LicensebyState

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

Maryland has reciprocity agreements with 28 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: no credit.

Maryland home inspector · “Home Inspector”

Statewide license

Verified September 17, 2026· 7 sources

Issued by Maryland Commission of Real Estate Appraisers, Appraisal Management Companies and Home Inspectors (Maryland Department of Labor)

Maryland licenses home inspectors statewide through the Maryland Commission of Real Estate Appraisers, Appraisal Management Companies and Home Inspectors, which sits in the Department of Labor's Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing and works under Title 16 of the Business Occupations and Professions Article and COMAR 09.36. There is one license and no junior tier: an applicant needs a high school diploma or its equivalent, 72 hours of an on-site classroom training course approved by the Commission and by a national home inspection organization, and a passing score on the National Home Inspector Examination, which PSI delivers in Baltimore, College Park, Hagerstown and Salisbury. Maryland sets no experience requirement and no supervised-inspection count, so an inbound inspector's years of practice are not what the file turns on. Before the license is issued the applicant must show general liability insurance of at least $150,000 with their own name on the certificate, and that cover has to be in place again at every renewal; there is no surety bond and no errors and omissions requirement. The Commission publishes a list of 28 states whose licensees may apply by reciprocity, which replaces the 72-hour course and the diploma evidence but not the examination, and it tells an applicant from any other state to file the original application instead. The Maryland Home Improvement Commission license that contractors hold is a separate credential under separate law and does not authorize home inspections.

States Maryland reciprocates with

Every origin state

Reciprocity 28No credit 22
Every state's path into Maryland
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaNo credit2026-09-17
AlaskaNo credit2026-09-17
ArizonaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
ArkansasReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
CaliforniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
ColoradoNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
ConnecticutReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
DelawareReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
District of ColumbiaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
FloridaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
GeorgiaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
HawaiiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
IdahoNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
IllinoisReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
IndianaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
IowaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
KentuckyReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
LouisianaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
MaineNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
MassachusettsReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
MichiganNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
MinnesotaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
MississippiReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
MissouriNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
MontanaNo credit2026-09-17
NebraskaNo credit2026-09-17
NevadaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
New HampshireReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
New JerseyReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
New MexicoNo credit2026-09-17
New YorkReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
North CarolinaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
North DakotaNo credit2026-09-17
OhioNo credit2026-09-17
OklahomaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
OregonReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
PennsylvaniaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
Rhode IslandReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
South CarolinaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
South DakotaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
TennesseeReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
TexasReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
UtahNo credit2026-09-17
VermontReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
VirginiaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
WashingtonReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
West VirginiaReciprocityexplicit agreement2026-09-17
WisconsinNo credit2026-09-17
WyomingNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17

Getting licensed in Maryland from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 13 sources

Home Inspector by original application

Maryland has one home inspector license and no trainee or associate tier, so someone starting from scratch applies for the license directly. The applicant needs a high school diploma or its equivalent, certificates showing completion of a 72-hour on-site classroom home inspector training course approved by the Commission, and a passing score on the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE), which PSI administers. Maryland sets no experience requirement, no count of supervised or ride-along inspections, and no state law and rules exam. The original application carries a $50 non-refundable review fee. Once it is approved, the applicant pays a $325 license fee and files proof of at least $150,000 of general liability insurance in the applicant's own name, and the license is issued for two years.

The NHIE is a four-hour computer-based exam given at PSI test centers, including Baltimore, College Park, Hagerstown and Salisbury; schedule it with PSI at 1-800-733-9267. Scores are scaled from 200 to 800, and 500 passes. Notes, books and calculators are not allowed. A candidate who fails may retake it after 30 days and pays the fee again each time. Since July 31, 2021, all 72 hours of the qualifying course must be completed on-site rather than online. The Commission's online application is the fastest way to apply; a paper application is available from the Commission at 410-230-6363. Supporting documents must reach the Commission within 180 days of the application, or the application is denied and the $50 fee is lost. A felony or misdemeanor conviction does not automatically disqualify an applicant: the Commission weighs each conviction case by case and asks for true test copies of the court proceedings with the application. Maryland does not require fingerprints or a surety bond from home inspectors. The Commission does not publish a processing time.

