Appraiser Trainee FAQs

A. If you do NOT have any real property appraisal experience, the Appraiser Trainee level is available. Your first step is to find a TALCB State Certified General or Certified Residential appraiser who will agree to sponsor you. You may have more than one sponsor.
(If you have real property appraisal experience, please refer to the types of acceptable experience to ensure that it meets the eligible criteria)

A. You may use the list of Texas Certified Appraisers available from our website to find appraisers eligible to sponsor trainees. Get the Texas Appraiser List here.

A. Prior to submitting your Application for Approval as an Appraiser Trainee and the required fee you must complete 75 hours of qualifying appraisal education. These must consist of 30 hours in Basic Appraisal Principles; 30 hours of Basic Appraisal Procedures; and 15 classroom hours of the National USPAP course (or equivalent). Appraiser Trainee courses must be completed no earlier than five years prior to the submission of the trainee application.

After completing your courses you must send the TALCB copies of your course completion documents along with the Application for Approval as an Appraiser Trainee and the required fee. Retain the original documents for your personal files. The documents that are submitted with the application will not be returned to the applicant.

A. The TALCB does not have any jurisdiction regarding any financial compensation that you and your sponsor agree to, whether it is a set salary, commission, etc....

A. NO, the trainee is able to start working as an appraiser trainee only AFTER the TALCB has issued the authorization on its computer system. Once you have submitted your appropriately completed Application for Approval as an Appraiser Trainee and required fee, it will take the TALCB approximately 10-15 business days to process and issue an appraiser trainee authorization. Once issued, the authorization will be emailed to you and to the Office Location of record of your sponsor.

A. The TALCB will select the FIRST sponsor listed on the application and will use that appraisers email address to send ALL correspondence regarding your appraiser trainee authorization.

A. You are limited to the sponsoring appraisers' scope of practice. (See the Summary of Requirements - Authorized Tasks)

A. The certified sponsor must "actively, personally, and diligently supervise an appraiser trainee under his or her sponsorship" and shall sign the appraisal reports. The sponsor is responsible to the Board and to the public for the appraiser trainee's conduct.

A. The appraiser trainee is required to keep an Appraisal Experience Log during the period that they are an appraiser trainee and are required to submit a copy with each renewal.

A. The TALCB may only grant appraisal experience that meets the criteria listed below:
§153.15.(e)(1)thru(6). Experience Required for Certification or Licensing.

(e) Experience credit shall be awarded by the board in accordance with current criteria established by the Appraiser Qualifications Board and in accordance with the provisions of the Act specifically relating to experience requirements. An hour of experience means 60 minutes expended in one or more of the acceptable appraisal experience areas. Calculation of the hours of experience must be based solely on actual hours of experience. Any one or any combination of the following categories may be acceptable for satisfying the applicable experience requirement. Experience credit may be awarded for:

(1) Fee or staff appraisal when it is performed in accordance with Standards 1 and 2 and other provisions of the USPAP in effect at the time of the appraisal.

(2) Ad valorem tax appraisal which:
(A) conforms to USPAP Standard 6; and
(B) demonstrates proficiency in appraisal principles, techniques, or skills used by appraisers practicing under USPAP Standard 1.

(3) Condemnation appraisal.

(4) Technical review appraisal to the extent that it demonstrates proficiency in appraisal principles, techniques, or skills used by appraisers practicing under USPAP Standard 1.

(5) Appraisal analysis. A market analysis typically performed by a real estate broker or salesman may be awarded experience credit when the analysis is prepared in conformity with USPAP Standards 1 and 2.

(6) Real property appraisal consulting services, including market analysis, cash flow and/or investment analysis, highest and best use analysis, and feasibility analysis when it demonstrates proficiency in appraisal principles, techniques, or skills used by appraisers practicing under USPAP Standard 1 and performed in accordance with USPAP Standards 4 and 5.

(7) Experience credit may NOT be awarded for teaching appraisal courses.

An applicant may be granted experience credit only for real property appraisals which were performed by the applicant at a time when that person had the legal authority to do real property appraisals.

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