How do I become a certified general appraiser?

To become a Certified General Appraiser, you must complete 300 hours of qualifying education, hold a bachelor's degree or higher, gain 3,000 hours of appraisal experience in no fewer than 18 months (including at least 1,500 non-residential hours), and pass the national Certified General exam. Each state administers the process, and state requirements may exceed these national minimums. A PAREA program can substitute for 50% of the required experience hours at this level.

To become a Certified General Real Property Appraiser in Alabama, complete 300 classroom hours of Board-approved qualifying education and hold a Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution, then document 3,000 hours of appraisal experience earned over at least 18 months, including at least 1,500 non-residential hours. Pass the 6-hour Certified General exam through PSI (110 questions, scaled score 75 to pass, $83 fee). The application fee is $275, the annual license fee is $335, and a $40 Washington Registry fee applies.

To become a Certified General appraiser in Alaska, you must hold a bachelor's degree in any field, complete 300 classroom hours of qualifying education, and document 3,000 hours of appraisal experience obtained cumulatively over at least 18 months, including at least 1,500 hours of nonresidential work. After the board approves your application, you must pass the Uniform State General Certification Examination within 24 months; Pearson VUE administers the test. Total application fees are $580.

Arizona's Certified General classification requires a bachelor's degree or higher, 300 hours of qualifying education in the Required Core Curriculum, and 3,000 hours of qualifying experience gained in no fewer than 18 months. You then pass the Certified General exam administered by Pearson VUE, a 6-hour test with 110 scored questions, and you need a scaled score of 75 on the 0 to 110 scale.

In Arkansas, a Certified General appraiser must hold a bachelor's degree or higher, complete 304 total qualifying-education hours, and log 3,000 hours of experience in no fewer than 18 months, including at least 1,500 hours of nonresidential work. After finishing the education and experience, you apply for a personal interview with the board, upload your education certificates and signed experience logs, and pay a $100 test fee that is deducted from your new credential fee when you pass the exam.

To become a Certified General appraiser in California, you need a bachelor's degree from an accredited college, 300 hours of qualifying education, and 3,000 hours of appraisal experience over at least 18 months, including 1,500 non-residential hours. The initial application fee is $1,110, and after the Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers approves your application, you receive an eligibility letter to schedule the national exam through PSI. Upgrades take fewer hours: Trainee adds 217 hours, Licensed Residential 142, and Certified Residential 100.

To become a Certified General Appraiser in Colorado, complete 300 hours of qualifying education, hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and log 3,000 hours of experience in no fewer than 18 months, including 1,500 hours of non-residential work. Then pass the National Uniform Licensing and Certification Examination after the Division issues your Letter of Exam Eligibility, and carry errors and omissions insurance. A Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal (PAREA) program can count up to 1,500 hours toward the experience requirement, but not toward the non-residential hours.

You first work as a Connecticut Provisional Appraiser under a certified sponsor, then apply to upgrade. Applicants must meet the Appraisal Qualification Board (AQB) 2026 criteria, submit all pre-licensing course certificates, signed experience logs with hours tallied on each page, and proof of required college completion. You pay a $45 application fee plus a $375 initial fee under Chapter 400g of the state statutes, and you must pass the certification exam. Connecticut has also adopted PAREA (Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal) as an alternative to parts of the standard path.

To become a certified general appraiser in the District of Columbia, you must pass the Certified General examination, complete 300 hours of qualifying education under the criteria effective January 1, 2026, hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited institution, and log 3,000 hours of experience in no fewer than 18 months, with at least 1,500 hours of non-residential appraisal work. The exam is computer-based with 110 scored questions over 6 hours, and a scaled score of 75 passes.

To become a Certified General Appraiser in Florida, complete 300 hours of approved qualifying education and hold a bachelor's degree or higher; no associate's-degree, semester-hour, or CLEP alternative exists for this credential. You must log at least 3,000 hours of appraisal experience over no fewer than 18 months, including 1,500 hours of non-residential work. Then pass the Certified General Appraiser National Exam ($63) and the Florida Supplemental Exam ($15.75), and submit the $351 application fee to the department.

To become a State Certified General Appraiser in Georgia, you must submit official transcripts confirming a Bachelor's degree or higher, document 3,000 hours of appraisal experience earned over at least 18 months, and complete the Board's required core curriculum. You must then pass the Certified General examination, which PSI Services administers for a $175 fee in 6 hours with 110 scored questions, and apply for the classification within 12 months of passing.

