NORTH CAROLINA APPRAISAL BOARD
Prelicensing Requirements

CLASSIFICATIONS and CRITERIA REQUIREMENTS EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 1, 2019

Type

Qualifying Education

College

Experience

Examination

Other

Registered Trainee

83 hrs

None

None

None

Supervisor/Trainee Course

Licensed Residential

158 hours

None

1,000 hours in no less than 6 months

Licensed Residential Exam

8-hour Valuation Bias Course
Certified Residential 200 hours

6 Options

 1,500 hours in no less than 12 months Certified Residential Exam 8-hour Valuation Bias Course

Certified General

300 hours

Bachelors degree or higher

3,000 hours in no less than 18 months (1,500 in non-residential work)

Certified General Exam

8-hour Valuation Bias Course

Registered Trainee:

Qualifying Education: 83 hours of qualifying education as specified below:

  1. Basic Appraisal Principles                                                     30 Hours
  2. Basic Appraisal Procedures                                                    30 Hours
  3. 15-Hour National USPAP Course, or its Equivalent              15 Hours
  4. Valuation Bias Fair Housing Laws and Regulations                8 Hours

Other Education: 4- or 7-hour North Carolina Supervisor/Trainee Course

College Education: None

Experience: None

Examination: None

Licensed Residential:

Qualifying Education: 158 hours of qualifying education as specified below:

  1. Basic Appraisal Principles                                                     30 Hours
  2. Basic Appraisal Procedures                                                    30 Hours
  3. 15-Hour National USPAP Course, or its Equivalent              15 Hours
  4. Valuation Bias Fair Housing Laws and Regulations                8 Hours
  5. Residential Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use        15 Hours
  6. Residential Appraiser Site Valuation and Cost Approach      15 Hours
  7. Residential Sales Comparison and Income Approaches        30 Hours
  8. Residential Report Writing and Case Studies                        15 Hours

Upgrade: 83 hours of qualifying education as specified below:

1.   Residential Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use        15 Hours
2.   Residential Appraiser Site Valuation and Cost Approach      15 Hours
3.   Residential Sales Comparison and Income Approaches        30 Hours
4.   Residential Report Writing and Case Studies                        15 Hours

Other Education: 8-Hour Valuation Bias Fair Housing Laws and Regulations Course taken on or after July 1, 2025.           

College Education: None

Experience: A minimum of 1,000 hours of qualifying experience in no fewer than six (6) months

Examination: The AQB-approved Licensed Residential Real Property Appraiser examination

Certified Residential:

Qualifying Education: 200 hours of qualifying education as specified below:

  1. Basic Appraisal Principles                                                     30 Hours
  2. Basic Appraisal Procedures                                                    30 Hours
  3. 15-Hour National USPAP Course, or its Equivalent              15 Hours
  4. Valuation Bias Fair Housing Laws and Regulations                8 Hours
  5. Residential Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use        15 Hours
  6. Residential Appraiser Site Valuation and Cost Approach      15 Hours
  7. Residential Sales Comparison and Income Approaches        30 Hours
  8. Residential Report Writing and Case Studies                        15 Hours

Upgrade:
Trainee Registration Holders: 117 hours of qualifying education as specified below:

  1. Residential Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use       15 Hours
  2. Residential Appraiser Site Valuation and Cost Approach      15 Hours
  3. Residential Sales Comparison and Income Approaches        30 Hours
  4. Residential Report Writing and Case Studies                        15 Hours
  5. Statistics, Modeling and Finance                                           15 Hours
  6. Advanced Residential Applications and Case Studies           15 Hours
  7. Appraisal Subject Matter Electives                                        12 Hours

Licensed Residential Holders: 42 hours of qualifying education as specified below:

  1. Statistics, Modeling and Finance                                           15 Hours
  2. Advanced Residential Applications and Case Studies           15 Hours
  3. Appraisal Subject Matter Electives                                        12 Hour

Other Education: 8-Hour Valuation Bias Fair Housing Laws and Regulations Course taken on or after July 1, 2025.
        
