# Licensing/Certification of Code Inspectors per State



## jar546 (Sep 1, 2019)

I decided to put this in the Code Administration area because once you are licensed or certified by your state, you must administer the code per state and local laws.  With that being said:

What are the requirements for your state, county of municipality in order to become a licensed or certified inspector or plans examiner?  I do realize that some places may not have a program at all for this.  I will start with the 2 states that I am familiar with.

FLORIDA
You must apply to the Florida Division of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) under the Building Code Administrators and Inspectors Board (BCAIB) and prove with paperwork, 5 years of direct work experience in the field that you intend to be licensed under.  The board must approve every application and then you can take and pass the appropriate ICC test and then the Florida Principles and Practices test before you are allowed to work.  If you are requested to meet with the board, you must be sworn in and testify under oath.

PENNSYLVANIA
You take and pass an ICC test and send in your application with the fee of $102.20 to PA L&I UCC division.


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## fatboy (Sep 1, 2019)

Nothing required at the State, County level, or in my jurisdiction. 

My, shop, I try to get my folks certified ASAP, but not a condition prior to hiring. 

I am more concerned with having inspectors that have true hands on experience, not just passing the tests. 

I am four tests away from my MCP; am I an expert in all those fields? Hell no.


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## cda (Sep 1, 2019)

For Texas fire inspector,

There is about a 200 hour course and state test to take. Plus 32 hours or so continuing Ed per year.

For building official, and different types of inspectors, I believe it is up to each city what certifications are required.

I know the plumbing inspectors are supposed to have state certification,,,, but the inspector that came out and looked at my natural gas work recently,,, had none...


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## TheCommish (Sep 2, 2019)

Massachusetts has 2 levels of Building Officials, Building Commissioner and Local Inspector linked here https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter143/Section3

Regulation linked here https://www.mass.gov/doc/chapter-110-special-regulations-r7/download

The rules promulgated require a modified CBO certificate from the  ICC for Commissioner and 








plumbing, gas and inspector of wires are handled bseparateat board and requirments


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## jar546 (Sep 2, 2019)

TheCommish said:


> Massachusetts has 2 levels of Building Officials, Building Commissioner and Local Inspector linked here https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXX/Chapter143/Section3
> 
> Regulation linked here https://www.mass.gov/doc/chapter-110-special-regulations-r7/download
> 
> ...


What about plans examiners?


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## TheCommish (Sep 2, 2019)

jar most of us in Mass. are; plans examiner, field inspector both residential and commercial, mechanical inspector, zoning enforcement officer, some biger communities have specialist. I am fortunate and hava a Local Inspector who does most of my residential work; permit review, permit issuance and inspections


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## mtlogcabin (Sep 3, 2019)

*24.301.206*    STAFF QUALIFICATION

(1) City, county, or town plumbing and electrical inspectors must be either Montana licensed journeymen or inspector certified in the craft being inspected.

(2) City, county, or town building and mechanical inspectors must be either inspector certified or have a construction related engineering or architecture degree or license. A mechanical inspector may also be qualified by having a Montana plumbing license.

(3) Plans examiners must be either plans examiner certified, or be building inspector qualified as allowed in (2) .

(4) Certification must be by a nationally recognized entity for testing and certification in the same code as is adopted by the department. The certification must be considered current by the certifying entity. In the situation where a new edition or replacement code has been published but is not yet adopted by the department, certification in the most recent published edition or replacement code is acceptable.

(5) Plumbing, electrical, mechanical or building inspector certification may be obtained as part of a combination inspector certification to the extent the individual inspector certifications meet the requirements of (4) .

(6) The types of buildings which may be inspected or plans examined by a particular certification classification shall be determined by the department utilizing the standards and recommendations of the entity administering the certification program. However, as a general rule, residential building inspector certification shall be acceptable for inspections of residential buildings containing less than five dwelling units.

(7) Newly hired building inspectors, mechanical inspectors and plans examiners who do not meet the certification standards listed above may conduct inspections and review plans if they obtain the necessary certification within six months of the date of hiring, and are supervised in the interim by appropriately certified personnel. If the city, county, or town code enforcement programs cannot provide supervision by a certified person, the newly hired noncertified building inspector or plans examiner must have actual practical experience in the construction trade, and must participate in six working days of on-the-job training with the department. Such training shall be at the expense of the city, county, or town employing the inspector. There shall be no fee charged by the department. Upon approval by the department, on-the-job training with another code enforcement program may be accepted. Upon approval by the department, four days of classroom training may be substituted for six days of on-the-job training.

(8) A city, county, or town may opt to have a medical gas piping permit and inspection program as part of a plumbing permit and inspection program. If the city, county, or town does not opt to have a medical gas permit and inspection program then such program will be administered by the department. Medical gas piping inspectors must either possess a Montana medical gas piping endorsement or have 30 hours of medical gas piping inspection training acceptable to the department.


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## steveray (Sep 3, 2019)

CT has our own certification and continuing ed program...Mainly BO and ABO, paid for by a small piece of each permit fee the Towns give to the State.

