State-licensed real estate appraiser
Education and experience requirements
Before you are eligible to become a state-licensed real estate appraiser, you must meet all of the following education and experience requirements.
There is no specific order required to gain this education and experience. After you have completed these requirements, you are eligible to take the state-licensed real estate appraiser examination.
Experience
Before you may take the examination, you must:
- find a certified appraiser willing to supervise your work experience as a trainee.
- work under the supervisory appraiser to get a minimum of 2 years’ real estate appraiser experience (24 months and 2,000 hours). Hours may be treated as cumulative in order to achieve the necessary hours of appraisal experience.
Education
To be eligible to take the examination, you must successfully complete a total of 150 classroom hours of approved real estate appraisal courses. These courses must include the following:
| Subject | Hours required |
|---|---|
| Basic appraisal principles | 30 hours |
| Basic appraisal procedures | 30 hours |
| USPAP | 15 hours |
| Residential market analysis and highest and best use | 15 hours |
| Residential appraiser site valuation and cost approach | 15 hours |
| Residential sales comparison and income approaches | 30 hours |
| Residential appraiser report writing and case studies | 15 hours |
How to apply to take the licensing examination
- Complete a
Real Estate Appraiser Certification Application. If you are an applicant from outside Washington State, please complete the Consent of Service form included in the application. - Attach copies of all education documentation.
- Enclose a completed experience log. No credit will be granted for restricted appraisal reports.
- Enclose the $246 application fee as a check or money order payable to “Washington State Treasurer.” Fees are non-refundable.
- Mail the application, documentation, and fee to us at the address shown on the application.
- Allow a minimum of 2 weeks for processing. We will review the application and determine if you are eligible to take the examination. We will send you an examination approval letter notifying you that you are approved to take the examination, or a letter explaining why your application was not approved.
- Call the toll-free number provided in the approval letter to schedule the examination date and location. Examinations are by appointment only. You must have an approval letter from the Department of Licensing to be admitted into the examination.