Texas · TREC · 22 TAC 535.209
Texas home inspector licence: TREC and the NHIE
Texas licenses inspectors through the Texas Real Estate Commission, and its rules name the National Home Inspector Examination directly. The confusing part is that TREC calls it something else in the exam catalogue.
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Regulator | Texas Real Estate Commission (TREC) |
| Rule | 22 TAC §535.209 — the exam requirement |
| Exam named | National Home Inspector Examination |
| Catalogue name | TX Professional Inspector National · TX Real Estate Inspector National |
| Vendor | Pearson VUE (not PSI — Texas is one of three states that go through Pearson, with Florida and Nevada) |
| Licence levels | Texas tiers its licences — apprentice, real estate inspector, professional inspector |
What the exam itself looks like
Identical to everywhere else: 200 questions, 175 scored, four hours, scaled 200–800, pass at 500, no calculators. Texas does not add a state section to the national form the way Illinois, South Dakota and Washington do — those three are the ones with extra state items. Full format here.
Is the TREC exam the same as the NHIE?
The national portion is the NHIE, yes. Texas licensing also involves TREC's own requirements around education and sponsorship, which are not part of the exam.
PSI or Pearson VUE in Texas?
Pearson VUE. PSI runs the NHIE in most states, but Florida, Nevada and Texas do not go through PSI.
Does passing in Texas transfer to another state?
The exam result is a national instrument, so other states that use the NHIE generally recognise it — but every state has its own hours, application and insurance rules on top. The exam travels; the licence does not.
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Crawlspace Prep is an independent study site. We are not EBPHI, ASHI, InterNACHI or a state board, we do not administer the NHIE, and nothing here licenses anybody. Always check the current rule with your state and with EBPHI.