How to become a real estate appraiser in Hawaii: requirements, steps, and fees

To become a real estate appraiser in Hawaii, you register as an appraiser trainee with the state, gain experience under a supervising certified appraiser, pass the national exam through Pearson VUE, and then apply for a license or certification from the Hawaii Real Estate Appraiser Program. The program sits inside the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) Professional and Vocational Licensing Division (PVL), and the DCCA Director, advised by a 7-member Real Estate Appraiser Advisory Committee, issues the credentials. This guide lays out the steps for how to become a real estate appraiser in Hawaii: what the state adds to the national path, its fees, its exam logistics, and its renewal rules.

The national path, in one recap

The national guide in this series explains the path every state shares: qualifying education, experience under a supervisory appraiser, the national exam, and the state application. Hawaii follows that framework and adds one structural feature worth knowing. Under Hawaii Administrative Rules §16-114-21(a)(1)^[1], applicants "shall have met the Appraisal Qualification Board's current qualifying education requirements as may be amended." Hawaii does not freeze hour counts in its rules; when the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) revises its criteria, Hawaii's requirements move with them. The sections that follow cover what Hawaii requires on top of, or different from, the national minimum.

Hawaii's four appraiser credentials and what each can appraise

Hawaii issues four appraiser credentials, and the state's own rules set what each level may appraise. A State Licensed Appraiser tops out below certain transaction values, while the certified levels remove those caps.

The transaction-value limits come from HAR §§16-114-70 to 16-114-71.5^[1], and the college requirements follow the AQB criteria the state adopts by reference, per the PVL requirements notice^[2].

For market context, the Appraisal Subcommittee's registry of active appraiser credentials^[3] lists 471 active Hawaii appraisers: 236 certified general, 216 certified residential, and 19 state licensed. The state's bench is heavily concentrated in the two certified levels.

Hawaii backs the credential requirement with criminal penalties. Under HAR §16-114-116^[1], preparing appraisals without a required license or certification is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $1,000, imprisonment of up to one year, or both, and each day of violation is a separate offense.

Register as an appraiser trainee with the state

Hawaii requires trainees to register with the state, and your experience hours do not start counting until the state has your registration on file. You file the trainee registration application (form REA-20) with the DCCA PVL, listing each supervising appraiser and attaching official transcripts or signed certificates of completion.

As of January 1, 2026, trainee qualifying education stands at 83 hours under the AQB criteria that HAR §16-114-21(a)(1)^[1] incorporates: 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 Laws and Regulations course. Hawaii's rules still print the pre-2026 figure of 75 hours (30, 30, and 15) in HAR §16-114-75^[1], but that number is superseded, because §16-114-21(a)(1) adopts the AQB's current criteria as amended. The state's 2026-2027 approved course list^[4] already carries the 8-hour valuation bias course from multiple providers. Hawaii adds one requirement on top: a separate Supervisor/Trainee Course, offered as a 4-hour class on the approved list.

Distance and internet courses earn credit only when approved through the AQB Course Approval Program, and USPAP courses count only when taught by an AQB-certified instructor who is also a state certified appraiser, under HAR §16-114-21(a)(4)^[1]. The Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) course must be completed within the two years preceding your application for licensure.

Trainee registration costs $85 if the registration issues in the first year of the biennium (an even-numbered year, such as 2026), covering the $25 application fee, $20 registration fee, and $40 renewal fee; it costs $65 in the second year (REA-20 fee schedule^[5]).

Who can supervise a Hawaii trainee

Only Certified Residential and Certified General appraisers may supervise trainees in Hawaii; state licensed appraisers may not. A supervising appraiser must have held a current, active Hawaii certified license for at least 3 years, be in good standing, and have no disciplinary action in the prior 3 years that affected the ability to practice (HAR §16-114-69^[1]; PVL requirements notice^[2]). No supervisor may take on more than 3 trainees at once, and the supervisor must review and sign every trainee report and personally inspect each appraised property with the trainee until the trainee meets USPAP's Competency Provision.

Since January 1, 2015, supervising appraisers must also have completed a supervisor course. Experience accrued under a supervisor who has not completed the course is not eligible for experience credit.

Gain experience: Hawaii's counting rule and hour minimums

Hawaii counts experience from the date you register as an appraiser trainee, not the date you were hired or began work. The Real Estate Appraiser Advisory Committee applies this rule directly, so your experience clock cannot start before the state has your REA-20 on file.

The hour minimums for each credential follow the AQB criteria Hawaii adopted effective May 1, 2018:

Applications received on or after May 1, 2018 must meet these figures, per the PVL requirements notice^[2]. All education and experience must be completed before you take the national examination.

On PAREA (Practical Applications of Real Estate Appraisal), the AQB-approved online alternative to the supervisor-and-trainee model: Hawaii's codified rules contain no PAREA provision, and no Hawaii licensing document states that it is accepted in place of supervised experience. The Appraisal Foundation's PAREA page^[6] warns that states are not required to accept it and advises checking with the state agency directly. Confirm with the DCCA PVL before substituting a PAREA program for a supervisor in Hawaii.

Pass the Hawaii appraiser exam through Pearson VUE

Pearson VUE administers Hawaii's appraiser exams, and you do not need any state approval document to schedule one. Testing is electronic and offered year-round; Hawaii's only test center is on Oahu, per the DCCA program page^[7], though the national handbook confirms Hawaii candidates need no approval form and can test anywhere Pearson VUE offers the exam.

The format comes from the National Appraiser Examination Candidate Handbook^[8]; the passing scaled score of 75 and a 24-month validity window for a passing result are set by HAR §16-114-26^[1]. Candidates who pass receive no numeric score, while those who fail get a diagnostic score report in their Pearson VUE account within 24 hours and may retake after a 24-hour wait. Exams include one optional 30-minute break, and only non-alpha-programmable calculators are permitted.

