Success 9 min read November 11, 2026

How to Become a Home Inspector in Arkansas (2026)

Arkansas home inspector registration, step by step: 64 hours plus 16 of field training, the NHIE and ASHI exams, $100,000 insurance, $250 a year, 14 CE hours.

Binsr Team

How to Become a Home Inspector in Arkansas (2026)

Short answer: Arkansas requires a Home Inspector Registration from the State Board of Appraisers, Abstracters, and Home Inspectors. You complete 64 hours of approved instruction and 16 hours of field training, pass two exams (the National Home Inspector Examination and the ASHI Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics exam), carry at least $100,000 of professional liability insurance and pay $250. Every registration renews on December 31.

Arkansas borrows its inspection standards from a national association. The board has designated the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics as the rules Arkansas inspectors follow, which is why the ASHI exam is part of licensing. Everything below is as of September 2026 and comes from the board's pages, the Arkansas Home Inspectors Registration Act (Ark. Code 17-52-301 and following) and the board's 2026 rules.

Arkansas home inspector requirements at a glance

Requirement	Arkansas, as of September 2026
License required?	Yes. Home Inspector Registration
Regulator	State Board of Appraisers, Abstracters, and Home Inspectors, Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing
Law	Arkansas Home Inspectors Registration Act, Ark. Code 17-52-301 et seq.; 17 CAR Part 200
Pre-license education	At least 64 hours of instruction, completed within three years before you apply
Field training	At least 16 hours, as part of the qualifying education
Exams	Two: the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE) and the ASHI Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics Examination
Fees	$250 a year. Renewal $185 if on time ($250 minus a $65 discount)
Insurance	At least $100,000 of professional liability, with the board as certificate holder
Renewal	Every year by December 31
Continuing education	14 hours a year, at least 8 in mandatory subjects
Reciprocity	Yes, for non-residents, from regulated and unregulated states. Automatic registration for new residents who qualify

A board merger you may see referenced

Until mid-2023 Arkansas had a separate Home Inspector Registration Board. From July 1, 2023 it merged into the State Board of Appraisers, Abstracters, and Home Inspectors. Older school pages and forms may still show the old board name and address. The current certificate holder on your insurance certificate must be the "State Board of Appraisers, Abstracters, and Home Inspectors, 900 W. Capitol Ave, Ste. 400, Little Rock, AR 72201."

How to get registered in Arkansas, step by step

Complete qualifying education. Take at least 64 hours of instruction and 16 hours of field training from courses on the board's approved list. Qualifying courses must be tested with a proctor, and all of it must be done within the three years before you apply. The board updates its approved course list regularly.
Read the law and the ASHI standards. The board tells applicants to read the Arkansas statute and the ASHI Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics before testing.
Pass both exams. The NHIE is registered through EBPHI. The ASHI Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics exam is delivered by Pearson VUE for ASHI. Keep certified copies of both results.
Buy professional liability insurance. At least $100,000, from a company registered to do business in Arkansas. The certificate must list you as the insured (not your business, since the board does not register businesses), name the board as certificate holder, and provide at least 10 days' notice to the board before cancellation or non-renewal.
Apply online. Create an account in the board's online licensing system, upload your education certificate, both exam results and your certificate of insurance, and pay $250 by card or e-check.

Who can skip the education. City inspectors certified by the International Code Council, and contractors who hold a builder's license with ten years of contracting experience, are exempt from the qualifying education. They still have to pass the exams.

What it costs to get started in Arkansas

Item	Amount	Source
64 hours plus 16 hours field training	Varies by provider. The board does not set tuition	Board's approved education list
NHIE	$225 in most states, per EBPHI	EBPHI
ASHI Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics exam	Set by ASHI and Pearson VUE. Check the current fee when you book	ASHI; Pearson VUE
Registration	$250 a year	Board
Professional liability insurance	$100,000 minimum. Premiums vary. biBerk says its home inspector insurance starts at around $600 a year	Board; biBerk
Tools	Varies. Most inspectors start with a ladder, flashlight, moisture meter, outlet tester and a phone or tablet	Typical, not a board figure
Report software	Binsr Standard is $75 per inspector per month	Binsr pricing

One timing detail matters for your budget. Every registration expires on December 31, whatever month it was issued. If you register in November, you renew in December.

