This year 2008, will be the first year for Tennessee home inspectors to face the license renewal process.
This coming June/July and the following months, will be the first time that licensed home inspectors in Tennessee will need to have continuing education for their license renewal. State law requires licensed home inspectors to have 32 hours of board approved CE every two years.
For many of us who are involved in the profession and attend various seminars around the country this won't be much of a problem, but I'm afraid that many inspectors in the state will be caught not having the required hours. Reading the license rules http://www.state.tn.us/commerce/boards/hic/documents/Rules_0906.pdf you need to have your renewal application in 30 days prior to it's expiration. An example would be my license. It has an expiration date of June 30, 2008. So I will need to have my renewal application along with my insurance coverage and proof of my CE in by May 31, 2008. Just attending a home inspector chapter meeting does not mean that you have the CE hours. All of the chapter meetings that I have attended over the past couple of years, regardless of what organization I don't think any of them had the education approved by the state. Now if they held a special educational session, you should have a certificate that has a state number for the course if it was approved.
I have worked under a state license since 2000 and I have seen many inspectors slip up and not get their required CE hours. The TN late fee is only $25 per month. The MS late fee is 100% of the renewal fee!! So in MS you really don't want to renew late!
It's not too late to make it down to InspectionWorld in New Orleans to get 18 hours of TN state approved CE. Inspection World runs from Jan. 16-19 in New Orleans. Then you can pick up I think around 16 more hours in February from the East TN ASHI Chapter. I have just heard about this seminar, I don't know the cost but they Peter Drennen will be one of the instructors. After this it will tough to get some hours, but not impossible. You can always get some hours from Kaplan, they tend to cost a little more but if you don't have the time or choice......
Another option for CE hours might be the Mid-Tennessee ASHI chapter. They were looking at holding an education seminar in the Spring. They are fortunate that they have three members who are already approved by the state as instructors.
If you don't have half of your hours now, I would not wait any longer. I would head to Inspection World. Yes, it will cost you some money but you really do not have that many options between now and this summer. I'm flying down on Southwest for about $200. I found rooms for $100, I'm sure you can find cheaper but this is across form the Inspection World site.
The next large block of hours would be the Southeast Home Inspection Conference in Atlanta, it is held in September and then Kaplan in Las Vegas in October.
As I get some additional details or information I will update this blog.
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