How do I become an appraiser trainee?

Complete 83 hours of qualifying education (Basic Appraisal Principles 30, Basic Appraisal Procedures 30, the 15-hour National Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) Course 15, and Valuation Bias and Fair Housing 8), plus a separate Supervisory Appraiser/Trainee Appraiser course. Next, find a state-certified supervisory appraiser willing to train you, then apply to your state appraiser regulatory agency with fees, fingerprints, and background check information. Some states do not offer a trainee classification, so confirm with your state agency before you start.

To become a Trainee Real Property Appraiser in Alabama, complete the qualifying education, including a Board-approved Trainee/Supervisor course, then submit the application with the $150 fee, proof of citizenship, and 5 signed references to the Alabama Real Estate Appraisers Board. After approval, you have 24 months to pass the exam through PSI. Then send your official score report with the $335 license fee and the Trainee/Mentor Registration form to receive your license.

To become a trainee appraiser in Alaska, submit the trainee application with 83 classroom hours completed within the five years before applying, listing a supervisory appraiser and paying $300 in fees ($150 application plus $150 registration). The 83 hours are Basic Appraisal Principles (30), Basic Appraisal Procedures (30), the 15-hour national USPAP course, and the 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing course. You and your supervisor must also complete the AQB supervisor/trainee course, which does not count toward the 83 hours.

To register as an Arizona trainee appraiser, complete 83 hours of qualifying education approved by DIFI or the Appraisal Qualifications Board (AQB), apply for a fingerprint clearance card from the Arizona Department of Public Safety, and submit your application with the $300 fee, disclosure of any prior criminal or disciplinary actions, and proof of U.S. citizenship or eligible status. You apply through DIFI's online application portal. A supervisor/trainee course is also required before the credential is issued.

Complete 83 hours of qualifying education plus a separate 4-hour Supervisor/Trainee Course, all within five years before applying. You must be at least 18 with a high school diploma or equivalent, pass state and national background checks, and find a supervisor who has been state certified for at least three years without disciplinary issues; a supervisor may take no more than three trainees. File the $200 application online. Experience hours only begin accruing after the credential is issued.

Start by completing 83 hours of qualifying education plus California's added courses (a 4-hour Supervisor/Trainee course, a 4-hour laws course, and a 1-hour Cultural Competency course), all within the 5 years before you apply. Submit fingerprints (Live Scan if you live in California, two FD-258 cards otherwise), file the REA 3001 application with the REA 3002 education report, and pay the $930 non-refundable fee. No experience is required, but you must work under a supervisory appraiser to earn hours.

Colorado does not issue a trainee appraiser license, and the state opted out of the national trainee and supervisor framework, so there is no trainee application, registration, or fee. Instead, you work toward the Licensed Appraiser credential: 158 hours of qualifying education, 1,000 hours of logged experience gained under a credentialed appraiser in good standing, then the application and national exam. Colorado law allows an unlicensed person to perform inspections and a significant amount of appraisal work under a supervising appraiser without state registration.

In Connecticut, trainees are called provisional appraisers. First find a sponsor: a certified appraiser who has held the credential in good standing for at least 3 years, with no disciplinary action in the past 3 years, and who is approved by the Department of Consumer Protection (DCP) to supervise. Then complete your qualifying education and the supervisor/provisional education course, which your sponsor must also take. Submit the online application with the sponsor form, the Significant Appraisal Assistance Acknowledgment, and the Consent for Service Form, and pay the $140 fee.

Apply through the DELPROS online system after completing 75 hours of qualifying education from the AQB core curriculum, or 83 hours for applications on or after January 1, 2026. You must also complete an AQB-approved Supervisory Appraiser/Trainee Appraiser course before the license is issued. The application requires a $282 fee, a Delaware and FBI criminal background check through IdentoGO (service code 27S336), and a Verification of Real Estate Appraiser Supervision form that your supervising Certified Real Property Appraiser sends directly to the Council.

Complete 83 hours of qualifying education from a Board-approved provider (30 hours Appraisal Principles, 30 hours Appraisal Procedures, 15 hours USPAP, 8 hours Valuation Bias and Fair Housing) plus a 4-hour Supervisory Appraiser/Trainee Appraiser course, all within the 5 years before you apply. Then find a supervisory appraiser to sign your monthly experience logs; a supervisor may supervise no more than 3 trainees at any given time. The application fee is $65 and the trainee license fee is $195 for up to 2 years.

