Qualifications for registration or certification.

(1) Any person desiring to act as a registered trainee appraiser or as a certified appraiser must make application in writing to the department in such form and detail as the board shall prescribe. Each applicant must be at least 18 years of age and hold a high school diploma or its equivalent.

(2) The board is authorized to waive or modify any education, experience, or examination requirements established in this part in order to conform with any such requirements established by the Appraiser Qualifications Board of the Appraisal Foundation or any successor body recognized by federal law, including any requirements adopted on December 9, 2011. The board shall implement this section by rule.

(3) Appropriate fees, as set forth in the rules of the board pursuant to s. 475.6147, and a set of fingerprints must accompany all applications for registration or certification. The fingerprints shall be forwarded to the Division of Criminal Justice Information Systems within the Department of Law Enforcement for processing to determine whether the applicant has a criminal history record. The fingerprints shall also be forwarded to the Federal Bureau of Investigation to determine whether the applicant has a criminal history record. The information obtained by the processing of the fingerprints by the Department of Law Enforcement and the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall be sent to the department to determine whether the applicant is statutorily qualified for registration or certification.

(4) In the event that the applicant is currently a registered trainee appraiser or a licensed or certified appraiser and is making application to obtain a different status of appraisal credential, should such application be received by the department within 180 days prior to through 180 days after the applicant’s scheduled renewal, the charge for the application shall be established by the rules of the board pursuant to s. 475.6147.

(5) At the time of filing an application for registration or certification, the applicant must sign a pledge indicating that upon becoming registered or certified, she or he will comply with the standards of professional practice established by rule of the board, including standards for the development or communication of a real estate appraisal, and must indicate in writing that she or he understands the types of misconduct for which disciplinary proceedings may be initiated. The application expires 1 year after the date received by the department.

(6) All applicants must be competent and qualified to make real estate appraisals with safety to those with whom they may undertake a relationship of trust and confidence and the general public. If any applicant has been denied registration, licensure, or certification, or has been disbarred, or the applicant’s registration, license, or certificate to practice or conduct any regulated profession, business, or vocation has been revoked or suspended by this or any other state, any nation, or any possession or district of the United States, or any court or lawful agency thereof, because of any conduct or practices which would have warranted a like result under this part, or if the applicant has been guilty of conduct or practices in this state or elsewhere which would have been grounds for disciplining her or his registration, license, or certification under this part had the applicant then been a registered trainee appraiser or a licensed or certified appraiser, the applicant is deemed not to be qualified unless the applicant has met the conditions adopted by the Appraiser Qualifications Board of the Appraisal Foundation on December 9, 2011, as prescribed by rule of the board and it appears to the board that the interest of the public is not likely to be endangered by the granting of registration or certification.

(7) No applicant seeking to become registered or certified under this part may be rejected solely by virtue of membership or lack of membership in any particular appraisal organization.