You need 300 hours of qualifying education in the Required Core Curriculum, a bachelor's degree or higher, and 3,000 hours of qualifying experience gained in no fewer than 18 months. You must then pass the Certified General examination administered through Pearson VUE with a scaled score of 75 on the 0 to 110 scale.

In Idaho, a Certified General appraiser needs a bachelor's degree or higher, 225 classroom hours of qualifying education beyond the trainee core (300 hours total), and a passing score on the Appraisal Qualifications Board (AQB) Certified General exam. Experience requires 3,000 hours in no fewer than 18 months, including at least 1,500 non-residential hours. As an alternative, a Certified Residential Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal (PAREA) program plus 2,000 hours of non-residential experience qualifies.

The Certified General credential in Illinois requires 300 hours of qualifying education, 3,000 hours of experience in no fewer than 18 months (at least 1,500 hours in non-residential work), a bachelor's degree or an approved alternative, and a passing score on the national exam administered by PSI Services LLC. Applicants must be at least 18 years old, pay a $315 non-refundable application fee, and clear a fingerprint-based background check. The exam consists of 110 scored questions plus 15 non-scored questions over 6 hours.

To become a Certified General Appraiser in Indiana, you need 300 hours of qualifying education, 3,000 hours of logged appraisal experience earned in no fewer than 30 months, and a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university with an original transcript. At least 2,000 of the experience hours must be in the general category. The application fee is $100, and you must pass the Certified General exam through Pearson VUE with a scaled score of 75.

To become a certified general real estate appraiser in Iowa, you must complete 300 hours of qualifying education, hold a bachelor's degree or higher, and accumulate 3,000 hours of experience in no less than 18 months, including a minimum of 1,500 general hours. You submit a complete appraisal log with your application, the board selects three appraisal reports for work product review (one residential and two nonresidential for original certification), and you must pass the certified general examination.

In Kansas, you need 300 hours of qualifying education plus a bachelor's degree or higher, and 3,000 hours of appraisal experience over at least 18 months, including a minimum of 1,500 hours of nonresidential work. The Kansas Real Estate Appraisal Board then approves your education and experience before you may sit for the national Certified General examination, administered in Kansas through Pearson VUE. A current certified residential appraiser can upgrade by completing the additional 100 hours of qualifying education.

You must first hold the Associate credential and work under a certified supervisor. The Certified General credential requires 3,000 experience hours in no less than 18 months, including at least 1,500 hours of commercial (non-residential) appraisals, 300 hours of qualifying education, and a bachelor's degree in any field, with no equivalency accepted. After the board reviews your experience log and inspects selected appraisal reports, you pay $200 per exam attempt and a $240 fee for the upgraded license after passing.

Certified General in Louisiana requires 300 creditable class hours of qualifying education, a Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited institution, and 3,000 hours of experience over no fewer than 18 months, including at least 1,500 hours in non-residential appraisal work. You must pass the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB)-approved Certified General examination, and the initial license fee on the state's testing application is $245. Upgrading from the Trainee credential adds 217 hours of coursework.

To become a certified general appraiser in Maine, you must hold a valid appraiser license, complete 3,000 hours of experience over at least 18 months (1,500 of which must be non-residential work), finish 300 hours of qualifying education, hold a bachelor's degree with no equivalency options, and pass the National Uniform Licensing and Certification Examination. The application fee is $30.00 and the license fee is $380.00.

Maryland's Certified General credential requires 300 classroom hours of qualifying education, a bachelor's degree or higher, and at least 3,000 hours of appraisal experience acquired over at least 18 months, including at least 1,500 hours in nonresidential appraisal work. You must also pass the Certified General examination administered by PSI, which allows 6 hours and requires a minimum scaled score of 75.

In Massachusetts, you must complete 300 hours of qualifying education, hold a Bachelor's degree or higher, and log 3,000 hours of appraisal experience over at least 18 months, including 1,500 hours of non-residential work. You then apply through the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Appraisers' eLIPSE portal with a $338 application fee; the $390 license fee is paid to the vendor after you pass the exam.

In Michigan, you need 300 hours of approved qualifying education (including the 15-hour National USPAP course and 8 hours of Valuation Bias and Fair Housing), a bachelor's degree or higher, and 3,000 hours of experience gained over at least 18 months, of which at least 1,500 hours must be in non-residential appraisal work. You must also pass the Certified General examination administered by PSI; the application plus 2-year license fee is $385.

In Mississippi, a Certified General Appraiser needs 300 hours of Qualifying Education, a bachelor's degree or higher, and 3,000 hours of experience in no fewer than 18 months, including 1,500 hours of non-residential work. You submit the MAB application, experience log, and course certificates with a $225 fee, then pass the national exam through PSI and the state test. Renewal is every 2 years with 28 hours of continuing education.

