SB 599

Under current law, subject to certain exceptions, no individual may act as a

home inspector, use the title “home inspector," use any title or description that

implies that he or she is a home inspector, or represent himself or herself to be a home

inspector unless the individual is registered with the Department of Safety and

Professional Services. Similarly, no business entity may provide home inspection

services, and no business entity may use the title “home inspectors" to describe the

business entity's services, unless each of the home inspectors employed by the

business entity is so registered. In order to become a registered home inspector, an

individual must not have a disqualifying criminal record and must pass an

examination approved by DSPS. The practice of home inspectors is governed by

statutes and by rules promulgated by DSPS. This bill does the following with respect

to the law governing home inspectors:

1. Requires home inspectors to be licensed, rather than registered. The bill

grandfathers current registrants in as licensees.

2. Requires, in order to be granted a home inspector license, that an individual

complete 120 hours of instruction and 40 hours of field training, as well as the

requirements under current law for a home inspector registration.

3. Provides for reciprocal licensure of home inspectors licensed in other states

who have comparable or more stringent requirements.

4. Adjusts the contents that a report submitted by a home inspector to a client

is required to contain, including by adding a number of required elements for the

report and requiring defects to be identified as such.