How long it takes

Eighty hours of qualifying education is about two full-time weeks, though field training depends on when your provider schedules it. After that, the timeline depends on exam dates for the two tests and how quickly your insurance certificate is issued. Because education must be completed within three years of applying, do not let the gap between course and application run long.

What inspectors earn in Arkansas

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) does not publish a figure for home inspectors alone. It counts them inside construction and building inspectors (SOC 47-4011), which also covers municipal building, electrical and plumbing inspectors. OEWS figures also exclude self-employed workers.

Measure, May 2025	Arkansas	United States
Employment	800	146,720
Median annual wage	$52,700	$74,690
Mean annual wage	$57,710	$77,730
10th percentile	$39,450	$47,140
90th percentile	$81,340	$114,200

Arkansas has a small workforce in this occupation and a median well below the national figure. A self-employed inspector's income depends on fees, volume and add-on services more than on these wage tables. See our home inspector salary guide for context.

Keeping your Arkansas registration

Renew by December 31 each year. To renew you need:

14 hours of CE or QE taken within the last year, with completion certificates (attendance verifications are not accepted). Under 17 CAR 200-506, at least 8 hours must be in mandatory courses such as exteriors, interiors, roofing and the other inspected systems, and each course must be at least 2 hours long.
A current certificate of insurance. You must send the board a new one each year before the policy expires. The board warns not to rely on your insurer to do it.
The renewal fee, $185 on time. Late renewals pay the fee plus $50 for each month or partial month late.

What is specific to inspecting in Arkansas

ASHI standards are the state standards. Ark. Code 17-52-319 requires every paid inspection to follow the standards of practice and code of ethics the board sets, and the board has designated ASHI's. The same section lets you agree in writing with a client to a home inspection of lesser scope. Put that in your inspection agreement when it applies.

A one-year window for claims. Under Ark. Code 17-52-320, a consumer's suit over a home inspector's act or omission relating to a report must be filed within one year from the date the report is completed.

Report use is limited. Ark. Code 17-52-321 says a report may not be used in any way other than what the inspector and client agreed in writing, and that transferring it to a third party absolves both of liability for claims arising from that use.

Unfair practices. The same section bars offering repairs on a property you reported on in the past 12 months, inspecting a property you have a financial interest in, and paying agents or owners for referrals.

Reciprocity and moving to Arkansas. Non-residents licensed in a regulated state need letters of good standing, proof of both exams, two inspection reports and insurance. From an unregulated state, you send four reports instead. New Arkansas residents can get automatic registration after at least a year of registration in another state, or three years of experience in a state that does not license inspectors.

Associations. The Arkansas Association of Real Estate Inspectors (AAREI) runs an annual continuing education conference. Its spring 2027 seminar is set for March 5 and 6 in Conway.

Frequently asked questions

Arkansas calls it a Home Inspector Registration, but it works like a license. Ark. Code 17-52-309 makes it a misdemeanor to act as a home inspector without a certificate of registration.

Two. The National Home Inspector Examination and the ASHI Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics Examination. Plan for both, since passing the NHIE alone does not qualify you in Arkansas. See our NHIE guide.

At least 64 hours of instruction and 16 hours of field training from board-approved providers, completed within three years before you apply. ICC-certified city inspectors and builders with ten years of contracting are exempt from the education, not the exams.

At least $100,000 of professional liability insurance, with the board named as certificate holder and 10 days' notice before cancellation. Our home inspector insurance guide explains E&O and general liability.

Every December 31, no matter when it was issued. On-time renewal costs $185, and late renewal adds $50 per month.

BLS reports a May 2025 median of $52,700 for construction and building inspectors in Arkansas. It has no home-inspector-only figure and leaves out the self-employed.

Newly licensed inspectors can claim 20 free inspections on Binsr Pro, including the AI features, through the offer linked below. Binsr templates are fully configurable, so you can build yours around the ASHI standards Arkansas uses.

Sources and verification

Keep reading

New to inspecting? Your first 20 inspections on Binsr are free. Newly licensed inspectors get 20 free inspections on Binsr Pro, with the AI features included. See how to claim them.