LicensebyState

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

Oregon has reciprocity agreements with 0 states. Everyone else follows its standard out-of-state path: experience credit.

Oregon home inspector · “Oregon Certified Home Inspector (OCHI)”

Statewide license

Verified September 17, 2026· 6 sources

Issued by Oregon Construction Contractors Board (CCB)

Oregon certifies home inspectors statewide through the Construction Contractors Board, the same agency that licenses contractors, and the credential is called the Oregon Certified Home Inspector or OCHI. Anyone who advertises, bids or performs a residential inspection covering two or more of the listed systems must hold it. The certification comes in two halves and both are needed before you can work. The first is personal: 20 qualifying points of experience and education, a passing score on the National Home Inspector Examination and a $150 application. The second is the part that surprises inbound inspectors: under ORS 701.445 a certified inspector must also be an owner or an employee of a business that holds a CCB contractor license, and the certificate does nothing until the license holder files an OCHI Change form linking it to an active license. If you join an existing inspection firm that license is already in place; if you intend to work for yourself you must obtain a CCB license of your own, most often the Home Inspector Services Contractor endorsement, which is limited to home inspection work and carries a $15,000 surety bond and general liability insurance of at least $100,000 per occurrence. Oregon publishes no reciprocity and no endorsement route for an out-of-state home inspector license, so an experienced inspector moving here files the ordinary application; what does travel is the national examination and the years of inspection work behind it.

Every origin state

Experience credit 36No credit 14
Every state's path into Oregon
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaExperience credit2026-09-17
AlaskaExperience credit2026-09-17
ArizonaExperience credit2026-09-17
ArkansasExperience credit2026-09-17
CaliforniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
ColoradoNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
ConnecticutExperience credit2026-09-17
DelawareExperience credit2026-09-17
District of ColumbiaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
FloridaExperience credit2026-09-17
GeorgiaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
HawaiiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
IdahoNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
IllinoisExperience credit2026-09-17
IndianaExperience credit2026-09-17
IowaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
KentuckyExperience credit2026-09-17
LouisianaExperience credit2026-09-17
MaineNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
MarylandExperience credit2026-09-17
MassachusettsExperience credit2026-09-17
MichiganNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
MinnesotaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
MississippiExperience credit2026-09-17
MissouriNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
MontanaExperience credit2026-09-17
NebraskaExperience credit2026-09-17
NevadaExperience credit2026-09-17
New HampshireExperience credit2026-09-17
New JerseyExperience credit2026-09-17
New MexicoExperience credit2026-09-17
New YorkExperience credit2026-09-17
North CarolinaExperience credit2026-09-17
North DakotaExperience credit2026-09-17
OhioExperience credit2026-09-17
OklahomaExperience credit2026-09-17
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17
Rhode IslandExperience credit2026-09-17
South CarolinaExperience credit2026-09-17
South DakotaExperience credit2026-09-17
TennesseeExperience credit2026-09-17
TexasExperience credit2026-09-17
UtahExperience credit2026-09-17
VermontExperience credit2026-09-17
VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-17
WashingtonExperience credit2026-09-17
West VirginiaExperience credit2026-09-17
WisconsinExperience credit2026-09-17
WyomingNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-17

Getting licensed in Oregon from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 6 sources

Oregon Certified Home Inspector (OCHI) by qualifying points and the National Home Inspector Examination

Oregon certifies home inspectors through the Construction Contractors Board (CCB). To qualify you document at least 20 qualifying points of education and experience, pass the National Home Inspector Examination through PSI, and file the OCHI application with a $150 fee. Points can come from approved classes, a college home inspection course, ride-alongs with an Oregon certified home inspector, and work as an inspector or in construction, in any combination. Oregon sets no fixed-hour pre-license course and has no separate state law exam; instead you sign a statement that you have read the state standards of behavior and practice. The certificate lasts two years, and you may not inspect until a CCB-licensed business you own or work for files the OCHI Change form attaching your certification to its license.