To become a Certified General appraiser in Missouri, you must complete the required education, pass the Certified General examination, and log at least 3,000 hours of real estate appraisal experience over no less than 18 months while working with a certified appraiser. At least 1,500 of those hours must be in appraising non-residential properties. You apply to the Missouri Real Estate Appraisers Commission with the application, supervisor affidavit, and supplemental experience log, and pay the $300 application fee.

To become a Certified General Appraiser in Montana, complete 300 hours of qualifying education, hold a bachelor's degree or higher in any field, and document 3,000 hours of appraisal experience in no fewer than 18 months, including at least 1,500 non-residential hours. File your application with the Board of Real Estate Appraisers and wait for written eligibility confirmation before scheduling the exam, which PSI administers for a $99 fee. Passing requires a scaled score of at least 75.

In Nebraska, Certified General applicants must complete 300 class hours of qualifying education, with a minimum of 165 hours in appraisal subjects, plus the 15-hour National Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) course within two years of application, and hold a bachelor's degree. Experience must total 3,000 hours over at least 18 months, including at least 1,500 non-residential hours. The exam fee is $130, and the Certified General exam allows 6 hours.

To become a Certified General appraiser in Nevada, you need a bachelor's degree plus qualifying education and supervised experience that exceed the national minimums of 300 class hours and 3,000 hours of experience in no fewer than 18 months, including 1,500 hours of non-residential work. You must pass the Certified General exam, which Pearson VUE administers in a 6-hour session with a passing scaled score of 75. The state's issuance fee for a general appraiser certificate is $420.

To become a Certified General Appraiser in New Hampshire, you must accrue at least 3,000 hours of appraisal experience, including at least 1,500 hours of non-residential work, over no fewer than 18 months. You must also complete the qualifying education under board rule and pass the national Certified General exam, which PSI administers: 110 scored questions in 6 hours, with a passing scaled score of 75. The application fee is $275, plus a $40 annual federal registry fee.

New Jersey requires Certified General applicants to hold a bachelor's degree in any field, complete the qualifying education, and obtain 3,000 hours of appraisal experience in no fewer than 18 months, including at least 1,500 hours of non-residential work. The Certified General exam has 110 scored questions plus 15 pretest questions over 6 hours, and passing takes a scaled score of 75. The application fee is $125.

In New Mexico, a Certified General applicant must complete 300 hours of qualifying education, hold a bachelor's degree from an accredited U.S. college, and obtain 3,000 hours of appraising experience in no fewer than 18 months, including 1,500 non-residential hours in no fewer than 12 months. The applicant must also pass the board's open-book Jurisprudence Examination with a score of 70% or better, clear a criminal history background check, and pass the national exam through Pearson VUE after the board reviews three randomly selected appraisal files.

To become a State Certified General Real Estate Appraiser in New York, complete 308 hours of qualifying education and hold a bachelor's degree or higher (the requirements effective January 1, 2026), gain 3,000 hours of appraisal experience over at least 24 months with a minimum of 1,500 hours in non-residential work, and pass the certified general examination. The initial application fee is $355 for a two-year term.

A licensee upgrades to Certified General in North Carolina by completing the qualifying education, college-level requirements, and experience hours required by the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) Criteria. After the upgrade application is submitted, the Board requests work product, typically five reports with two full workfile submissions. Once that review is accepted, an exam ticket is issued for the national exam; after passing the exam and satisfying the Board of good character, the certification is issued.

To become a certified general appraiser in North Dakota, you must hold a bachelor's degree or higher, complete 300 hours of Board-approved qualifying education, and gain 3,000 hours of experience over at least 18 months, with at least half of those hours non-residential. You then pass the Uniform State Certified General Appraiser Examination, administered by PSI. The application fee is $400, and a passing exam result is valid for 24 months.

Oklahoma requires Certified General applicants to complete 300 hours of qualifying education and hold a bachelor's degree or higher, plus 3,000 hours of appraisal experience in no fewer than 18 months, including at least 1,500 non-residential hours. You submit the REA-01 application with a $225 fee, plus $55 for the OSBI/FBI background check if you are a new applicant, pass the work product peer review, and then pass the Certified General exam with a scaled score of at least 75.

To become a Certified General Real Estate Appraiser in Pennsylvania, you need a bachelor's degree or higher, 300 hours of qualifying appraisal education, and 3,000 hours of experience within 18 months, including at least 1,500 nonresidential hours. You must then pass the AQB Certified General examination, which carries a $145 fee paid to Pearson VUE. Pennsylvania also accepts completion of an AQB-approved Certified Residential PAREA program plus 1,500 hours of nonresidential appraisal experience as an alternative experience path.

