Massachusetts Licensure (Chapter 146) enacted in 1999. Massachusetts law requires home inspectors and associate home inspectors to be licensed under the Board of Registration of Home Inspectors. The Board is required to:

1) establish the requirements for licensure and for the standards of professional and ethical conduct;

2) establish standards for continuing education;

3) authorize and conduct examinations;

4) grant licenses to qualified applicants; and

5) establish penalties.

The law also requires that the Director of the Office of Consumer Affairs and Business Regulation publish an informational brochure on home inspections which must be issued to home buyers at the signing of an offer to purchase. Licensed home inspectors must:

1) have successfully completed high school or its equivalent;

2) have been engaged as a licensed associate home inspector for not less than one year and have performed not less than 100 home inspections under the supervision of a licensed home inspector;

3) have passed the National Home Inspector Examination; and

4) paid the appropriate fee.

A licensed associate home inspector must:

1) have successfully completed high school or its equivalent;

2) have successfully completed a Board-approved training program;

3) have performed not less than 25 home inspections in the presence of a licensed home inspector;

4) have passed the National Home Inspector Examination;

5) have an identified supervisor who is a person licensed in good standing as a home inspector; and

6) paid the appropriate fee.

Licensed home inspectors and associate home inspectors must carry errors and omissions insurance in an amount not less than $250,000. Also, a home inspector or associate home inspector may not attempt to limit liability for negligent or wrongful errors or omissions by use of a clause within a performance contract that limits the cost of damages from negligent or wrongful errors or omissions.

Amendment to Current Law (Chapter 146 of 1999) enacted in 2001. The amended section of the law (Chapter 17 of 2001) extends the time period during which the Board may issue a temporary license to an applicant seeking licensure as a home inspector. The law moves the effective date back to November 1, 2001 from May 1, 2001 and establishes the criteria under which a temporary license may be issued. A temporary license may be issued if:

1) an individual has been engaged in home inspection for not less than three years prior to the effective date and has performed at least 100 inspections for compensation, or

2) an individual has been engaged in the practice of home inspection for not less than one year prior to the effective date, and has performed at least 125 inspections for compensation.

Temporary licenses shall terminate in 90 days, or whenever the applicant furnishes proof of having passed a licensing examination approved by the Board, whichever occurs first.

For more information, link to www.mass.gov/dpl/boards/hi/faq.htm