The $105.00 active renewal fee is $100.00 for renewal plus the $5.00 Unlicensed Activity fee, and a late renewal adds a $25.00 delinquent fee. DBPR emails a renewal notice 90 to 120 days before expiration.

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 · $300,000

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. Home Inspector - Initial Active License by Examination (HI 0401) - DBPR application checklist · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  2. Home Inspector Examinations - Florida DBPR · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  3. Home Inspectors - FAQs - Florida DBPR · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Faq · verified September 23, 2026
  4. Form DBPR HI 0401, Application for Licensure - Home Inspectors · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  5. Home Inspectors - Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  6. Rule 61-30.102, F.A.C. - License Requirements (Home Inspectors) · Rule 61-30.102, F.A.C. · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  7. Rule 61-30.103, F.A.C. - Examination (Home Inspectors) · Rule 61-30.103, F.A.C. · Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  8. s. 468.8312, Florida Statutes - Fees (home inspection services) · s. 468.8312, F.S. · The Florida Senate · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  9. s. 468.8313, Florida Statutes - Examinations (home inspection services) · s. 468.8313, F.S. · The Florida Senate · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  10. s. 468.8314, Florida Statutes - Licensure (home inspection services) · s. 468.8314, F.S. · The Florida Senate · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  11. s. 468.8316, Florida Statutes - Continuing education (home inspection services) · s. 468.8316, F.S. · The Florida Senate · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  12. s. 468.8322, Florida Statutes - Insurance (home inspection services) · s. 468.8322, F.S. · The Florida Senate · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  13. National Home Inspector Examination - Exam Overview Packet · Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors · Other · verified September 23, 2026

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