Tennessee 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 Tennessee Appraiser Qualifying Education coursework, the building blocks of your appraisal knowledge. The best way to complete those hours successfully? By getting your trainee license, the official recommendation of The Appraisal Foundation. Though your state may not require this license level, earning it will help you stand out to future employers, and prepare you for the jobs that require it!
Purchase your required TN trainee courses »
Quick Overview
Below is a list of the steps recommended to become a Licensed Appraiser in Tennessee.
- Obtain Your Tennessee Registered Trainee License
- Complete Your Appraiser Education
- Conduct Appraisal Work Experience
- Pass the National Uniform Licensing & Certification Examination
- Submit Your Application for a State Licensed Appraiser license in Tennessee
We’ll go into more detail about these steps below.
How to Become a State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser in Tennessee
Now let's take a more in-depth look at the steps recommended to really start your appraisal career as a licensed appraiser. To become a state licensed real estate appraiser in Tennessee, you need to file an upgrade application with the Tennessee Real Estate Appraiser Commission and meet the minimum requirements set forth by the AQB. Here’s how to get started.
1. Obtain Your Tennessee Registered Trainee License
NOTE: Your state may accept PAREA or Practicum as an alternative to Trainee license with Trainee/Supervisory model.
Qualifying Education. Before you can become a state licensed real estate appraiser in Tennessee, the best way to start is to get your Registered Trainee license. In order to obtain your trainee license, you need to complete 79 total hours of Tennessee Appraiser Qualifying Education, broken up as follows:
- 30 hours of appraisal principles
- 30 hours of appraisal procedures
- 15 hours of Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP)
You’ll also need to complete a 4-hour Appraiser Trainee/Supervisory Appraiser (depending on what the state calls it) Course. Before signing up for this course, you need to find a supervisory appraiser who will act as your mentor through completion of your experience hours (Step 3).
You must complete all qualifying education prior to the date of submission of a trainee application.
Background Check. In order to apply for your license in Tennessee, you must submit a background check with fingerprints through Identogo. Once you are on their page, select Digital Fingerprinting, and schedule a new appointment. If you are unsure of your service code, select the Department of Commerce and Insurance, and then the applicant type as Real Estate Appraiser Commission. The site will walk you through scheduling. A background check with fingerprinting typically costs $39.15.
Once you’ve met the above requirements, you will need to apply with the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance for your Registered Trainee license, which requires a $125 fee.
Purchase your required TN trainee courses »2. Complete Your Real Estate Appraiser Education
After getting your Registered Trainee license, it’s time for the next step toward becoming a State Licensed Appraiser in Tennessee: 75 additional hours of real estate appraiser education. Tennessee follows course requirements set by the Appraisal Foundation. The Foundation has a thorough guide on these courses for more information.
3. Conduct 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 six months.
This means that you must take no less than six months to complete your 1,000 hours of appraisal experience. To put things in perspective, if a trainee works 40 hours per workweek, they will complete their training in a little over six months. If, however, they put in any fewer than 40 hours per week, it would take longer. Here’s a helpful table to give you an overview of the timeframes you’d be looking at:
*This must all be completed under the supervision of a Certified Appraiser—either Residential or GeneralNumber of Hours Per Week Total Time to Complete 1000 hours 40 Hours 6 Months 30 Hours 8 Months 20 Hours 13 Months 10 Hours 2 Years If the application is accepted, you’ll be sent instructions on how to take the National Uniform Licensing and Certification Examination—the final step before you can apply for your license.
Before moving on to the next step, take a final look through Tennessee’s application requirements for a State Licensed Appraiser to ensure you’ve met them all.
4. Submit Your Application for a Tennessee State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser License
Now that you've completed your education and logged your experience, it’s time to apply for your license. Generally, candidates can expect the entire application process to take one to two weeks. Factors that affect the processing time are the completeness of the application when filed and the number and nature of any character issues or questions with respect to fitness for licensure.
The first step to filling out your application is to create an account on the online portal. Here’s a helpful video to get you started on CORE, the portal site. This YouTube channel is run by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance and has videos to guide you through the application process and more.
When you first apply for your license, you’ll need to pay a $405 licensing fee. Then, once you pass the National Exam (the next and final step!), you’ll be asked to pay the $80 National Registry Fee.
5. Pass the National Uniform Licensing & Certification Examination
After the Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance receives your application and determines it’s complete, you’ll be directed to take the National Uniform Licensing & Certification Exam.
At this point, it’s up to you to schedule your test through PSI Examination Services (PSI), the examination provider for Tennessee. There is a $125 exam fee. For more information, please refer to the Candidate Information Bulletin. Here are a few pieces of information about the exam to help you prepare:
- The exam is four to six hours long. Both the Licensed Appraiser Examination and the Certified Residential Examination take four hours to complete, and the Certified General Examination takes 6 hours to complete.
