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

1. 1Pre-license course. Complete the required pre-license course. 90 hours of commissioner-approved qualifying education in performing home inspections and preparing home inspection reports. Courses must be on the program's approved list, which can be filtered by course type (qualifying or continuing education), credit hours and provider, and a course hour is 50 minutes of teaching in each 60-minute period. Approved topics include structural components, foundations and roof coverings, insulation and ventilation, exterior and interior components, plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical systems, Tennessee law and rules, business management, ethics, the Tennessee Standards of Home Inspector Practice, and report writing. Course fees are set by the providers. A course not on the list may be submitted for individual approval; the rule sets that fee at $25 per course but the program's fee page shows $50, so confirm the amount with the program first..
2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. The National Home Inspector Examination, developed by the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors and named in rule 0780-05-12-.04(2)(f) as Tennessee's licensing exam. PSI delivers it for Tennessee at its test centers. Tennessee adds no state-specific portion and no separate law-and-rules exam. A passing score is valid for five years for Tennessee licensing..
3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($225). Paid to PSI when you register, not to the department. Neither the program's fee page nor the Tennessee candidate bulletin publishes the amount; the rule leaves it to the exam contract, so check the price at test-takers.psiexams.com/tnhi. The fee is charged for each attempt, is not refundable or transferable, and is forfeited if you do not test within one year of paying it. The Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors lists the National Home Inspector Examination at $225 per test in most states; confirm the amount when you register..
4. 4Application fee. Pay the application fee ($300). Non-refundable initial application fee, paid in CORE after you submit the Initial Home Inspector Application. The rules split it into a $100 application fee and a $200 initial license fee, but the program collects the $300 together, and there is no further charge when the license is issued..
5. 5Insurance. Carry the required insurance ($500,000). General liability insurance of at least $500,000, in force when you apply and kept in force while the license is active. Proof is a standard Accord certificate with your first and last name in the Insured or Description of Operations section, a real policy number (TBA is not accepted), and the certificate holder shown as Tennessee Home Inspector Licensing Program, 500 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243..
6. 6Insurance. Carry the required insurance. Errors and omissions insurance covering all home inspection activities, required in addition to the general liability policy. Tennessee sets no minimum limit, so you choose the amount, but the same Accord certificate, real policy number and certificate holder rules apply and the coverage must be current when you apply..
7. 7Background check. Complete a background check. The application asks about criminal convictions and discipline. You must not have been convicted of a felony that bears directly on your fitness to practice competently, as the commissioner determines, and must not be the subject of disciplinary or enforcement action by another state or a local jurisdiction over home inspections or home inspector licensing. Any "Yes" answer must be backed by court documents or details of the action. Tennessee does not ask for fingerprints for this license..

Published fees on this path total $525, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.