Texas Appraiser
Licensing Requirements

Everything You Need to Know to Meet the Texas Appraiser License Requirements!

Champions School of Real Estate® is here to guide you on your path to a Texas Real Estate Appraiser license! Below are the six steps you will need to complete in order to earn your license and start your new career. If you have any additional questions, please contact a Career Counselor at your nearest campus.

Basic Requirements to Apply for a Texas Appraiser License

  • Citizen of the United States or lawfully admitted alien
  • 18 years of age or older
  • Meet TALCB's qualifications for honesty, trustworthiness, and integrity (TALCB recommends submitting an optional 'Fitness Determination' form)

License Types

  • Appraiser Trainee (Not licensed but obtains approval from TALCB to train under a supervising appraiser who is certified)
  • Licensed Residential Appraiser (Licensed as a residential appraiser but not certified)
  • Certified Residential Appraiser (Certified to appraise residential)
  • Certified General Appraiser (Certified to appraise residential and non-residential properties)

Already enrolled for an Online Appraisal Course?

Champions School of Real Estate has partnered with McKissock, a 3rd-party online education provider, to host all of our online Appraisal courses. Click the button below to access the online portal and take your courses.

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Icon - Appraisal Step 1

Step 1: Take the Required Courses at Champions School of Real Estate®

An Appraiser Trainee is someone who is authorized by the TALCB to gain appraisal experience while working under the supervision of a Certified General or Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser. Once this first step is completed, one can work towards becoming a Licensed Residential Appraiser or Certified Residential Appraiser.

Appraiser Trainee Program (79-Hours):

Courses must be completed before submitting application for approval as an Appraiser Trainee to TALCB.

  • Appraisal 1 (30-Hours AQE) - Basic Appraisal Principles
  • Appraisal 2 (30-Hours AQE) - Basic Appraisal Procedures
  • 15-Hour National USPAP or Equivalent (15-Hours AQE) - Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice - This course must be completed within 24 months of filing your TALCB application. Students must pass with a 74%; re-takes are allowed and can be taken at any campus.
  • Texas Appraising for the Supervisor and Trainee (4-Hours AQE)

Licensed Residential Appraiser Program (154-Hours):

In addition to the hours needed for the Appraisal Trainee Program, an additional 75-hours are needed to become a Licensed Residential Appraiser.

  • Appraisal 3 (15-Hours AQE) - Residential Market Analysis and Highest and Best Use
  • Appraisal 4 (15-Hours AQE) - Residential Site Valuation and Cost Approach
  • Appraisal 5 (30-Hours AQE) - Residential Sales Comparison and Income Approaches
  • Appraisal 7 (15-Hours AQE) - Residential Report Writing and Case Studies

Provide 1,000 hours of acceptable and verifiable appraisal experience acquired over a minimum of 6 months. Courses can be completed during 1000-hour experience accrual.

Certified Residential Appraiser Program (204-Hours):

In addition to the hours needed for the Licensed Appraisal Program, an additional 50-hours and one of six college-level education requirements set by the AQB are needed to become a Certified Residential Appraiser.

  • Advanced Residential Applications and Case Studies (15-Hours AQE)
  • Statistics, Modeling, and Finance (15-Hours AQE)
  • Specialized Residential Appraisal Topics (20-Hours AQE)

Provide 1,500 hours of acceptable and verifiable appraisal experience acquired over a minimum of 12 months (1 year). Courses can be completed during 1500-hour experience accrual.

Estimated Time:
3 - 6 Months
Estimated Cost:
$950 - $2500
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Step 2: Submit 79-Hours of Education and Application for Appraiser Trainee to TALCB

Once you have completed your courses with Champions School of Real Estate, gather your course completion certificates and go to www.talcb.texas.gov, click on "Appraiser Trainee" in the "Become Licensed" dropdown menu at the top of the page.

  • Under "File Your Application," click "Register Now."
  • On the login screen, under "New User," click "Begin Here for Sign-Up."
  • Fill out all the required information to set up your account and follow the instructions. Once an account is created, you will apply for a new license. The application fee for an Appraiser Trainee license is $255.
  • Get Your Fingerprints Taken and Pass Your Background Check
  • An Appraiser trainee applicant must have a certified appraiser to act as a supervisor. The application must be completed and signed by the appraiser trainee applicant AND by each supervising certified appraiser.
  • While a trainee is not limited to a specific number of supervisors, a supervisor may not supervise more than three trainees at one time
  • You are required by law to have fingerprints on file with the Texas Department of Public Safety (DPS) so a background check can be performed. If you have previously submitted fingerprints for a TALCB or TREC license, no additional fingerprints are required. Fingerprints on file for other agencies will not be accepted.
Estimated Time:
8 - 10 Days
Estimated Cost:
$255
Read More
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Step 3: Complete Required Experience Hours Needed to Earn a Licensed Residential OR Certified Residential License

The TALCB requires that you legally complete 1,000 hours of experience supported by written reports prior to becoming a Licensed Residential Appraiser. This generally equates to 250-300 residential appraisals. You must be supervised by a Certified Residential or Certified General Appraiser.

If working towards becoming a Certified Residential Appraisal the TALCB requires that you legally complete 1,500 hours of experience over a minimum of 12 months (1 year). You must be supervised by a Certified Residential or Certified General Appraiser.