To become a Registered Trainee Appraiser in Florida, be at least 18 years old, hold a high school diploma or its equivalent, and have a valid Social Security number. Complete 100 hours of board-approved qualifying education, including the course on supervisor and trainee responsibilities. Apply to the Department of Business and Professional Regulation with the fee and fingerprints submitted through a Livescan provider registered with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, then register a supervisory appraiser who holds a Certified Residential or Certified General credential.

To become a State Trainee appraiser in Georgia, you must be at least 18, hold a high school diploma or GED, and complete 90 hours of Board-approved qualifying education plus an Appraisal Qualifications Board (AQB) Supervisor/Trainee course within the 5 years before applying. You then submit the trainee application with a non-refundable $125 fee, a Georgia Crime Information Center report no more than 60 days old, and a notarized lawful presence verification form. There is no state exam at this level; you only pass the end-of-course exams in your coursework.

To become an appraiser trainee in Idaho, complete 83 hours of qualifying education, effective January 1, 2026, including the 15-hour National USPAP Course and an 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing course, and pass each end-of-course exam. You must also line up a supervisory appraiser, whose Supervising Appraiser Affidavit must be approved before any experience hours count. Submit the printed, notarized application by mail with $250 in fees ($200 application plus $50 registration) plus $65 for the fingerprint-based background check.

To become an Associate Real Estate Trainee Appraiser in Illinois, you must be at least 18, hold a high school diploma or GED, complete 75 hours of qualifying education, and take a separate 3-hour Appraisal Qualifications Board (AQB) Supervisor-Trainee Course before the credential is issued. No exam is required. You must also clear a fingerprint-based background check and pay the $225 non-refundable application fee.

To become an Indiana Appraiser Trainee, complete 75 hours of AQB-approved qualifying education plus a Supervisor/Trainee course, submit the online application with a $100 application fee, and complete the required criminal background check only after the application is filed. Once the board approves the application, pass the trainee exam through Pearson VUE and pay the $110 issuance fee; the license is issued within 24 business hours of payment.

Iowa's trainee credential is the associate real estate appraiser. You complete 83 hours of qualifying education effective January 1, 2026 (Basic Appraisal Principles 30, Basic Appraisal Procedures 30, Valuation Bias and Fair Housing 8, and the 15-Hour National USPAP Course 15), plus the separate Supervisory Appraiser/Trainee Appraiser Course. You must pass state and national criminal history checks (valid 180 days from the FBI check date), identify your supervisor through the board's online system, and apply through that system.

In Kansas you do not need a trainee license to start. A trainee may work unlicensed under a certified appraiser's supervision to accrue experience hours, though the board offers an optional Provisional credential. Before supervised experience begins, both you and your supervisor must complete the Supervisory Appraiser/Trainee Course, and you must finish the qualifying education for the classification you are pursuing within the five years before applying.

Kentucky calls its trainee level the Associate Real Property Appraiser. You must secure a Kentucky-licensed supervisory appraiser, complete 105 hours of qualifying education, complete a fingerprint background check through Identogo, and submit the Associate application, the Supervisor application, your education certificates, and a $200 licensing fee. The board cannot recommend a supervisor; use the board's License Directory to find appraisers in your area.

Complete 83 hours of qualifying education and the separate 4-hour Supervisory/Trainee course, then find a supervisory appraiser willing to sponsor you. The supervisor must be state certified and in good standing for at least 3 years, with no disqualifying disciplinary action in the last 3 years, and may supervise no more than 3 trainees at once. Submit the Appraiser Trainee Registration Application, signed by the proposed supervisor, with the $245 fee. There is no experience or exam requirement for the trainee credential.

To become a trainee real property appraiser in Maine, complete 83 hours of qualifying education (30 hours of basic appraisal principles, 30 hours of basic appraisal procedures, the 15-hour national USPAP course, and the 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations course), finish the AQB-approved Supervisory Appraiser/Trainee Appraiser Course, and arrange to work under a certified appraiser who qualifies as a supervisor. Then submit the license application with $410 payable to the Maine State Treasurer. Fingerprints are required for new trainee applications.

