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How to Become a Real Estate Appraiser in California Your 5-Step Guide

Education
How to Get Your License
How to Get Your License

California Real Estate Appraiser License Requirements

Becoming an appraiser can be a lucrative and rewarding choice for your career – but how do you get started? Your appraisal education begins with 92 hours of California Appraiser Qualifying Education coursework, the building blocks of your appraisal knowledge. The best way to complete those hours successfully? By getting your trainee certification, the official recommendation of The Appraisal Foundation. Though your state may not require this certification level, earning it will help you stand out to future employers, and prepare you for the jobs that require it!

Purchase your required CA trainee courses

Quick Facts

Below is a list of the steps required to become a licensed residential appraiser in California.

  1. Earn Your Appraiser Trainee License

  2. Gain Appraisal Work Experience

  3. Pass the National Uniform Licensing & Certification Examination

  4. Submit Your Application to Become a California Licensed Residential Appraiser

We’ll go into more detail about these steps below. If you've already completed appraiser Qualifying Education (QE) or are licensed in another state, visit the California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers (BREA) for more detailed information.

How to Become a Certified Residential Appraiser in California

1

Obtain Your California Appraiser Trainee License

Qualifying Education. Before you can become a licensed residential appraiser in California, you’ll need to complete 158 hours of Qualifying Education (QE), broken up in the coursework below:

  • 30-hour Basic Appraisal Principles

  • 30-hour Basic Appraisal Procedures

  • 15-hour National Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) Course

  • 15-hour Residential Market Analysis and Highest & Best Use

  • 15-hour Residential Appraiser Site Valuation and Cost Approach

  • 8-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations courses

  • 30-hour Residential Sales Comparison and Income Approaches

  • 15-hour Residential Report Writing and Case Studies

In California, you’ll also need to complete a 4-hour Appraiser Trainee/Supervisory Appraiser Course. Before signing up for this course, you’ll need to find a supervisory appraiser who will act as your mentor as you gain appraisal work experience.

Additionally, you’re required complete the following two courses:

  • 4-hour California State & Federal Law Course

  • 1-hour Cultural Competency Course

All Qualifying Education must be approved by either TAF's Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB) or BREA. You must complete all QE hours prior to submitting your appraiser trainee application. Once you’ve completed your QE courses, you can apply for your trainee license using BREA’s Initial License Application. You’ll need to pay a $930 trainee application fee.

2

Earn Appraisal Work Experience

Once you’ve become a California appraiser trainee — and completed the education required for both the trainee and licensed residential appraiser levels — you must log at least 1,000 hours of appraisal work experience. These 1,000 hours must be completed:

  1. Under the supervision of a supervisory appraiser, and

  2. Over a period of at least six months.

There are many ways to find and enter into a working relationship with a supervisory appraiser. A great way to begin your search is to use the list of active certified appraisers in California found in the Appraisal Subcommittee’s National Appraiser Registry. Learn more tips for finding a mentor in this blog: How to Find a Supervisory Appraiser and in our ebook: How to Gain Experience as a Trainee Appraiser.

Once you’ve completed your appraiser education and experience hours using the BREA experience log, you’ll need to submit proof of completion to BREA for verification. Once approved, BREA will notify you that you can schedule your licensing exam.

3

Pass the National Uniform Licensing & Certification Examination

After BREA approves your appraisal education and experience hours, you can take the National Uniform Licensing & Certification Exam.

In California, the test is administered by PSI. There is an $85 fee to take the exam. You’ll need to create an account on the PSI site to find a test center and schedule your test. TAF publishes tips on the exam structure to help you prepare. PSI also provides helpful documents to help you study for the test. Here’s an overview:

  • The exam is four hours long. The exam can take up to four hours to complete.

  • There are 125 questions on the test. The exam is composed of 125 total questions. Fifteen of these questions are considered practice, and answering those questions wrong does not negatively affect your score.

