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

How to Become a Licensed Residential Appraiser in New York

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

1. 1. Obtain Your New York State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser Assistant 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 state licensed residential real estate appraiser in New York, you’ll need to complete 75 hours total of New York Appraiser Qualifying Education, 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

   You’ll also need to complete a 4-hour Appraiser Trainee/Supervisory Appraiser Course. In New York, this course must be completed before entering a new Supervisory/Trainee relationship.

   All Qualifying Education must be approved by the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) and the New York Department of State Division of Licensing Services. You must complete all Qualifying Education prior to submitting your appraiser assistant application.

   Before applying for your license, take a moment to read through New York’s detailed real estate appraiser application requirements.

   Once you’ve met all the above requirements, you will need to apply with the state for your State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser Assistant license. This requires a $250 fee.

   Purchase your required NY trainee courses »

2. 2. Complete Your Appraiser Education

   After getting your State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser Assistant license, it’s time for the next step toward becoming a state licensed residential real estate appraiser in New York: 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 by earning your appraiser assistant 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 in no less than 24 months. These 1,000 hours must be completed under the supervision of a certified residential or general appraiser.

   You can find a list of approved New York supervisory appraisers here.

4. 4. Submit Your Application for a New York State Licensed Residential Appraiser License

   Once you've completed your education, logged your 1,000 experience hours, and gained at least 24 months of appraisal work experience, it’s time to apply for your license. Generally, candidates can expect the entire application process to take two to four weeks.

   To apply, you’ll need to download and complete your application, print it, and submit it to the New York Department of State Division of Licensing Services.

   When you first apply for your license, you’ll need to pay a $250 application fee, a $25 exam application fee, and an $80 National Registry Fee for a total of $355. A separate exam fee of $125 will be assessed by your test vendor at the time you take your national exam (the next and final step!).

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

   After the New York State Department of Licensing receives your application and determines it is complete, you’ll be directed to take the National Uniform Licensing & Certification Exam.

   New York requires that the exam be administered by a testing vendor approved by the AQB. You can find a list of AQB-approved exam administrators here. There is a $125 fee to take the exam, a $25 exam application fee, and an exam application to submit. 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 Appraiser 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.

   New York appraiser licenses are valid for two years. At the end of your renewal period, you’ll need to complete the required Continuing Education (CE) to renew your license.

Appraiser License Types in New York

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

• State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser Assistant
• State Licensed Residential Real Estate Appraiser
• State Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser
• State Certified General Real Estate Appraiser

After receiving your State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser Assistant license, you can “upgrade” to any of the subsequent license levels. Today, we’ll be focusing on how to get to your State Licensed Residential Real Estate Appraiser license. But first, here’s a quick overview of the requirements for the first four licensing levels.

No background check or fingerprint submission is required to apply for an appraiser license in New York. Applicants will need to answer five background check questions on the application and submit supporting documentation about previous criminal convictions if needed.

State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser Assistant

New York, like most states, recommends a pilot program for potential appraisers to begin their path toward becoming fully licensed. Known as a state licensed real estate appraiser assistant, this first level of licensure is recommended 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 licensed real estate appraiser assistant:

State Licensed Residential Real Estate Appraiser

The next level up is a state licensed residential real estate 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)
• Vacant or unimproved land that is to be used for a 1-4 residential unit (transaction value < $1,000,000)

Here’s a quick overview of everything you’ll need to become a state licensed residential real estate appraiser:

State Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser

State certified residential real estate appraisers may appraise:

• 1-4 unit residential properties without regard to value or complexity
• Vacant or unimproved land that is to be used for a 1-4 residential unit without regard to value or complexity

State Certified General Real Estate Appraiser

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