Division Delays Home Inspector Licensing

Blog, Home Inspection, Real Estate

Home Inspection Program Goes Live

In a statement issued October 11, 2019, the Division of Real Estate advised that it will not enforce the November 1, 2019 licensing deadline for new home inspectors. The Ohio Home Inspector Program will be on hold until the Division adopts new administrative rules for the program, which are currently pending. The administrative rules, a draft copy of which are available on the Division’s website, set forth the fees, applications, background check, education, experience requirements for licensure. The rules also establish a canon of ethics, standards of practice for inspectors and procedures for the Board to order discipline against an inspector’s license.

Both the program’s licensing and enforcement functions are affected, with the Division advising that it will not pursue an actions for non-compliance with the home inspector laws pending the adoption of the new rules. Additionally, the Division will delay enforcement of the requirement that if real estate licensees provide the names of home inspectors to clients, they must provide the name of at least three licensed home inspectors.

The Ohio Home Inspector Program was signed into law on January 4, 2019, and became effective of April 5, 2019. On July 5, 2019, the Division released applications for current home inspectors and set the November 1, 2019 deadline for current home inspectors to apply for grandfathered licenses. The law allows for 120 days from the date the program becomes operational, for applicants to obtain a grandfathered license, provided certain requirements are met. The Division has not set a new deadline for home inspectors to obtain a grandfathered license.

Because the administrative rules have not yet been formally filed for adoption, it is likely the program will not become operational until sometime in 2020. Those interested in receiving updates about the program can sign up on our home inspection program page.

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