Qualifications for Real Property Appraisers (RPA)

Applicants must meet minimum qualification standards upon appointment as a Real Property Appraiser. A Real Property Appraiser is a person other than an assessor who is employed by a local government and is assigned professional appraisal duties relating to the assessment of real property for purposes of taxation (RPTL Section 326).

A Form RP-3006, Application for qualifications review must be submitted to and approved by Educational Services.

The training and qualification requirements for Real Property Appraisers are defined in 20 NYCRR 8188 (§8188-5.3).

§8188-5.3 Minimum qualification standards for real property appraiser

The minimum qualification standards for real property appraiser are as follows:

1. 
   
   1. graduation from high school, or possession of an accredited high school equivalency diploma; and
   2. three years of satisfactory full-time paid experience in an occupation involving the valuation of real property, such as appraiser, valuation data manager, real property appraisal aide or the like. Two years of college study in a related field may be substituted for one year of the experience. Two years of this experience must have been in a full-time paid position requiring the use of independent judgment in the appraisal of real estate, including the preparation of original written detailed reports; or
2. 
   
   1. graduation from an accredited two- or four-year college with a major in a related field and a minimum of 12 credit hours in real property appraisal courses; and
   2. one year of satisfactory full-time paid experience in an occupation involving the valuation of real property, such as appraiser, valuation data manager, real property appraisal aide or the like. This experience must have been in a full-time paid position requiring the use of independent judgment in the appraisal of real estate, including the preparation of original written detailed reports.