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How to become a home inspector in Minnesota

To become a home inspector in Minnesota, you need no state license or exam. The Minnesota Attorney General's Home Buyer's Handbook says home inspectors are not regulated by the state.

No state licenseChecked on . Updated

Minnesota at a glance

Minnesota at a glance
ItemMinnesota
State licenseNone
State examNone
Last billSenate File 3481 of 2006. Died in committee.
City licenseMinneapolis licenses Truth-in-Sale-of-Housing evaluators, a separate city credential

Steps to start inspecting in Minnesota

  1. 01

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

  2. 02

    If you plan to work in Minneapolis on Truth-in-Sale-of-Housing evaluations, check the city's license.

  3. 03

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

  4. 04

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

The law that does touch the work

Minnesota Statutes 513.56, subdivision 3, lets a seller meet the disclosure duty with a report from a qualified third party. It does not license anyone. Neither the Department of Commerce nor the Department of Labor and Industry lists a home inspector license.

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 Minnesota

Minnesota 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 Minnesota

BLS puts the median pay for construction and building inspectors in Minnesota at $88,670 a year in May 2025, against $74,690 for the whole country. BLS counts about 1,390 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.

Minnesota next to the other states

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

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

More on the exam

Questions people ask

Do home inspectors need a license in Minnesota?

No. The Attorney General's office says home inspectors are not regulated by the state.

Do I need to pass the NHIE in Minnesota?

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 Minnesota?

Minnesota 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 Minnesota?

BLS publishes no separate figure for home inspectors. It counts them with construction and building inspectors, whose median pay in Minnesota was $88,670 a year in May 2025. That figure leaves out the self-employed, which includes an inspector who owns the business.

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Becoming a home inspector

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