How to Become a Home Inspector in North Dakota (2026)
North Dakota registers home inspectors through the Secretary of State: a passed exam, $100,000 E&O cover and a $200 fee, renewed each June 30. Steps and pay.
Short answer: As of November 2026, North Dakota requires anyone who does paid home inspections to register with the North Dakota Secretary of State. You must be at least 18, pass a home inspection exam from ASHI, InterNACHI, EBPHI or the ICC, carry errors and omissions insurance of at least $100,000 and pay $200. The state sets no course hours or continuing education, but the registration expires every June 30.
North Dakota's rules fit on two pages of the Century Code. They test knowledge once, through an exam you choose, and they insist on E&O insurance every year. What they leave out, training hours, field experience and CE, you have to supply yourself. For the national path, see how to become a home inspector.
North Dakota home inspector requirements at a glance
| Requirement | North Dakota, as of November 2026 |
|---|---|
| License required | Yes. Registered Home Inspector (registration with the state) |
| Regulator | North Dakota Secretary of State |
| Law | North Dakota Century Code chapter 43-54 |
| Pre-license education | Not required by statute |
| Field training or ride-alongs | Not required by statute |
| Exam | Proof of passing a home inspection exam offered by ASHI, InterNACHI, the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors (the NHIE's owner) or the International Code Council |
| Application and license fees | $200 registration fee; $50 annual renewal |
| Insurance or bond | Errors and omissions insurance of $100,000 or more covering all home inspection activities |
| Renewal period | Every year. Registrations expire June 30 |
| Continuing education | Not required by statute |
| Reciprocity | None in the statute. Every applicant files the same way |
| Minimum age | 18 |
What North Dakota's law says
NDCC 43-54-02 is blunt: "An individual may not perform a home inspection for compensation unless registered under this chapter." A violation is a class B misdemeanor.
The statute defines a home inspection as "a nonintrusive, visual examination and written evaluation" of the heating, cooling, plumbing and electrical systems, structural components, foundation, roof, masonry and exterior and interior components of a residential building of up to four family units. It does not cover concealed items or conditions that are not readily accessible.
Three things set North Dakota apart:
- You choose the exam. NDCC 43-54-03 accepts "an examination on home inspection offered by" four named bodies: ASHI, InterNACHI, EBPHI and the ICC. The National Home Inspector Examination is EBPHI's exam and costs $225. InterNACHI says its online exam is free to all. Confirm with the Secretary of State which proof of passing it will accept before you pay for anything.
- Insurance means E&O. Where Nebraska asks for general liability, North Dakota requires errors and omissions coverage of at least $100,000 "covering all home inspection activities", both to register and at every renewal.
- Renewal is annual and unforgiving. More on this below.
The registration requirement does not apply to state or local code enforcement officials acting in that job, to people licensed, certified or registered under Title 43 working within their own profession, or to insurance adjusters (NDCC 43-54-04).
How to register as a home inspector in North Dakota, step by step
- Get trained. No hours are required, but the exam and your clients will test you on every major system. Providers include InterNACHI, ASHI, AHIT, ICA School and ATI. Pick one that includes field practice. See home inspector certification.
- Pass an accepted exam. Choose the NHIE, InterNACHI's online exam, or an ASHI or ICC exam, and keep your proof of passing.
- Buy E&O insurance of at least $100,000. Get a certificate of liability insurance showing E&O coverage for all home inspection activities. See home inspector insurance.
- Complete the Secretary of State's registration form.
- Mail the form, your exam proof, the insurance certificate and the $200 fee to the North Dakota Office of the Secretary of State, 600 East Boulevard Avenue, Dept 108, Bismarck, ND 58505-0500.
- Wait for your registration before your first paid inspection. The Secretary of State publishes a list of registered home inspectors. The list dated November 10, 2026 has 81 entries.
What it costs to get started in North Dakota
| Item | Cost | Source or basis |
|---|---|---|
| Registration fee | $200 | NDCC 43-54-03 and the Secretary of State |
| Annual renewal | $50 | NDCC 43-54-05 |
| NHIE | $225 | Published by EBPHI |
| InterNACHI online exam | Free | Published by InterNACHI |
| E&O insurance ($100,000 minimum) | Insureon says a median of $989 a year | Insureon, for its own applicants, May 2026. Its example quote is for a $1 million limit |
| General liability (not required) | Insureon says a median of $545 a year | Insureon, same page |
| Training course | Varies by provider | Not set by the state |
| Association membership | InterNACHI $499 a year or $49 a month; ASHI $499 a year | Published by each association |
| Report software | Binsr Standard is $75 per inspector per month | Binsr pricing |
Insurance figures are one broker's medians across its own customers, not a North Dakota average. Quote at the $100,000 E&O minimum and at higher limits to see the difference.