A Certified General Appraiser in Rhode Island needs 300 hours of qualifying education plus a bachelor's degree or higher, and 3,000 hours of qualifying experience obtained over no fewer than 18 months, including at least 1,500 hours of non-residential work. The national Certified General exam has 125 questions (110 scored) in 6 hours, with a passing scaled score of 75. You must also submit a criminal history record, and the application fee is $200.

South Carolina requires a Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university, 300 hours of Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) Core Curriculum qualifying education, and 3,000 hours of appraisal experience earned over at least 18 months, with at least 50% of those hours from nonresidential properties. You must also pass the AQB-approved Certified General exam. Unlike the Licensed and Certified Residential credentials, the regulations list no PAREA option for Certified General, and review experience counts toward the total only up to 1,500 hours.

To become a State-Certified General Appraiser in South Dakota, you must complete 300 hours of qualifying education, hold a bachelor's degree, and document 3,000 hours of experience over at least 18 months, including at least 1,500 non-residential hours. You must also pass the AQB-approved national examination (PSI administers it in South Dakota, a 6-hour exam with a $130 fee and a minimum passing scaled score of 75) and pass state and federal criminal background checks. The Certified General credential allows you to appraise any type of property without regard to value or complexity.

In Tennessee, you become a State Certified General appraiser by completing 300 hours of approved qualifying education and holding a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university. You also need 3,000 hours of logged appraisal experience in no fewer than 18 months, including at least 1,500 hours of non-residential work, all obtained after trainee registration. File the $405 upgrade application online, then pass the national Certified General exam.

To become a Certified General Appraiser in Texas, you must complete 300 hours of qualifying appraisal education and hold a Bachelor's degree or higher, then gain 3,000 hours of acceptable and verifiable experience over a minimum of 18 months, including at least 1,500 non-residential hours. After TALCB issues an exam clearance, you pass the National Certified General Real Property exam, administered by Pearson VUE. The application fee totals $650 ($560 plus a $10 Texas Online Fee and an $80 Federal Registry Fee), and the exam costs $65 per attempt.

To become a Certified General appraiser, you need 300 hours of qualifying education, a bachelor's degree or higher, and 3,000 hours of experience over at least 18 months, including a minimum of 1,500 hours of non-residential work, plus a passing score on the national Certified General exam. These are national minimums, which Utah must meet or exceed. Pearson VUE administers Utah's exams, and you must present a Green Card (state approval form) from the state Appraisal Board to be admitted. The Certified General exam has 110 scored questions plus 15 pretest questions and allows 6 hours.

To become a Certified General appraiser in Vermont, you must complete 300 hours of qualifying education, hold a bachelor's degree, and log 3,000 experience hours in no fewer than 18 months, including 1,500 non-residential hours, under a certified supervising appraiser. You must then pass the National Uniform Licensing and Certification Examination, which Vermont administers through PSI. The application fee is $315, and the license renews May 31 of even years.

To become a Certified General appraiser in Virginia, you must complete 300 hours of qualifying education, including the 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations course, hold a bachelor's degree, and document 3,000 hours of experience gained over at least 18 months, including 1,500 hours of nonresidential work that demonstrates use and understanding of the income approach. All experience must fall within the five years before you apply. After the Board reviews your application and experience log, you must pass the licensing exam, which is 110 scored questions over 6 hours.

To become a state-certified general appraiser in Washington, you need at least 300 hours of qualifying education plus a bachelor's degree or higher, and 3,000 hours of qualifying appraisal experience obtained over a minimum of 18 months (and no more than 7 years), including at least 1,500 hours of non-residential appraisal work. You must then pass the Certified General exam, which runs 6 hours. The credential costs $1,160 total: a $740 application fee plus a $420 certification fee after passing the exam.

In West Virginia, you need 300 classroom hours of qualifying education, a bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university, and at least 3,000 hours of appraisal experience over 18 months or more, including a minimum of 1,500 hours of nonresidential assignments. You must also pass the national Certified General exam, administered by Pearson VUE after board authorization, plus the West Virginia law course requirement.

To become a Certified General Appraiser in Wisconsin, you must complete 300 hours of core curriculum courses, hold a Bachelor's degree or higher, and document 3,000 hours of experience in no fewer than 18 months, including at least 1,500 hours of non-residential appraisal work. You must pass both the national examination and Wisconsin's state examination on appraiser statutes and rules, and complete an FBI fingerprint background check. DSPS reviews initial applications in approximately 10 days.