Our Mission

Frequently Asked Questions
of the
Appraisal Subcommittee (“ASC”)

FHA Roster Applications

How do I apply for the FHA appraiser roster?

FHA Application Process:  As part of its application and renewal process, HUD/FHA relies on the National Registry, which is a database we, the ASC, maintain. But HUD is another Federal agency. The ASC staff does not participate in the processing of applications or renewals for the FHA Appraiser Roster. Any questions about your FHA application or renewal must be directed to HUD. We understand that appraisers may call 202-402-2041 to reach a HUD representative that may provide information on how to proceed in this regard. We also suggest you consult the HUD Web site, http://http://www.hud.gov/groups/appraisers.cfm.

Because HUD staff, in part, relies on our database, the National Registry, while on our site (www.asc.gov), we suggest you use the National Registry tab to ensure your credential information is correct. You do not need a user name and password. Simply select the National Registry tab and select one of the query features to ensure your new or renewed credential information appears. You may use the standard or custom query features. The standard queries are self explanatory. If you select the custom query feature, scroll to the appropriate licensing State, type in the appraiser's last name and first name, and then go to bottom and click check all and submit. The appraiser's status will be listed as either "active" or "inactive" in the status column. Individuals with a trainee level credential (such as a State registered or associate appraiser) will not appear on the National Registry, and, therefore, are not eligible for FHA appraiser approval. This is because the trainee level is not federally recognized.

Inactive credentials are listed because the National Registry is intentionally intended to also serve as an historical reference to every credential an appraiser currently holds or has ever held. Changes in license type (i.e., upgrades) and/or changes in license numbering formats are frequent triggers for why multiple licenses appear. Previously held licenses or certificates or old credential numbers will appear as “inactive.”

Wrong Expiration Date:  The National Registry data updates are not performed “in real time.” Federal law and ASC Policy require each State to provide submissions at least monthly. It, therefore, may take up to 30-35 days for information pertaining to an appraiser’s new license or certificate to appear on our Web site. In recognition of the fact that updates are not performed “in real time” the status for all existing appraisers will remain “active” for 30 days past the expiration date, and then converts to “inactive” after that time. The National Registry system updates at midnight each day to reflect new data received. You may continue to monitor the status on our Web site (www.asc.gov) by searching for the name under the National Registry tab and using one of the query features.

You may not expedite the process by providing information directly to us. In order to protect the integrity of the National Registry, we must receive the updated information on credentials issued directly from the States as a part of their data submission.

IF YOU RECEIVE AN ERROR MESSAGE FROM FHA:  We understand that, on occasion, differences in the information provided to us by the States (such as Florida) for inclusion on the National Registry is not the same as that provided on the State issued license or certificate. In order to register for the FHA Appraiser Roster, you must find your name on the National Registry and make sure your name, license number and other information is entered in the FHA application EXACTLY as it appears on the National Registry.

Missing, Inactive or Incorrect Registry Entry

Why is my new or renewed my State License, State Certified Residential or State Certified General credential not appearing on the National Registry?

The National Registry data updates are not performed “in real time.” Federal law and ASC Policy require each State to provide submissions at least monthly. It, therefore, may take up to 30-35 days for information pertaining to your new license or certificate to appear on our Web site. In recognition of the fact that updates are not performed “in real time” the status for all existing appraisers will remain “active” for 30 days past the expiration date, and then converts to “inactive” after that time. The National Registry system updates at midnight each day to reflect new data received. You may continue to monitor the status on our Web site (www.asc.gov) by searching for the name under the National Registry tab and using one of the query features.

You may not expedite the process by providing information directly to us. In order to protect the integrity of the National Registry, we must receive the updated information directly from the States in their data submission.

How do I correct incorrect information in my record on the National Registry?

Any changes to your National Registry information, such as a change in your address, phone number, etc, must be made through your State appraiser regulatory agency. In order to protect the integrity of the National Registry, we must receive all information directly from the States in the form of a data submission. We cannot independently make changes to individual records. You may use the “State Appraiser Regulatory Agencies” tab on our Web site (www.asc.gov) to link to your specific State’s site for contact information.

It may take up to 30-35 days for the change to appear on our Web site. You may monitor your status on our Web site (www.asc.gov) by searching for your name under the National Registry tab and using one of the query features.

How do I get my name on the National Registry?

The National Registry is a database consisting of all State Licensed, State Certified Residential and State Certified General Appraisers. The information on these individuals is received by us directly from the State that issued the credential and is provided to us, at least monthly.

I looked up my name and there are two references, one is active and one is inactive, might this be an issue for my clients?

Inactive credentials are listed because the National Registry is intentionally intended to also serve as an historical reference to every credential an appraiser holds or has ever held.