How long it takes
The state's own steps are short: pass one exam, buy one policy, mail one form. The real timeline is your training. If you fail the NHIE, EBPHI requires a 30-day wait before a retake. Plan practice inspections before your first paid job, since North Dakota does not require any. See how long it takes to become a home inspector.
What home inspectors earn in North Dakota
BLS does not publish a home-inspector-only figure. Home inspectors fall inside SOC 47-4011, Construction and Building Inspectors, along with city and county building, electrical and plumbing inspectors. OEWS figures exclude the self-employed.
| May 2025, SOC 47-4011 | North Dakota | South Dakota | National |
|---|---|---|---|
| Employment | 180 | 200 | 146,720 |
| Median annual wage | $78,570 | $64,940 | $74,690 |
| Mean annual wage | $78,490 | $67,260 | $77,730 |
| 10th percentile | $55,150 | $47,670 | $47,140 |
| 90th percentile | $100,390 | $89,050 | $114,200 |
Source: BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025. North Dakota's median for the occupation is above the national median, but the state has only about 180 jobs in the category, so small changes move the figures. Self-employed inspectors earn from fees and volume, which this data does not measure. See home inspector salary.
Keeping your registration
North Dakota's renewal rule is the part to put on your calendar the day you register:
- Every registration expires June 30 of each calendar year (NDCC 43-54-05).
- Renew with $50 and proof of continuous E&O insurance. The Secretary of State says it sends renewal notices in mid-May.
- The renewal must reach the Secretary of State before July 1. If it does not, the registrar "shall cancel the registration", and the statute says the cancellation happens "without notice or opportunity for hearing".
- After a cancellation, start over. You file an initial application, pay the $200 initial fee again and provide proof of current E&O insurance. You may not inspect after June 30 without a valid registration.
There is no state CE requirement. If you hold an association credential, it sets one: InterNACHI asks certified members for 24 hours a year, and ASHI asks for 20 approved hours a year at the ASHI Inspector level.
What is specific to North Dakota
Long drives and thin coverage. North Dakota's registered inspectors are spread across a large, rural state, from Fargo, Grand Forks and Minot to Bismarck and Williston on the November 2026 list. If you take rural jobs, expect places with no cell signal, and choose report software that works offline; Binsr's mobile report builder keeps working with no signal and syncs when you reconnect.
No state standard of practice. Beyond the statutory definition, chapter 43-54 sets no standard of practice, report form or pre-inspection agreement rules. Your association's standard, named in your agreement, fills that gap.
Out-of-state inspectors register too. The November 2026 list includes inspectors with Minnesota, South Dakota and Montana addresses. If you work the Fargo-Moorhead area or the South Dakota line, you need to meet each state's rules separately. Read South Dakota, Minnesota and Montana.
Local chapter. ASHI's chapter directory lists the ASHI Heartland chapter for North Dakota.
Compared with the rest of the Plains. Nebraska registers inspectors on general liability insurance with no exam, and Kansas has no law. North Dakota sits between them and South Dakota's course-and-exam model. See home inspector license requirements for every state.
Frequently asked questions
Sources and verification
- North Dakota Secretary of State, Home Inspectors
- North Dakota Legislative Branch, NDCC chapter 43-54, Home Inspectors
- North Dakota Secretary of State, Home inspectors registered in North Dakota (as of November 10, 2026)
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, OEWS May 2025, state data
- U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Outlook Handbook: Construction and Building Inspectors
- EBPHI, National Home Inspector Examination: Test Policies
- InterNACHI, CPI requirements and continuing education
- ASHI, Levels of membership and chapter listing
- Insureon, Home inspector insurance cost (updated May 27, 2026)
Keep reading
- How to become a home inspector
- Home inspector license requirements by state
- How to become a home inspector in South Dakota
- How to become a home inspector in Minnesota
- How to pass the National Home Inspector Exam
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