Section 1455.150  Qualifying Education and Experience Requirements

a)         Associate Real Estate Trainee

1)         Any person who makes application for an Associate Real Estate Trainee Appraiser License shall be required to successfully complete 75-classroom hours of qualifying education in subjects related to real estate appraisal, as set forth in this Part, which shall include 15 hours of instruction of USPAP or its AQB equivalent and taught by an AQB certified instructor.

2)         All qualifying education credits shall be accepted only if the education providers and courses are approved by the Division.  All 75 hours of qualifying education for the Associate Real Estate Trainee Appraiser credential must be completed within the five-year period immediately preceding the date of initial application for an Associate Real Estate Trainee Appraiser credential.

3)         Effective January 1, 2026, a trainee applicant must complete a total of 83-classroom hours of qualifying education, which shall include the 15-hour national USPAP course or its AQB equivalent, with an additional eight-hour course and examination on valuation bias and fair housing laws and regulations approved by the AQB.  The requirements of the remaining hours of qualifying education shall remain the same or as set forth by the AQB, and in federal and State law.

b)         Certified Residential

An applicant for licensure as a State Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser shall meet the following criteria:

1)         1,500 hours of experience obtained during no fewer than 12 months is required, of which, no less than 50% must be in residential one-to-four units, USPAP compliant, appraisal work.  While the hours may be cumulative, the required number of months must accrue before an individual can be certified;

2)         200 hours of modular appraisal education as stated in the Guide Notes (GN-1) of the Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria;

3)         Utilize one of the six formal education options, as follows:

4)         If an applicant for licensure submits integrated course credit for approval, the course must have been approved by the Course Approval Program of the AQB and a topic matrix revealing the exact number of hours for each section of course content must be provided for review.  Only integrated course credit bundled together to equal a module approved by the AQB will be accepted.  Partial credit toward a module will not be accepted.  It is the applicant's responsibility to demonstrate compliance as part of the application.

c)         Certified General

An applicant for licensure as a State Certified General Real Estate Appraiser shall meet the following criteria:

1)         3,000 hours of experience obtained during no fewer than 18 months is required, of which 1,500 hours must be in non-residential appraisal work.  Experience used to obtain a State Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser License may apply to this requirement.  While the hours may be cumulative, the required number of months must accrue before an individual can be certified;

2)         300 hours of modular appraisal education as stated in the Required Core Curriculum of the Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria;

3)         Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university or equivalent (see subsections (e) and (f)); and

4)         If an individual applicant for licensure submits integrated course credit for approval, the course must have been approved by the Course Approval Program of the AQB and a topic matrix revealing the exact number of hours for each section of course content must be provided for review.  Only integrated course credit bundled together to equal a module approved by the AQB will be accepted.  Partial credit toward a module will not be accepted.  It is the applicant's responsibility to demonstrate compliance as part of the application.

d)         Qualifying Education from Other Jurisdictions

The Division may accept evidence of successful completion of qualifying education credit from another jurisdiction, if that jurisdiction's requirements are substantially the same as those of the State of Illinois and meet the minimum licensing requirements of the Real Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria.  Any such credits may be in modular format for licensure.  A real estate appraiser who wishes to obtain credit for qualifying education courses not licensed by the Division shall submit to the Division:

1)         A completed application in a manner prescribed by the Division requesting approval for qualifying education credit which is signed by the applicant;

2)         A certificate of successful completion provided by the education provider, a certification by the jurisdiction of the appraiser's licensure and successful completion of the requested qualifying education credit, or any other evidence to be considered by the Division; and

3)         The fee required by Section 1455.320.

e)         Credit toward qualifying education requirements may also be obtained by completing a graduate (masters or doctoral) degree in Real Estate from an accredited college or university approved by The Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, or a regional or national accreditation agency recognized by the U.S. Secretary of Education, provided that the college or university has had its curriculum reviewed and approved by the AQB.

f)         Applicants seeking credit for foreign degrees shall submit a completed evaluation of their education credentials by an evaluation agency to convert the credentials to American equivalent semester credits and courses. Only evaluation agencies recognized by the Illinois State Board of Education will be permitted to conduct the evaluations.

g)         Alternative experience programs approved by the AQB, such as PAREA or a practicum course, may serve as a substitute to the traditional supervisor and trainee experience requirements as prescribed in this Part.  An applicant who chooses alternative experience must comply with all AQB or federal requirements of that program and provide proof of compliance and successful completion as required by Section 1455.200 and this Subpart.

(Source:  Amended at 48 Ill. Reg. 14553, effective September 24, 2024)