How to become a home inspector in Missouri

To become a home inspector in Missouri, you need no state license or exam, because Missouri has none. House Bill 1832 would have created a license in 2027, but it died in committee in May 2026.

No state licenseChecked on October 14, 2026. Updated October 27, 2026

Missouri at a glance

Missouri at a glance
Item	Missouri
State license	None
State exam	None
Last bill	House Bill 1832 of 2026. Died in committee May 15, 2026.

Steps to start inspecting in Missouri

01
Learn the trade through a course or training of your choice. Missouri sets no hour count.
02
Take the NHIE if you want a recognized exam result. The state does not require it.
03
Join a trade group, such as ASHI, if you want one of its titles.

What House Bill 1832 would have done

The bill would have created a 5-member board and required 80 hours of training and a board exam, starting January 1, 2027. Working inspectors could have qualified with 2 years of work, a proctored exam, and 100 paid reports. It was prefiled December 1, 2025, and was last referred to a committee on May 15, 2026, the day pending bills were tabled. Earlier bills in 2012, 2019, and 2020 died too.

Two Missouri laws touch the work. Real estate agents are not liable for an inspector's statements. Since 2024, no city or county can require a home inspection before a sale.

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 Missouri

Missouri 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 Missouri

BLS puts the median pay for construction and building inspectors in Missouri at $62,970 a year in May 2025, against $74,690 for the whole country. BLS counts about 1,640 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.

Missouri next to the other states

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

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

More on the exam

Questions people ask

Do home inspectors need a license in Missouri?

No. Missouri has no home inspector license. House Bill 1832 would have created one, but it died in 2026.

Do I need to pass the NHIE in Missouri?

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 Missouri?

Missouri 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 Missouri?

BLS publishes no separate figure for home inspectors. It counts them with construction and building inspectors, whose median pay in Missouri was $62,970 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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