How do I become a land appraiser?

There is no separate state license for land appraising; land is valued under the standard real property appraiser credentials. A Licensed Residential or Certified Residential appraiser may appraise vacant or unimproved land when its highest and best use is for one-to-four family purposes, while a Certified General Appraiser can value any land, including agricultural and commercial parcels, without regard to value or complexity. Follow the standard path: qualifying education, experience through a supervisor, practicum, or PAREA, then the national exam for your target credential.

In Alabama, you start as a Trainee Real Property Appraiser: complete the qualifying education (83 hours of courses plus a supervisory appraiser/trainee course), apply to the Alabama Real Estate Appraisers Board for $150, and pass the 110-question Trainee exam through PSI with a scaled score of at least 75. You then submit your passing score with the $335 license fee and a Trainee/Mentor registration form, and work under a Mentor to build experience toward the Licensed, Certified Residential, or Certified General classifications.

Arizona does not issue a separate license for land appraisers; land falls under the standard real property appraiser classifications. The Licensed Residential credential covers vacant or unimproved land used for, or with a highest and best use for, one-to-four residential units, and Certified Residential covers qualifying vacant land for one-to-four units. To appraise land of any type without value limits, you need the Certified General classification, which covers all types of real property. Each classification carries its own education, experience, and exam requirements.

Start as a Registered Apprentice (RA) appraiser: complete 83 hours of qualifying education plus a separate 4-hour Supervisor/Trainee course, find a state-certified supervisor, and begin logging supervised experience. To appraise land such as farms and timberland without value limits, upgrade to Certified General, which requires a bachelor's degree, 304 total qualifying-education hours, and 3,000 hours of experience in no fewer than 18 months, including 1,500 hours of nonresidential work.

Colorado does not issue a separate land appraiser license; land appraisal falls within the existing credential levels. A Licensed Appraiser may appraise vacant or unimproved land for 1-4 unit development only in non-federally related transactions, and land needing subdivision analysis is excluded. A Certified Residential Appraiser may appraise 1-4 family vacant land without regard to value or complexity, and a Certified General Appraiser may appraise all types of real property. Each path requires the qualifying education, logged experience hours, and national exam for that level.

Connecticut does not issue a land-specific appraiser credential; land is appraised under the state's regular credential levels. You start as a Provisional Appraiser, which requires a sponsoring certified appraiser and a completed supervisor/provisional education course. To appraise all property types, including land, you upgrade to Certified General, and the Department of Consumer Protection requires upgrade applicants to meet the Appraisal Qualification Board (AQB) 2026 criteria for education, experience, and college coursework.

Delaware does not issue a separate land appraiser credential. Land falls under the existing classifications: a Certified General Real Property Appraiser may appraise all types of real property, while a Licensed RPA's scope includes vacant or unimproved land used, or with highest and best use, for 1-to-4 residential units.

In DC, you start as an Appraiser Trainee: complete 83 hours of qualifying education (30 hours Appraisal Principles, 30 hours Appraisal Procedures, 15 hours USPAP, and 8 hours Valuation Bias and Fair Housing) plus a 4-hour Supervisory Appraiser/Trainee Appraiser course, and work under a certified supervisor. To reach Licensed Residential, you must pass the state exam, complete 158 hours of qualifying education, and log 1,000 hours of experience in no fewer than 6 months. The District of Columbia Board of Real Estate Appraisers reviews applications and issues the license.

Florida does not issue a land-specific credential; land is part of general real property appraisal. Start as a Registered Trainee Appraiser: be at least 18, hold a high school diploma or equivalent, complete 100 hours of qualifying education, and submit fingerprints for a background check. To appraise any type of real property, including land, earn the Certified General credential: a bachelor's degree, 300 classroom hours, 3,000 hours of experience over at least 18 months (1,500 of them non-residential), and passing the national Certified General exam plus the Florida Supplemental Exam.