- There are 125 questions on the test. The National Uniform Licensing and Certification 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 National Uniform Licensing and Certification exam range between 0 and 110 points. Each question carries an equal weight of 1 point. In order to pass, you must earn a minimum of 75 points.
- You can take the test more than once. In Tennessee, you’re allowed to take the test up to four times.
You get four attempts to pass the exam, and you have to pass the exam within 12 months of your exam approval date; after that, you are required to submit a new application.
Frequently Asked Questions About How to Become a Certified Residential Appraiser in Tennessee
What is the Average Real Estate Appraiser Salary in Tennessee?
How Much Does It Cost to Get a Real Estate Appraiser License in Tennessee?
How Long Does It Take to Get a Tennessee State Licensed Appraiser License?
If I Have an Out-of-State Appraiser License, Can I Appraise Real Estate in Tennessee?
Appraiser License Types in Tennessee
It’s important to understand how the state classifies real estate appraisers across four separate categories, each with their own qualifications for licensure:
- Registered Trainee Appraiser
- State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser
- State Certified Residential Appraiser
- State Certified General Appraiser
After receiving your Registered Trainee Appraiser license, you can “upgrade” to any of the subsequent license levels. Today, we’ll be focusing on how to get to your Licensed Residential Appraiser license.
If you've already completed appraiser education or are licensed in another state, visit the Tennessee Real Estate Appraiser Commission for more detailed information.
Before you begin your appraisal career, check here to see if you are eligible in the state of Tennessee:
| Appraiser Eligibility Highlights |
|---|
| Hold high school diploma or certificate of equivalency |
| Proof of U.S. Citizenship, U.S. National Status, or Alien Status (pp. 2-4) |
| Pass a Background Check and other criminal history requirements (pp. 5) |
Registered Trainee Appraiser
Tennessee, like most states, requires a pilot program for potential appraisers to begin their path toward becoming fully licensed. Known as a registered trainee, this first level of licensure is recommended before you can start appraising real estate on your own.
| Qualifying Education Hours Required | Required Experience Hours Working Under a Certified Appraiser | College Degree Requirement | Exam Requirement | Background Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 75 hours of qualifying appraisal education 4 hours of a Trainee/Supervisor Appraiser course | None required, though you will need to associate with a Supervisory Appraiser before receiving your trainee license. (You’ll work under your Supervisory Appraiser to earn experience hours after 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 federally related transactions with:
- Non-complex one-to-four-unit residential properties (transaction value < $1,000,000)
- Complex one-to-four-unit residential properties AND commercial properties (transaction value < $250,000)
| Qualifying Education Hours Required | Required Experience Hours Working Under a Certified Appraiser | College Degree Requirement | Exam Requirement | Background Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 150 hours total (only 75 hours are required to upgrade after receiving your Appraiser Trainee license) | 1,000 hours in no less than six months | Not required | Must pass exam National Uniform Licensing Examination for Licensed Residential Appraisers | Required |
State Certified Residential Appraiser
State certified residential appraisers may provide appraisal services in federally related transactions with:
- One-to-four-unit residential properties without regard to value or complexity
- Commercial properties (transaction value < $250,000)
| Qualifying Education Hours Required | Required Experience Hours Working Under a Certified Appraiser | College Degree Requirement | Exam Requirement | Background Check |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 200 hours total (only 125 hours are required to upgrade after receiving your Appraiser Trainee license) | 1,500 hours in no less than 12 months | A completed or partially completed college education is required in most cases. See the AQB’s Appraiser Qualification Criteria for six options. | 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. They can provide appraisal services in federally related transactions 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 300 hours total (only 225 hours are required to upgrade after receiving your Appraiser Trainee license) | 3,000 hours in no less than 18 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 |
Tennessee Real Estate Appraiser Continuing Education Requirements
To maintain your appraiser license in Tennessee, you must regularly keep up with the following AQB-approved coursework:
- The 7-Hour National USPAP Update Course, or its AQB-approved equivalent, must be completed every two calendar years.
- 28 hours of CE is required to be completed within your renewal window. Please note:
- You can renew your license at least 30 days prior to expiration and before the first of the month of your expiration.
- You may renew your credential up to one hundred twenty (120) days prior to expiration.
- Note: A course may only be taken for continuing education credit once every five (5) years. This includes courses with substantially similar subject matter, whether the course has the same name or not. The only course excluded from this rule is the USPAP Update Course.
Tennessee has a few of their own rules regarding Continuing Education (CE) requirements. First, it’s nice to know that in Tennessee, current license holders can use qualifying education courses for their CE requirements. If CE is taken this way, taking the exam for these qualifying education classes is not necessary. Another bonus is you can complete all of your CE online.
Renewing your appraiser license in Tennessee will cost you $405 and doesn’t include the National Registry Fee ($80) each time you renew.
For additional information regarding Continuing Education for appraiser in Tennessee, please refer to Tennessee’s Dept. Of Commerce & Insurance FAQ page.
