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

How to Become a State Certified Residential Appraiser in Connecticut

Now let's take a more in-depth look at the steps recommended to really start your appraisal career as a state certified residential appraiser.

1. 1. Obtain Your Connecticut State Provisional 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 an independent state certified residential appraiser in Connecticut, you’ll need to complete 75 hours total of Connecticut 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 and Provisional Appraisers or a mandatory 3-hour Connecticut Appraisal Law with Supervisory / Provisional Appraiser Education Course.

   Before signing up for the Supervisory and Provisional Appraiser training course – and applying for your provisional license – you need to find a sponsoring appraiser. This person 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 Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Real Estate Department. You must complete all Qualifying Education prior to submitting your state provisional appraiser application.

   You can apply for your State Provisional Appraiser license using Connecticut’s online portal. There is a $140 application fee.

2. 2. Complete Your State Certified Appraiser Education

   After becoming a Connecticut state provisional appraiser, it’s time for the next step toward becoming a state certified residential appraiser: 200 total hours of Appraisal Foundation-approved appraiser education. Review the required coursework here. (Please Note: You’ve already satisfied 75 of these course hours through your State Provisional Appraiser license – nice work!)

3. 3. Conduct Your Appraisal Work Experience

   Once you’ve finished your education, you must conduct and log at least 1,500 hours of actual appraisal experience. Those 1,500 hours must be completed:

   • Under the supervision of a certified appraiser; and
   • Over at least 12 months.

   To find a sponsoring appraiser, you can search Connecticut’s appraiser database to find active state certified residential and general appraisers who may be open to working with you.

   Once you’ve completed your appraiser education and experience requirements, you’ll need to submit proof of completion to the Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection, Real Estate Department, 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 Connecticut Department of Consumer Protection 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. 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 Connecticut State Certified Residential Appraiser

   After passing your exam, it’s time to apply for your State Certified Residential Appraiser license. Generally, candidates can expect this process to take up to a month, but it may vary.

   You'll need to complete your application using the online portal. You’ll also use the portal to provide proof of your passing exam score, completed education requirements, and completed experience hours. There is a $45 application fee.

   Connecticut State Certified Appraiser licenses are valid for two years, and Continuing Education (CE) must be completed once during every renewal cycle.

Appraiser License Types in Connecticut

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

• State Provisional Appraiser
• State Certified Residential Appraiser
• State Certified General Appraiser

After receiving your State Provisional Appraiser license, you can “upgrade” to any of the subsequent license levels. Today, we’ll be focusing on how to become a state certified residential appraiser. First, here’s a quick overview of the eligibility requirements for all license levels.

State Provisional Appraiser

Connecticut recommends a pilot program for potential appraisers to begin their path toward becoming fully licensed. Known as a state provisional appraiser, this first level of licensure is recommended before you can become fully licensed and start appraising real estate on your own as a state certified residential or general appraiser.

Here's a quick overview of everything you’ll need to become a state provisional appraiser:

State Certified Residential Appraiser

The next level up is a state certified residential appraiser. At this level, you can appraise:

• 1-4 unit residential properties without regard to value or complexity

Here’s a quick overview of everything you’ll need to become a Connecticut state certified residential appraiser:

State Certified General Appraiser

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

Certified General Appraiser

Certified general appraisers are the highest level of appraiser professionals. They can provide appraisal services in transactions with all types of residential or commercial real property without regard to value or complexity.