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State Cert Guide

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Do I need a license to be a home inspector?

In Florida and Ohio, yes, unless you are exempt. Ohio exempts some professionals acting within their own field. Florida asks for a course of study of at least 120 hours, and Ohio's approved curriculum has at least eighty hours of classroom or online lessons. We haven't checked who Florida exempts, or other states, so check yours.

By State Cert GuideChecked against the sources listed below.

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The steps, in order

  1. Find your state's rule

    Rules differ by state

  2. Check for an exemption

    Some professions are exempt

  3. Take the required course

    Length differs by state

  4. Apply and keep learning

    Renewal asks for continuing education

Four steps in order: find your state's rule, check whether you are exempt, take the required course, then apply and keep your continuing education hours. The course length and the exemptions differ by state.

What the rule says

Does Florida require a license?

Yes, unless you are exempt. Florida law says a person may not practice or offer to practice home inspection services unless the person has complied with the home inspector part of the law.

www.leg.state.fl.us · checked Nov 13, 2026 (opens agency website)

What counts as home inspection services in Florida?

A limited visual examination of a home's readily accessible installed systems and components, such as the structure, electrical system, HVAC system, roof covering and plumbing system. Its purpose is a written professional opinion of the condition of the home.

www.leg.state.fl.us · checked Nov 13, 2026 (opens agency website)

What training does Florida ask for?

A course of study of at least 120 hours that covers the structure, electrical system, HVAC system, roof covering, plumbing system, interior and exterior components, and site conditions that affect the structure. An applicant also passes the required examination and is of good moral character.

www.leg.state.fl.us · checked Nov 13, 2026 (opens agency website)

Does Ohio require a license?

Yes, for anyone who knowingly conducts a home inspection for pay or other value, or says they are qualified to. Ohio lets you do it if you are licensed as a home inspector or are performing a parallel inspection.

codes.ohio.gov · checked Nov 13, 2026 (opens agency website)

Who is exempt in Ohio?

Ohio's license rule does not apply to some professionals acting within the scope of their own profession. Among them are people employed or retained by the state or a local government to enforce building codes, and holders of a certificate to practice architecture.

codes.ohio.gov · checked Nov 13, 2026 (opens agency website)

What training does Ohio ask for?

The board approves a curriculum that a person must complete to get a license. It includes at least eighty hours of classroom or online prelicensing instruction. An accredited college or university, or a professional organization the board has approved, must offer it.

codes.ohio.gov · checked Nov 13, 2026 (opens agency website)

Where people go wrong

  • Ohio's exemptions apply only to a person acting within the scope of practice of their own profession. Read the whole list before you assume you are exempt.
  • In Florida, you may not use the title "home inspector" until you have complied with the licensing law. That covers "licensed home inspector" and "professional home inspector" too.
  • In Ohio, an inspection must be performed under a written contract between a licensed home inspector and a client.

Questions

How much continuing education do I need once I am licensed?

Florida will not renew a license until you show at least 14 hours from the 2 years before renewal, with at least 2 hours on hurricane mitigation. Ohio requires not less than fourteen hours a year during each three-year period the license is valid.

Who licenses home inspectors in Florida?

The Department of Business and Professional Regulation. Florida's law has the department adopt rules for the biennial renewal of licenses.

Do I submit fingerprints in Ohio?

Yes. Each person applying for a license submits one complete set of fingerprints for a criminal records check.

Your next step

To check these rules in the laws' own words, read Florida's home inspector statutes and Ohio's chapter on home inspectors. If you work in another state, ask the agency that licenses home inspectors there.

codes.ohio.gov

Sources we read

Who publishes this guide

State Cert Guide is an independent guide to what each state requires. If a fact on this page is wrong, tell us and we fix it.

How we checkReport a mistake