In Maryland, you must complete 75 hours of qualifying education within the 5 years before applying: 30 hours of appraisal principles, 30 hours of appraisal procedures, and 15 hours of USPAP, plus a Commission-approved course oriented toward trainee responsibilities. You also need a Trainee and Supervising Appraiser Verification Form identifying your supervising appraiser, who must hold a certified residential or certified general license for at least 3 years. The trainee application fee is $150 for the three-year license.

To become a Trainee Real Estate Appraiser in Massachusetts, complete 75 hours of Board-approved primary education, including at least 15 hours of USPAP. Submit your application online through the eLIPSE portal with your Primary Education Certificates of Completion, a Supervisor Trainee Report Form, a notarized CORI Authorization Form, and a photo. The Trainee application fee and original license fee are each $113, and both are due when you submit the application.

Michigan's trainee credential is the Limited Appraiser license. You must complete qualifying education (including the 15-hour National USPAP Course and a 4-hour Supervisor/Trainee Course), then apply online through the state's MiPLUS portal with a $285 application and 2-year license fee. No state or national licensing exam and no work experience are required for this credential.

You must be at least 18, complete 89 hours of education (83 hours of qualifying courses plus the 6-hour Minnesota Supervisor/Trainee Appraiser Course), and submit fingerprints for a criminal history record check. Trainees get printed at a police station because they do not test through PSI. You also need a supervisory appraiser, who must be a certified residential or certified general appraiser in good standing for the 3 prior years with no more than 3 trainees at once, then you apply through Pulse Portal.

To become a trainee, you complete 87 hours of AQB-approved qualifying education, including the 8-hour National Valuation Bias and Fair Housing course required since January 1, 2026, plus the 4-hour Supervisor/Trainee course. You then submit the MAB Appraiser Licensing Application with "Appraiser Intern" checked, a $50.00 application fee, the MAB Supervisory Appraiser Affidavit, and your course certificates. There is no exam to obtain the trainee certificate and start gaining experience hours.

Missouri requires you to register as a trainee with the Missouri Real Estate Appraisers Commission. For applications on or after January 1, 2026, you must complete 87 hours of qualifying education, covering basic appraisal principles, basic appraisal procedures, the National USPAP course, an 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing course, and a 4-hour Missouri Supervisor/Trainee course. You then submit the trainee application with the $300 fee, a supervision memo, experience logs, and fingerprints for a background check.

Apply to the Montana Board of Real Estate Appraisers online through its licensing portal, following the board's Trainee application checklist and completing the fingerprint background check, whose results go directly from the Department of Justice to the board. First complete 83 hours of qualifying education under the AQB criteria effective January 1, 2026, including Basic Appraisal Principles, Basic Appraisal Procedures, the National USPAP course, and Valuation Bias and Fair Housing. You must then work under a mentor from the board's published Approved Mentors list.

Complete 83 hours of qualifying education under the criteria effective January 1, 2026, covering appraisal principles, appraisal procedures, valuation bias and fair housing, and the 15-Hour National USPAP Course. You must also complete a Supervisory/Trainee course before obtaining the credential, and all qualifying education must be finished within the 5 years before application. No exam or experience is required, but you need a supervisory appraiser to log the experience hours for later credentials, and trainees cannot independently appraise for federally related transactions.

Nevada calls trainees registered interns. You must complete 30 hours of basic appraisal principles, 30 hours of basic appraisal procedures, the 15-hour National USPAP Course, 3 hours on Nevada appraisal law, and the Nevada Supervisor/Trainee course, within the 5 years before applying. You then submit the registration application, education certificates, fees, and fingerprints for a background check to the Nevada Real Estate Division.

In New Hampshire, the trainee-level credential is called Apprentice Appraiser. You submit a paper Universal Application for Initial Licensure with the name of a supervising appraiser, a signed and dated acknowledgement letter from that supervisor, a criminal history check, and the $275 application fee. Your supervisor must be a New Hampshire certified appraiser who has been certified for at least 2 years, and you complete the 75-hour apprentice core curriculum under Rab 302.09.

