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Real Estate Appraiser
Governing Authority
Real Estate Appraiser Board, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR)
Official website →Some details on this page are not yet confirmed against an official source. See sources below or contact the licensing board to verify.
79 hrs
TRAINEE ED.
150 hrs
LICENSED RES. ED.
2,500 hrs
CERT. RES. EXP.
3,000 hrs
CERT. GEN. EXP.
Real estate appraiser licensing follows a tiered path. Each level builds on the previous one with additional education and experience.
Scope: May assist on any appraisal the supervising certified appraiser is permitted to perform. Cannot independently sign appraisal reports.
Degree: No college-level education required
Scope: Non-complex 1-4 unit residential properties with transaction value less than $1,000,000 and complex 1-4 unit residential properties with transaction value less than $250,000
Degree: Associate degree or equivalent
Scope: 1-4 unit residential properties without regard to value or complexity
Degree: Bachelor's degree or higher
Scope: All types of real property without restriction on value or complexity, including commercial, industrial, agricultural, and all other property types
Complete 30 semester hours of college-level education
Complete 79+ hours of qualifying education (trainee level)
Apply for Appraiser Trainee registration with DPOR
Gain required experience hours under a certified supervising appraiser
Complete additional qualifying education for desired credential level
Pass the AQB-approved national examination
Submit license application with fees and supporting documentation
Receive license and register with ASC National Registry
Minimum Age
18 years old
Background Check
Background check required for all applicants.
Fingerprinting
Required
USPAP Requirement
15-Hour National USPAP Course required as part of qualifying education for all credential levels
Not sure if you need a appraiser license? Check whether your state requires one.
Registered with the Virginia Real Estate Appraiser Board
79 hours required through 12/31/2025. Starting January 1, 2026, 87 hours required (adds 8-hour Valuation Bias & Fair Housing Laws & Regulations course). Virginia requires 30 semester hours of college-level education even for the trainee level.
Online courses: Allowed
No experience required as a prerequisite for the Trainee Appraiser classification
No exam required at this level
Trainee must work under the direct supervision of a state-certified appraiser who has been certified for at least 3 years. Supervisor and trainee must complete the Virginia Supervisor/Trainee Course together. The Supervisor/Trainee Course can be claimed for CE credit only ONE TIME per licensee (subsequent re-completions cannot be applied to CE).
Max trainees per supervisor: 3
Must be a state-certified appraiser in good standing for at least 3 years
30 semester hours of college-level education
Virginia uniquely requires 30 semester hours of college-level education even at the trainee level, which exceeds AQB minimums
May assist on any appraisal the supervising certified appraiser is permitted to perform. Cannot independently sign appraisal reports.
Online courses: Allowed
1,000 hours of acceptable appraisal experience in not less than 6 months
Exam: AQB National Uniform Licensed Residential Real Property Appraiser Examination
Provider: PSI or Pearson VUE
Passing score: Scaled score of 75 (125 total questions, 110 scored)
Questions: 125
Fee: $100
No college-level education required
No college degree required for Licensed Residential level beyond the 30 semester hours required at the trainee level
Non-complex 1-4 unit residential properties with transaction value less than $1,000,000 and complex 1-4 unit residential properties with transaction value less than $250,000
Online courses: Allowed
2,500 hours of experience obtained during no fewer than 24 months. Virginia exceeds AQB minimum of 1,500 hours over 12 months.
Exam: AQB National Uniform Certified Residential Real Property Appraiser Examination
Provider: PSI or Pearson VUE
Passing score: Scaled score of 75 (125 total questions, 110 scored)
Questions: 125
Fee: $100
Associate degree or equivalent
Must satisfy college education requirement: Bachelor's degree, Associate's degree in specified fields, 30 semester hours in approved topics, CLEP exams, or combination thereof
1-4 unit residential properties without regard to value or complexity
Online courses: Allowed
1,500 hours must be in non-residential appraisal work
3,000 hours of appraisal experience in no fewer than 18 months, with at least 1,500 hours in non-residential appraisal work. Must submit two commercial property narrative appraisals demonstrating use of the income approach.
Exam: AQB National Uniform Certified General Real Property Appraiser Examination
Provider: PSI or Pearson VUE
Passing score: Scaled score of 75 (125 total questions, 110 scored)
Questions: 125
Fee: $100
Bachelor's degree or higher
Must hold a Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in any field of study
All types of real property without restriction on value or complexity, including commercial, industrial, agricultural, and all other property types
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| Tier | Application | Exam | Background | Registry |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Trainee | $117.50 | — | — | — |
| Licensed Residential | $252.50 | $100 | — | $80 |
| Certified Residential | $252.50 | $100 | — | $80 |
| Certified General | $252.50 | $100 | — | $80 |
The National Registry fee ($40/year) is paid to the federal Appraisal Subcommittee (ASC) and applies to all appraisers performing federally-related transactions.
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CE Hours Per Cycle
28 hours
(AQB minimum: 28 hrs)
Renewal Cycle
2 years
USPAP Update
7-Hour USPAP Update required each cycle
Renewal Fee
Varies
Renewal fee information available at DPOR — see 18VAC130-20-130. VERIFY: requires confirmation against DPOR fee schedule (no external URL fetch available in this audit pass).
28 hours every 24 months including 7-hour USPAP Update Course. Also requires Virginia's existing 2 hours of Fair Housing/Appraisal Bias CE (separate from and in addition to the new federal AQB 2026 Valuation Bias course). Up to 50% of CE may be satisfied through teaching, program development, or textbook authorship. The Supervisor/Trainee Course may be claimed for CE only one time per licensee.
Compare top-rated appraiser education providers in Virginia.
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Virginia accepts reciprocal applications from appraisers licensed in other states through DPOR.
Temporary practice: Confirmed — Temporary License Application form is available on the DPOR board page.
Moving to another state? Use our Transfer Tool to see what you need →
Compare Virginia with other states →
See how requirements, costs, and timelines differ across all 50 states.
Important: Federal Requirement for Appraisers
All licensed and certified appraisers must be listed on the ASC National Registry to perform federally related transactions
Real Estate Appraiser Schools in Virginia
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Unique to Virginia
Virginia requires 30 semester hours of college-level education even at the trainee level, and significantly exceeds AQB experience minimums for Certified Residential (2,500 hours over 24 months vs AQB's 1,500 hours over 12 months). Certified General applicants must submit two commercial narrative appraisals demonstrating the income approach.
Study guides for the real estate appraiser licensing exam.
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Official Sources
RE Appraiser requirements in Virginia verified against Real Estate Appraiser Board, Virginia Department of Professional and Occupational Regulation (DPOR), April 2026.
All data verified as of 2026-04-30. Sources consulted:
See full CE requirements in Virginia.
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