(a) Continuing education required for renewal.
  (1) Before renewal of an inspector license, a license holder must take 32 hours of continuing education which shall include the following:
    (A) 24 hours in the following subjects:
      (i) Foundations;
      (ii) Framing;
      (iii) Building Enclosures;
      (iv) Roof Systems;
      (v) Plumbing Systems;
      (vi) Electrical Systems;
      (vii) HVAC Systems;
      (viii) Appliances;
      (ix) Texas Standard Report Form Writing;
      (x) Other approved courses related real estate inspections; and
    (B) eight hours of non-elective coursework in legal, ethics, SOPs, and report writing.
  (2) An inspector who files an application for reinstatement of an expired license within two years of the expiration date of the previous license must provide evidence satisfactory to the Commission that the applicant has completed any continuing education that would have been otherwise required for timely renewal of the previous license had that license not expired.
  (3) An inspector is not eligible to receive more than 16 hours continuing education credit for any one single subject described in subsection (a)(1) of this section.
(b) Receiving continuing education credit for ride-along inspection course.
  (1) Up to eight hours of continuing education credit per two year license period may be given to a license holder for completion of a ride-along inspection course.
  (2) At a minimum, a ride-along inspection course must:
    (A) consist of one full residential property inspection; and
    (B) review applicable standards of practice and departure provisions contained in §§535.227 - 535.233 of this subchapter.
  (3) In order to qualify for real estate inspector continuing education credit, a ride-along inspection course shall consist of no more than two students per session.
  (4) The instructor of a ride-along inspection course may:
    (A) review report writing; and
    (B) deliver a notice regarding the ride-along session on a form approved by the Commission to the prospective buyer or seller of the home being inspected.
(c) Continuing education credit for students.
  (1) The Commission may not grant continuing education credit twice for a course with the same course content taken by a license holder within a two year period.
  (2) Unless a real estate inspection continuing education course is offered by alternative delivery methods, completion of a final examination is not required for a license holder to receive continuing education credit for a course.
  (3) The Commission will not grant partial credit to an inspector who attends a portion of a course.
(d) Continuing education credit for course taken outside of Texas. An inspector may receive continuing education elective credit for a course taken to satisfy the continuing education requirements of a country, territory, or state other than Texas if:
  (1) the inspector licensed in Texas held an active inspector license in a country, territory, or state other than Texas at the time the course was taken;
  (2) the course was approved for continuing education credit for an inspector license by a country, territory, or state other than Texas at the time the course was taken;
  (3) the successful completion of the course has been evidenced by a course completion certificate, a letter from the provider or such other proof satisfactory to the Commission;
  (4) the subject matter of the course was predominately devoted to a subject acceptable for continuing education credit for an inspector licensed in Texas; and
  (5) the inspector licensed in Texas has filed a Continuing Education (CE) Credit Request for an Out of State Course, with the Commission.
(e) Continuing education credit for instructors.
  (1) Providers may request continuing education credit be given to instructors of real estate inspection courses subject to the following guidelines:
    (A) instructors may receive credit for only those portions of the course which they teach; and
    (B) instructors may receive full course credit by attending all of the remainder of the course.
  (2) An instructor may receive continuing education credit for a ride-along inspection course conducted by the instructor if:
    (A) the course is completed during the term of the instructor's current license period; and
    (B) the instructor provides the Commission a certification of course completion no later than the expiration date of that license period, on a form approved by the Commission.
  (3) Instructors of ride-along inspection course sessions may only receive up to 8 hours of continuing education credit for teaching the course per license period.
(f) Continuing education credit for attendance at a meeting of the Texas Real Estate Inspector Committee. An inspector licensed in Texas may receive up to four hours of continuing education elective credit per license period for attendance in person at any meeting of the full Texas Real Estate Inspector Committee, provided that the inspector attend the entire meeting. Partial credit will not be awarded.
(g) Continuing education credit for courses taken by persons who hold another occupational license issued by a governmental body in Texas. An inspector licensed in Texas may receive continuing education credit for a course taken to satisfy the continuing education requirements for another occupational license if:
  (1) the inspector files the applicable form with the Commission;
  (2) the inspector holds one of the following occupational licenses, including but not limited to:
    (A) plumber;
    (B) electrician;
    (C) architect;
    (D) professional engineer;
    (E) air conditioner and refrigeration technician; or
    (F) structural pest control applicator or technician;
  (3) at the time the course was taken:
    (A) the inspector held an active occupational license issued by a governmental body in Texas; and
    (B) the course was approved for continuing education credit for the other occupational license;
  (4) the inspector demonstrates successful completion of the course by submitting:
    (A) a course completion certificate;
    (B) a letter from the provider; or
    (C) other proof satisfactory to the Commission; and
  (5) the primary subject matter of the course was a subject acceptable for continuing education credit for an inspector licensed in Texas.

Source Note: The provisions of this §535.218 adopted to be effective January 1, 2015, 39 TexReg 9669; amended to be effective December 7, 2016, 41 TexReg 9525; amended to be effective May 24, 2017, 42 TexReg 2727; amended to be effective December 6, 2017, 42 TexReg 6805; amended to be effective March 5, 2019, 44 TexReg 1126; amended to be effective September 2, 2019, 44 TexReg 4739; amended to be effective June 11, 2023, 48 TexReg 2948