Division of Real Estate

Florida Licensing Requirements for Appraisers

Mail all applications to:
DBPR Central Intake Unit
1940 North Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0783

For initial application or supporting documents for your application, please fax them to 850-488-8040.

An applicant must be at least 18 years old, hold a high school diploma (more detailed information is available in Chapter 475.615, Florida Statutes) and fulfill the following:

Registered Trainee Appraiser                                    

• Successfully complete 100 classroom hours of Board-approved courses covering the topics required by the FREAB in subjects related to real estate appraisal. Past courses may be approved by the Board and substituted on an-hour-for-hour basis. However, a course on Uniform Standards of Professional Practice (or the USPAP portion of a course) will not be accepted after two years from the successful completion of the course.
• Submit a completed application, electronic fingerprinting, and appropriate fee.
• Submit a completed FREAB 15 form with employment information if the information was not provided on the application, or visit DBPR's Online Services to apply online.
• All appraisers are now required to register the firm or business name where they conduct appraisal services. To do so, you must submit a completed Change of Status FREAB 14 form to the Department.

Certified Residential Appraiser

• Successfully complete 200 classroom hours of board-approved courses covering the topics required by the FREAB in subjects related to real estate appraisal. This must include 15 hours of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (external link). Past courses may be approved by the board and substituted on an-hour-for-hour basis.
• Provide proof of satisfactory completion of either a 2 year associates degree or higher, OR a total of 21 semester hours consisting of: English Composition; Principles of Economics, (either Macro or Micro); Finance; Algebra; Geometry or higher mathematics; Statistics; Computer Science; and either Business Law or Real Estate Law.
• Submit a completed application, fingerprint card, and appropriate fee.
• On an RE 2300 Form, provide evidence of 2,500 hours of real property appraisal experience obtained over a 24-month period in real property appraisal by furnishing under oath a detailed statement of the experience for each year of experience claimed. The experience claimed must have been acquired in no less than 24 months. Upon request, the applicant must provide the appraisal board, for its examination, copies of appraisal reports to support the claim for experience.
• Pass the Residential National Exam (external link) and Florida Supplemental Exam.
• All appraisers are now required to register the firm or business name where they conduct appraisal services. To do so, you must submit a completed Change of Status FREAB 14 form to the Department.

Certified General Appraiser

• Successfully complete 300 classroom hours of board-approved courses covering the topics required by the FREAB in subjects related to real estate appraisal. This must include 15 hours of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (external link)). Past courses may be approved by the board and substituted on an-hour-for-hour basis.
• Provide proof of satisfactory completion of either a 4 year bachelors degree or higher, OR a total of 30 semester hours consisting of: English Composition; Micro Economics, Macro Economics; Finance; Algebra; Geometry or higher mathematics; Statistics; Computer Science; and either Business Law or Real Estate Law.  Also must include any 2 or the following courses: Accounting; Geography; Agricultural Economics; Business Management. Or Real Estate
• Submit a completed application, fingerprint card, and appropriate fee.
• On an RE 2300 Form, provide evidence of 3,000 hours of real property appraisal experience obtained over a 30-month period in real property appraisal by furnishing under oath a detailed statement of the experience for each year of experience claimed. The experience claimed must have been acquired in no less than 30 months. At least 50% (1,500 hours) of the claimed experience must be in nonresidential appraisal work. Upon request, the applicant must provide the appraisal board, for its examination, copies of appraisal reports to support the claim for experience.
• Pass the General National Exam (external link) and the Florida Supplemental Exam.
• All appraisers are now required to register the firm or business name where they conduct appraisal services. To do so, you must submit a completed Change of Status FREAB 14 form to the Department.

Out-of-State Applicants for Certification

1. If you are a resident of another state and wish to obtain equivalent certification in Florida, please review Rule 61J1 3.004 F.A.C.  for information regarding the application process and Appraisal Qualifications Board (AQB) compliance.
2. Effective January 1, 2008, if you have satisfied the following criteria in another state and are current and active in that state, you may obtain a Florida license without submitting proof of education or experience. 

