Requirements to Become Licensed and/or Certified Appraiser

CHECKLIST

1. Meet personal, work experience and educational requirements. Educational courses taken after January 1, 1993 require prior approval by the Board.
    

2. Complete state application for (1) Trainee Real Property Appraiser; (2) State Registered Real Property Appraiser; (3) Licensed Real Property Appraiser; (4) Certified Residential Real Property Appraiser; (5) Certified General Real Property Appraiser.
    

3. Return completed application with transcripts, request for education credit form(s) and nonrefundable application fees to address below.
    

4. Pay the corresponding fee.
    

5. If all requirements are met, you will receive:
            Approval and Admission letter for exam and notification of instructions for scheduling exam.
    

6. Satisfactory completion of the examination will result in the Board’s notification to you. Your Certificate of licensure and/or certification will be sent to you after the appropriate license and/or certification fee is received.
    

7. Satisfactory completion of an exam must be made within twelve months after application is approved by the Board. Only two exams may be taken within any twelve-month period. After twelve-month expiration, or failure of second exam, applicant must submit new application and necessary fees. In no event shall an applicant be allowed to sit for the same exam more than twice in a twelve-month period.

FIVE CATEGORIES OF APPRAISERS IN ALABAMA

1. Trainee Real Property Appraiser – This classification requires the trainee to work under the direct supervision of a certified or licensed real property appraiser. The scope of practice for the appraiser trainee classification is the appraisal of those properties, which the supervising appraiser is permitted to appraise.
    

2. State Registered Real Property Appraiser – The “State Registered Real Property Appraiser” classification includes those individuals who may perform real estate appraisals on non-federally related properties (those properties which are the subject of appraisal for non-federally related transactions) including: (1) complex appraisals of 1 to 4 unit non-federally related residential properties having transaction value of $250,000 or less; other non-federally related non-residential properties having transaction value of $250,000 or less. (2) non-complex appraisals of 1 to 4 unit non-federally related residential properties having transaction values of $1,000,000 or less. (3) This classification does not include the appraisal of subdivisions wherein a development analysis/appraisal is necessary and utilized.
    

3. Licensed Real Property Appraiser – This classification includes those individuals who are licensed to perform real estate appraisals on properties involved in federally-related transactions including: (a) complex appraisals of 1 to 4 unit residential properties having transaction value of $250,000 or less; (b) non-complex appraisals of 1 to 4 unit residential properties having transaction value of $1,000,000 or less; (c) appraisals of other types of real estate having transaction value of $250,000 or less. The Licensed Real Property Appraiser is authorized to give a “Certified Appraisal” on a federally-related transaction, in accordance with FIRREA requirements.
    

4. Certified Residential Real Property Appraiser – This classification refers to those individuals licensed by the Board as being qualified to perform federally-related residential real estate appraisals on 1 to 4 unit residential properties without regard to the complexity or dollar amount. These appraisers are also permitted to appraise non-residential properties having a transaction value of $250,000 or less. The Certified Residential Real Property Appraiser is authorized to give a “certified appraisal” on a federally-related transaction in accordance with FIRREA requirements.
    

5. Certified General Real Property Appraiser – This classification shall consist of those persons certified by the Board as qualified to perform appraisals on all types of real estate, regardless of complexity or transaction value. This classification allows the appraiser to give a “certified appraisal” on a federally-related transaction in accordance with FIRREA requirements.

EDUCATION AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

1. The “Trainee Real Property Appraiser” – no experience required. Applicant must provide proof of 75 classroom hours appraisal education completed during last ten years, including 15 hours of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice during last two years. Trainee’s appraisal experience must be under the direct supervision of a Licensed or Certified Real Property appraiser. If the Trainee plans to use these experience points as part of the experience needed for licensure, the work must be included in the Trainee’s assignment log, and the appraisal report must be signed by the supervising appraiser.
    

2. The “State Registered Real Property Appraiser” – Applicant must have a minimum of 100 points of actual appraisal experience, which represents approximately 1000 hours, during the last five years. Applicant must provide proof of 75 classroom hours of appraisal education completed during last ten years, including fifteen hours of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice during the last two years.
    

3.  The “Licensed Real Property Appraiser” – Applicant must have been an appraiser in two of the last five calendar years and have a minimum of 200 points of actual appraisal experience, which represents approximately 2000 hours. Applicant must provide proof of 90 classroom hours of appraisal education completed during last ten years, including fifteen hours of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice during the last two years.
    

4. The “Certified Residential Real Property Appraiser” – Applicant must have been an appraiser in two of the last five calendar years, with a minimum of 250 points of actual appraisal experience, which represents approximately 2500 hours. Applicant must provide proof of satisfactory completion of at least 135 in-class hours appraisal related courses taken during last ten years, including a 15-hour Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice course taken during the last two years.
    

5. The “Certified General Real Property Appraiser” – Applicant must have been an appraiser in two of the last five calendar years, with a minimum of 300 points of actual appraisal experience, which represents approximately 3000 hours. At least 150 of the 300 points of experience must be in non-residential appraisals. Applicant must provide proof of satisfactory completion of at least 180 in-class hours of appraisal-related courses completed during last ten years, and including a 15- hour Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice course taken during the last two years.

MANDATORY LICENSING OF REAL ESTATE APPRAISERS IN ALABAMA

It is mandatory that anyone who appraises property in the state of Alabama be licensed by the Alabama Real Estate Appraisers Board, Code of Alabama, 1975 §34-27A-3. There are five classifications of licensure (1) Trainee Real Property Appraiser; (2) State Registered Real Property Appraiser (3) Licensed Real Property Appraiser; (4) Certified Residential Real Property Appraiser; (5) Certified General Real Property Appraiser.

Any valuation of real property for private or public purposes is deemed to be an appraisal of that property and, excluding those persons who are exempt pursuant to the Alabama Real Estate Appraisers Act, any person rendering such services shall conform to the Alabama Real Estate Appraisers Act.

 

REAL ESTATE APPRAISAL EXPERIENCE

Appraisals of property located in Alabama must be made in conformance with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. Copies of the reports must be kept for five years and must be available for review by the Board. In order to meet the real estate appraisal experience requirement, the appraiser must have contributed significantly to the appraisal and the value conclusion of the report. A significant contribution to the value conclusion directly involves exercise of judgment in arriving at the analyses, opinion, or conclusion concerning real estate or real property set forth in the appraisal report.

The Code of Alabama, 1975, §34-27A-12 requires that “an original certificate for any classification as a licensed real estate appraiser shall not be issued to any person who does not possess the required experience, if any, in real property appraisal supported by adequate written reports, file memoranda, or other evidence satisfactory to the Board.”

Appraisal experience obtained after August 1, 1994 will be considered for credit only for persons holding a license issued by the Alabama Real Estate Appraisers Board or a license issued by an appraiser regulatory agency.

Credit for appraisal experience will only be granted for work that complies with the Uniform Professional Appraisal Practice and the Alabama Real Estate Appraisers Act. No appraisal credit will be granted unless the appraiser has been acknowledged within the appraisal report, by the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. Not more than 25% of required appraisal experience shall be granted for “limited appraisal and restricted appraisal reports, as defined by the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Persons wishing to become professional real property appraisers should contact our office (www.reab.state.al.us) for an application package. The Alabama Real Estate Appraisers Board does not discriminate on the basis of race, origin, sex, religion, age or disability in employment or the provision of services.

For more details, visit Alabama Real Estate Commission and Alabama Real Estate Appraisers Board website

Click here for forms and applications