Unless the inactive status is also accompanied by a reference to a revocation, suspension or voluntary surrender under the disciplinary action column, then the status is not due to a disciplinary action. Inactive credentials are noted when an appraiser either: (1) fails to renew a license; (2) changes license type and inactivates the old license held; or (3) returns to the profession after allowing a previous license to lapse. Some inactive credentials appear as such because a State has changed it license numbering system at some point in time.

Expired or previously held licenses or certificates will appear as “inactive.” Users of appraisers should focus on determining whether or not the appraiser currently holds an active credential from the State in which appraisal services are needed.

I am an Appraiser trainee, why do I not see my name on the National Registry?

Only State licensed, certified residential and certified general appraisers are listed on the National Registry. Individuals with a trainee level credential (such as a State registered or associate appraiser) will not appear on the National Registry. This is because the trainee level is not federally recognized, because they are not able to independently appraise property for federally related transactions.

Why is there a different expiration date on the National Registry from the one the license or certificate I was issued?

Some States issue multiple year credentials, but appraisers must pay annually. For example, Oklahoma provides such an option. In that instance, the National Registry only reflects the period for which payment has been received. Despite holding a multiple year credential, if payment is made annually, the expiration dates on the National Registry will only show the current year’s payment.

I hold a license or certificate in multiple States but only one appears, when searching the National Registry, why?

Most likely all of your licenses or certificates appear on the National Registry. Double click on your name in blue and the system should retrieve any other licenses and certifications you hold or have ever held nationwide.

Why doesn’t my name appear when searching for appraisers within my county or city?

The county field is not required and some States only populate those fields if specifically requested to do so, by the appraiser. With that said, most States provide the city information and if a search under the standard query is performed by city alone (leaving county blank), most records of appraisers within that city will appear.

We suggest you contact your State Appraiser Regulatory Agency and request the county information be added to your record. Each State provides information to us at least monthly, so it may take up to 30-35 days to appear on our site.

AQB Compliant or Meets AQB Column

What does AQB Compliant mean?

The term AQB compliant is frequently mistaken for AQB complaint. The intent of this column is not to identify a disciplinary matter. A “yes” in the column means the appraiser met the Appraiser Qualifications Board’s Real Property Appraiser Qualifications criteria ("AQB criteria") on education, experience, and examination, when obtaining and/or maintaining the credential. A “no” in the column typically means the appraiser was not required to demonstrate the hours of experience set forth in the AQB criteria for the credential level. It, however, may also mean the appraiser failed to demonstrate the hours of education or continuing education set forth in AQB criteria.

All appraisers with a status identified as "active" on the National Registry are eligible to perform appraisals in connection with Federal related transactions, within their allowed scope of practice. Certain users of appraisal services, however, may elect not to use individuals who have a “no” in the AQB compliance column because these individuals have not demonstrated to the State possession of the AQB minimums in every respect. The purpose of the AQB compliance column on our Web site is to aid those users in identifying these individuals.

To achieve AQB compliance appraisers may be able to submit the information in the deficient area(s) sufficient to demonstrate they now meet AQB criteria. Appraisers wishing to have their “no” changed to “yes” must contact their State appraiser regulatory agency to obtain the appropriate application procedure. They may use our Web site (www.asc.gov) via the “State Appraiser Regulatory Agencies” tab to link to the specific State’s site for more information.

The Real Property Appraiser Qualifications criteria as promulgated by the Appraiser Qualifications Board of the Appraisal Foundation may be viewed in its entirety on www.Appraisalfoundation.org.

Using the National Registry and Generating Mailing Lists

How do I find my name or verify an appraiser’s credential?

On our Web site, www.asc.gov, click on the National Registry tab. You may use the standard or custom query features. The standard queries are self explanatory. If you select the custom query feature, scroll to the appropriate licensing state, type in the appraiser's last name and first name, and then go to bottom and click check all and submit. You may always click on the name in blue and it will link to all other credentials the appraiser holds or has ever held.

Please note, the National Registry updates are not in real time. The States are required to provide submission at least monthly. Consequently, there may be as much as a 30-35 day lag time between when a credential is issued or renewed and when it actually appears on the National Registry.

How do I get a User Name and Password for access all National Registry information?

Only State appraiser regulatory officials may be assigned a user name and password. Everything, except sanctions that currently do not affect an appraiser's ability to practice, is publicly available.

Only State appraiser regulatory officials may have access to information regarding sanctions imposed that do not affect an appraiser’s ability to practice. This is primarily because the States differ as to whether sanctions of this nature are publicly available. In addition, these actions (such as requiring additional education or the payment of a fine) are deemed to be corrective, not punitive. The individual State Web sites may provide more information on corrective sanctions taken against appraisers. You may use the “State Appraiser Regulatory Agencies” tab on our Web site (www.asc.gov) to link to your specific State’s site for contact information.

How do I use the National Registry to contact all appraisers or all appraisers in a specific State?

