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

How to Become a Licensed Residential Appraiser in Idaho

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

1. 1. Obtain Your Idaho Registered Appraiser Trainee 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 residential appraiser in Idaho, you’ll need to complete 75 hours total of Idaho 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 Idaho’s 4-hour Training Course for Supervisory Appraisers and Real Estate Appraiser Trainees. 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 Idaho Real Estate Appraiser Board. You must complete all Qualifying Education prior to submitting your registered trainee appraiser application.

   Before applying for your license, take a moment to read through Idaho’s registered trainee appraiser requirements on page 7 of Idaho’s Real Estate Appraiser Board Rules.

   Once you’ve met all of the above requirements, you can apply for your Registered Appraiser Trainee license using this application. There is a $250 application fee.

2. 2. Complete Your Appraiser Education

   After becoming an Idaho registered appraiser trainee, it’s time for the next step toward becoming a licensed residential appraiser: 150 total hours of Appraisal Foundation-approved appraiser education. Review the required coursework on page 9 of Idaho’s Real Estate Appraiser Board Rules. (Please Note: You’ve already satisfied 75 of these hours through your Real Estate Appraiser Trainee 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 a certified appraiser; and
   • Over at least six 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 Idaho’s appraiser database to find certified residential and general appraisers who have been approved as supervisory appraisers.

   Once you’ve completed your appraiser education and experience requirements, you’ll need to submit proof of completion to the Idaho Real Estate Appraiser 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 Idaho Real Estate Appraiser 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. 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 Idaho Licensed Residential Appraiser

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

   You'll need to complete the application and submit it to the Idaho Real Estate Appraiser Board along with proof of your passing exam score, completed education requirements, and completed experience hours. There is a $300 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.

   Idaho Licensed Residential Appraiser licenses are valid for one year. Continuing Education (CE) must be completed every other year.

Appraiser License Types in Idaho

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

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

After receiving your Registered Appraiser Trainee license, you can “upgrade” to any of the subsequent license levels. Today, we’ll be focusing on how to become a licensed residential appraiser. But first, here’s a quick overview of the eligibility requirements for all license levels.

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

Registered Appraiser Trainee

Idaho requires a pilot program for potential appraisers to begin their path toward becoming fully licensed. Known as a registered appraiser trainee, 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 registered appraiser trainee:

Licensed Residential Appraiser

The next level up is a licensed residential 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 Idaho licensed residential appraiser:

Certified Residential Appraiser

Certified residential appraisers may appraise:

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

Certified General Appraiser

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