*Overview*
There are two routes to becoming a licensed building code enforcement official within the State of Connecticut – training and testing. To be admitted to either the Pre-Licensure Training Program or the credentialing examination for one of the nine categories of licensure, you must first meet the statutory and/or regulatory requirements established for that license.

Training
The Pre-Licensure Training Program is designed to assist qualified individuals prepare for their licensure examination. The training is held from September through May and typically meets twice a week, followed by a final examination. Training days and length of exam vary by licensure type, and are detailed on the last page of the application form. The 2019/2020 Pre-Licensure Training Program is closed.  The Application for the 2020/2021 training will be posted in June 2020.

Testing
The tests for Building Official and the eight subcategories of licensure are offered four times a year (Quarterly Exams). The exam for Building Official licensure is six-hours in length; for the other subcategories, length of exams vary by licensure type.

Both the Pre-Licensure Training Program final exams and the Quarterly Exams are based on the code books adopted in the current Connecticut State Building Code.

Specific exam details can be found in the OEDM Building Licensure Testing Policy


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## Inspector Gift (Sep 3, 2019)

Oregon requires all building officials, inspectors, and plans examiners to possess the basic OREGON INSPECTOR CERTIFICATION, plus have the Oregon certification for each specialized system or trade work they are inspecting/reviewing.  (ie., Commercial plumbing inspectors are required to have Oregon Plumbing Inspector Certification.)


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## jar546 (Sep 3, 2019)

Inspector Gift said:


> Oregon requires all building officials, inspectors, and plans examiners to possess the basic OREGON INSPECTOR CERTIFICATION, plus have the Oregon certification for each specialized system or trade work they are inspecting/reviewing.  (ie., Commercial plumbing inspectors are required to have Oregon Plumbing Inspector Certification.)


What do you need to qualify for those?


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## Rick18071 (Sep 3, 2019)

2 step process in PA

1. Pass ICC test
2. send money

No experience or education required but you need to be able to read.


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## Inspector Gift (Sep 3, 2019)

jar546 said:


> What do you need to qualify for those?


Oregon requirements for certification can be found on the Oregon Building Codes Division website:  https://www.oregon.gov/bcd/inspector-certs/Pages/certs.aspx

Oregon Certification Manual:   https://www.oregon.gov/bcd/inspector-certs/Documents/Certmanual.pdf 



Note:   Oregon's plumbing and electrical certs are much harder to obtain than it was 10 years ago, or even a year ago.


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## ADAguy (Sep 3, 2019)

California: It depends on the jurisdiction: State agencies (DSA - public K-12 & CC's, plan review by state architect & certified /tested inspectors (full time onsite inspectors), OSHPD - hospitals - plan review by state agency & certified/tested inspectors (full time inspection), cities (ICC certs), Universities; special inspectors


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## mark handler (Sep 4, 2019)

ADAguy said:


> California: It depends on the jurisdiction: State agencies (DSA - public K-12 & CC's, plan review by state architect & certified /tested inspectors (full time onsite inspectors), OSHPD - hospitals - plan review by state agency & certified/tested inspectors (full time inspection), cities (ICC certs), Universities; special inspectors



*Not Totally correct*
https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/...sion=13.&title=&part=2.5.&chapter=7.&article=
Code Text
Health and Safety Code - HSC
DIVISION 13. HOUSING [17000 - 19997]  ( Division 13 enacted by Stats. 1939, Ch. 60. )
PART 2.5. STATE BUILDING STANDARDS [18901 - 18949.31]  ( Part 2.5 repealed and added by Stats. 1979, Ch. 1152. )
CHAPTER 7. Construction Inspectors, Plans Examiners, and Building Officials [18949.25 - 18949.31]  ( Heading of Chapter 7 repealed and added by Stats. 1996, Ch. 124, Sec. 59. )

18949.25.
  For purposes of this chapter, “construction inspector” means any person who is hired or contracted by a local agency in a temporary or permanent capacity for the purpose of inspecting construction for structural, seismic safety, fire and life safety, or building system requirements of adopted uniform codes or standards, as applied to residential, commercial, or industrial buildings. (Added by renumbering Section 18965 by Stats. 1996, Ch. 124, Sec. 60. Effective January 1, 1997.)

18949.26.
  For purposes of this chapter, “plans examiner” means any person who is hired or contracted by a local agency in a temporary or permanent capacity for the purpose of performing construction plan review for structural, seismic safety, fire and life safety, or building system requirements of adopted uniform codes or standards, as applied to residential, commercial, or industrial buildings. (Added by renumbering Section 18966 by Stats. 1996, Ch. 124, Sec. 61. Effective January 1, 1997.)

18949.27.
  For purposes of this chapter, “building official” means the individual invested with the responsibility for overseeing local code enforcement activities, including administration of the building department, interpretation of code requirements, and direction of the code adoption process. (Added by renumbering Section 18967 by Stats. 1996, Ch. 124, Sec. 62. Effective January 1, 1997.)

