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How to become a home inspector in Idaho

To become a home inspector in Idaho, you need no state license or exam. The state's Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses says Idaho does not regulate home inspectors.

No state licenseChecked on . Updated

Idaho at a glance

Idaho at a glance
ItemIdaho
State licenseNone
State examNone
Recent billsNone on home inspectors found from 2019 to 2026

Steps to start inspecting in Idaho

  1. 01

    Learn the trade through a course or training of your choice. Idaho sets no hour count.

  2. 02

    Take the NHIE if you want a recognized exam result. The state does not require it.

  3. 03

    Join a trade group, such as ASHI, if you want one of its titles.

What the state says

The Idaho Real Estate Commission's page, run by the Division of Occupational and Professional Licenses, says the state does not regulate property managers, homeowners associations, or home inspectors. House Bill 585 of 2026, which became law, covers electrical, plumbing, and heating permit inspections, not home inspectors.

Where the NHIE still fits

The NHIE is open to anyone. ASHI, the American Society of Home Inspectors, asks members in a state with no license to pass it before they move up to its Inspector level, along with 50 paid inspections. Its ASHI Certified Inspector title asks for the NHIE and 250 paid inspections.

How long it takes in Idaho

Idaho has no home inspector license, so the state sets no hours, field work, or wait. How long it takes depends on the training you choose.

Home inspector pay in Idaho

BLS puts the median pay for construction and building inspectors in Idaho at $63,570 a year in May 2025, against $74,690 for the whole country. BLS counts about 1,000 people in that job in the state, and home inspectors are one specialty in the group, next to city and county code inspectors.

The number leaves out the self-employed. An inspector who owns the business is self-employed, so that pay isn't in it. For what owners report, see how much home inspectors make.

Idaho next to the other states

  • NHIE required
  • NHIE accepted
  • State exam only
  • License, no exam
  • No state license
  • Adds a state section

Idaho is ringed. Each square opens that state's page.

More on the exam

Questions people ask

Do home inspectors need a license in Idaho?

No. The state says it does not regulate home inspectors.

Do I need to pass the NHIE in Idaho?

The state does not require it. ASHI asks members in a state with no license to pass it to move up to its Inspector level.

How long does it take to become a home inspector in Idaho?

Idaho has no home inspector license, so the state sets no hours, field work, or wait. How long it takes depends on the training you choose.

How much do home inspectors make in Idaho?

BLS publishes no separate figure for home inspectors. It counts them with construction and building inspectors, whose median pay in Idaho was $63,570 a year in May 2025. That figure leaves out the self-employed, which includes an inspector who owns the business.

See where you stand

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Becoming a home inspector

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