Education and experience requirements.

(1) To be registered as a trainee appraiser, an applicant must present evidence satisfactory to the board that she or he has successfully completed at least 100 hours of approved qualifying education courses in subjects related to real estate appraisal, which must include coverage of the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice, or its equivalent, as established by rule of the board, from a nationally recognized or state-recognized appraisal organization, career center, accredited community college, college, or university, state or federal agency or commission, or proprietary real estate school that holds a permit pursuant to s. 475.451. The board may increase the required number of hours to not more than 125 hours. All qualifying education courses may be completed through in-person classroom instruction or distance learning. A classroom hour is defined as 50 minutes out of each 60-minute segment. Past courses may be approved on an hour-for-hour basis.

(2) To be certified as a residential appraiser, an applicant must present satisfactory evidence to the board that she or he has met the minimum education and experience requirements prescribed by rule of the board. The board shall prescribe by rule education and experience requirements that meet or exceed the following real property appraiser qualification criteria adopted on December 9, 2011, by the Appraiser Qualifications Board of the Appraisal Foundation:

(a) Has at least 2,500 hours of experience obtained over a 24-month period in real property appraisal as defined by rule.

(b) Has successfully completed at least 200 classroom hours, inclusive of examination, of approved qualifying education courses in subjects related to real estate appraisal, which must include a 15-hour National Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice course, or its equivalent, as established by rule of the board, from a nationally recognized or state-recognized appraisal organization, career center, accredited community college, college, or university, state or federal agency or commission, or proprietary real estate school that holds a permit pursuant to s. 475.451. All qualifying education courses may be completed through in-person classroom instruction or distance learning. A classroom hour is defined as 50 minutes out of each 60-minute segment. Past courses may be approved by the board and substituted on an hour-for-hour basis.

(3) To be certified as a general appraiser, an applicant must present evidence satisfactory to the board that she or he has met the minimum education and experience requirements prescribed by rule of the board. The board shall prescribe education and experience requirements that meet or exceed the following real property appraiser qualification criteria adopted on December 9, 2011, by the Appraiser Qualifications Board of the Appraisal Foundation:

(a) Has at least 3,000 hours of experience obtained over a 30-month period in real property appraisal as defined by rule.

(b) Has successfully completed at least 300 classroom hours, inclusive of examination, of approved qualifying education courses in subjects related to real estate appraisal, which must include a 15-hour National Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice course, or its equivalent, as established by rule of the board, from a nationally recognized or state-recognized appraisal organization, career center, accredited community college, college, or university, state or federal agency or commission, or proprietary real estate school that holds a permit pursuant to s. 475.451. All qualifying education courses may be completed through in-person classroom instruction or distance learning. A classroom hour is defined as 50 minutes out of each 60-minute segment. Past courses may be approved by the board and substituted on an hour-for-hour basis.

(4) A distance learning course may be approved by the board as an option to classroom hours for satisfactory completion of the academic courses required under this section. The schools authorized by this section have the option of providing classroom courses, distance learning courses, or both.

(a) A distance learning course must use a delivery method that is certified or approved by a board-authorized independent certifying organization.

(b) A distance learning course intended for use as academic education must include a written, closed-book final examination. As used in this paragraph, the term “written” refers to an exam that might be written on paper or administered electronically on a computer workstation or other device. Oral exams are not acceptable.

(5) Each applicant must furnish, under oath, a detailed statement of the experience for each year of experience she or he claims. Upon request, the applicant shall furnish to the board, for its examination, copies of appraisal reports or file memoranda to support the claim for experience. Any appraisal report or file memoranda used to support a claim for experience must be maintained by the applicant for no less than 5 years after the date of certification.

(6) The board may implement the provisions of this section by rule.