What courses do I need to take to get a real estate appraiser license?

To earn the entry-level Trainee Appraiser credential you must complete 83 hours of qualifying education: Basic Appraisal Principles (30 hours), Basic Appraisal Procedures (30 hours), the 15-Hour National USPAP Course (15 hours), and Valuation Bias and Fair Housing (8 hours), plus a separate Supervisory/Trainee course most states require. Upgrading to Licensed Residential adds 75 hours (158 total); Certified Residential requires 200 hours plus college-level education; Certified General requires 300 hours plus a bachelor's degree, per the AQB criteria effective January 1, 2026.

In Alabama, a Trainee Real Property Appraiser completes qualifying education covering Basic Appraisal Principles (30 hours), Basic Appraisal Procedures (30 hours), the 15-hour National USPAP course, and an 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations course, plus a separate Board-approved supervisor/trainee course. Higher classifications add coursework: Licensed requires 158 hours of qualifying education, Certified Residential 200 hours, and Certified General 300 hours.

Alaska does not issue the national Licensed Residential credential; it registers trainees and certifies residential, general, and institutional appraisers. To register as a trainee, you need 83 classroom hours: Basic Appraisal Principles (30), Basic Appraisal Procedures (30), the 15-hour national USPAP course, and the 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing course. Certified Residential requires 200 classroom hours plus one of four college options; Certified General requires 300 hours plus a bachelor's degree.

Arizona trainee qualifying education is 83 hours: Basic Appraisal Principles (30), Basic Appraisal Procedures (30), the 15-Hour National USPAP Course (15), and Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations (8). An initial Licensed Residential application needs 158 total hours, Certified Residential needs 200 hours, and Certified General needs 300 hours. Every course must be pre-approved by DIFI or the Appraisal Qualifications Board (AQB) before you take it.

To become a Registered Apprentice in Arkansas, take Basic Appraisal Principles, Basic Appraisal Procedures, the 15-Hour National USPAP Course, Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations, and a separate 4-hour Supervisor/Trainee Course, for 87 hours of coursework total. To reach a higher license later, you add courses up to 162 total hours for State Licensed, 204 for Certified Residential, and 304 for Certified General. All courses must come from the state's approved education list.

It depends on the license level you seek. California requires 83 hours of qualifying education for the Trainee level, 158 for Licensed Residential, 200 for Certified Residential, and 300 for Certified General. On top of those hours, initial applicants must complete a 4-hour California and federal laws course and a 1-hour Cultural Competency course; Trainee applicants also take a 4-hour Supervisor/Trainee course, and Certified Residential initial applicants take a 2-hour Elimination of Bias course.

Colorado requires 158 hours of qualifying education for the Licensed Appraiser credential effective January 1, 2026, 200 hours for Certified Residential, and 300 hours for Certified General. Every level includes the 15-Hour National USPAP Course and, for course completion after January 1, 2026, the 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations course. All education must be finished before you take the licensing exam.

Connecticut's trainee credential is the provisional appraiser, and its qualifying education covers basic appraisal principles, basic appraisal procedures, the 15-hour National USPAP course, a valuation bias and fair housing course, and the state's own CT Appraisal Law with Supervisory/Provisional Education course (3 hours). You and your sponsor must each complete a supervisor/provisional education course, either the 3-hour CT Appraisal Law version or a 4-hour supervisor/trainee course. The state's open-data list shows the approved pre-licensing courses and their providers.

To become a trainee appraiser in Delaware you need 75 qualifying education hours if you apply before January 1, 2026, or 83 hours on or after that date. The AQB core curriculum covers Basic Appraisal Practices (30 hours), Basic Appraisal Procedures (30 hours), the 15-Hour National USPAP Course (15 hours), and, beginning January 1, 2026, Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations (8 hours). You must also complete an AQB-approved Supervisory Appraiser/Trainee Appraiser course, which does not count toward the qualifying education hours.

To register as a trainee appraiser in Florida, complete 100 hours of board-approved qualifying education: 30 hours of Basic Appraisal Principles, 30 hours of Basic Appraisal Procedures, the 15-hour National USPAP course, and 25 hours of electives that include 6 hours of Florida Laws and Rules and 3 hours on the roles of supervisors and trainees. Certification requires more education: 200 hours for Certified Residential and 300 hours for Certified General.

To register as a Hawaii trainee you must complete 83 hours of qualifying education effective January 1, 2026: the 15-hour National USPAP Course, 30-hour Basic Appraisal Principles, 30-hour Basic Appraisal Procedures, and 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing course, plus Hawaii's separate Supervisor/Trainee course. Moving up the ladder requires 158 hours for state licensed, 200 hours plus college-level education for certified residential, and 300 hours plus a bachelor's degree for certified general, along with the required experience hours.