The board asks applicants to allow 3 to 4 weeks for processing, and applications are not processed in person or by email. The National Home Inspector Examination has 200 multiple choice questions over four hours and is scored on a scale of 200 to 800, with 500 needed to pass; notes, books and calculators are not allowed, and the score report is handed to you when you finish. PSI offers it in Aurora, Baker City, Bend, Eugene, Independence, Medford and Portland, and it may also be taken in any other state that gives it. A failed exam can be retaken after 30 days, with a new fee each time. Oregon rules set no minimum age, background check, bond or insurance for the individual certificate; the bond and insurance belong to the business license. If you plan to work for yourself, the Home Inspector Services Contractor endorsement is limited to inspection work, costs $400 for two years, and needs a $15,000 bond and $100,000 of liability insurance, but no contractor pre-license training or exam. A certificate that has been expired for more than two years cannot be renewed; you apply again as a new applicant. Appraisers acting within an Oregon appraiser credential do not need the certificate.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
PSI
Exam format
Closed book
Typical processing
About 28 days
Renewal
Every 2 years
Continuing education
30 hours per cycle

Who can apply

  • At least 20 qualifying points of education and experience, documented with the application.Points: 4 per 12 months working legally as a home inspector in Oregon or another state or country; 2 per 12 months in the construction industry; 10 for a three-credit college course in home inspection with a passing grade; 1 per class of three hours or more from a CCB-approved provider in remodeling, engineering, architecture, building design, building technology, real estate, report writing, communication skills, business practices, legal issues, ethics or building codes; 1 per ride-along with an Oregon certified home inspector, recorded on the board's ride-along form; half a point per recommendation letter from an Oregon certified home inspector; and 1 per building codes certification issued by a government agency. Work experience is proved by an employer letter on letterhead or a resume giving dates, contact details and business names.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. The National Home Inspector Examination, created and graded by the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors and given by PSI: 200 multiple choice questions in four hours. It is the only exam Oregon uses. Keep the official score report from PSI and send it with your application..
  2. 2Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($225). Exam fee of $225 per attempt, paid to PSI when you schedule online or by phone at (855) 746-8170..
  3. 3Application fee. Pay the application fee ($150). Non-refundable OCHI application fee of $150, which covers the initial two-year certificate. Pay by card through the board's secure fax at (503) 373-2155, or mail a check or money order with the paper application..
  4. 4Other. A signed statement on the application that you have read and understand the Oregon home inspector standards of behavior and standards of practice in OAR 812-008-0200 through 812-008-0214..
  5. 5Contractor license. Hold or obtain a contractor license. Before you may inspect, your certification must be attached to an active CCB contractor license held by a business you own or work for; the license owner files the OCHI Change form. A Residential General, Residential Specialty or Home Inspector Services Contractor license qualifies. If you join an existing firm this is already in place. If you work for yourself, the Home Inspector Services Contractor endorsement is limited to home inspection work and costs $400 for a two-year license, and the board states that it needs no contractor pre-license training or exam..
  6. 6Surety bond. Post a surety bond ($15,000) (if applicable). A $15,000 surety bond, required only if you hold a Home Inspector Services Contractor license yourself. An inspector employed by a licensed firm is covered by the firm's license..
  7. 7Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($100,000) (if applicable). General liability insurance of at least $100,000 per occurrence, required only if you hold a Home Inspector Services Contractor license yourself. Oregon requires no errors and omissions policy of a home inspector..

Published fees on this path total $375, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 2 years with 30 hours of continuing education per cycle and a $150 renewal fee.

30 continuing education units in the two years before the certificate expires, at one unit per clock hour of approved instruction from CCB-approved providers, accredited colleges or government agencies. The rules also allow limited credit for ride-alongs with licensed tradespeople and for giving ride-along training. Certified home inspectors are exempt from the regular CCB residential contractor continuing education.

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
  • Exam fee · $225

Surety bond

A license or contractor bond is bought from a surety, not the state. Price is a small percentage of the bond amount and depends on your credit.

  • Surety bond · $15,000 · if applicable

Liability insurance

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

  • Insurance · $100,000 · if applicable

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. Oregon Construction Contractors Board - CCB License (endorsements and steps to licensure) · Oregon Construction Contractors Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  3. Oregon Certified Home Inspector (OCHI) Certification Application and Instructions · Oregon Construction Contractors Board · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  4. Oregon Construction Contractors Board - Specialty Licenses and Certifications (Home Inspectors) · Oregon Construction Contractors Board · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  5. OAR Chapter 812, Division 8 - Home Inspector Certification and Standards · OAR 812-008-0030, 812-008-0040, 812-008-0045, 812-008-0050, 812-008-0060, 812-008-0070, 812-008-0072, 812-008-0110 · Oregon Secretary of State, Oregon Administrative Rules · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026
  6. ORS Chapter 701 - Construction Contractors and Contracts (Special Trades: Home Inspectors) · ORS 701.445, 701.450, 701.455, 701.081, 701.122 · Oregon Legislative Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026

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