Which home inspector associations require the NHIE?
The American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) is the one group whose own pages require the National Home Inspector Exam (NHIE), for its ASHI Certified Inspector title. CREIA in California is merging into ASHI, and a few other groups accept the NHIE as one option among several.
Checked on October 4, 2026
Who requires it, who accepts it
This table lists each group as its own pages read on October 4, 2026. CREIA's rows come from its site as of June 2026, because the live site would not load.
| Group | NHIE rule | Exam it uses otherwise |
|---|---|---|
| ASHI | Required for ASHI Certified Inspector in every state; required at the Inspector level where a state has no license | None |
| CREIA (California) | Its old Certified CREIA Inspector title required it; that title is no longer offered | Members are pointed to ASHI Certified Inspector |
| North American Association of Home Inspectors (AHI) | Accepted for full members, as one option | InterNACHI's exam or a similar state or national exam |
| National Home Inspector Certification Council (Canada) | Accepted in place of its written exam | Its own national exam |
| InterNACHI | Not accepted | Its own free online exam |
| NAHI | Not used | InterNACHI's exam since 2016 |
| FABI (Florida) | Not mentioned | Its own accreditation exam |
| GAHI (Georgia) | Not required | International Code Council exams for its top tier |
| CAHPI (Canada) | Not mentioned | The CAHPI National Exam |
ASHI
ASHI says the NHIE is "required of all American Society of Home Inspectors (ASHI) Certified Inspectors." The ASHI Certified Inspector checklist also asks for 250 paid inspections, 5 reports, and a $449 application fee. At the Inspector level, the NHIE stands in for a state license where there isn't one. The details are in does ASHI require the NHIE?
CREIA is becoming part of ASHI
The California Real Estate Inspection Association is turning into the California ASHI/CREIA State Chapter. As of June 2026, CREIA's site said its CCI and MCI titles would no longer be offered. Members who want a new credential are steered to ASHI Certified Inspector, which requires the NHIE.
Full members of the new chapter must also belong to ASHI. The chapter's join page names no exam for any member type.
Groups that accept it as one option
The North American Association of Home Inspectors makes inspectors full members after more than 100 inspections and a passed exam. The NHIE counts, and so do InterNACHI's exam and similar state or national exams.
In Canada, the National Home Inspector Certification Council accepts the NHIE as an equivalent to its written exam, with valid documents. For Canadian licensing, see is the NHIE accepted in Canada?
Groups that use their own exam
InterNACHI gives its own free online exam and accepts no other. Florida's FABI uses its own accreditation exam. Georgia's GAHI asks its top tier to pass International Code Council exams. In Canada, CAHPI uses the CAHPI National Exam.
Where EBPHI's list is out of date
EBPHI's FAQ says the NHIE is a membership requirement for ASHI, the American Institute of Inspectors, the Hawaii Association of Home Inspectors, APHIS in Alberta, CAHPI, and CREIA. We could confirm only ASHI on the group's own site.
- The American Institute of Inspectors' site names no exam.
- The Hawaii group's web address shows a parked page.
- APHIS named the NHIE in 2021, but its current page doesn't.
- CAHPI's pages require its own exam.
- CREIA has dropped the title that required it.
If you are taking the NHIE for one of these groups, ask the group first. Your score is not sent to anyone for you, so you will need to send it yourself.
Questions people ask
Does InterNACHI accept the NHIE?
No. InterNACHI's exam page says it accepts no other exam in place of its own Online Inspector Examination.
Is NAHI still around?
Not as it was. InterNACHI's history page says NAHI dissolved on December 4, 2016, reformed the next day under InterNACHI's control, and moved to InterNACHI's exam.
Does EBPHI give a certification for passing?
No title that we found. EBPHI offers a public database where people who passed can list the credential, and it says it is not a membership group.
See where you stand
Take a free 200 question practice exam, weighted like the NHIE, with your score by task.