Illinois trainee applicants must complete 83 hours of qualifying education, effective January 1, 2026: 30 hours of Basic Appraisal Principles, 30 hours of Basic Appraisal Procedures, the 15-hour National USPAP Course, and an 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing course. The separate 3-hour AQB Supervisor-Trainee Course is also required before the trainee credential is issued. Upgrading requires 200 hours of qualifying education for Certified Residential and 300 hours for Certified General.

Indiana requires 75 hours of AQB-approved qualifying education for the Appraiser Trainee license, plus a Board-approved Supervisor/Trainee course of any length. For credentials earned on or after January 1, 2026, an 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing course raises the qualifying-education total to 83 hours. Higher credentials require 200 hours of qualifying education for Certified Residential and 300 hours for Certified General. Course completion dates cannot be older than 5 years from the application date.

Kansas requires 158 hours of qualifying education for the State Licensed classification: 30 basic appraisal principles, 30 basic appraisal procedures, 8 Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations, 15 National USPAP, 15 residential market analysis and highest and best use, 15 residential site valuation and cost approach, 30 residential sales comparison and income approaches, and 15 residential report writing. Certified Residential requires 200 hours plus college-level education, and Certified General requires 300 hours plus a bachelor's degree.

Kentucky's entry credential, the Associate Real Property Appraiser, requires 105 class hours of qualifying education: Basic Appraisal Principles (30), Basic Appraisal Procedures (30), the 15-hour National USPAP Course (15), Market Analysis and Highest & Best Use (15), Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws & Regulations (8), and the 7-hour Kentucky Supervisor/Associate Course. Upgrades require more education: 158 total class hours for Licensed Residential, 200 for Certified Residential, and 300 for Certified General, matching the AQB criteria effective January 1, 2026.

Maryland requires 75 hours of Commission-approved qualifying education for a trainee license: 30 hours of basic appraisal principles, 30 hours of basic appraisal procedures, and the 15-hour National Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) course, plus a trainee-oriented course on expectations and responsibilities. The Licensed level requires 150 total classroom hours, Certified Residential 200, and Certified General 300 plus a bachelor's degree. All qualifying education must be completed within the 5 years before you apply.

The qualifying education hours depend on the license level: 75 hours for Trainee, 150 hours for State Licensed, 200 hours for Certified Residential, and 300 hours for Certified General. All applicants must also complete at least 15 hours of USPAP from the Board's primary education list. The Board's primary education courses are classroom courses, though Board-approved distance education is permitted under a 2021 Board policy.

Michigan's entry credential is the Limited Appraiser (trainee) license. Its qualifying education covers Basic Appraisal Principles, Basic Appraisal Procedures, the 15-hour National USPAP Course, and a 4-hour Supervisor/Trainee Course. Higher credentials build on this: State Licensed requires 150 hours of education, Certified Residential 200 hours, and Certified General 300 hours. The certified levels' qualifying hours include the 15-hour National USPAP course and an 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations course.

To become a Trainee Appraiser in Minnesota, you must complete 83 hours of qualifying education covering basic appraisal principles, basic appraisal procedures, Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations, and the 15-Hour National USPAP Course, plus a separate 6-hour Minnesota Supervisor/Trainee Appraiser Course. Higher license levels require more education: 158 hours for Licensed Residential, 200 for Certified Residential, and 300 for Certified General, effective January 1, 2026.

At the trainee level, Mississippi requires 87 hours of qualifying education: Basic Appraisal Principles (30), Basic Appraisal Procedures (30), the 15-hour National USPAP course, the 8-hour National Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations course, and a 4-hour Supervisor/Trainee course. Upgrading requires 158 total hours for Licensed Residential, 200 for Certified Residential, and 300 for Certified General.

Missouri requires 87 hours of qualifying education for a trainee application postmarked on or after January 1, 2026. The package covers basic appraisal principles, basic appraisal procedures, the National USPAP course, the 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations course, and Missouri's 4-hour Supervisor/Trainee course. Applications through December 31, 2025 needed 79 hours. Upgrading to a higher credential requires additional qualifying education.

Under the AQB Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria effective January 1, 2026, qualifying education totals 83 hours for a Trainee, 158 hours for a Licensed Appraiser, 200 hours for a Certified Residential Appraiser, and 300 hours for a Certified General Appraiser. The core curriculum includes Basic Appraisal Principles, Basic Appraisal Procedures, the National USPAP course, and an 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing course. You must take courses from providers on the board's approved qualifying and continuing education list.