The qualification criteria include no separate land appraiser credential; land falls under the standard appraiser levels. The Certified General scope covers all types of real property with any transaction value, and the Certified Residential scope includes vacant or unimproved land used for one-to-four residential units. To reach Certified General, you need 300 hours of qualifying education, a bachelor's degree or higher, and 3,000 hours of experience in no fewer than 18 months, including at least 1,500 non-residential hours.

To appraise land in Idaho, follow the state's real estate appraiser licensing path. Start by registering as an Appraiser Trainee, which as of January 1, 2026 requires 83 hours of qualifying education, including the 15-hour National Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) course and an 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing course, plus a $250 fee ($200 application plus $50 registration). Then gain experience under a Supervisory Appraiser and pass the licensing exam for your credential level. A Certified General credential covers all types of real property, including land.

Illinois does not issue a separate land appraiser credential; the state licenses Associate Real Estate Trainee, Certified Residential, and Certified General appraisers. Reports on agricultural complex or highly improved properties earn trainee experience credit of up to 60 hours for a supervisor plus one trainee under the state's experience credit matrix. Non-residential work such as land and agricultural appraising counts toward the 1,500 non-residential hours required for Certified General, which also takes 300 hours of qualifying education, a bachelor's degree, and the national exam.

In Indiana, land appraisal falls under the Certified General credential, whose scope covers all types of real property. The path starts with the Trainee credential and its prerequisite coursework, then 300 hours of qualifying education, 3,000 hours of logged experience (most of which must be general-category work), and a bachelor's degree or higher with an original transcript. You then pass the Certified General exam, which Indiana administers through Pearson VUE.

To appraise land in Iowa, you need the certified general credential, which covers all real estate, including agricultural and commercial property. It requires 300 hours of qualifying education, a bachelor's degree, and 3,000 hours of experience in no less than 18 months, including a minimum of 1,500 general hours. Property with one to four residential units falls within certified residential scope, which requires 200 hours of qualifying education, college-level education, and 1,500 experience hours in no less than 12 months.

Kansas does not issue a separate land appraiser credential. Land work falls under the standard appraiser classifications: vacant land used for 1-to-4 family purposes falls under Certified Residential, while farmland and other nonresidential land fall under Certified General. To qualify, complete the required qualifying education (158 hours for State Licensed, 200 for Certified Residential, 300 for Certified General), log supervised experience under a certified appraiser, and pass the national exam for that classification.

In Kentucky, the entry credential for appraising real property, including land, is the Associate Real Property Appraiser. To get it, you must secure a Kentucky-licensed appraiser as your supervisor, complete 105 hours of qualifying education, complete a fingerprint background check through Identogo, and submit the Associate and Supervisor applications, education certificates, and a $200 licensing fee to the Kentucky Real Property Appraisers Board. You can then log supervised experience hours toward a Licensed Residential, Certified Residential, or Certified General credential.

Land falls under the standard real property appraiser credentials; the qualification criteria include no separate land appraiser license. The entry point is the Trainee Appraiser registration, which requires 83 hours of qualifying education. The Certified Residential scope includes vacant or unimproved land used for one-to-four residential units, and that credential requires 200 hours of education plus 1,500 hours of experience in no fewer than 12 months.

Maine does not issue a separate land appraiser license; land appraising falls under the standard appraiser credentials. A certified residential appraiser may appraise vacant or unimproved land used or best-used for one-to-four family units, while the certified general credential covers real property of all types. The entry point is the trainee license, which requires 83 hours of qualifying education, an approved supervisor/trainee course, and an arrangement to work under a certified appraiser's direct supervision.

Appraising land in Massachusetts follows the state's appraiser licensing path, which begins with a Trainee credential requiring 75 hours of qualifying education, a Supervisor Trainee Report Form, and Primary Education Certificates of Completion. Because land is non-residential property, the relevant credential is Certified General, which requires 300 hours of qualifying education, a Bachelor's degree or higher, and 3,000 hours of experience in no fewer than 18 months, with at least 1,500 hours in non-residential work.

Minnesota has no separate land appraiser license; land is real property, so it falls under the standard appraiser credential levels issued by the Department of Commerce. You follow the same path as other appraisers: qualifying education, supervised experience or PAREA, and the examination for the level you seek. A Certified General appraiser may appraise all types of real property, while the lower credential levels carry transaction-value and property-type limits.

