Certification Standards
The Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) as mandated by the Virginia Certification Standards (VCS) perform certification of code officials and technical assistants enforcing the Virginia Uniform Statewide Building Code (USBC), Statewide Fire Prevention Code (SFPC), and Amusement Device regulations (VADR). All candidates for certification must demonstrate successful completion of all course and exam requirements as defined by the VCS and submit an application to DHCD within the specified timeframe. A complete listing of certification titles and related requirements can be found on the Virginia Certification Requirments for Code Officials are issued in the areas of:
• Virginia Certified Officials
• Building Inspector
• Fire Inspector
• Plans Examiner
• Elevator Inspector
• Amusement Device Inspector
Certification Maintenance
All certificate holders must maintain their certifications by attending ongoing/periodic training and obtaining continuing education as determined by DHCD. The provider, content, and schedule of ongoing or periodic training is determined by DHCD and is usually defined as the code change training offered in conjunction with the code adoption cycle. In addition to the ongoing training requirement, each certificate holder is responsible for obtaining and submitting 16 hours of continuing education every two years. Continuing education hours are available through a variety of mediums such as attendance at trade and organization memberships meetings, manufacturer-sponsored training, online classes, or code development activities.
For additional information regarding certification, training, or the Virginia Building Code Academy contact the:
Jack A Proctor Virginia Building Code Academy
Main Street Center
600 E. Main St., Ste. 300
Richmond, VA 23219
vb**@dh**.gov
(804) 371-7180
Continuing Education Reporting
For information regarding the building code online system, classroom training or to verify an individuals DHCD credentials visit the link below:
Virginia Building Code Online System