  • A score of 75 points is passing. Scores for the exam range between 0 and 110 points. Each question carries an equal weight of 1 point. To pass, you must earn a minimum of 75 points.

  • You can take the test more than once. TAF allows you to take the test up to three times.

4

Submit Your Application to Become a California Licensed Residential Appraiser

After passing your exam, it’s time to apply for your license. Generally, candidates can expect this process to take a few weeks, but it may vary.

To apply, you’ll need to download and complete the application, print it, and mail it to the California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers. Be sure to follow all instructions in the Initial Application section of BREA’s Licensing Handbook. When submitting your application, you’ll also need to complete fingerprinting using California’s Live Scan service. When you apply for your license, you’ll need to pay a $1,035 application fee.

California appraiser licenses are valid for four years. At the end of your renewal period, you’ll need to complete the required Continuing Education (CE) to renew your license.

Frequently Asked Questions About Real Estate Appraisal

What is the average real estate appraiser salary in California?

California real estate appraisers make $85,000 per year on average. Check out the most current salary range here.* Of course, salaries depend on many factors, such as your license level, your location, whether you work independently or for a firm, and the types of properties you appraise. A great incentive in working to upgrade your license is the opportunity to make more income.
*October 2024 Salary Data

 How much does it cost to get a Real Estate Appraiser license in California?

Between course tuition, exam fees, and application fees, you can expect to spend at least $2,600 to become a California licensed residential appraiser. The cost will vary slightly depending on the education provider and your number of attempts at the exam. Here’s a breakdown of the approximate cost:

Average Course Tuition

$1,500

Application Fees

$1,035

Exam Fee

$85

Total

$2,620

One additional cost to consider occurs during the appraiser trainee period. You’ll be conducting 1,000 hours of in-field appraisal work to upgrade your license. This means you may have travel expenses. Consider this when calculating the total approximate cost of earning your appraiser license.

 How long does it take to earn a California Licensed Residential Appraiser license?

Becoming a California licensed residential appraiser takes at least six months. This includes the 1,000 hours of mandatory logged appraisal experience and 158 hours of appraisal education. The table below gives you a general idea of how long it will take to complete this process.

Required Core Education For Appraiser Trainee/Licensed Residential Appraiser License

158 hours

Supervisor/Trainee Appraiser Course

4 hours

CA State and Federal Law Course

4 hours

Cultural Competency Course

1 hour

Required Appraisal Experience

1,000 hours (in no less than 6 months)

Full-Time Pace: (40 hours/week)

≈ 8-10 months

Part-Time Pace: (20 hours/week)

≈ 16-18 months

 If I have an out-of-state appraiser license, can I appraise real estate in California?

Yes, as long as you meet California’s reciprocal license requirements, summarized below:

  • You must be a licensed or certified appraiser in good standing in another state or territory and submit proof of your licensure.

  • You must complete the 4-hour California State and Federal Laws Course.

  • You must complete the 1-hour Cultural Competency Course.

  • You must complete and submit California’s reciprocal license application and pay the required application fee (varies depending on license level). See BREA’s licensing fee chart.

  • You must submit fingerprints via California Live Scan.

The term of a California reciprocal appraiser license or certification is four years.

It’s important to understand how California classifies real estate appraisers across four categories, each with their own qualifications for licensure. License types include:

  1. Appraiser Trainee

  2. Residential Appraiser

  3. Certified Residential Appraiser

  4. Certified General Appraiser

After becoming an appraiser trainee, you can “upgrade” your license to any of the subsequent license levels as long as you complete the education and experience requirements. Here’s an overview of the requirements for all four California appraiser licenses.

Appraiser Eligibility Highlights

Be at least 18 years old

Proof of U.S. Citizenship, U.S. National Status, or Alien Status

Submit fingerprints and complete a background check

Learn more details about appraiser eligibility in the BREA Licensing Handbook.

Appraiser Trainee

California, like most states, requires a pilot program for potential appraisers to begin their path toward becoming fully licensed. Known as an appraiser trainee, this first level of licensure is required before you can become fully licensed and start appraising real estate on your own.