The trainee program is voluntary, but trainees who participate must hold a permit. Complete 75 hours of qualifying education within 5 years, including the 15-Hour National USPAP Course, plus the separate Trainee/Supervisor course that you and your supervising appraiser must both complete. Then submit the application with the $100 fee, a photo, a notarized Certification of Supervisor form, and the criminal history background check form.

Submit your application through the board's NM-PLUS online portal and pass the open-book New Mexico Jurisprudence Examination with a score of 70% or better. You must also be fingerprinted for a state and federal criminal background check, complete 83 hours of qualifying education within the last five years, pay the $200 application fee, and either declare a supervising certified appraiser or prove enrollment in a PAREA program. A supervisor/trainee course is required as well.

In New York, trainees are licensed as State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser Assistants. You must complete 87 hours of qualifying education (effective January 1, 2026), including the 4-hour Supervisory Appraiser/Trainee Appraiser Course, work under a certified appraiser approved by the Department of State as a Supervisory Appraiser, and file a $250 application. The assistant license runs for a 2-year term.

To become a registered trainee in North Carolina, you must be at least 18, hold a high school diploma or equivalent, and complete 83 hours of qualifying education plus a 4- or 7-hour NC Supervisor/Trainee course from a Board-approved sponsor. You then submit the $200 application with a criminal background check (DISA/Castle Branch, package code NG97, dated within 60 days). There is no state exam for trainees, and the Board generally processes the application in one to two weeks. Once your trainee number is assigned, you may begin working under your declared supervisor.

North Dakota's trainee credential is called the apprentice appraiser permit. You must be at least 18, have a high school education or equivalent, and complete 83 hours of Board-approved qualifying education plus a supervisor/apprentice course within the 5 years before applying. You must also pass an open-book exam on ND Century Code chapter 43-23.3 and Administrative Code title 101, submit a criminal history background check, and register a supervising appraiser with the Board before the permit issues. The application fee is $300.

Ohio's trainee credential is the Registered Appraiser Assistant. You complete the qualifying education, file an application through the Division's online license portal, and pay a $100 registration fee plus a $50 recovery fund fee. Within 10 days after filing, you must begin fingerprinting through an Ohio BCI WebCheck vendor for both the Ohio and FBI background checks. No experience or exam is required at this level.

Complete 83 hours of qualifying education: the 15-hour National USPAP course, Basic Appraisal Principles, Basic Appraisal Procedures, and 8 hours of Valuation Bias and Fair Housing. Add the 4-hour Supervising Appraisal Trainees course, request two fingerprint cards from the Board, and pay $55 for the OSBI/FBI background check. File the REA-01 application with an REA-8 Report of Supervisory Relationship signed by your supervisor and the $300 credentialing fee. Once the Board approves the application, the credential is issued through the online licensing system.

To become an Oregon Registered Appraiser Assistant, you must be at least 18, be a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted alien, and pass a background check. Before applying, you must find an Oregon Certified Residential or Certified General Appraiser who holds a Supervising Appraiser Endorsement and agree to work under that supervisor. You must also complete 87 hours of qualifying education, pass the final exams, and register with the Appraiser Certification and Licensure Board.

To become a licensed appraiser trainee, you must complete 87 classroom hours of qualifying education: 30 hours of Basic Appraisal Principles, 30 hours of Basic Appraisal Procedures, 15 hours of National USPAP or equivalent, 8 hours of Valuation Bias and Fair Housing, and the 4-hour Trainee/Supervisor Appraiser course. You then submit the $75 trainee application with a criminal history background check. There is no examination or experience requirement for trainee licensure.

You must complete 83 hours of qualifying education and obtain a qualifying Supervisory Appraiser before applying for a Trainee License. As of January 1, 2026, the coursework covers basic appraisal principles, basic appraisal procedures, the 15-Hour National USPAP Course, and valuation bias and fair housing. All trainee qualifying education must be completed within the 5 years before you apply. Your supervisor must be state-certified and in good standing for at least 3 years, and you must identify the supervisor to the Department in writing before starting work.

In South Carolina the trainee credential is the appraiser apprentice. You complete 83 hours of Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) Core Curriculum plus a 4-hour South Carolina Supervisor/Trainee course, effective January 1, 2026. You then find a Certified Residential or Certified General appraiser to act as your supervisor and submit your application and background check to the South Carolina Real Estate Appraisers Board.

