GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1995

S	1 

SENATE BILL 1022

Short Title:  Licensing Home Inspectors.	(Public)

─────────────────────────────────────── 
Sponsors: Senator Cochrane.

─────────────────────────────────────── 
Referred to:  Commerce

─────────────────────────────────────── 

May 4, 1995

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO ELIMINATE THE CATEGORY OF ASSOCIATE HOME INSPECTORS, TO PROVIDE FOR THE LICENSING OF CERTAIN APPLICANTS WITHOUT REQUIRING AN EXAMINATION, AND TO MAKE VARIOUS CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 143-151.45(1) is repealed.
Sec. 2.  G.S. 143-151.50 reads as rewritten:
"§ 143-151.50.  License required to perform home inspections for compensation or to claim to be a 'licensed home inspector'.
(a)	Requirement. – To perform a home inspection for compensation on or after October 1, 1996, or to claim to be a licensed home inspector on or after that date, an individual must be licensed by the Board. An individual who is not licensed by the Board may perform a home inspection without compensation.
(b)	Form of License. – The Board may issue a license only to an individual and may not issue a license to a partnership, an association, a corporation, a firm, or another group. A licensed home inspector, however, may perform home inspections for or on behalf of a partnership, an association, a corporation, a firm, or another group, may conduct business as one of these entities, and may enter into and enforce contracts as one of these entities."
Sec. 3.  G.S. 143-151.51(5) reads as rewritten:
"(5)	Meet one of the following conditions:
a.	Have a high school diploma or its 
	equivalent.
c.	Be licensed as a general contractor under Article 1 of Chapter 87 of the General Statutes, as an architect under Chapter 83A of the General Statutes, or as a professional engineer under Chapter 89C of the General Statutes."
Sec. 4.  G.S. 143-151.52 is repealed.
Sec. 5.  G.S. 143-151.57(a) reads as rewritten:
"(a)	Maximum Fees. – The Board may adopt fees that do not exceed the amounts set in the following table for administering this Article: 
Item	Maximum Fee
Application for home inspector license	$25.00
	Home inspector examination	 75.00
Issuance of home inspector license	150.00
	Late renewal of home inspector license	 25.00
	
Copies of Board rules or licensure standards	Cost of printing and mailing."
Sec. 6.  G.S. 143-151.58 reads as rewritten:
"§ 143-151.58.  Duties of licensed home inspector.
A licensed home inspector must give to each person for whom the inspector performs a home inspection for compensation a written report of the home inspection. The inspector must give the person the report by the date set in a written agreement by the parties to the home inspection. If the parties to the home inspection did not agree on a date in a written agreement, the inspector must give the person the report within three business days after the inspection was performed."
Sec. 7.  G.S. 143-151.61 is repealed.
Sec. 8.  Article 9F of Chapter 143 of the General Statutes is amended by adding a new section to read:
"§ 143-151.61A.  Licensure without examination.
The Board may issue a license to perform home inspections, without examination as required by G.S. 143-151.51(2), to an applicant:
(1)	Who can prove, to the satisfaction of the Board, that the applicant was engaged in the business of performing home inspections for at least three years prior to October 1, 1996.
(2)	Who submits an application for licensure prior to October 1, 1997.
(3)	Who satisfies the requirements of G.S. 143-151.51(3), 143-151.51(4), and 143-151.51(5)."
Sec. 9.  This act is effective upon ratification.