Missouri does not issue a separate land appraiser credential, so you follow the standard appraiser path: register as a trainee, complete qualifying education, and log experience under a certified supervisory appraiser, then pursue Licensed Residential, Certified Residential, or Certified General. State law creates six appraiser license classes, and none is specific to land. For work on non-residential property, the Certified General credential requires 3,000 hours of experience over no less than 18 months, with at least 1,500 hours in non-residential appraisal.

Montana does not issue a separate land appraiser credential; you become a state-credentialed real property appraiser and appraise vacant land within your scope of practice. A Certified Residential Appraiser may appraise vacant or unimproved land used for 1-4 residential units, while a Certified General Appraiser may appraise all types of real property at any transaction value.

To appraise land, you need the right credential: Certified Residential covers vacant or unimproved land used (or highest and best use) for one to four residential units, while Certified General covers all real property. Certified General requires 300 qualifying class hours, a Bachelor's degree, and 3,000 hours of experience over at least 18 months, including 1,500 non-residential hours. Neither Licensed Residential nor Certified Residential covers subdivisions that require development analysis.

New Hampshire does not issue a separate land appraiser credential. Land and other non-residential property fall under the Certified General classification, whose scope covers all types of real property. To reach that level, the Appraisal Qualifications Board criteria effective January 1, 2026 require 300 hours of qualifying education, a bachelor's degree or higher, 3,000 hours of experience in no fewer than 18 months with at least 1,500 hours in non-residential work, and a passing exam score.

New Jersey has no separate land appraiser license; land assignments fall under the standard appraiser credentials. The Licensed Residential credential covers vacant land for one-to-four family use, while the Certified General credential covers all property types. Certified General requires a bachelor's degree, 300 hours of qualifying education, and 3,000 hours of experience in no fewer than 18 months, at least 1,500 of them in non-residential work.

New York has no separate land appraiser license; land is appraised under the standard appraiser categories. A State Licensed appraiser may appraise vacant or unimproved land for 1-4 family use with a transaction value under $1,000,000, while a Certified General appraiser may appraise all types of real property, including commercial land. To qualify, you must complete the qualifying education for your category (158 hours for State Licensed, effective January 1, 2026), gain the required experience (1,000 hours over at least 24 months for State Licensed), and pass the licensing examination.

In North Dakota, appraising land falls under the certified general credential, which permits appraising all types of properties. You need a bachelor's degree, 300 hours of Board-approved qualifying education, and 3,000 hours of experience over at least 18 months, with at least 1,500 of those hours in non-residential work. You must then pass the Uniform State Certified General Appraiser Examination, which allows 6 hours for 110 scored questions plus 15 non-scored questions.

Ohio does not issue a separate land appraiser credential. You follow the standard appraiser path: register as a Registered Appraiser Assistant, which for applications received on or after January 1, 2026 requires 83 classroom hours of qualifying education plus a supervisor/trainee course, then upgrade to Licensed Residential or a certified credential. Appraising vacant land falls within the standard credential levels rather than a specialty license.

Pennsylvania does not issue a separate land appraiser credential. Land is real property, so land appraising falls under the standard appraiser path: you start as a licensed appraiser trainee, which requires 87 hours of qualifying education, a $75 application, and a criminal background check covering the past 5 years. You then log supervised experience and pass the national exam to qualify as a certified residential or certified general appraiser.

Rhode Island does not issue a separate land appraiser license; land falls under the standard residential and general credentials. A Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser may appraise vacant land used for 1 to 4 residential units, and a Certified General Real Estate Appraiser may appraise all types of real property at any value. The Certified Residential path requires 200 hours of qualifying education, college-level education (a bachelor's degree or an approved alternative), 1,500 hours of experience over at least 12 months, and a passing score on the national exam.

