LicensebyState

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

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

New Jersey home inspector · “Home Inspector”

Statewide license

Verified September 17, 2026· 3 sources

Issued by Home Inspection Advisory Committee, State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors (NJ Division of Consumer Affairs)

New Jersey licenses home inspectors statewide under the Home Inspection Professional Licensing Act. The Home Inspection Advisory Committee, which sits under the State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors in the Division of Consumer Affairs, issues the license, and no one may perform a home inspection for compensation or call themselves a home inspector without it. There is one tier today. New Jersey did once issue a subordinate Associate Home Inspector license, but the Legislature abolished it in 2005: the statute that created it was repealed, the last associate licenses were converted to full ones during a 180-day window that closed in 2006, and the two rule sections that carried it are now marked reserved. Supervised work survived as a way in rather than as a license of its own, so a candidate qualifies either through a 180-hour approved course that includes 40 hours of unpaid field inspections alongside a licensee, or by completing 250 fee-paid inspections under a licensee's direct supervision; the rules call that person a trainee and exempt them from licensure only while they are working in the supervising inspector's presence. Every licensee carries errors and omissions insurance of $500,000 per occurrence filed with the Committee, and the license renews every two years on 40 continuing education units.

Every origin state

Endorsement 36No credit 14
Every state's path into New Jersey
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
DelawareEndorsement2026-09-17
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
MarylandEndorsement2026-09-17
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 MexicoEndorsement2026-09-17
New YorkEndorsement2026-09-17
North CarolinaEndorsement2026-09-17
North DakotaEndorsement2026-09-17
OhioEndorsement2026-09-17
OklahomaEndorsement2026-09-17
OregonEndorsement2026-09-17
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
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 New Jersey from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 7 sources

Home inspector license by education or supervised experience and examination

New Jersey issues one home inspector license, through the Home Inspection Advisory Committee of the State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors, and there is no apprentice or associate license to hold first. To qualify from scratch you must be of good moral character, have finished high school or its equivalent, and either complete an approved 180-hour course of study that includes at least 40 hours of unpaid field inspections under a licensed home inspector, or perform at least 250 fee-paid home inspections under the direct supervision of an experienced New Jersey licensee. You must also pass the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE), which is New Jersey's only examination; there is no separate state law or rules exam. The application fee is $125, the initial license fee is $500, and you file proof of errors and omissions insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence.

The NHIE is required by name in N.J.A.C. 13:40-15.6(a)7. You register and pay for it with the testing company, not the Committee. 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 may retake it after a 30-day wait, paying the fee again each time. While you train, you may perform home inspections without a license only in the presence of and under the direct supervision of a licensee; the rules call you a trainee, which is an exemption from licensure and not a license of its own. A veteran who was honorably discharged may ask the Committee to credit military training, education and experience toward the course or inspection requirement under N.J.A.C. 13:40-15.7, using a VMET (DD Form 2586) or a Joint Services Transcript, but must still pass the NHIE. A New Jersey licensed professional engineer or architect whom the Committee deems qualified by training, education and experience may be licensed without the examination under N.J.S.A. 45:8-71(b), on a separate application for professional engineers. Neither the Act nor the rules require fingerprints, a criminal background check or a minimum age, although the Committee can deny a license obtained through fraud, deception or misrepresentation. The Committee does not publish a processing time; questions go to the Committee office at 124 Halsey Street, Newark, (973) 504-6233.

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
40 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • Good moral character, required by N.J.S.A. 45:8-68(a) and N.J.A.C. 13:40-15.6(a)1.
  • Completion of high school or its equivalent.

Other ways to qualify

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

250 fee-paid home inspections under a licensed home inspector

Instead of the 180-hour course, you may qualify by performing at least 250 home inspections for which the client was charged a fee, each in the presence of and under the direct supervision of a New Jersey licensed home inspector. The supervising inspector must hold a current, active license, have performed at least 500 home inspections and have at least three years of experience, and takes full responsibility for each inspection and any report. You list the 250 inspections on the Committee's Home Inspection Experience form, giving the date, client, address and supervising inspector's name and license number for each, and the supervisor signs a Certification of Providing Direct On-Site Supervision. The Committee randomly audits these applications and may ask for copies of the inspection reports. The NHIE, the fees and the insurance still apply.

