State guide
Rhode Island
Rhode Island licenses home inspectors through the Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board (CRLB), a unit of the State Building Office. Gen. Laws Chapter 5-65.1, enacted as Public Law 2000, chapter 140, and the CRLB now uses an online complaint portal plus a public registrant/licensee search page. ([webserver.rilegislature.gov](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/PublicLaws00/law00140.htm?utm_source=openai))
Checked against official sources on October 4, 2026. Rules and links change; confirm with the office listed before you act.
- Licenses home inspectors?
- yes
- Regulator
- Rhode Island Contractors' Registration and Licensing Board (State Building Office)
- License lookup
- Official page →
- Disciplinary actions
- Official page →
- File a complaint
- Official page →
Official resources in Rhode Island
Official CRLB page for home inspector licensing, application, FAQs, and laws/rules.
Lists first-time application requirements, including exam, inspections, and insurance.
Official resident-facing lookup page for CRLB registrants and licensees.
Explains who can file, deadlines, what happens next, and links to the online complaint form.
DBR page publishing CRLB enforcement actions and final orders.
Key facts for Rhode Island
- Gen. Laws Chapter 5-65.1. ([webserver.rilegislature.gov](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/PublicLaws00/law00140.htm?utm_source=openai))
- The board is the Contractors’ Registration and Licensing Board. ([webserver.rilegislature.gov](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE5/5-65.1/5-65.1-2.htm?utm_source=openai))
- The home inspector law was enacted July 13, 2000, as Public Law 2000, chapter 140. ([webserver.rilegislature.gov](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/PublicLaws00/law00140.htm?utm_source=openai))
- Home inspector applicants must pass a board-approved examination. ([webserver.rilegislature.gov](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE5/5-65.1/5-65.1-4.htm?utm_source=openai))
- A home inspector applicant must have one year as a licensed associate home inspector plus 100 compensated inspections, or five years as a registered/licensed contractor in good standing. ([webserver.rilegislature.gov](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE5/5-65.1/5-65.1-4.htm?utm_source=openai))
- CRLB says home inspectors must maintain $500,000 general liability and $500,000 errors-and-omissions coverage; workers’ compensation applies if they have employees. ([crb.ri.gov](https://crb.ri.gov/licenses/home-inspectorassociate-home-inspector-license/apply?utm_source=openai))
What to do next
- Verify the inspector on the CRLB search page before hiring, then review CRLB enforcement decisions for past cases. ([crb.ri.gov](https://crb.ri.gov/consumer))
- If you need to complain, submit through the CRLB online complaint portal and attach contracts, receipts, photos, and payment proof. ([crb.ri.gov](https://crb.ri.gov/consumer/complaint-filing-overview))
- If you are comparing applicants, ask whether they hold a full Home Inspector license or an Associate Home Inspector license. ([webserver.rilegislature.gov](https://webserver.rilegislature.gov/Statutes/TITLE5/5-65.1/5-65.1-5.htm?utm_source=openai))
Helpful guides
- How to check if a home inspector is licensed
- Which states license home inspectors (and which do not)
- How to look up disciplinary actions against a home inspector
- How to file a complaint against a home inspector