Complete 83 hours of qualifying education, pass state and federal criminal background checks, and submit the trainee application with the $210 fee. No experience or examination is required for the State-Registered Trainee credential. You must also complete the state's Training Course for Supervisory Appraisers and State-Registered Trainees, and report each supervisory appraiser on a Supervisory Appraiser/Supervisor Agreement form before any supervision occurs.

To become a Registered Trainee in Tennessee, complete 87 hours of qualifying education within the five years before you apply, including the 15-hour National USPAP Course and a 4-hour Trainee and Supervisory Course. You must also provide an electronic fingerprint receipt and have a sponsor on file with the Tennessee Real Estate Appraiser Commission before experience credit counts. Apply online at core.tn.gov with the $125 fee and your course completion certificates attached.

To become an Appraiser Trainee in Texas, you must first find a supervisory appraiser, who must be a Certified General or Certified Residential Appraiser licensed in Texas. You must also complete 83 hours of qualifying education plus a 4-hour Board-approved Appraiser Trainee/Supervisory Appraiser course, and pass a background check with fingerprints submitted to the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS). You must be 18 or older, a U.S. citizen or lawfully admitted alien, and you apply to the Texas Appraiser Licensing and Certification Board (TALCB) online or by mail.

To become an appraiser trainee in Utah, you complete 83 hours of qualifying education: 30 hours Basic Appraisal Principles, 30 hours Basic Appraisal Procedures, the 15-hour National USPAP Course, and 8 hours of Valuation Bias and Fair Housing, all within the five years before you apply. Utah requires trainees to apply for and hold a state registration, plus a 6-hour Utah-specific Trainee and Supervisor course. All appraiser candidates must be fingerprinted for a criminal history records check, and the Division of Real Estate uses the results to determine eligibility.

Complete 83 hours of qualifying education (Basic Appraisal Principles 30, Basic Appraisal Procedures 30, Valuation Bias and Fair Housing 8, and the 15-Hour National USPAP Course 15), then register with the Vermont Office of Professional Regulation (OPR) and pay the $115 trainee fee. You must also complete a fingerprint background check and arrange a supervisor who has held a Certified Residential or Certified General license in good standing for at least three years.

Complete 83 hours of qualifying education, including the 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing course, plus a separate course on the requirements and responsibilities of supervising appraisers and trainees. Then find a Virginia Certified Real Estate Appraiser in good standing to supervise you, and file the trainee application with the Trainee Supervisor Verification Form with the Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation. The fee is $132: the $117.50 statutory fee plus a $7.25-per-year technology fee for the two-year license.

Complete 87 classroom hours of approved qualifying education, find a state-certified appraiser to supervise you, and submit the Real Estate Appraiser Trainee Registration Application with your course certificates, either online through SecureAccess Washington (SAW) or by mail. The registration fee is $400, and mail applications should allow at least 2 weeks for processing. You cannot begin gaining experience hours until the Washington Department of Licensing approves a certified appraiser as your supervisor.

To become an appraiser apprentice in West Virginia, you must be at least 18, hold a high school diploma or equivalent, complete 75 hours of board-approved qualifying education (30 hours Basic Appraisal Principles, 30 hours Basic Appraisal Procedures, and the 15-hour National USPAP course), pass a 3-hour West Virginia Law Class and a 4-hour Supervisor-Trainee Course, and submit to a state and national criminal history record check. You also need a board-approved supervisor before the permit issues. The application fee is $120, and the $150 permit fee is due only after approval.

Wisconsin does not issue a trainee or apprentice appraiser credential, so there is no trainee application. You begin gaining experience by working under a supervising appraiser, who documents the work, your actual hours, and the scope of supervision on the experience roster you submit with your license application.

To become a Certified Appraiser Trainee in Wyoming, you file a Trainee Permit Application with the Board along with a Trainee Log and a notarized Supervisor Declaration from your supervising appraiser. Your supervisor must be a Wyoming certified residential or certified general appraiser in good standing who has taken a supervisor/trainee course, has an established certification history, and has no recent disciplinary action in any jurisdiction. Mandatory fingerprinting for a background check is part of the application.