  • At least 250 fee-paid home inspections performed in the presence of and under the direct supervision of a New Jersey licensed home inspector with a current, active license, at least 500 inspections performed and at least three years of experience.N.J.S.A. 45:8-68(c)(2) and N.J.A.C. 13:40-15.6(a)4 and (a)5. The supervising inspector must monitor your progress and make sure your training reports meet the Committee's requirements.
  • Good moral character, required by N.J.S.A. 45:8-68(a) and N.J.A.C. 13:40-15.6(a)1.
  • Completion of high school or its equivalent.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Pre-license course. Complete the required pre-license course. An approved course of study of 180 hours, prescribed by the State Board of Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors after consultation with the New Jersey Department of Education. It must include at least 40 hours of unpaid field-based inspections in the presence of and under the direct supervision of a licensed home inspector, arranged by the school giving the course, and the supervising inspector signs the Committee's Certification of Providing Direct On-Site Supervision for those field inspections. Course fees are set by the school. You do not need the course if you qualify through 250 supervised fee-paid inspections instead..
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. The National Home Inspector Examination, administered by the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors through PSI and required by N.J.A.C. 13:40-15.6(a)7. New Jersey adds no state-specific questions and has no separate law or rules examination..
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($225). Paid to the testing company when you register, for each attempt, and not refundable. The examination board's candidate packet lists $225 per test in most states and asks candidates to confirm the price when registering; the Committee does not publish the fee..
  4. 4Application fee. Pay the application fee ($125). Home inspector application fee under N.J.A.C. 13:40-15.22(a)1, paid with the application..
  5. 5License fee. Pay the license or certificate fee ($500). Initial home inspector license fee under N.J.A.C. 13:40-15.22(a)2. It is $250 instead when the license is issued during the second year of a two-year renewal period..
  6. 6Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($500,000). Errors and omissions insurance of at least $500,000 per occurrence, required by N.J.S.A. 45:8-76 and N.J.A.C. 13:40-15.6(a)6 and 13:40-15.8. Proof of the policy is filed with the Committee and must provide that cancellation or nonrenewal takes effect only after the Committee has had at least 10 days' written notice; the Committee publishes a sample certificate naming it as certificate holder. New Jersey does not require general liability insurance or a surety bond..

Published fees on this path total $850, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 2 years with 40 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $500 renewal fee.

40 continuing education units in each two-year period, one unit per hour. Four units on report writing and four on ethics and the rules governing home inspection in New Jersey must be taken in person through a Committee-approved program. Up to 32 units may come from approved correspondence, internet or other distance courses. Someone first licensed in the second year of a period owes 20 units, including the same eight, and someone licensed within 90 days of the next renewal owes none for that period. Up to 10 extra units earned in the last six months of a period carry into the next.

Licenses renew every two years from the last expiration date, and the Committee sends a renewal notice at least 60 days before expiration. You may renew within 30 days after expiration by adding a $50 late fee; after that the license is suspended without a hearing and reinstatement costs $125. You may also renew on inactive status, which does not allow you to inspect in New Jersey.

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 · $500,000

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. National Home Inspector Examination - Exam Overview Packet · Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors · Other · verified September 23, 2026
  2. Home Inspection Advisory Committee - New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · Agency Page · verified September 17, 2026
  3. Home Inspection Experience (log of 250 supervised inspections) · New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Home Inspection Advisory Committee · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  4. Sample Certificate of Professional Liability or Errors and Omissions Insurance · New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Home Inspection Advisory Committee · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  5. Certification of Providing Direct On-Site Supervision for a Home Inspector Applicant · New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs, Home Inspection Advisory Committee · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  6. Home Inspection Professional Licensing Act, N.J.S.A. 45:8-61 et seq. · N.J.S.A. 45:8-61, -62, -63, -66, -67, -68, -70, -71, -72, -72.1, -73, -74, -75, -76, -76.1, -77, -78, -79, -80, -81 · New Jersey Division of Consumer Affairs · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  7. N.J.A.C. 13:40-15, Home Inspection Advisory Committee rules · N.J.A.C. 13:40-15.1, -15.2, -15.4, -15.5, -15.6, -15.7, -15.8, -15.9, -15.10, -15.14, -15.20, -15.22 · New Jersey Office of Administrative Law (text via Cornell LII) · Admin Rule · verified October 12, 2026

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