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

How to Become a Licensed Residential Real Property Appraiser in New Jersey

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 New Jersey Trainee Appraiser Permit

   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 estate appraiser in New Jersey, you’ll need to complete 75 hours total of New Jersey 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 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).

   All Qualifying Education must be approved by the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) and the New Jersey State Real Estate Appraiser Board. You must complete all Qualifying Education prior to submitting your trainee permit application.

   Before applying for your permit, take a moment to read through New Jersey’s detailed trainee application requirements.

   Once you’ve met all of the above requirements, you can apply for your Trainee Appraiser permit using New Jersey’s online portal or by submitting a paper application. There is a $100 application fee.

2. 2. Complete Your Appraiser Education

   After getting your New Jersey Trainee Appraiser permit, it’s time for the next step toward becoming a licensed 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 permit – 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 who is an approved mentor in New Jersey; and
   • Over a period of at least six months.

   There are many ways to find a supervisory appraiser. You can request a New Jersey licensee list to find certified residential and general appraisers who may be open to mentoring a trainee. You can also search the list of active certified appraisers in New Jersey found in the Appraisal Subcommittee’s National Registry of Appraisers.

   Once you’ve completed your appraiser education and experience requirements, you’ll need to submit proof of completion to the New Jersey State 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 New Jersey Board of Real Estate Appraisers approves your education and experience, you can take the National Uniform Licensing & Certification 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 a New Jersey Licensed Residential 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 first need to create an account on the New Jersey online portal. You can apply for your license using the online portal or by submitting a paper application to the New Jersey Board of Real Estate Appraisers. There is a $75 application fee.

   You’ll need to submit your fingerprints and consent to a background check as part of your application. More info on this process can be found here.

   New Jersey appraiser licenses are valid for two years. Continuing Education (CE) is required to be completed before renewing your license.

Appraiser License Types in New Jersey

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

• Trainee Appraiser
• Licensed Residential Real Property Appraiser
• Certified Residential Real Property Appraiser
• Certified General Real Property Appraiser

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

Find extra details here about New Jersey’s fingerprint and background check process.

Trainee Appraiser

(h3) Trainee Appraiser New Jersey, like most states, recommends a pilot program for potential appraisers to begin their path toward becoming fully licensed. Known as a trainee 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:

Licensed Residential Real Property 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 a New Jersey licensed real property appraiser:

Certified Residential Real Property Appraiser

Certified residential appraisers may appraise:

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

Certified General Real Property Appraiser

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