Here's a quick overview of everything you’ll need to become an appraiser trainee:

Qualifying Education Hours Required

Required Experience Hours Working Under a Certified Appraiser

College Degree Requirement

Exam Requirement

Background Check

158 hours of qualifying appraisal education 4-hour Supervisor/Trainee Appraiser Course 4-hour CA State & Federal Law Course 1-hour Cultural Competency Course

None required, though you will need to associate with a supervisory appraiser before applying to become an appraiser trainee. (You’ll work under your supervisory appraiser to earn experience hours after receiving your trainee license.)

Not required

Not required

Not required

Residential Appraiser

The next license level up is a California residential appraiser. At this level, you can appraise:

  • Any non-complex 1-4-unit family property with a transaction value up to $1 million, and

  • Non-residential property with a transaction value up to $250,000

Here’s a quick overview of the requirements to become a residential appraiser:

Qualifying Education Hours Required

Required Experience Hours Working under a Certified Appraiser

College Degree Requirement

Exam Requirement

Background Check

158 hours 4-hour Supervisor/Trainee Appraiser Course 4-hour CA State & Federal Law Course 1-hour Cultural Competency Course Note: These are the same education hours required for appraiser trainees.

1,000 hours of acceptable appraisal experience in no less than 6 months

Not required

Must pass National Uniform Licensing Examination for Licensed Residential Appraisers

Required

Certified Residential Appraiser

California certified residential appraisers may appraise:

  • Any 1-4-unit family property without regard to transaction value or complexity, and

  • Non-residential property with a transaction value up to $250,000

Here’s a quick overview of the requirements to become a certified residential appraiser:

Qualifying Education Hours Required

Required Experience Hours Working under a Certified Appraiser

College Degree Requirement

Exam Requirement

Background Check

200 hours* *Includes the 158 hours required for the trainee and licensed residential license levels. 4-hour Supervisor/Trainee Appraiser Course 4-hour CA State & Federal Law Course 1-hour Cultural Competency Course

1,500 hours of acceptable appraisal experience in no less than 12 months

A completed or partially completed college education is required. BREA offers six options to satisfy this requirement. Learn more details in the licensing handbook.

Must pass National Uniform Licensing Examination for Certified Residential Appraisers

Required

Certified General Appraiser

California certified general appraisers are the highest level of appraiser professionals. They can appraise all types of real estate properties without regard to value or complexity.

Qualifying Education Hours Required

Required Experience Hours Working under a Certified Appraiser

College Degree Requirement

Exam Requirement

Background Check

300 hours* *Includes the 200 hours required for the trainee, licensed residential, and certified residential license levels. 4-hour Supervisor/Trainee Appraiser Course 4-hour CA State & Federal Law Course 1-hour Cultural Competency Course

3,000 hours* of acceptable appraisal experience in no less than 18 months.

*1,500 hours must be earning by appraising non-residential properties

Must have bachelor's degree or higher in any field and from any accredited college or university

Must pass National Uniform Licensing Examination for Certified General Appraisers

Required

California Real Estate Appraiser Continuing Education Requirements

California has a few rules regarding its appraiser CE requirements.

Licensed and certified appraisers in California must complete 56 hours of CE during every four-year license renewal cycle. This includes the following:

  • 7-Hour National USPAP Continuing Education Course (every 2 years)

  • 7-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations course or 4-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations course*

  • 4-hour Federal and State Laws and Regulation course

  • 1-hour of Cultural Competency

*The first time a Licensee completes the Continuing Education requirement for this course, the course length must be 7 hours. If a Licensee successfully completed a 7-hour (plus 1-hour exam) course as part of their Qualifying Education, they have satisfied this requirement. Every 2 calendar years thereafter, the course length must be at least 4 hours.

Renewing your appraiser license in California costs $955 for licensed residential appraisers and $1,030 for certified residential and certified general appraisers.

Questions?