Licensure or Certification from Another State

1. What is licensure or certification from another state?

Licensure or Certification from another state is the process for an appraiser, licensed or certified, in another state to become licensed or certified in North Carolina without having to demonstrate the required education, experience, and/or examination.

2. Is it the same as reciprocity?

Yes, North Carolina has an open-door policy for appraisers who are licensed or certified appraisers in another state. The Board will grant a North Carolina license or certification without requiring the applicant to take current qualifying education courses, provide an experience log, provide a college transcript (when applicable), or take the national examination to become licensed or certified in NC, as long as the other state’s requirements meet the real property appraiser qualification criteria, as established by the Appraiser Qualifications Board and the state is in good standing with the Appraisal Subcommittee.

3. If I am a trainee in another state, can I get a reciprocal registration in North Carolina?

No, reciprocal licenses are only available for licensed and certified appraisers. A trainee would need to apply for registration by going through the normal application process.

4. How do I obtain a North Carolina license or certification?

Download the Reciprocity application from the Board's website at https://www.ncappraisalboard.org/forms-html/forms.htm. Complete and submit the application, application fee, and additional documentation/forms as requested within the application, including the criminal background check.

Note: If you are not active on the Appraisal Subcommittee's National Registry, you need to include a letter of good standing, under seal, issued within 30 days of the date application is submitted, by the appraiser licensing agency/board in which you hold an active license or certification.

If you are not a resident of North Carolina, you are also required to complete the form “Consent to Service of Process and Pleadings,” and the form “Affidavit of Residency,” which can be downloaded from the Board's website at https://www.ncappraisalboard.org/forms-html/forms.htm.

Once processing is complete, you will be issued a North Carolina license or certification and will receive your packet in the mail.

5. I hold a license or certification in North Carolina and live out of state. What continuing education requirements do I need to meet?

For a complete list of requirements, please refer to NC Appraisal Board Rules 21 NCAC 57A .0203 Registration, License, and Certificate Renewal and 21 NCAC 57A .0204 Continuing Education.

Each year your license or certification will expire on June 30. Prior to June 30, you will be emailed a renewal notice prompting you to renew your status.

Before you can renew your license in even numbered years, you must have completed the latest edition of the 7-Hour USPAP Continuing Education course by May 31st. If you take the course through a Board approved sponsor (which is listed on the Board website) the course completion will be reported to the Board by the sponsor, as long as you provide them with your current NC license number. If the course is taken with a non-Board approved sponsor, you must submit your course completion certificate to the Board at ncab@ncab.org.

Before you can renew your license in odd numbered years, you may satisfy the continuing education requirements by submitting the CE Affidavit for Out of State Licensees, which lists the course provider, title, hours, and date of completion of all continuing education courses completed within North Carolina’s current continuing education cycle. The Board will audit no less than ten percent (10%) of licensees who renew via the affidavit.

For any asynchronous course, the current delivery mechanism must have been approved by an organization approved by the AQB, such as IDECC, in order to receive credit.

6. I will be moving to NC. What type of continuing education requirements must I meet?

Once you move to North Carolina, you will have to comply with NC’s continuing education requirements. North Carolina has a two-year continuing education cycle that begins and ends in the odd years. The current cycle began June 1, 2025, and will go through May 31, 2027. All licenses are required to complete 28 hours of continuing education in each cycle. Seven of the 28 hours must be the 7-Hour National USPAP Continuing Education course, as required by the Appraiser Qualifications Board of the Appraisal Foundation, or its equivalent. Note: USPAP is revised every even numbered year, and appraisers must take the most recent edition of the 7-Hour National USPAP Continuing Education course by May 31 of the even numbered year in order to renew in an even numbered year. The remaining 21 hours of continuing education must be completed by May 31 of every odd numbered year.

Of the remaining 21 hours of continuing education, licensees must complete the Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations course. The course must be at least seven hours the first time a trainee, licensee, or certificate holder completes the course and four hours each continuing education cycle thereafter. You may take all of your CE online or in the classroom. Please note that for any asynchronous course, the current delivery mechanism must have been approved by an organization approved by the AQB, such as IDECC, in order to receive credit.