It depends on the credential level. Trainee requires 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), plus a Supervisory/Trainee course. Licensed Residential requires 158 class hours for applications submitted after December 31, 2025 (150 hours before that date). Certified Residential requires 200 hours plus a college-level option, and Certified General requires 300 hours plus a Bachelor's degree.

To register as an intern, Nevada requires 30 hours on basic appraisal principles, 30 hours on basic appraisal procedures, the 15-Hour National USPAP Course, 3 hours on Nevada appraisal law, and the Nevada Supervisor/Trainee course, which you must finish before submitting the application. You must complete this qualifying education within the 5 years before you apply. Upgrading to Licensed Residential, Certified Residential, or Certified General requires additional qualifying education, supervisory experience, and the national exam.

Apprentice-level education in New Hampshire includes the 15-hour National USPAP Course, 30 hours of Basic Appraisal Principles, and 30 hours of Basic Appraisal Procedures. Since January 1, 2026, candidates must also complete an 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing course. Higher credentials require additional qualifying education under the Appraisal Qualifications Board criteria: 158 hours for Licensed Residential, 200 hours plus a bachelor's degree for Certified Residential, and 300 hours plus a degree for Certified General.

The coursework depends on the credential you seek. New Jersey requires the AQB core curriculum, which its rules incorporate by reference: 158 hours for Licensed Residential, 200 for Certified Residential, and 300 for Certified General, including the 15-Hour National USPAP course and an 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing course added effective January 1, 2026. All qualifying education taken on or after December 3, 2007 must be approved through the AQB's Course Approval Program.

As of January 1, 2026, a New Mexico trainee applicant must complete 83 board-approved creditable class hours of qualifying education within the five years before applying: 30 hours of basic appraisal principles, 30 hours of basic appraisal procedures, 8 hours of valuation bias and fair housing, and the 15-hour national USPAP course or its equivalent. Higher credentials require more education, with 158 hours for Licensed Residential, 200 hours for Certified Residential, and 300 hours for Certified General.

Effective January 1, 2026, New York requires 158 hours of qualifying education for the State Licensed category, 203 hours for Certified Residential, and 308 hours for Certified General. Every category's course list includes the 15-hour National USPAP Course and an 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations course. Certified Residential also requires a college degree or an approved alternative, and Certified General requires a bachelor's degree or higher.

To register as a trainee in North Carolina, you must take 83 hours of qualifying education: Basic Appraisal Principles (30 hours), Basic Appraisal Procedures (30 hours), the 15-Hour National USPAP course, and Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations (8 hours). You must also complete a separate 4- or 7-hour North Carolina Supervisor/Trainee course before registration. Upgrading later requires more coursework: 158 hours for Licensed Residential and additional hours for Certified Residential.

For Ohio applications received on or after January 1, 2026, the qualifying courses are 30 hours of Basic Appraisal Principles, 30 hours of Basic Appraisal Procedures, 15 hours of USPAP, 8 hours of Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws & Regulations, and a Supervisor/Trainee course whose length the state does not fix. That is 83 specified classroom hours plus the Supervisor/Trainee course. All courses must be completed within 5 years before you apply.

The courses depend on the credential level. A Trainee Appraiser needs 83 hours of qualifying education: the 15-hour National USPAP course, Basic Appraisal Principles, Basic Appraisal Procedures, and an 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing course. State Licensed requires 158 hours of qualifying education, Certified Residential 200 hours, and Certified General 300 hours, under the Appraiser Qualifications Board criteria Oklahoma adopted effective January 1, 2026.

To register as an Oregon Appraiser Assistant, you must complete the 15-hour National USPAP course, 30 hours of Basic Appraisal Principles, 30 hours of Basic Appraisal Procedures, a 4-hour Supervising Appraiser/Appraiser Assistant course, and, effective January 1, 2026, an 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing course with a final exam, for 87 hours. State Licensed Appraiser candidates then add 75 more hours of residential coursework, covering market analysis, site valuation and cost approach, sales comparison and income approaches, and report writing.

Pennsylvania requires 87 classroom hours for the appraiser trainee license: 30 hours of Basic Appraisal Principles, 30 hours of Basic Appraisal Procedures, 15 hours of National USPAP (Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice) or equivalent, 8 hours of Valuation Bias and Fair Housing, and the 4-hour Trainee/Supervisor Appraiser course. You must complete the coursework within the 5-year period before you apply.

