How to Become a Licensed Home Inspector in Washington
InterNACHI’s Washington Home Inspector Pre-licensing Program
Welcome to the Washington State Department of Licensing (DOL) Home Inspector Licensing Program. Washington requires state-approved pre-licensing education and field training as part of its home inspector licensing requirements. Before beginning the program, you should familiarize yourself with the DOL’s website and the process for license submission.
You may find details at https://www.dol.wa.gov/business/homeinspectors/homeinspector.html
To Become A Licensed Home Inspector In Washington, You Must:
- Provide proof of completion of a minimum of 120 hours of board-approved in-person classroom instruction. Find a training partner at https://www.nachi.org/vendor-offers
- Provide proof of field training supervised by an experienced home inspector for 40 hours of field training, with a minimum of five actual complete home inspections. Find an InterNACHI® Mentor near you.
- Provide proof of completed written reports for each of the above inspections. The licensed home inspector supervising your field training will review your reports and certify that they are in full compliance with the standards of practice.
- Pass both examinations required by DOL:
a. The National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE), administered by EBPHI; and
b. The Washington Home Inspector State Exam.
To help practice or prepare for the exams, you may take InterNACHI's Online Home Inspector Exam (free and open to everyone), take the InterNACHI® Ultimate Home Inspection Practice Test (free and online for members), and take InterNACHI's accredited online courses (free and online for members). - Submit an application and pay the required state fee to the Washington State Department of Licensing
Note: If you’ve been licensed as a home inspector in another state for 2 of the last 4 years and your license is in good standing, you may be eligible to forego the National exam and sit only for the State exam.
InterNACHI's 120-Hour DOL-Approved Program
View our program's current approval on the state website HERE.
You may complete the courses below in any order.
Once you've completed the program in full, you will be able to download your certificate of completion.
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Pre-Licensing: Washington 120-Hour Offline Coursework
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After You’re Registered — Keep It Active
Washington home inspectors will need at least 24 hours of approved continuing education to renew their license every two years. InterNACHI provides state-approved CE.
Licenses expire on the applicant’s second birthday following the issuance of the license. Depending on the first issue date and the licensee’s birth date, this may result in a shortened licensing term. The licensee’s second renewal period will equal the full two-year term.
You must retain proof of CE completion for your renewal cycle. InterNACHI® Certificates of Completion are available via the InterNACHI® dashboard FOREVER.
Need assistance with your pre-licensing or continuing education requirements? Contact our education team at [email protected].
