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

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How to Get Your License

Washington 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 75 hours of Washington 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 WA trainee courses

Quick Overview

Below is a list of the steps required to become a State Licensed Residential Real Estate Appraiser in Washington.

  1. Obtain Your Washington State Registered Real Estate Appraiser Trainee License

  2. Complete Your Washington State Licensed Residential Real Estate Appraiser Education

  3. Conduct Your Appraisal Work Experience

  4. Submit Your Application

  5. Pass the National Uniform Licensing & Certification Examination

If you've already completed appraiser education or are licensed in another state, visit the Washington State Department of Licensing page for more detailed information.

How to Become a Licensed Residential Appraiser in Washington

1

Obtain Your Washington State Registered Real Estate Appraiser Trainee License

NOTE: Your state may accept PAREA or Practicum as an alternative to Trainee license with Trainee/Supervisory model.

Before you can become a state licensed real estate appraiser in Washington, you first must get your State Registered Real Estate Appraiser Trainee license. In order to qualify for your trainee license, you’ll need to complete Washington Appraiser qualifying education, broken up as follows:

  • 30 hours of appraisal principles

  • 30 hours of appraisal procedures

  • 8 hours of valuation bias and fair housing laws and regulations

  • 15 hours to uniform standards of professional appraisal practice (USPAP)

Once your qualifying education is complete, Washington requires you to take an AQB-Approved Supervisor-Trainee Course (4 hours). Before signing up, you’ll need to find a supervisory appraiser who will act as your mentor through completion of your experience hours. (Your supervisory appraiser will also need to complete the AQB Supervisor-Trainee Course if they haven’t already done so.) And finally, you and your supervisor must complete and mail in the Supervisor Registration form.

2

Complete Your Washington State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser Education

After getting your State Registered Real Estate Appraiser Trainee license, it’s time for the next step toward becoming a state licensed real estate appraiser in Washington: completing 158 hours of approved qualifying education. Remember: you’ve already completed 83 of these hours with your trainee license, so only 75 to go – nice work!

Washington requires a very specific breakdown of this coursework.

3

Conduct Your Appraisal Work Experience

Once you’ve finished your education, you must conduct at least 1,000 hours of actual appraisal experience. Additionally, those 1,000 hours must be completed:

  • Under the supervision of a certified appraiser; and

  • Over a period of at least 12 months.

This means you must take no less than 12 months to complete your 1,000 hours of appraisals. To put things in perspective, if a trainee works around 38 hours per workweek, they will complete their training in a little over 12 months. If, however, they put in any fewer than 38 hours per week, it would take longer. See our table below for a helpful overview of the timeframes you’d be looking at:

Number of Hours Per Week

Length of Time to Complete 1,000 hours

≈38 Hours

≈12 Months

≈26 Hours

≈18 Months

≈19 Hours

≈2 Years

≈15 Hours

≈2.5 Years

* Must be completed under the supervision of a certified Washington appraiser.

4

Submit Your Application

After you complete your required work experience hours, it’s time to apply for your license with the Washington State DOL. Here’s a list of what you’ll need to get started:

  • Read through the application carefully

  • Gather all of your supporting documentation (e.g., transcripts; proof of coursework; experience log; etc.)

  • Be prepared to answer legal background questions and provide documents, if needed

  • Prepare the $740 application fee

The Washington State DOL encourages you to submit your application online, but it can also be mailed to the address listed on the paper application.

5

Pass the National Uniform Licensing & Certification Examination

After completing your courses and logging your appraisal experience, you are now eligible to take the National Uniform Licensing & Certification Exam .

In Washington, the exam is administered by PSI. There is a $105 fee to take the exam, and The Appraisal Foundation has tips on the exam structure and some example questions that you can use to prepare. Additionally, we’ve compiled a few extra pieces of information to help you prepare:

  • The exam is four to six hours long. Both the Licensed Residential Examination and the Certified Residential Examination take four hours to complete, and the Certified General Examination takes six hours to complete.

  • There are 125 questions on the test. The National Uniform Licensing and Certification exam is composed of 125 total questions. 15 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 National Uniform Licensing and Certification 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. The Appraisal Foundation allows you to take the test up to three times.

The Washington Real Estate Appraisers Program also published a candidate handbook if you’d like more details on the exam.

Frequently Asked Questions About How to Become a Real Estate Appraiser in Washington

What is the Average Washington Real Estate Appraiser Salary?

According to Indeed, the median real estate appraiser salary in Washington is around $65,202. Of course, this rate varies depending on your city (e.g., Spokane averages $50,764, while Bellevue averages $88,607). A great incentive to working towards a higher license is the ability to make more money. The Certified General Appraiser license is the highest appraiser license in Washington, and those with this certification make an average salary of $116,365 per year

* March 2023 Salary Data

 How Much Does It Cost to Get a Real Estate Appraiser License in Washington?

Between course tuition and exam and application fees, you can expect to spend at least $1,500 to become a real estate appraiser in Washington. The cost will vary slightly depending on the education provider and number of attempts at the exam, but here’s a breakdown of the approximate cost:

Average Course Tuition

$1,250

Application Fees

$370

Exam Fees

$105

Total Estimate

$1,700

One additional cost to consider occurs during the appraiser trainee experience period. You’ll be conducting over 2,000 hours of in-field appraisals in order to obtain your first license, which means travel expenses may start to accumulate. This should be considered when calculating the total approximate cost of obtaining your appraiser license.


