Inspector License Path: Three-Tier Progression
Note: This is one of two path choices through the levels of inspector licensure. The other is the Education/Experience Waiver path for licensure.
Apprentice Inspector
Unless the applicant is utilizing an education/experience waiver, the applicant, regardless of background, must first apply for a license as an Apprentice Inspector. This is the first level of licensure in the three-tier progression.
To be eligible for licensure as an apprentice, the applicant must be 18 years of age or older; a citizen of the United States or a lawfully admitted alien; and a legal resident. The applicant must be able to pass a background check to determine the applicant's honesty, trustworthiness and integrity.
Application must be on a  form approved by and obtained from the Commission (it can also be obtained from the sponsor).
Apprentices must be sponsored by a qualified eligible licensed Professional Inspector, and that Inspector must join the applicant in making the application. The Professional Inspector must accept responsibility for the Apprentice's inspection activities.
Before an apprenticeship may be considered complete, the Apprentice Inspector must have been licensed for a minimum of 90 days and have performed 25 inspections under the direct supervision of the Professional Inspector or Real Estate Inspector under the supervision of the same licensed Professional Inspector. Even after completion of these requirements, an Apprentice Inspector may only perform inspections under direct supervision.
See the Apprentice Inspector Information page for greater detail on licensing requirements and fees.
Real Estate Inspector
The intermediate level of licensure in the three-tier progression is the Real Estate Inspector license. To obtain this license, an applicant must satisfy the apprenticeship requirements described above as well as 90 classroom hours in "core real estate Inspection courses."
Application must be made on a form approved by and obtained from the Commission (it can also be obtained from the sponsor). Just as with an Apprentice Inspector license, an applicant for a Real Estate Inspector license must be sponsored by a qualified eligible licensed Professional Inspector, and that Inspector must join the applicant in making the Real Estate Inspector License application and accept responsibility for the applicant's inspection activities.
After submitting the application for a Real Estate Inspector license and becoming eligible to take the examination, the applicant may obtain a copy of the Candidate Information Brochure (CIB) from the PSI website at http://psiexams.com. The CIB will provide information and instructions for making a reservation to take the examination and contains study material and instructions about licensing. Please DO NOT attempt to make a reservation for the exam without first receiving notification from our office. Upon successful completion of the examination and prior to issuance of a license, the applicant must pay a fee of $100 into the  Real Estate Inspection Recovery Fund, which exists to compensate persons who successfully sue a real estate inspector and then find inadequate attachable financial resources to satisfy the judgment.
The fund does not and should not substitute for general liability insurance or errors and omissions insurance. A Real Estate Inspector license permits the holder to perform real estate inspections under "indirect supervision" of the licensed Professional Inspector. Before applying for the final stage of licensure, a Real Estate Inspector must have completed a minimum of 12 months of such licensure and performed a minimum of 175 inspections in addition to those performed while an Apprentice Inspector.
See the Real Estate Inspector Information page for greater detail on licensing requirements and fees.
Professional Inspector
The third level of licensure in the three-tier progression is filing to become a licensed Professional Inspector. An applicant for a license as a Professional Inspector must complete 38 classroom hours of core real estate inspection course work including a minimum of 8 hours in the study of standards of practice, legal issues, or ethics related to the profession of real estate inspections. These 38 hours are in addition to those completed to meet licensure requirements for a Real Estate Inspector.
Application must be made on a form approved by and obtained from the Commission. This application will include a log for the 175 inspections which must also be verified by the Professional Inspector under whom the applicant trained.
After the application is processed, the applicant may obtain a copy of the Candidate Information Brochure (CIB) from the PSI website at http://psiexams.com to take a second higher level examination. Upon successful completion of the examination, the applicant will be issued a document showing that the applicant is a licensed Professional Inspector. From and after that time the inspector may voluntarily associate with any other inspector but will no longer require another inspector’s sponsorship.
See the Professional Inspector Information page for greater detail on licensing requirements and fees.
Page last modified: 3/31/2009
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