Real Estate Appraisers Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) - Real Estate Appraisers, Appraisal Management Companies and Home Inspectors

How do I schedule an exam to become an Appraiser?
Contact PSI to begin the process. Reference the candidate bulletin for more details.

How do I become an appraiser? There are 2 ways- the traditional supervisor/trainee method and PAREA(see below). Contact PSI to begin the process. See PSI Real Estate Appraiser Candidate Bulletin. Examination is not required for Appraiser Trainees.

The Appraiser Qualifications Board created the program as an alternative to the traditional supervisor/trainee model for gaining appraisal experience. To meet the experience requirements for the Licensed Residential and the Certified Residential credential level, a participant can now choose between PAREA or the supervisor/trainee model.

Licensed Real Estate Appraiser: Applicant must have completed 150 hours of courses approved by the Commission and compiled at least 1,000 hours of appraisal work experience over a period of at least 6 months.

Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser: Applicant must have completed 200 hours of courses approved by the Commission and compiled at least 1,500 hours of appraisal work over a period of at least one calendar year (12 months).

Certified General Real Estate Appraiser: Applicant must have completed 300 hours of courses approved by the Commission, hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and compiled a minimum of 3,000 hours of appraisal work over a period of at least 1 1/2 years (18 months), at least 1,500 hours of which in non-residential real property appraisal work.

Appraiser Trainee: Within the five-year period prior to the date of submission of an application for a real estate appraiser trainee license, an applicant must have completed 75 tested hours of Commission-approved real estate appraisal courses, of which 15 hours must be in the subject of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice and a Commission-approved course oriented toward trainee appraiser expectations and responsibilities. How do I log my work experience? See sample to create your work experience log.

Can I take online courses in order to become an appraiser?
Yes. The Commission recognizes all classroom-based and online qualifying education approved through the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) Course Approval Program (CAP).

Can I take online courses to renew my appraiser license?
Yes. The Commission recognizes all classroom-based and online qualifying education approved through the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) Course Approval Program (CAP). Note: an appraiser may not complete more than 8 hours of continuing education in the same calendar day.

Where can I obtain the classes needed for an appraiser license?
All of the community colleges in the State of Maryland are approved to offer real estate appraising education. You may call any of the community colleges directly for a schedule of classes. The Commission recognizes all classroom-based and online qualifying education approved through the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) Course Approval Program (CAP). You may obtain a list of the CAP-approved courses on its website. To obtain the list, scroll down to the Appraiser Qualifications Board Course Approval Program, then click on the link titled AQB Approved Real Property Courses. Education approved through the AQB CAP must be consistent with the courses required by the Commission pursuant to COMAR 09.19.02.03.

Do I need a college degree to obtain an appraiser’s license?

We follow the 2018 Appraisal Qualification Board's guidelines for educational requirements.

Licensed Appraiser: The Licensed Residential Real Property Appraiser classification requires no college level education.

Certified Residential: Applicants for the Certified Residential credential must satisfy at least one of the following five options:

1. Possession of a Bachelor’s Degree in any field of study;
2. Possession of an Associate’s Degree in a field of study related to: a. Business Administration; b. Accounting; c. Finance; d. Economics; or e. Real Estate
3. Successful completion of 30 semester hours of college-level courses that cover each of the following specific topic areas and hours: a. English Composition (3 semester hours);b. Microeconomics (3 semester hours);c. Macroeconomics (3 semester hours);d. Finance (3 semester hours);e. Algebra, Geometry, or higher mathematics (3 semester hours);f. Statistics (3 semester hours);g. Computer Science (3 semester hours);h. Business or Real Estate Law (3 semester hours); and i. Two elective courses in any of the topics listed above or in accounting, geography, agricultural economics, business management, or real estate (3 semester hours each).
4. Successful completion of at least 30 semester hours of College Level Examination Program® (CLEP®) examinations from each of the following subject matter areas: a. College Algebra (3 semester hours);b. College Composition (6 semester hours);c. College Composition Modular (3 semester hours);d. College Mathematics (6 semester hours);e. Principles of Macroeconomics (3 semester hours);f. Principles of Microeconomics (3 semester hours);g. Introductory Business Law (3 semester hours); and h. Information Systems (3 semester hours).
5. Any combination of 3 and 4 above that ensures coverage of all topics and hours identified.

NOTE: As an alternative to the requirements above, individuals who have held a Licensed Residential credential for a minimum of five (5) years may qualify for a Certified Residential credential by satisfying all of the following:1. No record of any adverse, final, and non-appealable disciplinary action affecting the Licensed Residential appraiser’s legal eligibility to engage in appraisal practice within the five (5) years immediately preceding the date of application for a Certified Residential credential; 2. Successful completion of the additional required qualifying education as specified below;3. Successful completion of the required experience as specified in Section IV below; and 4. Successful completion of the Certified Residential Real Property Appraiser examination as specified.

Certified General: Applicants for the Certified General credential must hold a Bachelor’s degree or higher from an accredited college or university.

What is the fee for an appraiser license?
You may obtain the list of fees on the Commission’s website.

How do I renew an appraiser license?
You may renew your license electronically online or request a paper application by calling 410-230-6363.

What is the renewal schedule?
Real estate appraiser licenses are issued on a 3-year licensing cycle.

How do I reinstate an expired license?
A real estate appraiser who fails to renew his or her license during its regular term may renew the license/certificate if the applicant meets all continuing education and filing requirements and pays the Commission a reinstatement fee of $75 in addition to the renewal fee required. Prior to the reinstatement of an expired license/certificate, a license/credential holder must complete all required continuing education hours that would have been required if the license/credential was in an active status, dating back to the expiration of the license/certificate. The required hours must also include the most recent edition of a seven-hour National USPAP Update Course. Please note that any statutory obligation or Commission approval may also be required.

The Commission may not reinstate the license of a real estate appraiser who for any reason fails to apply for reinstatement within nine years after the license has expired.

NOTE: When reinstating an expired appraiser license the duration of the license will be less than the regular 3 year cycle. This is based on the original expiration date every 3 years.

If the appraiser's license has expired additional continuing education will be required to reinstate the license. An appraiser applicant shall have completed 14 hours of continuing education for each year or portion thereof since the license has been expired in addition to the required 42 hours of continuing education.

How do I obtain a letter of good standing?
You may request a letter of good standing through our website. There is a $15 charged for a letter of good standing.

Can I obtain an appraiser’s license if I have been convicted of a felony or misdemeanor?
A felony or misdemeanor conviction does not automatically make you ineligible for a real estate appraiser license. We encourage everyone to apply for a license. Each conviction is weighed on a case by case basis, and you will have the right to file an appeal should your application be denied. When applying, you will need to submit True Test copies of the proceedings surrounding the conviction with your application.

Once I pass an appraiser’s exam, how long can I wait to apply for a Maryland license?
If you have passed the exam, you have two years from the date you took the exam to apply for a license.

Can an Appraiser apply 2 different USPAP courses to meet the 42 hour continuing education requirement?
Yes, you can use 2 different USPAP courses to meet the 42 hour continuing education requirement.