LicensebyState

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

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

Vermont home inspector · “Property Inspector”

Statewide license

Verified September 23, 2026· 5 sources

Issued by Vermont Office of Professional Regulation, Secretary of State

Vermont licenses home inspectors, but calls them property inspectors, which is why the credential is easy to miss when searching. Chapter 19 of Title 26 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated has since 2014 provided that no one may practice, or offer to practice, property inspecting without a current license, and it defines the practice as performing or offering to perform for the public, for a fee or other compensation, services involving the physical inspection of real property structures and other improvements in order to evaluate the condition of the property, including any safety issues or material defects. The Office of Professional Regulation at the Secretary of State runs the program under the director model, advised by two property inspectors who each have at least five years in the trade; there is no board and there is only one grade of license. Building the license from scratch takes 80 hours of approved education covering heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical systems, structural components, foundations, roof coverings, exterior and interior components, and site aspects that affect the building, plus a nationally recognized proctored examination. Vermont requires no insurance and no bond, which sets it apart from most licensing states, and it charges a $115 application fee and $275 to renew the license every two years on June 30 of odd-numbered years. The office's rules also set standards of practice that bind from the first job: a Vermont property inspection is a non-technical, limited, visual survey and basic performance evaluation using normal controls, the inspector must operate fixed and installed equipment in at least one mode at typical settings, and the written report, including any recommendation for further evaluation by a specialist, has to reach the client within five days unless the client agrees otherwise in writing. Do not confuse this license with Vermont's residential contractor registration, which has been in force since April 2023 and is a separate credential for people who build and repair rather than inspect.

Every origin state

Endorsement 36No credit 14
Every state's path into Vermont
StateMechanismNoteVerified
AlabamaEndorsement2026-09-23
AlaskaEndorsement2026-09-23
ArizonaEndorsement2026-09-23
ArkansasEndorsement2026-09-23
CaliforniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
ColoradoNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
ConnecticutEndorsement2026-09-23
DelawareEndorsement2026-09-23
District of ColumbiaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
FloridaEndorsement2026-09-23
GeorgiaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
HawaiiNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
IdahoNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
IllinoisEndorsement2026-09-23
IndianaEndorsement2026-09-23
IowaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
KansasNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
KentuckyEndorsement2026-09-23
LouisianaEndorsement2026-09-23
MaineNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MarylandEndorsement2026-09-23
MassachusettsEndorsement2026-09-23
MichiganNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MinnesotaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MississippiEndorsement2026-09-23
MissouriNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
MontanaEndorsement2026-09-23
NebraskaEndorsement2026-09-23
NevadaEndorsement2026-09-23
New HampshireEndorsement2026-09-23
New JerseyEndorsement2026-09-23
New MexicoEndorsement2026-09-23
New YorkEndorsement2026-09-23
North CarolinaEndorsement2026-09-23
North DakotaEndorsement2026-09-23
OhioEndorsement2026-09-23
OklahomaEndorsement2026-09-23
OregonEndorsement2026-09-23
PennsylvaniaNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23
Rhode IslandEndorsement2026-09-23
South CarolinaEndorsement2026-09-23
South DakotaEndorsement2026-09-23
TennesseeEndorsement2026-09-23
TexasEndorsement2026-09-23
UtahEndorsement2026-09-23
VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-23
WashingtonEndorsement2026-09-23
West VirginiaEndorsement2026-09-23
WisconsinEndorsement2026-09-23
WyomingNo creditno state license to transfer2026-09-23

Getting licensed in Vermont from scratch

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

Verified September 23, 2026· 8 sources

Property Inspector by examination

Vermont has one property inspector license and no apprentice, associate or trainee tier, and it does not require supervised or ride-along inspections. To earn the license from scratch you must be at least 18, have finished high school or its equivalent, complete at least 80 hours of education from a provider approved by the Office of Professional Regulation, and pass the National Home Inspector Examination, which PSI administers for Vermont. You then apply through the office's Online Services System with proof of the education and your exam result and pay the $115 application fee. Vermont requires no insurance, no bond and no fingerprint or criminal background check from property inspectors.