The exam fee is paid to Pearson VUE at reservation and is jurisdiction-specific. Hawaii publishes no dollar figure because HAR §16-53-39.1^[9] sets examination fees by agreement between the department and the testing service.

Apply for your Hawaii appraiser license

After passing the exam, you apply to the PVL on the real estate appraiser application (form REA-01) for the State Licensed, Certified Residential, or Certified General credential. Applicants must be at least 18, be a U.S. citizen, national, or alien authorized to work in the United States, and provide a Social Security Number; applications without one are deemed deficient and not processed (REA-01 instructions^[10]).

All applicants must submit to an FBI fingerprint check through the Hawaii Criminal Justice Data Center, fingerprinted electronically through Fieldprint. The application must be filed within 30 days of fingerprinting so results remain obtainable, and any "yes" answer to the disciplinary or criminal-history questions triggers review at an advisory committee meeting, with detailed statements and court documents required.

The $25 application fee is non-refundable and paid up front. Upon approval, the license fee is $444 if the license issues in the first year of the biennium (even-numbered years), made up of the $190 license fee, the $126 Compliance Resolution Fund fee, the $80 annual registry fee, and half the biennial renewal fee; it is $293 in the second year (REA-01 instructions^[10]).

Timing works on the committee's calendar. The Real Estate Appraiser Advisory Committee usually meets the first Wednesday of each even-numbered month, and the complete application, fee, and supporting documents must arrive one month before the meeting date, so plan on a review cycle measured in weeks rather than days (DCCA program page^[7]). Applications go abandoned after two consecutive years without continued effort to complete the licensing process.

What each Hawaii appraiser transaction costs

Renew your license every two years

Every Hawaii appraiser license and certificate expires December 31 of each odd-numbered year, regardless of when it was issued. Renewal for the January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027 licensing period ran from November 3 through December 31, 2025, and the on-time cost to renew was $302 for active-status appraisers at every level (certified general, certified residential, and state licensed), which combines the $96 biennial renewal fee, the $126 Compliance Resolution Fund fee, and the $80 annual registry fee (DCCA program page^[7]). Inactive status renews for $12, and trainees for $75.

There is no online renewal for Hawaii appraisers, because the state requires hard-copy continuing education completion certificates; renewal applications go out by mail in early November (PVL renewal requirements^[11]).

The continuing education Hawaii requires

Hawaii requires 28 classroom hours of continuing education each biennium, including the 7-hour National USPAP Update Course; the 15-hour USPAP course cannot satisfy the update requirement or substitute for it (HAR §16-114-55^[1]). Licensees first licensed in the second year of the biennium submit 14 hours. Courses must be approved by Hawaii, another state, or the AQB, and internet delivery is allowed (PVL renewal requirements^[11]). Under HAR §16-114-56^[1], credit is granted only for educational offerings at least two hours long, excess hours do not carry over, and non-student continuing education such as teaching or authorship is limited to half the requirement (14 of the 28 hours).

Missing the December 31 deadline has consequences. Failure to renew on time causes automatic forfeiture, but a forfeited license can be restored within 2 years by paying the restoration fee ($322 for active appraisers, $32 inactive, $95 trainee) and submitting all the continuing education that would have been required (HAR §§16-114-45 to 16-114-48^[1]). After 2 years, the license terminates and you must apply again as a new applicant under the requirements in force at that time.

Two operating rules attach to holding the credential: appraisers must retain records, appraisals, and supporting data for 5 years from delivery of the report, or until final disposition of any litigation (HAR §16-114-94^[1]), and any advertising that identifies you as a state licensed or certified appraiser must include your license number (HAR §16-114-99^[1]).

Moving to Hawaii with an out-of-state appraiser license

Hawaii licenses out-of-state appraisers by endorsement, but only at the same credential level you currently hold in the other state. You must be in good standing in every state where you hold a credential, verified through the National Registry, and the fee is $469 if the license issues in the first year of the biennium or $318 in the second (endorsement requirements, REA-15^[12]). Hawaii accepts passage of an AQB-approved exam in another jurisdiction for candidates on the Federal Registry as conforming to AQB criteria (HAR §16-114-26.5^[1]).

For a single assignment, temporary recognition is the lighter option. The permit costs $88, covering a $25 application fee and a $63 Compliance Resolution Fund fee, and it is issued on an assignment basis that may include multiple properties within the assignment (REA-08^[13]). The form's own guidance: if you perform more than 5 appraisals in Hawaii during a biennium, apply for a license by endorsement instead.

Federal law requires the state to process a completed temporary practice permit application within 5 business days. The Appraisal Subcommittee's December 2024 compliance review rated Hawaii's program "Good" on a two-year review cycle while citing two lapses: one permit received June 12, 2024 was not issued until June 20, 2024, past the 5-business-day benchmark, and three Appraiser Registry invoices were paid late.

Your first steps with the Hawaii program

Start with the Real Estate Appraisers Section of the DCCA Professional and Vocational Licensing Division: appraiser@dcca.hawaii.gov, 808-586-2701, PO Box 3469, Honolulu, HI 96801 (ASC program profile^[14]). From there, work the sequence in this guide:

1. Download the 2026-2027 approved course list^[4] and enroll in the trainee coursework.
2. Line up a supervising appraiser who has held an active Hawaii Certified Residential or Certified General license for at least 3 years and has completed the supervisor course.
3. File the trainee registration (REA-20), because your experience clock starts only on registration.
4. Log your hours toward the credential you want, then schedule the Pearson VUE exam once your education and experience are complete.
5. File form REA-01 with your fee and fingerprints, timed to arrive one month before an advisory committee meeting.