How to Become a Real Estate Appraiser in Alabama: Your
5-Step Guide

How to Become a Licensed Real Property Appraiser in Alabama

Now let’s take a more in-depth look at the steps recommended to really start your appraisal career as a licensed real property appraiser.

1. 1. Obtain Your Alabama Trainee Real Property Appraiser License

   NOTE: Your state may accept PAREA or Practicum as an alternative to Trainee license with Trainee/Supervisory model.

   Qualifying Education. Before you can become a licensed real property appraiser in Alabama, you’ll need to complete 75 hours total of Alabama Appraiser Qualifying Education (QE), broken up as follows:

   • 30 hours of appraisal principles
   • 30 hours of appraisal procedures
   • The 15-hour National Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) course, or an equivalent course

   You’ll also need to complete a 4-hour Training Course for Supervisory Appraisers and Appraiser Assistants. Before signing up for the course, you need to find a supervisory appraiser who will act as your mentor through completion of your experience hours (Step 3).

   All Qualifying Education must be approved by the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) and the Alabama Appraiser Certification and Licensure Board. You must complete all Qualifying Education prior to submitting your trainee appraiser application.

   Before applying for your license, take a moment to read through Alabama’s trainee appraiser fact sheet.

   Once you’ve met all of the above requirements, you can apply for your Trainee Appraiser license using Alabama’s online eLicensing portal. There is a $150 application fee plus a $40 federal appraiser registry fee.

2. 2. Complete Your Appraiser Education

   After becoming an Alabama trainee appraiser, it’s time for the next step toward becoming a licensed real property appraiser: 150 total hours of Appraisal Foundation-approved appraiser education. Take a look at the breakdown of coursework. (Please Note: You’ve already satisfied 75 of these hours through your Trainee Appraiser license – nice work!)

3. 3. Conduct Your Appraisal Work Experience

   Once you’ve finished your education, you must conduct and log at least 1,000 hours of actual appraisal experience. Those 1,000 hours must be completed:

   • Under the supervision of an approved certified appraiser mentor; and
   • Over a period of at least 6 months.

   This means that you must take no less than six months to complete your 1,000 hours of appraisal experience. To put things in perspective, if an apprentice works 40 hours per workweek, they will complete their training in a little over six months. If, however, they put in any fewer than 40 hours per week, it would take longer.

   To find a supervisory appraiser, you can search Alabama’s appraiser database to find certified residential and general appraisers who are approved as supervisory appraisers.

   Once you’ve completed your appraiser education and experience requirements, you’ll need to submit proof of completion to the Alabama Real Estate Appraisers Board for verification. Once approved, the board will notify you that you can schedule your licensing exam.

4. 4. Pass the National Uniform Licensing & Certification Examination

   After the Alabama Real Estate Appraisers Board approves your education and experience, you can take the National Uniform Licensing & Certification Exam. You will receive a candidate handbook and instructions for contacting the testing company to schedule your exam. The Appraisal Foundation publishes tips on the exam structure that can help you prepare. Here’s an overview:

   • The exam is four hours long. The Licensed Residential Examination can take up to four hours to complete.
   • There are 125 questions on the test. The National Uniform Licensing and Certification exam is composed of 125 total questions. Fifteen of these questions are considered practice, and answering those questions wrong does not negatively affect your score.
   • A score of 75 points is passing. Scores for the National Uniform Licensing and Certification exam range between 0 and 110 points. Each question carries an equal weight of 1 point. In order to pass, you must earn a minimum of 75 points.
   • You can take the test more than once. The Appraisal Foundation allows you to take the test up to three times.

5. 5. Submit Your Application for Alabama Licensed Real Property Appraiser

   After passing your exam, it’s time to apply for your license. Generally, candidates can expect this process to take up to six weeks, but it may vary.

   To fill out your application, you'll need to complete the application using Alabama’s online eLicensing portal. There is a $275 application fee.

   You’ll also need to complete a criminal history record and background check as part of your application. More info on this process can be found here.

   Alabama state-licensed appraiser licenses are valid for one year. Continuing Education (CE) must be completed every other year.

Appraiser License Types in Alabama

It’s important to understand how Alabama classifies real estate appraisers across five separate categories, each with their own qualifications for licensure:

• Trainee Real Property Appraiser
• State-Registered Real Property Appraiser*
• Licensed Real Property Appraiser
• Certified Residential Real Property Appraiser
• Certified General Real Property Appraiser

After receiving either a Trainee or State-Registered Real Property Appraiser license, you can “upgrade” to any of the subsequent license levels. Today, we’ll be focusing on how to become a licensed real property appraiser in Alabama.

But first, here’s a quick overview of the eligibility requirements for all licensing levels.

Find extra details here regarding Alabama’s fingerprinting background check process.

Trainee Real Property Appraiser

Alabama, like most states, recommends a pilot program for potential appraisers to begin their path toward becoming fully licensed. Known as a trainee real property appraiser, this first level of licensure is required before you can become fully licensed and start appraising real estate on your own.

Here’s a quick overview of everything you’ll need to become a trainee appraiser:

Licensed Real Estate Appraiser:

The next level up is a licensed real property appraiser. At this level, you can appraise:

• Non-complex 1-4 unit residential properties (transaction value < $1,000,000)
• Complex 1-4 unit residential properties (transaction value < $250,000)

Here’s a quick overview of everything you’ll need to become an Alabama licensed real property appraiser:

Certified Residential Real Property Appraiser

Certified residential real property appraisers may appraise:

• 1-4 unit residential properties without regard to value or complexity
• All other types of real property with a transaction value less than $250,000

Certified General Real Property Appraiser

Certified general real property appraisers are the highest level of appraiser professionals in Alabama. They can appraise all types of residential or commercial property without regard to value or complexity.