 How Long Does It Take to Get a Washington Real Estate Appraiser License?

Between the 1,000 hours of mandatory appraisal experience and over 158 hours of appraisal and trainee education, you’re looking at anywhere between eight and 18 months. This table should give you a general idea of how long you’re looking at for this process.

State Registered Real Estate Trainee Education Requirements

83 hours

State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser Education Requirements

75 hours

Required Appraisal Experience

1,000 hours (in at least 12 months)

Full-Time Pace: (40 hrs/week)

13-15 months

Part-Time Pace: (20 hrs/week)

14-16 months

 If I Have an Out-of-State Appraiser License, Can I Appraise Real Estate in Washington?

Yes, as long as you meet these requirements, summarized below:

  • You must be currently licensed or certified in another state

  • You must be in good standing with that state’s regulatory board

  • You must apply online or by mail for a Washington State real estate appraiser license

Appraiser License Types in Washington

Washington recognizes four different levels of appraisal licensure, so it’s important to understand the differences as each has their own unique qualifications. The four license types are:

  • State Registered Real Estate Appraiser Trainee

  • State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser

  • State Certified Residential Appraiser

  • State Certified General Appraiser

Appraiser Eligibility Highlights

Be at least 18 years old

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

Background Check / Other criminal history requirements

Real Estate Appraisal Trainee

Like most states, Washington offers a pilot program to help potential appraisers begin their path toward becoming fully licensed. Known as a state registered real estate appraiser trainee, this is the first level you must achieve before you can become fully licensed and start performing valuation services on real property – including appraising homes – on your own. You must work under the direct supervision of a certified appraiser.

Qualifying Education Hours Required

Required Experience Hours Working Under a Certified Appraiser

College Degree Requirement

Exam Requirement

Background Check / Answer Legal Background Questions

83 hours of qualifying appraisal education 4 hours of a Trainee/Supervisor Appraiser course

None required, though you will need to associate with a Supervisor Appraiser before receiving your trainee license.

Not required

Not required

Required

State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser

The next level up is a state licensed real estate appraiser. At this level, you can provide appraisal services in transactions with:

  • Non-complex 1-4-unit residential properties (transaction value < $1,000,000)

  • Complex 1-4-unit residential properties (transaction value < $250,000)

  • Nonresidential property (transaction value < $250,000)

Qualifying Education Hours Required

Required Experience Hours Working Under a Certified Appraiser

College Degree Requirement

Exam Requirement

Background Check / Answer Legal Background Questions

158 hours total (only 75 hours once you have your State Registered Real Estate Appraiser Trainee license)

2,000 hours in no less than twelve months

Not required

Must pass exam National Uniform Licensing Examination for Licensed Residential Appraisers

Required

State Certified Residential Appraiser

The next level up is a state certified residential appraiser. At this level, you can provide appraisal services for:

  • All types of residential property of one to four units without regard to transaction value or complexity

  • Nonresidential property (transaction value < $250,000)

Qualifying Education Hours Required

Required Experience Hours Working Under a Certified Appraiser

College Degree Requirement

Exam Requirement

Background Check / Answer Legal Background Questions

200 hours total (only 117 hours once you have your State Registered Real Estate Appraiser Trainee license)

2,500 hours in no less than 24 months

ONE of five formal education options are required, including:

Bachelor’s degree in any field of study

Associate’s degree in a specific business category

30 hours of specific college courses

Licensed for 5 years in good standing

Completion of CLEP® exams

Must pass National Uniform Licensing Examination for Certified Residential Appraisers

Required

State Certified General Appraiser

State certified general appraisers are the highest level of appraiser professionals in Washington. They can provide appraisal services with all types of residential or commercial real property 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 / Answer Legal Background Questions

300 hours total (only 217 hours once you have your State Registered Real Estate Appraiser Trainee license)

3,000 hours in no less than 30 months

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


Washington Real Estate Appraiser Continuing Education Requirements

Many industries have what we call “continuing education” or simply CE. This is ongoing education that appraisers must take throughout their careers to ensure they’re staying up to date on practices, and Washington laws and regulations.

All CE courses you take must be approved by the Appraiser Qualifications Board (AQB). Fortunately, Washington’s CE requirements for all four different appraiser license types are the same and very straightforward.

You need a total of 28 Hours of Washington CE every 2 years; courses must make up the following:

  • 7-Hour National USPAP Continuing Education Course

  • 7-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations course or 4-hour Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations course (see explanation below)

  • 14 hours of approved continuing education or 17 hours of approved continuing education (see explanation below)

Beginning January 1, 2026, a Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations course will be required for Continuing Education. 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 an 8-hour 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. This new course requirement is included in the 28 total hours for a 2-year renewal.

Becoming an appraiser is a rewarding career path full of opportunity for growth and personal development. Once you complete the five steps to earn your license, you’re on your way to a fruitful career!

Questions?