Continuing ed and pre-license courses for appraisers

Find the classes required to get and maintain an appraiser's license.

This is the complete course listing of real estate appraisal courses which have been approved by the Massachusetts Board of Registration of Real Estate Appraisers for credit toward the primary or continuing education requirements for state licensure or certification. The list is periodically updated as new courses are approved. If a course does not appear on the list you may contact the Appraisers Board and provide both the name of the course and the provider for verification of approval.

Primary education

All applicants must complete a minimum of fifteen (15) hours of Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) from the primary education list. Professional practice course taken before 1988 will not be accepted.

Please note that the Board has certain educational requirements for each level of licensure. Applicants for a Trainee license must complete 75 hours of primary education. All State License applicants are required to complete 150 hours of primary education. All Certified Residential applicants must complete 200 hours of primary education. And, all Certified General applicants must complete 300 hours of primary education. Please review 264 Code of Massachusetts Regulation (CMR) 5.00 for other educational and experience requirements.

All primary education courses are classroom courses.

Additional Resources

​​​​​​​Continuing education

All approved primary education, except the 15-hour National USPAP course, is acceptable for continuing education. However, continuing education may not be substituted for primary education. Once a new licensure category commences all previous continuing education credit is forfeited.

Continuing education is mandatory at renewal for all licensees (including Reciprocal Licensees – see Policy Statement 2011-002). Effective Nov. 9, 2012, a licensee holding a two-year appraiser license shall complete 28 hours of Board approved continuing education. A licensee holding a three-year appraiser license or a license that runs for more than two years and 185 days shall be required to complete an additional 14 hours of continuing education for a total of 42 hours. All licensees shall complete a 7-hour USPAP Update course with each edition of USPAP.

An initial license is issued for a period that runs 24 months from the next occurring birthday after issuance. This means that an initial license runs for more than two years. In the event that an initial license is issued for more than two years and 185 days, an additional 14 hours of continuing education must be completed prior to the first renewal of the license or certificate making the total required hours 42.

All license or certificate holders including trainees must complete a seven-hour USPAP Update course with each new edition of USPAP. Failure to do so may result in removal from the National Registry and discipline by the Board. License renewal terms run two years on the anniversary of the licensee's birthday.

For Certified Residential licensees, not more than seven hours of courses designated as elective may be credited toward renewal.

For Certified General licensees, at least 14 hours in courses shall be designated as non-residential.

The Board recommends that each applicant contact the State House Bookstore, Secretary of State office at 617-727-2834 or download the regulations from this website to obtain a copy of the Appraisal Regulations as referenced by 264 CMR, Board of Registration of Real Estate Appraisers.

Although some of the appraisal trade associations listed as providers are headquartered out-of-state, some courses are made available in Massachusetts. Write or call each trade association for information regarding their individual course locations and offerings.

Additional Resources

USPAP Appraiser Course

All applications must be submitted online through the Division of Occupational Licensure’s (DOL) ePlace portal. In addition to completing the informational portions of the online application, applicants are required to upload electronic copies of all supporting documents. Please review the list below for a summary of the required documents. Applicants are advised that they should retain original copies of all supporting documents and that they may be required to submit original copies to the Board at a later date, if requested.

Additional Resources

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