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Mississippi Home Inspector License Requirements (2026)

Gabriel Giner

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

Mississippi licenses home inspectors at the state level. Licensing is governed by Miss. Code Ann. § 73-60-1 et seq. (Title 73, Chapter 60), the Mississippi Home Inspector Licensing and Regulation Act. As of July 1, 2024 the program is administered by the Mississippi Appraisal Board (MAB) through its Home Inspection Division (MHID, mhid.ms.gov); it was previously administered by the Mississippi Real Estate Commission (MREC), and some legacy documents remain on the mrec.ms.gov domain. To qualify, an applicant must be at least 21, hold a high school diploma or equivalency, complete a 60-hour approved course of study, pass the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE), clear a fingerprint-based criminal history records check, and provide certificates of errors-and-omissions (E&O) and general liability insurance. Licenses run on a two-year cycle requiring 20 hours of continuing education.

Regulatory Oversight

Mississippi Appraisal Board, Home Inspection Division (MAB / MHID) administers and enforces this credential under the authority of Miss. Code Ann. § 73-60-1 et seq. (Title 73, Chapter 60 — Home Inspectors); Mississippi Home Inspector Licensing and Regulation Act. Administers home inspector licensing in Mississippi: sets eligibility (60-hour education and the NHIE exam), approves pre-licensing course providers, manages continuing education, adopts Standards of Practice and a Code of Ethics, runs fingerprint background checks, and handles complaints and discipline. As of July 1, 2024 the program operates under the Mississippi Appraisal Board (MAB) through its Home Inspection Division (MHID); it was previously administered by the Mississippi Real Estate Commission (MREC).

Who May Apply

To qualify, an applicant must have reached age 21 and hold a valid Social Security Number. No Mississippi residency requirement is stated for licensure; nonresident inspectors may qualify by reciprocity under Miss. Code Ann. § 73-60-25.

Good moral character

The applicant must complete high school or attain an equivalency (GED) and clear a fingerprint-based criminal history records check; the Board adopts and enforces a Code of Ethics and may take disciplinary action.

Background investigation

Required. Effective July 1, 2021, all applicants for licensure and for renewal must undergo a fingerprint-based criminal history records check against the Mississippi central criminal database and the FBI database.

Disqualifying conditions

Required Experience and Education

There is no published year count for this credential in the cited sources. What actually controls eligibility is 60 hours of an approved course of study (which may include field work as required by the Board). No fixed number of supervised or parallel inspections is mandated. Separately, Miss. Code Ann. § 73-60-39 provides an alternative qualification-without-examination path: at least 20 fee-paid inspections in the prior 12 months, or 100 over a career, or a HUD/USDOE-approved certification (this path is sourced by a single verifier record; confirm with the Board before relying on it)..

Accepted proof of experience or eligibility

  • Certificate of completion for the 60-hour MHID/MAB-approved pre-licensing course
  • High school diploma or GED equivalency
  • Proof of passing the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE)

Education substitution

Under the § 73-60-39 alternative path, demonstrated inspection experience (20 fee-paid inspections in 12 months or 100 career inspections) or a HUD/USDOE-approved certification may qualify an applicant without the NHIE; verify current acceptance with the Board.

Examination Requirements

This credential carries no state-administered written exam under the cited sources. What governs instead is: National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE), developed by the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors (EBPHI) and typically delivered via PSI. Official MHID/MAB sources and the statute confirm that passing the NHIE is required to attain the basic license. The question count, time limit, and passing score are set nationally by EBPHI and are not published on an official Mississippi .gov source; the PSI delivery vendor was not independently confirmed on a Mississippi source.

Examination fee: Not collected by the Mississippi board; the NHIE exam fee is paid directly to the national exam provider.

Retake policy: Retake and scoring rules for the NHIE are set nationally by EBPHI and are not published on an official Mississippi .gov source; confirm with the exam provider.

Insurance and Financial Requirements

Home inspection is insured through professional liability cover rather than the bond construction contractors file. The specific requirement that applies here follows.

General liability

The applicant must provide a certificate of insurance for both errors-and-omissions (E&O) and general liability coverage as a condition of licensure (confirmed on official MHID/state sources). The specific coverage amounts are not stated in the record; confirm current minimums with the Board before filing.

Workers' compensation

Not addressed in the licensing record; standard Mississippi workers' compensation rules apply to a firm with employees.

Additional financial requirements

Not required.

Licensing Fees

Fee Amount
Application (non-refundable)$175
Initial license — sole ownerNo separate state fee
Initial license — non-sole ownerNo separate state fee
Renewal (every 2 years)$325

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 Mississippi home inspector.

Keeping the License Current

Renewal of the Home Inspector License comes due every 2 years. As cited, the renewal fee stands at $325. The license expires two years after its date of issuance. The board may issue a renewal without re-examination upon a completed renewal application, payment of the renewal fee, a fingerprint background check, and completion of CE.

Continuing education: 20 hours of approved continuing education per two-year cycle

Downloadable Asset

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

Download the PDF roadmap →

Reciprocity and License Transfer

The treatment of out-of-state home inspectors in Mississippi is described below.

