The state Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation put out a reminder today that Jan. 1 is the deadline for home inspectors to have licenses in hand -- a new requirement. There are details and a FAQ here.

Home inspectors must have a high school diploma or equivalent, finish an approved education program lasting at least 48 hours and show proof of at least $50,000 in general liability insurance. The license costs $400 -- plus a one-time, $50 application fee -- and must be renewed every two years.

The state tells me that it takes roughly a month to get the license in hand once you've applied, assuming you have all your ducks in a row. So you might not want to apply on, say, Dec. 21 if you don't want a state-enforced unpaid vacation in January.

The penalties for operating without the license could include jail time and fines of up to $5,000, the state says. So far, it's received about 470 applications.

This year, it began requiring licenses for mortgage brokerage loan officers, too. The idea behind both laws is to give consumers some way of sorting the professionals from the bad apples. The state can revoke the licenses for bad behavior.