COQB - Annual Renewal

Standard Certificate Renewal Requirements

Standard certificates must be renewed annually to remain valid. Each Standard certificate requires six (6) hours of CE credit and payment of a $10 renewal fee.

The online renewal payment period begins May 1st and ends on June 30th. 

[NOTE: Probationary certificates do not require annual renewal but expire after three (3) years and cannot be renewed]

STEP 1: Login to your CEO ID.

  • On the Home tab check section Your Current Certificates, Continuing Education
  • Click on Courses Taken tab and check section Certificates
  • Verify hours needed to renew or if renewal has been met for current year.
  • Click on "Overview" to view credits required/earned for current and prior years.

STEP 2:  Enroll in online OSFM Continuing Education Course(s) or find a CE Sponsor

  • Go to Available CE Courses or Supplemental tabs for free courses or Find a Class for a list of sponsor provided courses.
  • Select Trade, Course Format and Course Type.
  • Review available courses.
  • Ensure that you have NOT already taken the same course within a three year period.
  • Contact course sponsor to register for course(s).

STEP 3:  Ensure proper credit was awarded to your transcript -

  • Allow 10 (ten) business days for your courses taken to appear In your transcript.
  • After 10 (ten) business days, Login to your CEO ID account.
  • Ensure you have received proper credit for the course taken.
  • If it has not posted, after 10 (ten) business days, contact the course sponsor directly.

To learn more about continuing education renewal requirements view the NCCOQB Statutes and Rules (effective October 1, 2021)  or contact Jennifer Hollyfield, Education Coordinator at 919-647-0022 or via email: jennifer.hollyfield@ncdoi.gov  

FAQs - Frequently Asked Questions

Tab/Accordion Items

Your CEO ID LOGIN requires a Username and Password.

Your Username is your CEO ID # not a certificate number.

You can look up your CEO ID # through the CEO Directory. Enter your name and select other fields to narrow the search. Your CEO ID # (Username) will be in the first column.

Once you have your CEO ID # Username, then select Forgotten Password and enter it here. If you have established Security Questions 1 & 2 then enter the answers and the system will generate a new temporary password for you. Once logged into the system you can change this. If you never set up Security Questions, then you will need to contact staff.

If you are NOT already employed by a government jurisdiction then you may apply for Pre-Qualification for a Trade and Level. Local government hiring managers often ask for evidence of Pre-Qualification when inspector positions are advertised.

Pre-Qualification guides applicants to take the appropriate Board course and State examination needed to qualify for a specific Trade and Level certification prior to becoming employed as a CEO. Applicants must meet at least one of the education and experience requirements listed in the Board’s statutes and rules. Application for any Trade and Level 1, 2 or 3 must include relevant supporting documentation.

Read the bulletin below for the Trade you are interested in.

How do I become a North Carolina Fire Inspector?

  • **NOTE** If you intend to use IFSAC accredited certification from DOD or any other IFSAC accredited entity to document your education and experience, you will need to include a copy of that agency's certification record or IFSAC verification. Applicants must request verification themselves using the IFSAC verification request form.

How do I become a North Carolina Building Inspector?

How do I become a North Carolina Electrical Inspector?

How do I become a North Carolina Mechanical Inspector?

How do I become a North Carolina Plumbing Inspector?

How do I become a North Carolina Residential Changeout Inspector (RCI)?

  • This is a new multi-trade certificate for residential appliance changeouts that requires successful completion of the Board course to pre-qualify BEFORE applying for either the Probationary or Standard Certificate. (NOTE: the RCI certificate application does not appear until you have a passing End-of-Course grade).
  • Preview the course orientation for RCI.
  • Once employed by a local government, during the 6-month supervised probationary period, field training on a variety of appliance changeouts must be documented on the Performance Log.

If you ARE ALREADY employed by a government jurisdiction, you may apply for Probationary or Standard Certificate(s) with a Certificate of Employment for the Trade(s): Fire, Building, Electrical, Mechanical, Plumbing, or Residential Changeout Inspector.

Military Service Members and Spouses:

Session Law 2014-67 was enacted to enhance the effectiveness of Occupational Licensing of Military Service members, veterans and spouses. Please see the linked information sheet regarding military occupational specialties that may be credited toward experience and education requirements needed for certification as a code official.

Authorities Having Jurisdictions (AHJs) and NC Community Colleges offering COQB Standard Certificate Courses

This interactive GIS map provides users with locations (blue dots) and contact information for 500 NC local government AHJs responsible for issuing building and fire permits and performing inspections for residential and commercial construction. City and Town corporate boundaries are shown in gray. Clicking on certain map features results in pop-up information boxes with contact information. Enter an address and the map will zoom to the individual parcel level. Users may select an aerial imagery layer using the icons in the upper left corner.

Session Law 2014-67 was enacted to enhance the effectiveness of Occupational Licensing of Military Service members, veterans and spouses. Please see the linked information sheet regarding military occupational specialties that may be credited toward experience and education requirements needed for certification as a code official.

If you fail an exam, you may schedule an exam review within 30 days of the exam date. Contact PSI directly per the directions in the Candidate Information Bulletin using the Dedicated Phone number 855‐807‐3991.

The exam review process allows you to view questions you answered incorrectly and to submit written challenges to specific exam questions. These challenges are routed to the Code Consultants / Subject Matter Experts for review and determination. Correct answers are not provided. Sometimes credit is provided and exam scores are adjusted.

All Standard Certificates on active status expire annually on June 30. The renewal period is between May 1 and June 30 for the following Fiscal Year. Each Standard Certificate requires 6 hours of Continuing Education (CE) and payment of a $10 fee that may be paid online.

Either a CEO or an AHJ Primary Contact can renew certificates.

Probationary Certificates are valid for 3 years and may not be renewed.

Use the CEO ID LOGIN to manage existing certifications, verify CE credits, pay renewal fees, or submit new applications.

Certificates may be placed on inactive status when not employed or performing code enforcement for a jurisdiction. Inactive certificates do not have to meet CE or pay a renewal fee. However, additional CE is required to return an inactive certificate to active status depending upon the duration. See NC Gen. Stat. 143-151.13A and 11 NCAC 08 .0714.

To re-activate inactive status certificates, CEOs must submit a current Certificate of Employment.

AHJs: Use the system log-in to manage the people and certifications linked to your jurisdiction, pay renewal fees, and submit Certificate of Employment (COE) forms for new employees.

Your Jurisdiction (J###) is your user name

How to print an invoice and pay for renewals

Certificates may be placed on inactive status when not employed or performing code enforcement for a jurisdiction.

Inactive certificates do not have to meet CE or pay a renewal fee.

However, additional CE is required to return an inactive certificate to active status depending upon the duration. To re-activate inactive status certificates, CEOs must submit a current Certificate of Employment.

See NC Gen. Stat. 143-151.13A and 11 NCAC 08 .0714.