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

1. 1Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. Proof that you passed a home inspection examination offered by the American Society of Home Inspectors, the International Association of Certified Home Inspectors, the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors (the National Home Inspector Examination) or the International Code Council. A copy of the proof of satisfactory completion goes in with the application. North Dakota does not administer an examination, adopts no passing score of its own and has no state law and rules portion. Page 2 of the registration form still prints an older list of five organizations that includes the National Association of Home Inspectors; the statute and the Secretary of State's web page name the four above, so check with the office before relying on an examination from a body not on that list..
2. 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($225). Per attempt for the National Home Inspector Examination, paid to PSI, the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors' test administrator, when you register for the exam; the Board lists $225 per test in most states and asks candidates to confirm the fee when they call. Examination fees are nonrefundable. If you take one of the other three accepted examinations instead, that organization sets the fee. North Dakota charges no examination fee of its own..
3. 3Application fee. Pay the application fee ($200). Registration fee set by N.D.C.C. 43-54-03(4), filed with form SFN 54381 and payable by check or by Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express on the Secretary of State's credit card authorization form SFN 51478. There is no separate license or issuance fee..
4. 4Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($100,000). Errors and omissions insurance of $100,000 or more covering all home inspection activities, in effect for the whole registration period, with a copy of the certificate of liability insurance showing that coverage filed with the application. North Dakota requires no general liability minimum and no surety bond for home inspectors..
5. 5Other. Form SFN 54381, the Home Inspector Registration, completed, signed and mailed or faxed with the examination proof, insurance certificate and fee to the North Dakota Office of the Secretary of State, 600 East Boulevard Avenue, Dept 108, Bismarck ND 58505-0500 (fax (701) 328-1690). You may not perform a home inspection for compensation until you are registered; doing so is a class B misdemeanor..

Published fees on this path total $425, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.