How to verify a real estate license in Indiana

The five trades at a glance

Real estate agents and brokers

No person may “sell, buy, trade, exchange, option, lease, rent, manage, list, or appraise real estate” for consideration in Indiana without a license, subject to listed exceptions such as acts of an attorney that constitute the practice of law and an owner’s dealings in the owner’s own property (IC 25-34.1-3-2). Agents hold a broker license. To get one, an applicant must be at least 18, have a high school diploma or GED, complete an approved broker course, and pass a written exam (IC 25-34.1-3-4.1).

Search the person on the PLA’s E-Verification page (it also links a facility search for companies). Check that the status is active and the person is associated with the broker company on the contract. The PLA says status changes include active, referral, inactive and unassigned, so read the status line rather than assuming.

Mortgage loan originators (NMLS)

The Indiana DFI says that on July 1, 2026, IC 24-4.4 and 24-4.5 were repealed and replaced with IC 37; first-lien mortgage lending is now the First Lien Mortgage Lending Act, IC 37-1, and the DFI’s mortgage originator rules remain 750 IAC 9. Older guides that cite IC 24-4.4 are out of date. A creditor must hold a mortgage license from the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI), and each licensed originator must be employed by or sponsored by a creditor registered with the Nationwide Multistate Licensing System and Registry (IC 37-1-3-4). NMLS Consumer Access is a free service for confirming that a financial-services company or professional is authorized to do business in your state. Search the name or NMLS ID and make sure Indiana appears among the authorizations. To compare lenders safely, see closing costs in Indiana and the CFPB’s Loan Estimate described in closing costs explained.

Home inspectors

You cannot “conduct a home inspection for compensation” without a home inspector license unless an exemption applies (IC 25-20.2-5-1). To be licensed, an individual must be at least 18, have a high school diploma or GED, finish a board-approved training course and pass an exam, carry general liability coverage of at least $100,000, and pay the fee (IC 25-20.2-5-2). Exempt examples include code officials, architects and professional engineers working within their registration, licensed brokers and appraisers acting within their licenses, and licensed pest inspectors (IC 25-20.2-1-1). For prices, see home inspection costs.

Appraisers (state board and national registry)

Performing the acts of a licensed or certified real estate appraiser without a license or certificate is a Class B infraction, and the court adds the fee earned to the penalty (IC 25-34.1-8-12). The PLA lists the appraiser board and the same E-Verification search. The federal Appraisal Subcommittee Appraiser Registry lets you choose Indiana and the credential type: Certified General, Certified Residential or Licensed. Your lender usually orders the appraisal; see home appraisal costs.

Land surveyors

A person must be registered as a professional surveyor to practice or offer to practice surveying in Indiana, or to use a title implying the person is one (IC 25-21.5-4-1). The registry is the PLA’s E-Verification, searched under the surveyors board. See land survey costs.

What to do if a license is expired or suspended

• Do not hire or sign yet. An unlicensed inspector commits a Class B infraction, and so does anyone using an expired, suspended or revoked inspector license (IC 25-20.2-8-5). The same law bars an unlicensed inspector from suing to collect a fee (IC 25-20.2-8-6), and appraisers face a similar bar (IC 25-34.1-8-12(b)).
• Ask for the license number and re-check the lookup under that number before you go ahead.
• Report it. The PLA site links a complaint form, and the DFI posts a complaint page for mortgage matters.