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How do I get a home inspector license in Florida?

If you aren't licensed in another state, you work as a licensed home inspector in Florida after you finish a course of at least 120 hours, pass the required exam and show good moral character. You apply to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation. A few groups are exempt from the license.

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The rule, fact by fact

Agency
The Department of Business and Professional RegulationYou apply to this body. The statute calls it the department, and so does this page.
Verified. www.flsenate.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Who needs it
Anyone who practices or offers home inspection must comply with the licensing partThe statute exempts a few groups, such as some government employees.
Verified. www.flsenate.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Course hours
A course of study of at least 120 hours, plus the exam and good moral characterThe course must cover eight parts of a home, from the structure to the site.
Verified. www.flsenate.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Cost
Caps: $125 plus any exam purchase cost, $200 license, $200 renewalThese are ceilings, not prices. The first cap grows by the cost of the exam, if the department buys one.
Verified. www.flsenate.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026
Valid for
Licenses are renewed every two yearsEach renewal needs continuing education hours from the two years before you apply.
Verified. www.flsenate.gov (opens state website) · checked Nov 13, 2026

How to get it done

  1. Step 1. Check that you need the license. Florida law bars anyone from practicing or offering home inspections unless they comply with the licensing part of the statute. The statute exempts a few groups.

  2. Step 2. Pick an approved course. The statute says the department reviews and approves courses of study for home inspectors, so ask the school before you pay.

  3. Step 3. Finish a course of study of at least 120 hours. It must cover the structure, electrical system, HVAC system, roof covering, plumbing system, interior components, exterior components and the site conditions that affect the structure.

  4. Step 4. Pass the required exam and show good moral character. The statute lets the department approve exams from a nationally recognized entity.

  5. Step 5. Apply to the department once you meet the exam requirements. Send a complete set of electronic fingerprints with the application. They are checked for a criminal history record, and you pay the processing costs.

  6. Step 6. Once you work as a home inspector, keep a commercial general liability policy of not less than $300,000.

  7. Step 7. Plan for renewal every two years. The department may not renew a license until you show at least 14 hours of continuing education from the two years before you apply, and at least 2 of those hours must be hurricane mitigation training that covers its techniques and the uniform mitigation verification inspection form.

Before you pay

We couldn't read the Department of Business and Professional Regulation's own pages, so this page rests on the Florida Statutes alone.

Before you pay a school, ask whether the department has approved the course. Ask what it costs. Check the exam's name and price on the department's own pages, and the fees it charges.

Questions

I'm licensed as a home inspector in another state. Can I get a Florida license?

Yes, by endorsement. You need good moral character, the required insurance policy, and either a valid license from another state with substantially equivalent education rules plus an equivalent exam you passed, or a valid license held for at least 10 years. For the 10-year route, apply while it is active or within 2 years after it was last active. Another state's investigation into conduct the Florida law or chapter 455 bars holds it up until it and any discipline end.

Who doesn't need the license?

The statute exempts several groups. Among them are government employees working within their job, as long as they don't hold out for hire to the general public, and officers appointed by the court. People acting within a scope licensed under other law are exempt too, unless they hold themselves out for hire to the public as a "home inspector" or "certified home inspector", or by any title that states or implies licensure under the home inspector licensing part.

Can I fix the problems I find?

No. A home inspector may not perform or offer repairs on a home that the inspector or the inspector's company has written a report on. The statute makes one exception, for a home warranty company that is affiliated with or retains an inspector to repair under a warranty claim. An inspector also may not inspect a property in which they have a financial or transfer interest.

Can the department refuse me over my record?

It may refuse you for lacking good moral character only if there is a substantial connection to a home inspector's duties and clear and convincing evidence supports the finding. If it finds you unqualified, it must send you its findings, the evidence record and notice of your right to a rehearing and appeal.

What if I miss the renewal hours?

The department may require more. By rule it may prescribe additional hours, up to 25 percent of the total required, if you fail to complete the renewal hours by the end of the reestablishment period.

What happens if I inspect without a license?

Practicing or offering home inspections without complying with the licensing part is a prohibited act under the statute. Breaking that rule is a misdemeanor of the first degree.

What to do next

Start with the Florida statute on unlicensed home inspectors. Then look for the Department of Business and Professional Regulation's own pages on courses and fees.

www.flsenate.gov

Sources we read