How to Become a Home Inspector in New Hampshire (2026)
New Hampshire home inspector license: 80 hours of approved education, the NHIE, a background check and a $220 fee. Plus 20 CE hours, as of November 2026.
Short answer: Yes. New Hampshire has required a Home Inspector License since January 1, 2010. You need 80 hours of board-approved education, a passing score on the National Home Inspector Examination, a criminal history check and proof of liability insurance, then an application to the Office of Professional Licensure and Certification (OPLC). There is no associate tier and no supervised-inspection count.
New Hampshire's route is shorter than its southern neighbor's. Massachusetts makes new inspectors spend a year under supervision. New Hampshire licenses you once the education, exam and paperwork are done. What it adds instead are separate credentials for mold assessment and waterfront septic work, and a code of ethics written into the statute itself.
New Hampshire home inspector requirements at a glance
As of November 2026, from RSA 310-A:182 to 310-A:201, the board's rules (Home 100 to 700, including the Home 300 readoption that takes effect December 14, 2026) and OPLC's pages.
| Requirement | New Hampshire rule |
|---|---|
| License required? | Yes. Home Inspector License (RSA 310-A:189) |
| Regulator | Board of Home Inspectors, Office of Professional Licensure and Certification |
| Pre-license education | At least 80 hours of board-approved education covering nine core components (RSA 310-A:190) |
| Field training | Not required |
| Exam | National Home Inspector Examination, named in board rule Home 303.01. Scores go straight from the testing company to OPLC |
| Application fee | $220 (OPLC fee page) |
| Insurance | Proof of liability insurance with the application (RSA 310-A:191). No minimum amount is set in the statute or rules |
| Other checks | Age 18+, high school or equivalent, New Hampshire State Police criminal history check at your cost |
| Renewal | Every two years, $220 |
| Continuing education | 20 hours per two-year period, including 1 hour on building regulations (RSA 310-A:192). Reported through CE Broker |
| Reciprocity | Licensure by endorsement through OPLC under RSA 310:17. The readopted board rule Home 304.01 (effective December 14, 2026) sends licensees from states with substantially equivalent or higher requirements through OPLC's Universal Application under Plc 313 |
Step by step to a New Hampshire license
- Check the basics. You must be at least 18 and have finished high school or its equivalent. The board can refuse applicants with a felony conviction, misstatements on the application, or a record of unlicensed practice.
- Complete 80 hours of approved education. The course must cover heating, cooling, plumbing, electrical, structural components, foundations, roof coverings, exterior and interior components, and site aspects as they affect the building. OPLC lists approved courses and providers on CE Broker.
- Pass the NHIE and have PSI send your score directly to the OPLC Licensing Bureau. Our NHIE guide explains the exam.
- Get a criminal history check using the New Hampshire State Police authorization form. You pay for it.
- Buy liability insurance and get a certificate showing the insurer, the certificate holder, the coverage type and amounts, and the cancellation terms.
- Mail a paper application. As of November 2026, OPLC's applications page asks new applicants for the paper Universal Application for Initial Licensure plus the Application for Licensure as a Home Inspector, with the $220 fee by check or money order payable to "Treasurer State of New Hampshire". From December 14, 2026, the readopted rule Home 301.01 replaces the second form with an "Addendum to the Universal Application for Initial License for Home Inspectors", dated 12/2026. On it you attest that your application includes proof of liability insurance (insurer, certificate holder, coverage and amounts, the policy's effective dates and its cancellation terms), evidence that you passed the NHIE, and evidence of 80 hours of board-approved education. Download the current form from OPLC before you mail. Renewals are online only.
What it costs to get started in New Hampshire
| Item | Cost | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 80-hour course | Set by each provider | OPLC list on CE Broker |
| NHIE | $225 | EBPHI (exam owner) |
| Application | $220 | OPLC fee page |
| Criminal history check | Paid by applicant, amount not published by the board | RSA 310-A:190 |
| Liability insurance | Insureon says home inspectors pay a median of $989 a year for E&O and $545 for general liability | Insureon, updated May 27, 2026 |
| Tools and equipment | Depends on what you buy | Not published |
| Report software | Binsr Standard is $75 per inspector per month | Binsr pricing |
Board fees are as published by OPLC. The insurance figures are one broker's median quotes, not a state requirement.
How long it takes
There is no minimum waiting period in New Hampshire law. The time goes into three things: the 80 hours of education, booking and passing the NHIE, and OPLC processing of a paper application. Eighty hours is two full working weeks if a provider runs the course full time, and longer if you study in evenings.
Because the file is paper and mailed, build in time for the criminal history check to come back and for OPLC to review it. A failed NHIE also delays a New Hampshire application, because EBPHI requires a 30-day wait before a retake.
