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Arkansas Home Inspector License Requirements (2026)

Gabriel Giner

By Gabriel Giner, Editor  ·  Reviewed 2026-06-29  ·  CLR Editorial Review Desk

Arkansas licenses home inspectors at the state level through a registration model. An applicant must register as a Registered Home Inspector with the State Board of Appraisers, Abstracters, and Home Inspectors (Home Inspector Division), housed in the Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing, under the Arkansas Home Inspectors Registration Act (A.C.A. Title 17, Subtitle 2, Chapter 52, Subchapter 3) and Code of Arkansas Rules 17 CAR 200. The former standalone Home Inspector Registration Board was merged into this board effective July 1, 2023. Registration requires 80 hours of board-approved qualifying education completed within the prior three years, passing both the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE) and the ASHI Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics Examination, and carrying at least $100,000 in professional liability / errors-and-omissions insurance. The registration fee is $250 per year and renews annually with continuing education.

Regulatory Body Profile

Authority over this credential rests with State Board of Appraisers, Abstracters, and Home Inspectors (Home Inspector Division), Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing (AALB), which issues and polices it under Arkansas Code Title 17, Subtitle 2, Chapter 52, Subchapter 3 (Arkansas Home Inspectors Registration Act, A.C.A. §§ 17-52-301 et seq.); Code of Arkansas Rules 17 CAR 200 (Agency 235, Rule 235.00.22-002). State board that registers and regulates home inspectors, approves qualifying education, administers registration and annual renewal, and enforces standards of practice and a code of ethics. The acronym AALB appears in some records but is tentative for the merged board and is not clearly standardized as official.

The Eligibility Audit

Eligibility begins with two baseline checks: the applicant must be 0 or older and must provide a valid Social Security Number. No in-state residency requirement is stated in the official board sources reviewed; reciprocal and out-of-state registration pathways are expressly provided under 17 CAR 200-504.

Good moral character

The board enforces a code of ethics and standards of practice for registrants. The official sources reviewed do not state a separate, standalone good-moral-character clause; confirm character requirements with the board.

Background investigation

Not confirmed on the official board sources reviewed. A criminal background check is plausible under general Arkansas occupational-licensing law but could not be verified; confirm directly with the board before filing.

Disqualifying conditions

Experience and Education Standards

Rather than a set number of years, the cited materials define eligibility through 80 hours of board-approved qualifying education completed within the three-year period immediately preceding the application date: a minimum of 64 hours of instruction plus a minimum of 16 hours of field training. No separately specified number of standalone supervised inspections is set for resident applicants; out-of-state and non-regulated-state applicants must additionally submit sample inspection reports..

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

  • Board-approved qualifying-education completion certificates (64 instruction + 16 field-training hours, completed within the prior three years)
  • Proof of passing the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE)
  • Proof of passing the ASHI Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics Examination
  • Sample inspection reports (required for out-of-state / non-regulated-state applicants)

Education substitution

One unverified, single-source record indicates ICC-certified city inspectors and licensed builders with 10 years' experience may be exempt from the qualifying-education requirement (not the examination). This exemption is unverified on official sources; confirm with the board before relying on it.

The Exam Syllabus

No written state trade examination is mandated for this credential in the cited materials. Instead, the operative process is: National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE), administered by the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors and commonly delivered via PSI, plus the ASHI Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics Examination administered by ASHI. The Arkansas rule names both exams but not the delivery vendor; PSI/EBPHI administration is inferred from general NHIE practice.

Examination fee: Set by the exam providers (NHIE/PSI and ASHI); not set by the board. Confirm the current amounts directly with the vendors.

Retake policy: The official board sources reviewed do not specify retake limits or waiting periods; retake policy is governed by the respective exam providers (EBPHI/PSI for the NHIE and ASHI for the standards/ethics exam). Confirm before scheduling a retake.

Bonding, Insurance & Financial Security

For this credential the financial-responsibility question is one of professional liability coverage, not a contractor surety bond. The state-specific position is detailed below.