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

Who can apply

  • High school diploma or its equivalent, shown by a diploma, GED, high school transcripts, or a college diploma or transcripts.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Pre-license course. Complete the required pre-license course. 72 hours of an on-site classroom home inspector training course approved by the Commission and by a national home inspection organization, shown by photocopies of the course completion certificates filed with the application. None of the 72 hours may be taken online. The Commission publishes its list of approved providers, which includes several Maryland community colleges; tuition is set by each provider..
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. National Home Inspector Examination, administered by PSI for the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors. The applicant files the score report showing a pass with the application. Maryland adds no state-specific portion and has no separate law and rules exam..
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($225). Paid to PSI when registering, per attempt. The Commission does not publish the amount; the exam board's candidate packet lists $225 per test in most states and asks candidates to confirm the price when they register..
  4. 4Application fee. Pay the application fee ($50). Non-refundable application review fee, paid with the original application..
  5. 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($325). License fee, paid after the Commission approves the application. It covers a two-year license term..
  6. 6Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($150,000). General liability insurance of at least $150,000. Proof must be filed before the license is issued, the applicant's own name must appear on the certificate of insurance (a company name may appear as well), and the cover must be kept in force while licensed. The Commission must get at least 10 days' notice before the policy is canceled. No errors and omissions policy or bond is required..

Published fees on this path total $600, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 2 years with 30 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $325 renewal fee.

30 hours of Commission-approved continuing professional competency education for each two-year term, starting with the second renewal; none is required at the first renewal. Hours must be earned in the 24 months before renewal and cannot be carried forward, no more than 8 hours may come from one subject area, and up to 30 percent may be taken outside a classroom. COMAR 09.36.08.02 also requires 2 hours on home inspection report writing and 2 hours on the standards of practice within the 30; the Commission says that part is delayed until January 1, 2027.

The license must be renewed by the second anniversary of issue and every two years after that, with proof of at least $150,000 of general liability insurance. The Commission emails the renewal application about 60 days before the license expires. An expired license can be reinstated within five years by paying the $325 renewal fee plus a $50 reinstatement fee and showing 30 hours of continuing education; after five years it cannot be reinstated.

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 · $150,000

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. Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 16-3A-03 - Qualifications of a home inspector applicant · Md. Code Ann., Bus. Occ. & Prof. Sec. 16-3A-03 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  2. Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 16-3A-07 - Renewal of a home inspector license · Md. Code Ann., Bus. Occ. & Prof. Sec. 16-3A-07 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  3. Md. Code, Business Occupations and Professions Article, Section 16-4A-04 - Home inspector insurance requirement · Md. Code Ann., Bus. Occ. & Prof. Sec. 16-4A-04 · Maryland General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  4. COMAR 09.36.03.01 - Home inspector license fees · COMAR 09.36.03.01 · Maryland Division of State Documents · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  5. COMAR 09.36.08.02 - Home inspector continuing professional competency: basic requirement · COMAR 09.36.08.02 · Maryland Division of State Documents · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  6. Apply for an Original Home Inspector License - Maryland Commission of Real Estate Appraisers, Appraisal Management Companies and Home Inspectors · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  7. Commission-Approved Home Inspector Education - List of Approved Pre-Licensing (72-hour) Home Inspector Education Providers · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  8. Taking the Exam - Maryland Commission of Real Estate Appraisers, Appraisal Management Companies and Home Inspectors · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  9. Home Inspectors Licensing Frequently Asked Questions - Maryland Commission of Real Estate Appraisers, Appraisal Management Companies and Home Inspectors · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Faq · verified September 23, 2026
  10. Home Inspector Application - original and reciprocal online application, Maryland Department of Labor · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  11. Renew or Reinstate a Home Inspector License - Maryland Commission of Real Estate Appraisers, Appraisal Management Companies and Home Inspectors · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  12. License Requirements - Maryland Commission of Real Estate Appraisers, Appraisal Management Companies and Home Inspectors · Maryland Department of Labor, Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing · Agency Page · 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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