What home inspectors earn in New Hampshire
BLS does not publish a New Hampshire figure for home inspectors alone. Its nearest category is SOC 47-4011, Construction and Building Inspectors, which also counts municipal building, electrical and plumbing inspectors.
| BLS OEWS, May 2025, SOC 47-4011 | New Hampshire | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Employment | 420 | 146,720 |
| Median annual wage | $65,640 | $74,690 |
| Mean annual wage | $68,820 | $77,730 |
| 10th percentile | $45,070 | $47,140 |
| 90th percentile | $88,610 | $114,200 |
New Hampshire's median is about $9,000 below the national figure, and the group is small. BLS wage data also excludes the self-employed, and many home inspectors own their business. See our home inspector salary guide for what moves income.
Keeping your license
Licenses renew every two years. Each period you need at least 20 hours of board-approved continuing education, and one of those hours must be a board-approved course on building regulations, including recent revisions. OPLC now requires home inspectors to use CE Broker for continuing education. Under Home 403, one continuing education unit (CEU) counts as 10 hours, and activity on a state or national licensing board can count for up to 6.
A license that has been expired for less than a year is reinstated with a paper renewal form and the $220 reinstatement fee. After a year, you apply again as a new applicant. More on course options in our continuing education guide.
Rules only New Hampshire has
The code of ethics is in the statute. RSA 310-A:185 writes the code of ethics into law. Among other things, it bars you from repairing, replacing or upgrading, for pay, any system or component covered by the standards of practice for one year after the inspection, and from paying agents for referrals or for a place on a preferred-provider list. The standards of practice themselves are board rules, adopted under RSA 310-A:184. Read both before your first paid inspection.
Mold assessment needs its own certification. RSA 310-A:189-b bars anyone from performing residential mold assessment for pay without a national third-party certification accredited by ANSI, CESB, NCCA or an equivalent ISO-compliant body. The statute defines mold assessment broadly, including inspections and sampling, but exempts professionals whose primary contracted work is not mold assessment. Selling mold assessment or sampling as its own service is what needs the certification. See how to become a mold inspector.
Radon mitigation installers are certified separately. RSA 310-A:189-a, in the same chapter as the home inspector law, requires anyone who designs or installs airborne radon mitigation systems in New Hampshire to hold NRPP or NRSB certification. It does not cover radon testing.
Waterfront septic evaluations. Under RSA 485-A:39, as amended effective September 1, 2024, before developed waterfront property changes hands, the buyer must hire a New Hampshire licensed septic system evaluator if any part of the septic system is within 250 feet of the reference line. A home inspector license does not make you a septic system evaluator. If you work lakes and coast, see how to become a septic inspector.
Rules readopted in 2026. OPLC lists three newly adopted rule chapters: Home 100 (definitions, organization and public information), effective October 1, 2026; Home 500 (ethical standards and professional conduct), effective November 2, 2026; and Home 300 (licensure requirements), effective December 14, 2026. The readopted Home 300 keeps the NHIE, the 80 hours and the criminal records check, adds the new application addendum and readopts a reciprocity section. Home 400 (license renewal, discipline and continuing education) was still a proposal as of November 2026: its public hearing was held September 28, 2026, written comments closed October 5, 2026, and OPLC had not posted an adopted version. Until it is adopted, the current Home 400 rules, including the Home 403 credit rules above, still apply. Check the board's Laws and Rules page before you apply.
Associations. ASHI lists two chapters serving New Hampshire: Northern New England and ASHI New England. Membership is optional.
Frequently asked questions
Sources and verification
- Board of Home Inspectors, New Hampshire Office of Professional Licensure and Certification
- Home Inspectors License Fees, NH OPLC
- Home Inspectors Applications and Initial Application Checklist, Rev. 01/2026, NH OPLC
- Home Inspectors Laws and Rules, NH OPLC
- RSA 310-A:190, 310-A:191, 310-A:192, 310-A:195 and 310-A:189-b, New Hampshire General Court
- RSA 310-A:184 and 310-A:185, New Hampshire General Court
- RSA 310:17, New Hampshire General Court
- RSA 485-A:39, New Hampshire General Court
- Administrative rules, Home 100 to 700, New Hampshire General Court
- Adopted Home 300, Licensure Requirements, effective December 14, 2026, NH OPLC
- Home 400 rulemaking notice 2026-12, NH OPLC
- OEWS state data, May 2025, U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (API series OEUS330000000000047401101, 04, 11, 13 and 15)
- NHIE test policies, Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors
- Home inspector insurance cost, Insureon
- ASHI chapters in New Hampshire, American Society of Home Inspectors
Keep reading
- How to become a home inspector
- Home inspector license requirements by state
- How to become a home inspector in Massachusetts
- How to become a home inspector in Vermont
- How to become a home inspector in Maine
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