South Carolina does not issue a separate land appraiser credential; land is covered under the state's real property appraiser licenses. You start as an apprentice appraiser, which requires 83 hours of Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) Core Curriculum qualifying education effective January 1, 2026 plus a state supervisor/trainee course, then advance to the licensed, certified residential, or certified general level by completing more education, the required experience hours, and an AQB exam.

South Dakota does not issue a separate land appraiser credential. Land is appraised under one of the state's four appraiser classifications, and agricultural or other nonresidential land work points toward the State-Certified General Appraiser credential, which requires 300 hours of education and 3,000 hours of experience over at least 18 months, including at least 1,500 nonresidential hours. The state's experience training program likewise counts agricultural appraisals toward the certified general track.

Tennessee does not issue a separate land appraiser license. The Tennessee Real Estate Appraiser Commission (TREAC) credentials appraisers by level (Registered Trainee, Licensed, Certified Residential, Certified General), and vacant land counts as real property within that system. The path starts with 87 hours of qualifying education to register as a Registered Trainee under a supervising appraiser, then upgrading, for example, to Certified General, which covers all real estate with no transaction value limits.

Texas does not issue a separate land appraiser credential; land appraising falls under the standard appraiser licenses. A Licensed Residential Appraiser may appraise vacant or unimproved land whose highest and best use is one-to-four family, while a Certified General Appraiser may appraise all types of real property, including land, without regard to complexity or transaction value.

In Utah you follow the standard appraiser credential ladder: trainee registration, then Licensed Residential, Certified Residential, or Certified General. Appraising any type of real property, including vacant land of any value, requires the Certified General credential: 300 hours of qualifying education, a bachelor's degree, and 3,000 hours of experience in no fewer than 18 months, including 1,500 hours of non-residential work. You apply through the Utah Division of Real Estate, take the Pearson VUE exam with a Green Card approval form, and complete fingerprinting.

In Vermont you start as a trainee: complete 83 hours of qualifying education plus the Supervisory Appraiser/Trainee Appraiser Course, then register with the Office of Professional Regulation, which charges a $115 trainee fee. As a trainee, you work under a Certified Residential or Certified General appraiser in good standing who reviews and signs every appraisal. To appraise land independently, you then earn a credential; Certified Residential requires 200 qualifying-education hours, 1,500 experience hours in no fewer than 12 months, and the national exam.

Virginia does not issue a separate land appraiser credential, so you follow the standard appraiser path through the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR). Start with the Appraiser Trainee license: complete 83 hours of qualifying education, including the 15-hour National USPAP course, and submit a Trainee Supervisor Verification Form with your application. You then log supervised experience toward the Licensed Residential, Certified Residential, or Certified General credential; Certified General covers commercial and vacant land assignments.

Washington has no separate land appraiser credential. Land, commercial, and other non-residential appraisal work falls under the certified general appraiser credential, the state's top tier. That path requires 300 hours of qualifying education, a bachelor's degree or higher, and 3,000 hours of experience gained over at least 18 months, including a minimum of 1,500 hours of non-residential appraisal work. The certified general exam runs 6 hours, with 110 scored questions and a minimum passing scaled score of 75.

West Virginia does not license land appraisers separately. Land is real estate, so appraising it requires one of the credentials the state board issues: licensed residential, certified residential, or certified general. A certified general appraiser may appraise all types of real estate; earning that credential requires 300 hours of qualifying education, a bachelor's degree, and 3,000 hours of experience over at least 18 months.

Wisconsin does not issue a separate land appraiser credential; land falls under the state's three appraiser credentials, Licensed, Certified Residential, and Certified General. The entry-level Licensed credential requires 150 hours of core curriculum courses and 1,000 hours of appraisal experience in no fewer than 6 months. You must also pass the national appraiser examination and Wisconsin's state examination on statutes and rules, and complete an FBI fingerprint background check.

Wyoming does not issue a land appraiser credential; appraising land and other non-residential property falls under the Certified General credential. To earn it, you must submit two fingerprint cards, prove a Bachelor's, Master's, or Doctorate from an accredited college or university, complete the qualifying coursework, and log 3,000 hours of experience of which at least 50% must be non-residential. You must then pass both the National and State Exams for Certified General Appraisers.