(a) For the purposes of this section, advertisements are all communications created or caused to be created by a licensed inspector for the purpose of inducing or attempting to induce a member of the public to use the services of the inspector, including but not limited to the following types of communications when disseminated for this purpose: inspection reports, business cards, invoices, signs, brochures, email, the Internet, electronic transmissions, text messages, and purchased telephone directory displays and advertising by newspaper, radio and television.
(b) Advertisements by a person licensed as an inspector must contain the name or assumed business name of the license holder. The advertisements must also contain the license number of the person. If the person is licensed as a real estate inspector or as an apprentice inspector, the advertisements must also contain the following:
  (1) the name or assumed name of the person's sponsoring professional inspector; and
  (2) a statement indicating that the person is sponsored by that professional inspector.
(c) A licensed professional inspector, real estate inspector or apprentice inspector shall notify the Commission in writing within 30 days after the inspector starts or stops using a name in business other than the name in which the inspector is licensed.
(d) Websites containing advertising by one or more inspectors must include the license number of each licensed person whose name or assumed business name appears on the website. For the purposes of an inspector's or inspection company's own website, it is sufficient for the license number(s) to appear on a single prominent page of the website, such as the main page or the "About Us" page. For the purposes of social networking websites, including websites through which license holders may transmit electronic messages to other members of the same site, it is sufficient for license number(s) to appear on the inspector's main or profile page.
(e) The Commission may reprimand or suspend or revoke the license of a person who is found to have engaged in false or misleading advertising or to have failed to comply with provisions of this section.

Source Note: The provisions of this §535.221 adopted to be effective January 4, 1993, 17 TexReg 8955; amended to be effective December 21, 1993, 18 TexReg 9103; amended to be effective March 12, 1997, 22 TexReg 2429; amended to be effective January 1, 2001, 25 TexReg 11653; amended to be effective January 1, 2011, 35 TexReg 11693; amended to be effective March 21, 2012, 37 TexReg 1908; amended to be effective January 1, 2015, 39 TexReg 9669