General liability

Registrants must carry at least $100,000 in professional liability / errors-and-omissions (E&O) insurance. Under the 2025 amendment to A.C.A. 17-52-318 (Act 974 of 2025 / HB1625, effective Aug. 5, 2025), the policy must be a professional liability or E&O policy approved by the Arkansas State Insurance Department, with coverage limits of not less than $100,000. This replaced the prior general-liability requirement; the older agency rule 17 CAR 200-503 still references general liability of at least $100,000 and may lag the amended statute, which controls. The exact act number should be confirmed against the official text (one source cited 'Act 947').

Workers' compensation

Not addressed in the home-inspector registration sources reviewed; standard Arkansas workers'-compensation law applies to inspectors who employ workers.

Additional financial requirements

No financial statement is required by the sources reviewed.

Schedule of Fees

Fee Amount
Application (non-refundable)$250
Initial license$250
Renewal (every year)$250

To turn these board fees into a realistic year-one budget — bond premium, liability insurance, and exam prep included — open the cost calculator preloaded for Arkansas home inspector.

Renewal and Continuing Obligations

The Registered Home Inspector runs on a year renewal cycle. The current renewal fee is $250. Registration renews annually and all renewal items must be received by the board no later than December 1 of the year the registration expires. CE begins after the first 12 months of registration, and failure to complete CE can result in suspension.

Continuing education: 14 hours of approved continuing education per year, of which a minimum of 8 hours must be approved mandatory courses. An additional in-person vs. self-study/correspondence split was cited by some sources but is not clearly confirmed in the official rule text reviewed.

Downloadable Asset

2026 Arkansas Home Inspector License Roadmap (PDF) — a printable step-by-step checklist for the application process.

Download the PDF roadmap →

Out-of-State Reciprocity

Whether Arkansas recognizes a home inspector licensed elsewhere — and on what terms — is detailed below.

Reciprocal State Accepted Exam Conditions
No formal bilateral reciprocity agreements identified.

Arkansas provides reciprocal and out-of-state registration pathways under 17 CAR 200-504. Reciprocal applicants must hold a substantially similar home-inspector license, registration, or certification in good standing in another U.S. jurisdiction, demonstrate competency, and submit proof of passing the NHIE and the ASHI Standards/Ethics examination plus sample inspection reports. Applicants from non-regulated states must pass both exams and submit inspection reports. A temporary or provisional registration may be issued while documentation is completed, and the board may waive pre-registration education where the other state's requirements met or exceeded Arkansas's at the time of original licensure. NASCLA does not govern home inspectors.

Weighing more than one jurisdiction? The national hub compares Home Inspector license requirements in every state — exam, bond, fee, and experience thresholds side by side.

Home Inspector Licensing in Neighboring States

Contractors working near a state line, or weighing where to qualify first, should compare Arkansas's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

The Application Roadmap

  1. Confirm the registration requirement and the board. Arkansas requires state registration to perform home inspections. Confirm current requirements with the State Board of Appraisers, Abstracters, and Home Inspectors (Home Inspector Division) within the Department of Labor and Licensing.
  2. Complete 80 hours of board-approved qualifying education. Finish at least 64 hours of instruction plus at least 16 hours of field training, all from a board-approved provider and all completed within the three years immediately before applying.
  3. Pass both required examinations. Sit for and pass the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE) and the ASHI Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics Examination. Retain official pass documentation for the application.
  4. Obtain qualifying insurance. Secure at least $100,000 in professional liability / E&O coverage approved by the Arkansas State Insurance Department, as required by the 2025 amendment to A.C.A. 17-52-318.
  5. Submit the registration application and fee. File the registration application with proof of education, exam passage, and insurance, and pay the $250-per-year registration fee (proration may apply depending on the application date).
  6. Maintain registration through annual renewal and CE. Renew annually and complete 14 hours of approved continuing education per year (minimum 8 mandatory hours); all renewal items must reach the board by December 1 of the expiration year.

Pre-Application Checklist

Have each of the following squared away before the packet goes to AALB:

Where Applications Stall

The errors below are the ones that most frequently cost Arkansas Home Inspector applicants time, drawn from the cited board guidance.

