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

How to Become a Licensed Appraiser in North Dakota

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

1. 1. Obtain Your North Dakota Apprentice 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 an apprentice appraiser in North Dakota, you’ll need to complete 75 hours total of North Dakota 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 Supervisory Appraiser/Apprentice 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 either the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) or the ND Appraiser Board. You must complete all qualifying education prior to submitting your apprentice application.

   Before applying for your license, take a moment to read through the ND 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 Apprentice Appraiser license, which requires a $300 fee.

2. 2. Complete Appraiser Education

   After getting your North Dakota Apprentice Appraiser license, it’s time for the next step toward becoming a licensed residential appraiser in North Dakota: 150 total hours of Appraisal Foundation-approved appraiser education. (Please Note: You’ve already satisfied 75 of these hours through your Apprentice Appraiser license – nice work!)

3. 3. Conduct Your Appraisal Work Experience

   Once you’ve finished your education, you must conduct and log (pp. 3-4) 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 a period of 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.

   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 North Dakota found in the Appraisal Subcommittee’s National Registry of Appraisers. Once you find someone to work with, you must register them as your supervisor with this form.

   If the application is accepted, you’ll be sent instructions on how to take the National Uniform Licensing and Certification Examination — the final step before you can apply for your license.

4. 4. Submit Your Application for a North Dakota Licensed Appraiser License

   Now that you've completed your education and logged your experience, it’s time to apply for your license. 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
   • Prepare the $400 application fee
   • All that’s left is to mail or email the completed application, supporting documentation, and the fee to the address or email address noted on the application.

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

   After the Board receives your application and determines it’s complete, you’ll be sent your Examination ID and directed to take the National Uniform Licensing & Certification Exam.

   In North Dakota, the test is administered by PSI. A passed exam is valid for a period of 24 months. The licensure permit must be obtained within 24 months of successful completion of the exam or it must be retaken. 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.

Appraiser License Types in North Dakota

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

• Apprentice Appraiser
• Licensed Appraiser
• Certified Residential Appraiser
• Certified General Appraiser

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

Apprentice Appraiser

North Dakota, like most states, recommends a pilot program for potential appraisers to begin their path toward becoming fully licensed. Known as an apprentice appraiser, this first level permit is recommended before you can become fully licensed (or certified) and start appraising real estate on your own.

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

Licensed Appraiser

The next level up is a licensed appraiser. At this level, you can provide appraisal services in transactions with:

• 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 licensed 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.