The National Home Inspector Examination is the only examination Vermont uses, adopted by the Director's rule; there is no separate Vermont law-and-rules paper. Register and pay for it with PSI at test-takers.psiexams.com/vthi, where it appears as "Vermont Property Inspector". You get four hours; notes, books and calculators are not allowed; and scores are reported on a scale of 200 to 800 with 500 needed to pass. You must pass both parts of the examination, and a pass is valid for one year, so apply for the license within a year of passing. PSI requires 30 days between attempts, and under the office's rule an applicant who fails three times in a row may not retest or reapply until they show the Director additional core education. Holding an approved national certification replaces both the education and the examination; that route is shown as an alternative. An InterNACHI certificate issued after July 2, 2020 counts toward the education but not the examination, so its holder still takes the National Home Inspector Examination. There is no continuing education requirement for renewal.

Trade exam
Required
Law / code exam
Not required
Exam given by
PSI
Exam format
Closed book
Renewal
Every 2 years
Continuing education
None required

Who can apply

  • Be at least 18 years old.
  • Completion of high school or its equivalent.

Other ways to qualify

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

Apply by certification

26 V.S.A. section 1091(b) lets proof of certification from a nationally recognized home inspector organization accepted by the Director stand in for both the 80 hours of education and the examination. The office's application instructions accept certification with ACI membership through the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI), and NAHI certifications issued on or before July 2, 2020, which included the proctored national examination. InterNACHI certificates issued after July 2, 2020 do not qualify for this route. If you have held a license in another state, include a verification of good standing from your first and most recent states of licensure.

  • Be at least 18 years old.
  • Completion of high school or its equivalent.
  • Current ASHI certification with ACI membership, or a NAHI certification issued on or before July 2, 2020.

Steps to get licensed

  1. 1Pre-license course. Complete the required pre-license course. At least 80 hours of education from a provider approved by the Director, covering heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical systems, structural components, foundations, roof coverings, exterior and interior components, and site aspects as they affect the building. Upload proof of completion with your application. The office's list of approved 80-hour course providers includes national online schools and a Connecticut community college; course prices are set by the providers..
  2. 2Trade exam. Pass the destination's trade exam. The National Home Inspector Examination, developed by the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors and taken on computer through PSI, Vermont's contracted administrator. Submit evidence that you passed it with your application; results are valid for one year from the date you pass..
  3. 3Exam fee. Pay the exam fee ($225). Per attempt, paid to PSI when you register; payment is not accepted at the test center and fees are nonrefundable. Neither the Office of Professional Regulation nor the exam board publishes the Vermont fee, so check the amount when you register at test-takers.psiexams.com/vthi. 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 ($115). Non-refundable application fee, paid in the Online Services System when you apply. The office lists no separate fee for issuing the license. Licenses expire on June 30 of odd-numbered years: a license issued 90 days or less before that date runs through the next full two-year period, and one issued earlier must be renewed on the upcoming June 30 for the $275 renewal fee..
  5. 5Insurance. Carry the required insurance (if applicable). Not required. Vermont's property inspector law and the office's rules require no general liability or errors and omissions insurance and no bond, so any coverage you carry is your own business decision..

Published fees on this path total $340, excluding exam-vendor fees, bonds, and insurance.

Keeping it active

Every 2 years with no continuing education required and a $275 renewal fee.

Vermont's property inspector law and the office's rules set no continuing education requirement; renewal needs only the application and the fee.

All licenses renew every two years on June 30 of odd-numbered years, through the Online Services System. A license that is not renewed is suspended from its expiration date; a lapsed license can be renewed with the renewal fee plus a late renewal penalty.

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 · if applicable

Sources for this section

  1. National Home Inspector Examination - Exam Overview Packet · Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors · Other · verified September 23, 2026
  2. 26 V.S.A. chapter 19 - Property Inspectors · 26 V.S.A. secs. 1051-1095 · Vermont General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  3. 3 V.S.A. sec. 125 - Fees · 3 V.S.A. sec. 125 · Vermont General Assembly · Statute · verified September 23, 2026
  4. Vermont Property Inspector Approved 80 Hour Course Providers · Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  5. Vermont OPR initial licensing and renewal fees, renewal dates and 90 day licensing policy · 3 V.S.A. sec. 125 · Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  6. Vermont Property Inspector Forms & Instructions · Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation · Agency Page · verified September 23, 2026
  7. Vermont Property Inspector Application Instructions, February 2026 · Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation · Form · verified September 23, 2026
  8. Vermont Administrative Rules for Property Inspectors, effective 1 December 2015 · Vermont Secretary of State, Office of Professional Regulation · Admin Rule · verified September 23, 2026

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