Virginia Certification Standards Obtaining Certification 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 application to DHCD within the specified timeframe. A complete listing of certification titles and related requirements can be found on the Training and Certification Matrix. Certifications 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 though a variety of mediums such as attendance at trade and organization memberships meetings, manufacturer sponsored trainings, on-line classes, or code development activities.