18949.28.
  (a)  All construction inspectors, plans examiners and building officials who are not exempt from the requirements of this chapter pursuant to subdivision (b), or previously certified, shall complete one year of verifiable experience in the appropriate field, and shall, within one year thereafter, obtain certification from a recognized state, national, or international association, as determined by the local agency. The area of certification shall be closely related to the primary job function, as determined by the local agency.
(b)  Any person who is currently and has continuously been employed as a construction inspector, plans examiner, or building official for not less than two years prior to the effective date of this section shall be exempt from the certification provisions of this section, unless and until that person obtains employment as a construction inspector, plans examiner, or building official with a different employer.
(c)  Nothing in this article is intended to prohibit a local agency from prescribing additional criteria for the certification of construction inspectors, plans examiners, or building officials.
(d)  Nothing in this chapter, as it relates to construction inspectors, plans examiners, or building officials, shall be construed to alter the requirements for licensure, or the jurisdiction, authority, or scope of practice, of architects pursuant to Chapter 3 (commencing with Section 5500) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code, professional engineers pursuant to Chapter 7 (commencing with Section 6700) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code, or land surveyors pursuant to Chapter 15 (commencing with Section 8700) of Division 3 of the Business and Professions Code.  (Added by renumbering Section 18968 by Stats. 1996, Ch. 124, Sec. 63. Effective January 1, 1997.)

18949.29.
  (a) All construction inspectors, plans examiners, and building officials shall complete a minimum of 45 hours of continuing education for every three-year period, with at least eight hours regarding disability access requirements pursuant to subdivision (d). A local government may charge or increase inspection fees to the extent necessary to offset any added costs incurred in complying with this section.
(b) Providers of continuing education may include any organizations affiliated with the code enforcement profession, community colleges, or other providers of similar quality, as determined by the local agency.
(c) For purposes of this section, “continuing education” is defined as that education relating to the enforcement of Title 24 of the California Code of Regulations, and any other locally enforced building and construction standards, including, but not limited to, the model uniform codes adopted by the state. When a local agency selects a model code organization as a provider of continuing education or certification programs regarding the enforcement of a model code adopted by the state, the local agency shall give preference to the organization responsible for promulgating or drafting that model code.
(d) Continuing education regarding disability access requirements shall include information and practical guidance concerning requirements imposed by the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 (Public Law 101-336; 42 U.S.C. Sec. 12101 et seq.), state laws that govern access to public facilities, and federal and state regulations adopted pursuant to those laws. Continuing education provided pursuant to this subdivision shall be presented by trainers or educators with knowledge and expertise in these requirements. (Amended by Stats. 2008, Ch. 549, Sec. 8. Effective January 1, 2009.)

18949.30.
  This chapter does not apply to a registered professional engineer, licensed land surveyor, or licensed architect rendering construction inspection services, plan examination services, or building official services within the scope of his or her registration or licensure, except that this chapter applies to a registered professional engineer, licensed land surveyor, or licensed architect who is an employee of a local agency. This chapter does not apply to a construction inspector or plans examiner employed by any city or county fire department or district providing fire protection services. (Added by renumbering Section 18970 by Stats. 1996, Ch. 124, Sec. 65. Effective January 1, 1997.)

18949.31.
  The local agency shall bear the costs of certification, certification renewal, and continuing education, as mandated by this chapter. The local agency may impose fees, including, but not limited to, fees for construction inspection and plan checks, which may be used to cover the costs of compliance with this chapter. A local agency’s actual costs of compliance with this chapter may include, but are not limited to, training and certification courses, certification exam and renewal fees, employee salary during training and certification courses, and mileage and other reimbursable costs incurred by the employee. The fees imposed to cover the costs of compliance with this chapter shall reflect these actual costs, and are not limited by Chapter 5 of Division 1 of Title 7.
(Added by renumbering Section 18971 by Stats. 1996, Ch. 124, Sec. 66. Effective January 1, 1997.)


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## JBI (Sep 4, 2019)

New York State has two levels of Certification: Building Safety Inspector and Code Enforcement Official.
NYS has 6 basic training programs, 9A through 9F. Each is a 3 day course with a final exam requiring 70% or better to pass.
BSI requires the first 3 courses and exams, minimum 60 hours of classroom training.
CEO requires all 6 courses and exams, minimum of 120 hours of classroom training
Either currently requires basic training to be completed with 18 months of either date of appointment or start of training, whichever comes first.
Continuing education/in-service training: BSI 6 hours per year, CEO 24 hours per year, both with specific parameters. 
NYS Training requirements can be found on the Dept of State website under the Building Standards and Codes Division link.


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## jar546 (Sep 4, 2019)

JBI said:


> New York State has two levels of Certification: Building Safety Inspector and Code Enforcement Official.
> NYS has 6 basic training programs, 9A through 9F. Each is a 3 day course with a final exam requiring 70% or better to pass.
> BSI requires the first 3 courses and exams, minimum 60 hours of classroom training.
> CEO requires all 6 courses and exams, minimum of 120 hours of classroom training
> ...


Hey, I am asking for some insight on another thread about the barn collapse in industry news.  Thanks for this post too!


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