Relying on the outdated general-liability rule instead of the E&O mandate

The older agency rule 17 CAR 200-503 still references general liability, but the 2025 amendment to A.C.A. 17-52-318 requires a professional liability / E&O policy of at least $100,000 approved by the State Insurance Department, and the statute controls.

Letting qualifying education age out of the three-year window

All 80 hours of qualifying education must be completed within the three-year period immediately preceding the application date. Coursework completed earlier may not count, forcing an applicant to retake hours before registering.

Missing the December 1 renewal and CE deadline

All renewal items, including the 14 CE hours (minimum 8 mandatory), must reach the board by December 1 of the expiration year. Failure to complete CE can result in suspension of the registration.

Assuming a single exam or a vendor-confirmed fee

Two separate exams (NHIE and ASHI standards/ethics) are required, and exam fees are set by the providers, not the board. The board sources reviewed do not confirm retake rules, question counts, or passing scores; confirm these with the vendors before scheduling.

Recommended Study Materials

The list below collects the board's cited references and the materials applicants typically study from. CLR is not paid to recommend any of them.

  • National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE) candidate handbook and study guide — Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors (EBPHI). Official content outline and preparation materials for the NHIE, one of the two exams required for Arkansas registration.
  • ASHI Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics — American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI). Source material for the ASHI Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics Examination required by the Arkansas rule.
  • Arkansas Home Inspector Division Statutes (2025) and 17 CAR 200 rules — Arkansas Department of Labor and Licensing. Authoritative text on registration, insurance, reciprocity, and continuing-education requirements; confirm current provisions before filing.

Other Arkansas Trade Licenses

For a different Arkansas credential, see these companion guides published by CLR:

Common Questions

Does Arkansas require a license to perform home inspections?

Yes. Arkansas registers home inspectors at the state level. An inspector must register as a Registered Home Inspector with the State Board of Appraisers, Abstracters, and Home Inspectors (Home Inspector Division) within the Department of Labor and Licensing, under the Arkansas Home Inspectors Registration Act and 17 CAR 200.

What education is required to register?

An applicant must complete 80 hours of board-approved qualifying education: at least 64 hours of instruction plus at least 16 hours of field training. All hours must be completed within the three-year period immediately preceding the application date.

Which examinations must an applicant pass?

Applicants must pass two exams: the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE) and the ASHI Standards of Practice and Code of Ethics Examination. The Arkansas rule names both exams; the NHIE is commonly delivered through PSI, though the rule does not name the delivery vendor.

What insurance must an Arkansas home inspector carry?

Registrants must carry at least $100,000 in professional liability / errors-and-omissions insurance approved by the Arkansas State Insurance Department, under the 2025 amendment to A.C.A. 17-52-318. This replaced the prior general-liability mandate; no surety bond is required for registered home inspectors.

How much does registration cost and how often does it renew?

The official board page lists a registration fee of $250.00 per year, and registration renews annually. Proration may apply depending on the application date. Exam fees are set separately by the providers and are not collected by the board; verify the current fee schedule with the board before filing.

What continuing education is required to renew?

Renewal requires 14 hours of approved continuing education per year, of which at least 8 hours must be approved mandatory courses. All renewal items must be received by the board no later than December 1 of the expiration year, and failure to complete CE can result in suspension.

Primary Sources

Regulatory requirements on this page are drawn from the official board, statute, and exam-provider materials listed below.

  1. Arkansas Dept. of Labor and Licensing — Home Inspector Registration Board
  2. How to Become a Registered Home Inspector in Arkansas (official board page)
  3. Arkansas State Legislature — Act 974 of 2025 (HB1625), amending A.C.A. 17-52-318 (home inspector insurance)
  4. Code of Arkansas Rules 17 CAR 200-504 — Registration for out-of-state home inspectors
  5. Code of Arkansas Rules 17 CAR 200-506 — Continuing education
  6. Arkansas Home Inspector Division Statutes (2025 PDF)

Verified 2026-06-29  ·  Next scheduled review 2026-09-27