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Mold inspector license: which states require one

Checked against official sources · Last reviewed October 10, 2026

Mold assessment vs. mold remediation

States that license mold work usually split it in two. Mold assessment is the inspection side: looking for mold and the moisture that feeds it, taking samples and writing a plan for the cleanup. Mold remediation is the cleanup itself: removing, cleaning or treating mold-damaged material.

Texas defines assessment as "inspecting or surveying a structure to provide information about the presence of mold or the development of a mold remediation plan," and remediation as "the removal, cleaning, sanitizing, or other treatment of mold or mold-contaminated matter."

New York goes further: as a protection against fraud, it bars the same person from doing both the assessment and the remediation on the same property. [1][3]

Texas: four levels under TDLR

The Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) licenses mold work. Every applicant must be at least 18 and must first finish an initial training course from a TDLR-accredited training provider (for remediation workers, a licensed mold remediation contractor may also give it). The main individual credentials:

• Mold remediation worker (registration): a 4-hour course and a $50 fee. Workers may only remediate "under the supervision of a licensed remediation contractor."
• Mold assessment technician: a high school diploma or GED (General Educational Development test), a 24-hour course and a $150 license fee.
• Mold remediation contractor: a 40-hour course, a $450 license fee, and either a degree in a science or building field plus experience, or a high school diploma or GED plus five years of hands-on experience in an allied field or as a general contractor.
• Mold assessment consultant: a 40-hour course, a $500 license fee, and the same kind of education-plus-experience options (for example, a high school diploma or GED and five years of hands-on experience in an allied field).

Technicians, consultants and remediation contractors also pass a state exam given by the testing company PSI (a testing company); each exam costs $60. TDLR runs a criminal background check. Your employer must keep an office in Texas, and you send proof that it carries commercial general liability insurance of at least $1 million per occurrence (TDLR lists some exemptions, and a self-employed assessment technician sends a copy of their own policy). [1][9][10][11][12][13][14]

Florida: mold assessor and mold remediator

Florida's Department of Business and Professional Regulation (DBPR) issues two licenses: mold assessor and mold remediator. Under Florida Statutes section 468.8413 you must pass an approved exam, be of good moral character, submit fingerprints, and meet one of two education-and-experience paths:

• A 2-year associate degree (or equivalent) with at least 30 semester hours in microbiology, engineering, architecture, industrial hygiene, occupational safety or a related science, plus at least 1 year of documented field experience; or
• A high school diploma (or equivalent) plus at least 4 years of documented field experience.

For a remediator, the experience must be in a field related to mold remediation; for an assessor, in "conducting microbial sampling or investigations." DBPR doesn't give the exam itself: you pass one of the exams it approves from "nationally recognized entities."

Licenses expire July 31 of every even-numbered year. To renew you need 14 hours of DBPR-approved continuing education (CE, the yearly or per-cycle classes licensed people take to stay current). [2][15]

New York: five mold licenses under the Department of Labor

New York's mold program enforces Article 32 of the state Labor Law. It is "unlawful for any person to engage, advertise or hold themselves out as a mold assessor, remediation contractor, or abatement worker" without the right license. The New York State Department of Labor lists five licenses: mold assessor, mold assessment contractor, mold remediation contractor, mold abatement worker supervisor and mold abatement worker.

Each license starts with a course from a Labor Department-approved training provider. The Department's training guide lists a Mold Assessor course (4 days), a Mold Remediation Contractor course (3 days) and a Mold Abatement Worker course (2 days). For a mold assessor license you must be 18 or older, complete the course, apply, and show you work for a licensed mold assessment company. The license is valid for two years.

Fees: the Department's FAQ (frequently asked questions) still lists a $150 application fee for a mold assessor license, but its main mold program page says the fees for individual mold assessor and mold supervisor licenses "have been eliminated." Confirm the current fee with the Department's License and Certificate Unit at (518) 457-2735.

The Department defines a "mold project" as mold remediation, assessment or abatement of areas "greater than ten (10) square feet." If you plan to be a home inspector in New York, note this: inspectors whose reports include an assessment of mold conditions must also hold a mold assessor license. [3][16][17]

Louisiana: a contractor license for mold remediation

In Louisiana, the State Licensing Board for Contractors (LSLBC) requires a mold remediation license "for remediation projects with a value of $7,500 or more." The company's qualifying party (the person whose credentials back the license) must have 24 hours of training in mold remediation and basic mold assessment from a board-approved provider.

The board's licensing summary also lists a financial statement showing at least $25,000 in net worth, at least $50,000 of general liability insurance and proof of workers' compensation coverage. [5][18][19]

Washington, DC: assessment and remediation licenses

The District's Department of Energy and Environment (DOEE) issues mold assessment and mold remediation licenses. A license lasts two years; the application fee is $300 and renewal is $105.

You must be at least 18, have passed a DOEE-approved mold exam within the past two years, and meet one of three paths:

• High school diploma or equivalent plus at least three years of mold field experience;
• An associate degree or higher with at least 30 semester hours in a related science plus at least one year of field experience; or
• A professional credential (such as certified industrial hygienist or professional engineer) plus at least six months of field experience.

Assessors need at least $1,000,000 in general liability and errors-and-omissions coverage; remediators need at least $1,000,000 in general liability coverage, including mold and pollution coverage. [4]

Virginia and Maryland: no working mold license

Virginia used to license mold inspectors and remediators, then dropped it. Chapters 803 and 835 of the 2012 Acts of Assembly "deregulate mold remediation and mold inspection activities," and the state's mold inspector and remediator regulations were repealed effective August 15, 2012.

Maryland passed a law in 2008 (Chapter 537) requiring companies that provide mold remediation services to be licensed by the Maryland Home Improvement Commission. The legislature's Department of Legislative Services reported in 2017 that "Chapter 537 was never implemented because funding to do so was not provided" to the Commission. That year the legislature passed HB 115 (Chapter 100 of 2017), allowing the Maryland Mold Remediation Services Act "to terminate on July 1, 2019." If you work in Maryland, confirm the current rules with the Maryland Home Improvement Commission. [6][7][8][20][21][22]

Everywhere else: no state license, but private certifications

We found state mold licenses only in the places above. If your state isn't listed, confirm with your state's licensing agency that it has no mold license before you start work. Private certifications from training organizations and trade groups exist, but they are voluntary and aren't state licenses. In Texas, Florida, New York, Louisiana and DC you still need the license that place requires.

There's no federal mold standard to fall back on either. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) notes that "no EPA or other federal limits have been set for mold or mold spores," so test results can't be used to check a building against a federal standard. [1][2][3][4][5][23]

What EPA guidance says about when to call a professional

EPA's mold cleanup guidance says that if the moldy area is less than about 10 square feet (about a 3 ft. by 3 ft. patch), "in most cases, you can handle the job yourself." For larger areas or a lot of water damage, it points to its guide *Mold Remediation in Schools and Commercial Buildings*.

For anyone hiring help, EPA advises picking a contractor with mold experience, checking references, and asking the contractor to follow EPA or professional guidelines. For damage from sewage or other contaminated water, EPA says to "call in a professional who has experience cleaning and fixing buildings damaged by contaminated water." [24]

How mold work fits with other trades

Mold work often goes along with other building trades. In New York, a home inspector who reports on mold conditions also needs a mold assessor license. In Texas, five years as a general contractor in building construction is one way to qualify for a mold remediation contractor license. If you plan to do the repairs as well as the cleanup, see the general contractor licensing guide. [3][11]

Questions people ask