College Education: 6 Options – Applicants must meet one of the following:

Option 1: Bachelor’s degree or higher

Option 2: Associate degree in a field of study related to one of the following:

  1. Business Administration
  2. Accounting
  3. Finance
  4. Economics
  5. Real Estate

Option 3: Thirty (30) semester hours of college-level courses that cover each of the following topic areas and hours:

  1. English Composition                                      3 Semester Hours
  2. Microeconomics                                             3 Semester Hours
  3. Macroeconomics                                            3 Semester Hours
  4. Finance                                                           3 Semester Hours
  5. Algebra, Geometry, or higher mathematics   3 Semester Hours
  6. Statistics                                                         3 Semester Hours                               
  7. Computer Science                                          3 Semester Hours
  8. Two electives in any of the topics listed above or in accounting, geography, agricultural economics, business management, or real estate           

Option 4: Thirty (30) semester hours of College Level Examination Program® (CLEP®) examinations from each of the following subject matter areas:

  1. College Algebra                                              3 Semester Hours
  2. College Composition                                      3 Semester Hours
  3. College Composition Modular                       3 Semester Hours
  4. College Mathematics                                      3 Semester Hours
  5. Principles of Macroeconomics                       3 Semester Hours
  6. Principles of Microeconomics                        3 Semester Hours
  7. Introductory Business Law                             3 Semester Hours
  8. Information Systems                                       3 Semester Hours

Option 5: Any combination of Option 3 and Option 4 above that ensures coverage of all topics and hours identified in Option 3.

Option 6: Hold a licensed residential license for a minimum of five years with no record of any adverse final, and non-appealable disciplinary action affecting your legal eligibility to engage in appraisal practice within the five (5) years immediately preceding the date of application for a Certified Residential credential.

Experience: A minimum of 1,500 hours of qualifying experience in no fewer than 12 months

Examination: The AQB-approved Certified Residential Real Property Appraiser examination

Certified General:


Qualifying Education: 300 hours of qualifying education as specified below:

Upgrade:
Trainee Registration Holders: 217 hours of qualifying education as specified below:

  1. General Appraiser Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use         30 Hours
  2. Statistics, Modeling and Finance                                                       15 Hours
  3. General Appraiser Sales Comparison Approach                                30 Hours
  4. General Appraiser Site Valuation and Cost Approach                        30 Hours
  5. General Appraiser Income Approach                                                 60 Hours
  6. General Appraiser Report Writing and Case Studies                         30 Hours
  7. Appraisal Subject Matter Electives                                                    22 Hours

Licensed Residential Holders: 142 hours of qualifying education as specified below:

  1. General Appraiser Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use         15 Hour
  2. Statistics, Modeling and Finance                                                       15 Hour
  3. General Appraiser Sales Comparison Approach                                15 Hour
  4. General Appraiser Site Valuation and Cost Approach                        15 Hours
  5. General Appraiser Income Approach                                                 45 Hours
  6. General Appraiser Report Writing and Case Studies                         15 Hours
  7. Appraisal Subject Matter Electives                                                    22 Hours

Certified Residential Holders: 100 hours of qualifying education as specified below:

  1. General Appraiser Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use            15 Hours
  2. General Appraiser Sales Comparison Approach                                   15 Hours
  3. General Appraiser Site Valuation and Cost Approach                           15 Hours
  4. General Appraiser Income Approach                                                    45 Hours
  5. General Appraiser Report Writing and Case Studies                            10 Hours

Other Education: 8-Hour Valuation Bias Fair Housing Laws and Regulations Course taken on or after July 1, 2025.           

College Education: Bachelor’s degree or higher

Experience: A minimum of 3,000 hours of qualifying experience in no fewer than 18 months of which 1,500 hours is in non-residential appraisals

Examination: The AQB-approved Certified General Real Property Appraiser examination

 
 
 
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