*Educational courses for the license can be completed during appraisal experience hour accrual.

Estimated Time:
At leat 6 Months
Estimated Cost:
N/A
Ready to Start?
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Step 4: Submit your Licensed Residential Appraiser Application to TALCB

Submit completed application, experience log, signed affidavit, and a $350 application fee to the TALCB. Note: You must be at least 18 years of age and a citizen of the United States (or lawfully admitted alien) to file an application. Applications are located at www.talcb.texas.gov.

Estimated Time:
8 - 10 Days
Estimated Cost:
$350 - $390
Ready to Start?
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Icon - Appraisal Step 5

Step 5: Take the Exam Prep class at Champions Appraisal School®

Once you have submitted your application to TALCB, it can take them as long as four weeks to review your application and education. During this review period, we highly recommend that you complete the Appraisal Exam Prep course to ensure that you are prepared for the State Exam. This class will take the guesswork and stress out of testing. You may repeat the course as many times as you want for a full year at no additional cost to you! We recommend taking the Prep class at least two times and passing with an 80% or better before taking the actual exam.

Estimated Time:
5 - 7 Days
Estimated Cost:
$149 (Included in 154-Hour Package)
Ready to Start?
Choose a Program
Icon - Appraisal Step 6

Step 6: Take the state licensing exam at Pearson Vue

  • Your State Exam will consist of 125 multiple choice questions with a total of 4 hours to complete the exam.
  • The cost of the exam is $55 payable to Pearson Vue.
  • Appointments can be made by calling 800-997-1248 or visiting pearsonvue.com/tx/appraisers. You will know if you have passed the exam before you leave the testing center.
Estimated Time:
N/A
Estimated Cost:
$55
Ready to Start?
Choose a Program

Appraisal License Program Options
Choose a Program to Enroll

The programs listed below include the Qualifying Education (QE) courses required by the TALCB to earn a Texas Real Estate Appraiser Trainee license all the way up to a Certified Residential Appraisal License. The additional education required to upgrade your Trainee license are included in the higher priced programs.

79-Hour Appraiser Trainee Program (Live)

$950$1290
SAVE $340

Courses Included in this Package:

  • 15-Hour USPAP
  • 30-Hour Basic Appraisal Principles
  • 30-Hour Basic Appraisal Procedures
  • 4-Hour Supervisor-Trainee Course for Texas

Additional Details:

  • FREE Books / PDFs Included
  • 79 TREC Credit Hours
Complete the courses needed to become an Appraiser Trainee in the Virtual Classroom using Zoom.

Choose a Delivery Method

Please select a delivery method
above and try again.

154-Hour Licensed Residential Appraiser Program

$1790$2400
SAVE $610

Courses Included in this Package:

  • 15-Hour USPAP
  • 30-Hour Basic Appraisal Principles
  • 30-Hour Basic Appraisal Procedures
  • 15-Hour Residential Market Analysis & Highest & Best Use
  • 15-Hour Residential Site Valuation & Cost Approach
  • 30-Hour Residential Sales Comparison & Income Approaches
  • 4-Hour Supervisor-Trainee Course for Texas

Additional Details:

  • FREE Books / PDFs Included
  • 154 TREC Credit Hours
Become an Appraiser Trainee and then upgrade to a Licensed Residential Appraiser in the Virtual Classroom using Zoom.

Choose a Delivery Method

Please select a delivery method
above and try again.

79-Hour Trainee the Basics Package (Online)

$950$1147
SAVE $197

Courses Included in this Package:

  • 15-Hour USPAP
  • 30-Hour Basic Appraisal Principles
  • 30-Hour Basic Appraisal Procedures
  • 4-Hour Supervisor-Trainee Course for Texas

Additional Details:

  • Online courses are taken via a 3rd-party provider
  • Online courses do NOT utilize textbooks.
  • 79 TREC Credit Hours
This online package includes everything you need to become an Appraiser Trainee.

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above and try again.

Upgrade Programs

$799.95 - $2499.95

Courses Included in this Package:

  • Appraiser Trainee to Licensed Residential Appraiser
    154 Appraisal Hours (79-hours + 75 additional hours)
  • Appraiser Trainee to Certified Residential Appraiser
    204 Appraisal Hours (79 hours + 125 additional hours)
  • Appraiser Trainee to Certified General Appraiser
    304 Appraisal Hours (79 hours + 225 additional hours)

Additional Details:

  • Online courses are taken via a 3rd-party provider
  • Online courses do NOT utilize textbooks.
These online packages provide the hours necessary to upgrade from Appraiser Trainee to a fully-licensed General or Residential Appraiser.

Choose a Delivery Method

Please select a delivery method
above and try again.

Set Your Appraiser License Education Course Schedule.
Online or in the Virtual Classroom!

Virtual Classroom

Combination of instructor-led ChampionsLIVE!® streaming and home-study.

Best for remote students who want the classroom experience streamed to their home or office. Study before class and spend time with a real-teacher remotely at home.

Online (3rd-Party)

An online, module based course that works on any mobile device with an internet connection.

For remote students who learn best with video and interactive activities. Work through online material at your own pace on any device with an internet connection. These courses are taken via a 3rd-party provider.

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