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

How to Become a Certified Residential Appraiser in Florida

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

1. 1. Obtain Your Florida Registered Trainee Certification

   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 certified residential appraiser in Florida, you’ll need to complete 75 hours of Florida 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

   Florida also requires 25 hours of Appraisal Subject Matter Electives, which will include three hours of Florida laws and rules, as well as the 4-hour Appraiser Trainee/Supervisory Appraiser Course. Before signing up for this course, you need to find a supervisory appraiser who will act as your mentor through completion of your experience hours (Step 3).

   That is 100 hours of QE, total.

   All Qualifying Education must be approved by either the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) or the Florida Real Estate Appraiser Board. You must complete all qualifying education prior to submitting your trainee application.

   Before applying for your certification, take a moment to read through the Florida Real Estate Appraiser Board’s detailed application requirements and pay special attention to the background and character qualifications.

   Once you’ve met all of the above requirements, you will need to apply with the state for your Trainee Appraiser certification, which requires a $230 fee.

2. 2. Complete Your Appraiser Education

   After getting your Appraiser Trainee registration, it’s time for the next step toward becoming a certified residential appraiser in Florida: 200 total hours of Appraisal Foundation-approved appraiser education. (Please Note: You’ve already satisfied 100 of these hours through your trainee certification – 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 a period of at least 12 months.

   This means that you must take no less than 12 months to complete your 1,500 hours of appraisal experience. This experience must be completed under the guidance of a supervisor.

   There are many ways to find and enter into a working relationship with a supervisory appraiser. A great way to begin your search is to use the list of active certified appraisers in Florida found in the Appraisal Subcommittee’s National Registry of Appraisers.

4. 4. Submit Your Application for Florida Certified Residential Appraiser

   Now that you’ve completed your education and logged your experience, it’s time to apply for your certification. Generally, candidates can expect the entire application process to take four to six weeks. Factors that affect the processing time are the completeness of the application when filed and the number and nature of any character issues or questions with respect to fitness for licensure.

   Here’s a list of what you’ll need to get started:

   • Read through the application carefully.
   • Gather all of your supporting documentation (e.g., transcripts; proof of coursework; experience log; etc.).
   • Submit to a background check with fingerprinting – instructions on how to do so can be found on the application.
   • Prepare the $306 application fee.
   • Submit the application, supporting documentation, and the fee online OR mail to the address noted on the application.

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

   After the Florida Real Estate Appraiser Board receives your application and determines it’s complete, you’ll be directed to take the National Uniform Licensing & Certification Exam.

   In Florida, the test is administered by Pearson VUE. There is a handy portal to access your exam scheduling information once your application has been accepted. The Appraisal Foundation also publishes tips on the exam structure that can help you prepare. Here’s an overview:

   • The exam is four hours long. The Certified 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.

   Note: You will also need to take and pass the Florida Supplemental Exam. For more information on the structure of the exam, see page 4 of Appraiser Laws and Rules manual.

Appraiser Certification Types in Florida

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

• Registered Trainee Appraiser
• Certified Residential Appraiser
• Certified General Appraiser

After receiving your Registered Trainee certification, you can “upgrade” to any of the subsequent certification levels. Today, we’ll be focusing on how to get to your Certified Residential Appraiser certification. But first, here’s a quick overview of the requirements for the first four licensing levels.

Registered Trainee Appraiser

Florida, like most states, has a pilot program for potential appraisers to begin their path toward becoming fully certified. Known as a registered trainee appraiser, this first level of certification is recommended before you can become fully certified and start appraising real estate on your own.

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

Certified Residential Appraiser

Certified residential appraisers may provide appraisal services in transactions with:

• 1-4 unit residential properties without regard to value or complexity
• Commercial properties (transaction value < $250,000)

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.