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

How to Become a Licensed Residential Appraiser in Ohio

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 Ohio Appraiser Assistant Registration

   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 Ohio, you’ll need to complete 75 hours total of Ohio 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
   • One course devoted to federal, state, and municipal fair housing law
   • *Contact the Ohio Real Estate Appraiser Board for more information on this 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 either the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) or the Ohio Real Estate Appraiser Board. You must complete all qualifying education prior to submitting your assistant application.

   Before applying for your license, take a moment to read through the Ohio 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 Appraiser Assistant registration, which requires a $175 fee.

2. 2. Complete Your Appraiser Education

   After getting your Ohio Appraiser Assistant registration, it’s time for the next step toward becoming a licensed residential appraiser in Ohio: 150 total hours of Appraisal Foundation-approved appraiser education. (Please Note: You’ve already satisfied 75 of these hours through your appraiser assistant education – 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 (pp. 10-11). Those 1,000 hours must be completed:

   • Under the supervision of a certified appraiser; and
   • Over a period of at least 6 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 appraiser assistant 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. All experience must be completed under 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 Ohio found in the Appraisal Subcommittee’s National Registry of Appraisers.

   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 an Ohio Residential Real Estate 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.

   You will need to mail your application to the following address with the fees upon completion:

   Ohio Division of Real Estate & Professional Licensing
   6606 Tussing Rd., PO Box 4008
   Reynoldsburg, Ohio 43068

   When you first apply for your license, you’ll need to pay a $175 licensing fee. Then, once you pass the National Exam (the next and final step!), you’ll be asked to pay the $40 Federal Registry Fee along with a $50 recovery fund assessment fee.

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

   After the Ohio 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 Ohio, the test is administered by PSI. There is an $85 fee to take the exam, and 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 Ohio

It’s important to understand how Ohio classifies real estate appraisers across four separate credential types, each with their own qualifications:

• Registered Appraiser Assistant
• Licensed Residential Appraiser License
• Certified Residential Appraiser Certification
• Certified General Appraiser Certification

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

Appraiser Assistant

Ohio, like most states, requires a pilot program for potential appraisers to begin their path toward becoming fully licensed. Known as a registered appraiser assistant, this first level of registration 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 appraiser assistant:

Licensed Residential Appraiser:

The next level up is a licensed residential 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 residential 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.