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

Under Miss. Code Ann. § 73-60-25, a license may be issued by reciprocity to a nonresident home inspector who (a) holds a valid certification, registration, or license in good standing from another state whose requirements are substantially identical to Mississippi's, OR (b) has passed the examination offered by the American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) or the National Association of Home Inspectors (NAHI). Military-trained applicants and military spouses are handled under Miss. Code Ann. § 73-50-1 / § 73-50-2.

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 Mississippi's requirements against the bordering jurisdictions before committing to an application:

Application Process, Step by Step

  1. Confirm baseline eligibility. Be at least 21 years old and hold a high school diploma or GED equivalency before applying for the Mississippi Home Inspector License.
  2. Complete the 60-hour approved course. Finish a 60-hour course of study approved by the MHID/MAB, which may include field work as required by the Board, and retain the certificate of completion.
  3. Pass the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE). Register with the national exam provider, pay the NHIE fee directly to that provider, and pass the exam to demonstrate minimum competence.
  4. Complete the fingerprint background check. Undergo a fingerprint-based criminal history records check against the Mississippi central criminal database and the FBI database, as required since July 1, 2021.
  5. Obtain E&O and general liability insurance. Secure certificates of both errors-and-omissions and general liability coverage; no surety bond is required for home inspectors in Mississippi.
  6. File the application and pay state fees. Submit the MHID/MAB application with the $175 application fee and the $325 license fee, attaching the course certificate, NHIE results, background check, and insurance certificates.

Recommended References

What follows are the regulator-cited and commonly used preparation references for this trade. They appear here for convenience only; CLR takes no compensation for them.

  • National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE) Candidate Handbook — Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors (EBPHI). Defines the national NHIE content; the exam is the required Mississippi licensing exam. Editions and code references are set nationally and may change.
  • Mississippi Home Inspector License Law (July 1, 2024) — Mississippi Appraisal Board / Home Inspection Division. Authoritative statutory text governing eligibility, the NHIE requirement, insurance, reciprocity, and discipline.

Frequent Application Errors

Working from the cited board instructions, here are the snags most likely to trip up a Mississippi Home Inspector filing.

Relying on outdated MREC branding and legacy documents

Administration moved to the Mississippi Appraisal Board (MHID) on July 1, 2024. Some fee schedules and the 2021 license law still sit on the mrec.ms.gov domain and reference the 'Commission'; verify the current process on mhid.ms.gov.

Forgetting the fingerprint background check at renewal

Since July 1, 2021 the fingerprint-based criminal history check applies to both initial licensure AND renewal, not just first-time applicants; missing it can delay renewal.

Skipping the dual insurance requirement

Mississippi requires certificates for BOTH errors-and-omissions and general liability coverage as a licensure condition; a single policy may not satisfy both, and no surety bond substitutes for them.

Assuming a fixed number of supervised inspections

No set count of supervised inspections is mandated for the standard path. The 20/100-inspection figures belong to the separate § 73-60-39 qualification-without-examination route, which is sourced by a single record and should be confirmed with the Board.

Document Checklist

The items below are the ones worth confirming before the application is filed with MAB / MHID:

Other Mississippi Trade Licenses

If the Home Inspector license is not the right fit, the following published Mississippi trade guides are also covered by CLR:

Questions Applicants Ask

Does Mississippi license home inspectors?

Yes. Mississippi licenses home inspectors statewide under Miss. Code Ann. § 73-60-1 et seq. As of July 1, 2024 the program is administered by the Mississippi Appraisal Board through its Home Inspection Division (MHID), having previously been run by the Mississippi Real Estate Commission.

What exam is required for a Mississippi home inspector license?

Applicants must pass the National Home Inspector Examination (NHIE), developed by the Examination Board of Professional Home Inspectors (EBPHI). The exam fee is paid to the national provider, not the Mississippi board, and the specific question count, time, and passing score are set nationally rather than published by the state.

How much does the Mississippi home inspector license cost?

The state charges a $175 application fee and a $325 license fee, with renewal also $325 on a two-year cycle. A delinquent renewal carries a 100% penalty ($325), for $650 total. Miscellaneous services such as a change of address or duplicate license are $25 each. The NHIE fee, course tuition, and insurance are additional and paid to third parties.

How often must a Mississippi home inspector renew, and is there continuing education?

The license expires two years after its date of issuance. Renewal requires a completed application, the $325 renewal fee, a fingerprint background check, and 20 hours of approved continuing education per two-year cycle. The board may renew without re-examination once these conditions are met.

Can an out-of-state home inspector get licensed in Mississippi by reciprocity?

Yes. Under Miss. Code Ann. § 73-60-25, a nonresident may be licensed by reciprocity if they hold a license in good standing from a state with substantially identical requirements, or have passed the ASHI or NAHI examination. Military-trained applicants and military spouses are handled under Miss. Code Ann. § 73-50-1 / § 73-50-2.

Primary Sources

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

  1. Mississippi Home Inspection Division — Home (official .gov)
  2. MHID — About (confirms MAB oversight, Act name, statute § 73-60-1 et seq., effective July 1, 2024)
  3. MHID — Forms (application/background-check forms; NHIE; CE)
  4. Mississippi Appraisal Board — How to Become a Licensed Home Inspector (official .gov PDF)
  5. Mississippi Home Inspector License Law (July 1, 2024) — official PDF
  6. State of Mississippi Home Inspector Fees — official fee schedule PDF

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