SB458: SB458 "Home Inspector Licensing Act of Georgia"; enact

Georgia currently does not license home inspectors, the people who examine a house's condition before a sale. This bill, the 'Home Inspector Licensing Act of Georgia,' would require home inspectors and companies performing home inspections to be licensed by the residential contractor division starting January 1, 2028. Applicants would need to be at least 18, have a high school diploma or ten years of experience, pass a criminal background check and exam, and carry liability and errors and omissions insurance. The board would set standards of practice, investigate complaints, and could fine, suspend, or revoke licenses. The bill also amends real estate broker law: it defines 'wholesaler' as someone who assigns property contracts without the owner's written authorization, bans offering property for sale on a wholesaler's behalf, requires five of six Real Estate Commission members to be licensees in good standing, and adds new broker conduct rules around commission referrals and offer presentation. A transition provision lets people already working as home inspectors before July 1, 2027 apply for licensure by passing a national exam instead of meeting new education requirements.

• Requires home inspectors to be licensed by the residential contractor division of the Georgia Real Estate Commission's board starting January 1, 2028.
• Requires companies that perform home inspections to register with the board, employ only licensed inspectors, and keep inspection records subject to audit.
• Sets minimum insurance requirements for home inspectors: $250,000 per occurrence and $500,000 aggregate for both general liability and errors and omissions coverage.
• Creates a definition of 'wholesaler' in real estate law and prohibits offering property for sale or lease on a wholesaler's behalf without the owner's written consent.
• Requires five of the six members of the Georgia Real Estate Commission to be licensees in good standing rather than simply licensed real estate professionals.
• Lets people already working as home inspectors before July 1, 2027 skip new education requirements if they pass a national competency exam.

Home inspectors and home inspection companies operating in Georgia, prospective home buyers and sellers who hire them, licensed real estate brokers and salespersons, the Georgia Real Estate Commission and its residential contractor division, and people or entities engaged in real estate wholesaling.

Georgians buying or selling homes would gain a state-regulated system for vetting inspectors, including insurance coverage and complaint investigations, where none currently exists. Real estate wholesalers would face new restrictions on marketing properties without owner authorization, and the state's real estate oversight board would require more licensed members.

• Section 3 defines 'wholesaler' in Georgia's real estate broker law (O.C.G.A. § 43-40-1) as someone who assigns or markets property contracts without the owner's written authorization.
• Section 4 requires five of the six Georgia Real Estate Commission members to be licensees in good standing, up from simply being licensed and active in real estate.
• Section 6 adds an exception so prospective purchasers who are not wholesalers or who receive no separate fee remain exempt from broker licensing.
• Section 9 creates new Code Section 43-41-21 requiring home inspector licensure by the board beginning January 1, 2028, with reciprocity available for inspectors licensed in other states with substantially equal requirements.
• Section 9 (43-41-22) sets applicant qualifications: age 18 or older, a high school diploma or ten years of industry experience, a criminal background check, and a passing exam score.
• Section 9 (43-41-23) requires inspectors to carry $250,000 per occurrence and $500,000 aggregate coverage for both general liability and errors and omissions insurance.
• Section 9 (43-41-27) allows the board to issue cease and desist orders, impose fines, suspend or revoke licenses, or refer violations to the Attorney General.
• Section 9 (43-41-30) creates a transition rule letting inspectors already working before July 1, 2027 seek licensure via a national exam instead of new education requirements.

1. 2026-03-31House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
2. 2026-03-31House Third Readers (House)
3. 2026-03-18House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
4. 2026-03-10House Second Readers (House)
5. 2026-03-09House First Readers (House)
6. 2026-03-06Senate Passed/Adopted By Substitute (Senate)
7. 2026-03-06Senate Third Read (Senate)
8. 2026-03-06Senate Taken from Table (Senate)

• Russ Goodman (R, SD-008)Primary sponsor
• Bo Hatchett (R, SD-050)
• Drew Echols (R, SD-049)
• Emanuel Jones (D, SD-010)
• David Lucas (D, SD-026)
• Lee Anderson (R, SD-024)
• Billy Hickman (R, SD-004)
• Kay Kirkpatrick (R, SD-032)
• Chuck Hufstetler (R, SD-052)
• Clint Dixon (R, SD-045)
• Gail Davenport (D, SD-017)
• Tonya Anderson (D, SD-043)
• Max Burns (R, SD-023)
• RaShaun Kemp (D, SD-038)
• Sonya Halpern (D, SD-039)
• Clint Crowe (R, HD-118)

1. PassedSenate voteMarch 6, 2026

   46 yea, 2 nay (3 not voting, 4 absent)

   Passage By Substitute: Senate Vote #680

2. PassedHouse voteMarch 31, 2026

   138 yea, 19 nay (9 not voting, 10 absent)

   Passage: House Vote #800

• home inspector licensing
• real estate regulation
• consumer protection
• professional licensing
• real estate wholesaling