You will be required to:

• Demonstrate that you are currently licensed to practice real estate appraisal with an equivalent appraisal credential under the law of another state or jurisdiction;
• Demonstrate that you have met the minimal AQB criteria for education and experience;
• Demonstrate that that you have passed an AQB approved qualifying examination within 24 months for the applied for credential;
• Successfully complete the Florida Supplemental Exam with a score of 75% or higher.
• Demonstrate that you have complied with Rule 3.004 subsections (1),(2),(5),(6) & (7) F.A.C.

A Certification of License History from the state(s) where you took your examination(s) and hold current certification(s) as an appraiser must be provided at the time of application to substantiate the above information.

Appraiser Instructor

I. Where the course or courses to be taught are prescribed by the Board precedent to registration, licensure, certification, or renewal as a Registered Trainee Appraiser, Licensed Appraiser, or Certified Residential Appraiser.

Before commencing to instruct noncredit college courses in a college, university, or community college, or courses in an area technical center or proprietary real estate school, the applicant must certify their competency by meeting one of the following requirements:

1. Hold a valid certification as a residential real estate appraiser in this or any other state
   or pass an Appraiser Instructor Examination (external link), which tests knowledge of residential appraisal topics, with a grade of at least 75.
2. Submit a completed FREAB 19 form with employment information if the information was not provided on the application, or visit DBPR's Online Services to apply online.

II. Where the course or courses to be taught are prescribed by the Board precedent to registration, licensure, certification, or renewal as a Registered Trainee Appraiser, or Certified Appraiser.

Before commencing to instruct noncredit college courses in a college, university, or community college, or courses in an area technical center or proprietary real estate school, the applicant must certify their competency by meeting one of the following requirements:

1. Hold a valid certification as a general real estate appraiser in this or any other state
   or pass an Appraiser Instructor Examination (external link), which tests knowledge of residential and nonresidential appraisal topics, with a grade of at least 75.
2. Submit a completed FREAB 19 form with employment information if the information was not provided on the application, or visit DBPR's Online Services to apply online.

III. The continuing education requirement for a real estate appraiser instructor is a minimum of 21 classroom hours of instruction in real estate appraisal subjects or instructional techniques as prescribed by the Board.

A school instructor is not required to complete the 21 hours of instructor continuing education as a condition for initial permit renewal if the time between the effective date on the initial permit as an instructor and the beginning of the initial renewal permit is less than 12 months. Of the required 21 classroom hours, up to 14 hours may be applied toward the continuing education requirement for registration, licensure, orcertification pursuant to Rule 61J1-4.003, Florida Administrative Code.

Examination

All applicants for appraisal certification must successfully complete two exams:  The Florida Supplemental examination with a passing grade of 75 percent or higher, and the Residential National Exam or the General National Exam (score as determined by the AQB).  An approved vendor, Pearson Vue, administers all exams for appraiser applicants. There are various testing centers throughout Florida. Once the application is approved, the applicant will receive notification from Pearson Vue with instructions on how to schedule an examination.

The examination will consist of questions to demonstrate that he or she possess a knowledge of technical terms commonly used in real estate appraisal; an understanding of the principles of land economics, real estate appraisal processes, reliable sources of appraising date, and problems likely to be encountered in the gathering, interpreting, and processing of date in carrying out appraisal disciplines; an understanding of the standards for the development and communication of real estate appraisals; an understanding of the types of misconduct for which disciplinary proceedings may be initiated against a licensed or certified appraiser, as set forth in law; and knowledge of the theories of depreciation, cost estimating, methods of capitalization, and the mathematics of real estate appraisal that are appropriate for the level of licensure or certification sought.

Upgrade

An individual who is registered, licensed, or certified as a residential appraiser under Florida Statutes may upgrade to a higher level. Under the AQB 2008 Criteria, anyone upgrading their credential to a certified residential appraiser must show at least 2,500 hours of residential experience.  To upgrade to certified general appraiser must show at least 3,000 hours of experience, of which 1,500 hours must be non-residential experience. The experience you list on the log pages will be audited prior to approval of the application and exam eligibility.

Include with the application a photocopy of current registration, license or certification and proof of successful completion of the required education requirements for the designation you seek.

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