You may download a complete listing of all appraisers or establish a listing based on particular specifications using our National Registry. It may be accessed via our Web site (www.asc.gov). Select Standard Query #8 to download a complete list.

To control the results returned, click on National Registry tab and then select the custom query feature. Use the listing provided to establish your desired search criteria as indicated with a check mark. Select “Active” under status to limit the search to only currently active appraisers. Leave as many fields as possible blank to return a larger listing of appraisers. Leave the licensing State blank, if you want all States. Scroll down to the bottom and hit "check all" and then submit. You may convert the result to Excel or one of the other formats identified to establish your mailing list.

We do not collect email addresses and the company name, phone number, and county code are not required fields and, as such, are not provided by the States for all appraisers.

How many appraisers are there in a particular State or in the United States?

You may find the number of active appraisers as of today via our Web site, www.asc.gov. Click on the National Registry heading and then the "Active Appraisers" tab. It will provide the number of appraisers by license type within each State. Please note, the number of appraisers on the National Registry changes daily.

Becoming an Appraiser

How do I become an appraiser?

As you would with any other career consideration, we suggest you thoroughly research what is required to become a professional appraiser. We recommend you begin by familiarizing yourself with the laws and regulations of your State. You may use a link from our Web site (www.asc.gov) to begin this process. Click on the “State appraiser regulatory agencies” tab, then “state sites,” and scroll down to the appropriate State.

I want to become an appraiser and have begun or completed the necessary education. How do I find an appraiser to work with me in order to obtain the necessary experience?

Because you have begun your appraisal education, you should know that, to become a State licensed, Certified Residential or Certified General appraiser, requires a specific amount of education and experience along with the successfully completion of a comprehensive State administered examination.

It is not within the Appraisal Subcommittee’s legislative authority to regulate individual appraisers and/or to establish educational or mentoring options. A few State appraiser regulatory agencies have established trainee programs with specific experience opportunities. You may check to see if you are in a State that offers this type of service via a link to the State on our Web site (www.asc.gov). Click on the “State appraiser regulatory agencies” tab. Click on the “state sites” tab and then scroll down to the appropriate State.

To earn experience frequently requires you to align with an appraiser professional as a trainee or apprentice. This will require legwork on your part. We suggest that you consult the yellow pages, and membership rosters of various professional appraiser organizations to identify appraisers in your area with whom you may interview. In addition, some of the national appraiser professional organizations sponsor mentoring programs or offers courses with experience earning components.

Appraiser Classifications and Temporary Practice

What are the different types of appraisers and what type of work may each perform?

There are three federally recognized appraiser classifications, State Licensed, State Certified Residential and State Certified General. The difference is the examination and the number of hours of education and experience required to obtain the credentials, in addition to the scope of practice permitted for each once the credential is obtained.

The basic outline for these classifications is detailed in the publication entitled Real Property Appraiser Criteria (Criteria) as promulgated by the Appraiser Qualifications Board of the Appraisal Foundation may be viewed in its entirety on www.Appraisalfoundation.org.

Each State and Territory, in its laws and regulations, further define requirements for the various categories and permitted practices. For the certified levels, the requirements must at least meet, but may be more restrictive than that set forth in the Criteria. The actual State established requirements for the State License level and the other classification noted, Trainee, may differ from that recommended in the criteria.

I hold a State license or certificate, do I need to obtain a temporary practice permit to perform one assignment in another State?

The short answer is that it depends on the law for the state in which you expect to conduct business.

Our jurisdiction, in this regard is very narrow. Title XI requires States to extend temporary practice to out-of-State appraisers for the performance of appraisal assignments conducted in conjunction with federally related transactions. Federally related transactions ("FRT") are typically loans being made by lending institutions that are regulated by one of the five banking agencies (FRB, FDIC, OCC, OTS, or NCUA)having a transaction value (loan amount) of $250,000 or more. For our purposes, the definition of appraisal is the same as that in the USPAP, meaning that it is the act or process of developing an opinion of value. We believe appraisers may perform desk appraisals or appraisal reviews within their scope from their offices without obtaining a temporary practice permit. However, if the appraisers travel to the other State and visit the property or comparable properties, then a temporary practice permit is required. See ASC Policy Statement 5 under the “State Rules and Policies” tab on our Web site.

With that said, most States laws and regulations include a broader definition of appraisal and the types of activities requiring licensure or certification. For example, the majority of the States are what is commonly referred to as mandatory. This means any type of appraisal activity requires a State issued credential. Some of these States limit the extension of Temporary Practice permits to out-of – State appraisers performing FRTs. Any other activities would require permanent licensure or certification by the State obtained either via reciprocity or the full application process.

You should consult each State within which you wish to conduct business, to determine if temporary practice or a permanent credential is needed. To be as helpful as possible, you may access the various State appraiser regulatory programs via our Web site (www.asc.gov). Select the "State appraiser regulatory agencies" tab and then "State sites."