How to get your license: State-registered real estate appraiser trainee

Who needs a license?

Anyone who wants to become an appraiser to provide appraisal services for all types of real property.

Education requirements
Complete 79 classroom hours of approved real estate appraisal courses, including:
Subject	Hours required
Basic appraisal principles	30 hours
Basic appraisal procedures	30 hours
National Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) course or equivalent	15 hours
Supervisory appraiser/Trainee appraiser course	4 hours

Supervisor qualification requirements

To gain your required experience hours you must train under an appraiser that meets all the following requirements:
- Be certified as a general or residential appraiser for a minimum of 3 years
- Be in good standing for the 3 years immediately preceding their supervisor registration
- Have no more than 3 trainees with less than 1 year experience
- Have successfully completed a 4-hour Supervisory/Trainee course
You can't begin gaining experience hours until we have registered and approved a certified appraiser as a supervisor for you.
If we discipline your supervising appraiser, the experience hours gained under them may not qualify when you apply to take the appraiser exam.

Before you register

Complete the education requirements listed above.
Find an appraiser that meets the supervisor qualification requirements above to supervise your experience hours training.
Have your supervisor appraiser complete the supervisor registration form. They must mail or upload that along with a copy of their completed certificate for the 4-hour supervisory/trainee course to the program.
Gather copies of all your appraiser education course completion certificates for the 4 required courses.
Be ready to answer the legal background questions and provide documents, if needed

How to register

You can register online or by mail.

Online

Log in or sign up to register online.

By mail

Mail a completed Real Estate Appraiser Trainee Registration Application and the following attachments to the address shown on the application:

Copies of your appraiser education course completion certificates.
Check or money order for the license fee (payable to the Department of Licensing). Fee is non-refundable.

Allow at least 2 weeks for processing. If you apply by mail, staff will email you your license number to provide to your supervisor.

Your supervisor must send you an invitation after you have applied and you will need to accept it before experience training can begin. In order for them to invite you to work under them, they will need your license number. We'll notify you and the supervisor when you're approved to begin experience training.

Your initial license will expire on your 2nd birthday from the date issued and every 2 years afterward (maximum of 2 renewals).

If we discipline your supervising appraiser, the experience hours gained under them may not qualify when you apply to take the appraiser exam.

After you and your supervisor are approved

After you're notified that you're registered as a trainee with an approved supervisor, you must:

Begin your experience training. You must keep an experience log for your assignments in chronological date order and keep a separate log for each supervisor you work under. You won't get credit for restricted or for review appraisal reports.
For non-mass appraisal experience use Real Estate Appraiser Applicant Experience Log.
For mass appraisal experience use Real Estate Assessors Mass Appraisal Experience
Begin to take the real estate appraiser specific qualifying education needed to take the exam for the type of licensure/certification you want.
- Required courses for each licensure/certification type are listed under How to get your license.
Renew your trainee license every 2 years as needed (no more than 2 times) to complete your experience.
- You must take a minimum of 28 hours of approved continuing education courses, including the 7-hour Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) update, for each renewal.

Related information

Questions? Need help?

Email us: reappraisers@dol.wa.gov
Call us: 360.664.6504