Certification Requirements: Assessors, Real Property Appraisers and candidates

Assessors (elected and appointed), and Real Property Appraisers (RPA) are required to complete a basic certification training program. Candidates for assessor may participate in the certification program as well.

The Orientation and Farm appraisal courses are not required for RPAs and candidates.

Assessors must complete the Basic certification training program within three years of beginning an initial term of office whereas RPAs and candidates do not have a required time frame.

A certificate is awarded after the basic certification training program is successfully completed.

Ethics requirement

Completion of an approved Ethics component is required for uncertified assessors no more than one year prior to or one year after appointment or election to office.

Basic certification training program: Required courses

• Orientation¹
• Fundamentals of assessment administration
• Ethics
• Cost, market and income approach to value
• Fundamentals of data collection
• Fundamentals of mass appraisal
• Introduction to farm appraisal:² Required for assessors in certain assessing units. All others, choose one of the following electives:
  
  • Commercial and industrial valuation
  • Fundamentals of forest valuation

¹ Orientation is not required for RPAs and candidates.
² Introduction to farm appraisal is required for Assessors in assessing units where:

• at least 10 percent of the total acreage is classified agricultural on the assessment roll; or
• at least ten agricultural assessments have been granted pursuant to Article 25-AA of the Agriculture and Markets Law; or
• at least 10 percent of the total acreage lies within an agricultural district, created pursuant to Article 25-AA of the Agriculture and Markets Law.