Rhode Island follows the AQB criteria effective January 1, 2026, so trainee qualifying education is 83 hours: Basic Appraisal Principles (30), Basic Appraisal Procedures (30), the 15-Hour National USPAP Course (15), and Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations (8). You also complete the Supervisory Appraiser/Trainee Appraiser Course, and all trainee qualifying education must fall within the 5 years before you apply. No core course under 15 hours counts, except the 8-hour valuation-bias course.

South Carolina requires 83 hours of Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) Core Curriculum for the apprentice credential, covering basic principles, basic procedures, the National Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) course, and valuation bias and fair housing, plus a 4-hour South Carolina Supervisor/Trainee course. The Licensed credential requires 158 hours of AQB Core Curriculum, Certified Residential requires 200 hours plus 42 more in statistics, advanced applications, and electives, and Certified General requires 300 hours.

Trainee qualifying education in South Dakota is 83 hours, effective January 1, 2026: basic appraisal principles, basic appraisal procedures, the 15-Hour National USPAP course, and an 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing course. The State-Licensed credential requires 158 hours, State-Certified Residential requires 200 hours, and State-Certified General requires 300 hours. Trainees must also complete the state's separate Training Course for Supervisory Appraisers and State-Registered Trainees before claiming experience credit.

To become a Tennessee Real Estate Appraiser (Licensed), you must complete 158 hours of qualifying education with passing course final exams: Basic Appraisal Principles (30), Basic Appraisal Procedures (30), Residential Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use (15), Residential Site Valuation and Cost Approach (15), Residential Sales Comparison and Income Approaches (30), Residential Report Writing and Case Studies (15), National USPAP (15), and Valuation Bias and Fair Housing (8). You must also log 1,000 hours of experience over at least 6 months.

To earn a Texas appraiser credential you must complete qualifying education at your target level: 83 hours for Appraiser Trainee (Basic Appraisal Principles 30, Basic Appraisal Procedures 30, the 15-Hour National USPAP course 15, and an 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing course), plus a 4-hour Board-approved Appraiser Trainee/Supervisory Appraiser course. Higher levels require more hours: 158 for Licensed Residential, 200 for Certified Residential, and 300 for Certified General.

Utah's appraiser credential ladder follows the national Appraiser Qualifications Board criteria effective January 1, 2026. Trainee education is 83 hours: 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. Utah adds a 6-hour state-specific Trainee and Supervisor course and requires trainees to register with the Division of Real Estate. The Licensed Residential level requires 158 qualifying hours, Certified Residential 200, and Certified General 300.

To register as an appraiser trainee in Vermont, complete 83 hours of qualifying education: Basic Appraisal Principles (30), Basic Appraisal Procedures (30), Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations (8), and the 15-Hour National USPAP Course (15). The Supervisory Appraiser/Trainee Appraiser Course is an additional requirement that does not count toward the 83 hours. For a certified credential, Certified Residential requires 200 qualifying-education hours and Certified General requires 300. Vermont no longer issues the Licensed Residential credential to new applicants.

Virginia trainee qualifying education is 83 hours: Basic Appraisal Principles (30 hours), Basic Appraisal Procedures (30 hours), the 15-hour National USPAP course, and an 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations course. You must also complete a separate course on the responsibilities of supervising appraisers and trainees. Beyond trainee level, Virginia requires 158 hours for Licensed Residential, 200 hours for Certified Residential, and 300 hours for Certified General, and each total already includes the valuation bias course.

To register as a Washington appraiser trainee, you must complete 87 classroom hours of approved qualifying education: basic appraisal principles (30), basic appraisal procedures (30), the National Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) course or equivalent (15), valuation bias and fair housing laws and regulations (8), and the supervisory/trainee course (4). All trainee qualifying education must be completed within the 5 years before you apply, and the Department of Licensing must approve the courses for your licensure level.

West Virginia's apprentice permit requires 75 hours of board-approved qualifying education (30 hours Basic Appraisal Principles, 30 hours Basic Appraisal Procedures, and the 15-hour National USPAP course), plus a 3-hour WV Law Class and a 4-hour Supervisor-Trainee Course. Licensed Residential requires 158 hours of qualifying education (150 classroom hours plus an 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing course), Certified Residential 200 hours, and Certified General 300 hours. All qualifying education must be completed within the 5 years before you apply.

The Wisconsin Licensed Appraiser credential requires 150 hours of core curriculum courses, including the 15-hour National USPAP course. Certified Residential requires 200 hours of core curriculum courses, and Certified General requires 300 hours.