An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Real Estate Appraiser Licensing To Comply with Federal Law
Maine Legislature, Session 122, LD 1919
Committee: Business, Research and Economic Development
Sponsors: FARRINGTON, HOBBINS, O'BRIEN, RECTOR
Amends: 32 MRSA §14002, 32 MRSA §14027, 32 MRSA §14030, 32 MRSA §14031, 32 MRSA §14032, 32 MRSA §14033, 32 MRSA §14035, 32 MRSA §14036, 32 MRSA §14037, 32 MRSA §14038

Legislative Document 
No. 1919 
H.P.1360 
House of Representatives, January 4,2006 
An Act To Amend the Laws Governing Real Estate Appraiser 
Licensing To Comply with Federal Law 
Submitted by the Department of Professional and Financial Regulation pursuant to Joint 
Rule 204. 
Reference to the Committee on Business, Research and Economic Development suggested 
and ordered printed. 
Presented by Representative FARRINGTON of Gorham. 
Cosponsored by Senator HOBBINS of York and 
7r/~ 
/J7·711dC~ 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Representatives: O'BRIEN of Lewiston, RECTOR of Thomaston. 
Printed on recycled paper 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1. 32 MRSA §14002, sub-§4-A is enacted to read: 
4-A. 
ApPTIlA_~al __ 
s_ub~oPJ'tit.tee. 
"Appraisal 
subcommitt~~ 
means 
the 
Appraisal 
Subcommittee 
of 
the 
Federal 
Financial 
Institutions Examination Council established pursuant to Title XI 
of 
the 
federal 
Financial 
Institutions 
Reform, 
Recovery 
and 
Enforcement Act of 1989. 
Sec. 2. 32 MRSA §14027, sub-§l, as enacted by PL 2005, c. 262, 
Pt. D, §5, is amended to read: 
1. 
Requirement. 
As a prerequisite to renewal of a license, 
an applicant must have completed the minimum hour requirements 
for continuing education in programs or courses approved by the 
99al'a--and-- a-s--&e-t.--by--t:ae apprai ser 
~\iaJ.,if,ieat:,i9R qual i f ication~ 
board, 
which 
must 
include 
a 
-hour 
uniform 
standards 
of 
professional appraisal practice update course. 
For purposes of 
this 
section, 
the 
board 
may 
establish, 
by 
rule, 
a 
core 
educational requirement. 
Sec. 3. 32 MRSA §14030, sub-§3 is enacted to read: 
3. 
Repeal. 
This section is repealed January 1, 2008. 
Sec. 4. 32 MRSA §14031, sub-§3 is enacted to read: 
3. 
Repeal. 
This section is repealed January 1, 2008. 
Sec. 5. 32 MRSA §14032, sub-§3 is enacted to read: 
3. 
Repeal. 
This section is repealed January 1, 2008. 
Sec. 6. 32 MRSA §14033, sub-§5 is enacted to read: 
5. 
Repeal. 
This section is repealed January 1, 2008. 
Sec. 7. 32 MRSA §14035 is enacted to read: 
§14035. 
Certified general real property appraiser 
1. 
Scope of lictmse. 
A certified general real property 
appraiser license entitles the holder to appraise all types of 
real property. 
2. 
Pr9~essional 
qJ.l~ifications. 
An 
applicant 
for 
a 
certified general real property appraiser license must meet the 
licensing requirements approved by the appraiser qualifications 
board. 
Each applicant must: 
Page l-LR3000(l) 
A. 
Hold a bachelor' s or higher degree from an accredited 
college 
or 
university 
or 
have 
successfully 
passed 
semester credit hours in the following college-level subject 
matter courses from an accredited college, junior college, 
community college or university; 
(1) 
English composition: 
(2) 
Microeconomics: 
(3) 
Macroeconomics: 
(4) 
Finance; 
(5) 
Algebra. geometry or higher mathematics; 
(6) 
Statistics; 
(7) 
Introduction to 
computers. 
word processing and 
spreadsheets; 
(8) 
Business or real estate law: and 
(9) 
Two 
elective courses 
in accounting. 
geography. 
Q9£icultural 
economics. 
business 
management 
or 
real 
estate. 
An applicant may receive credit as for a college course for 
an exam taken through a college-level examination program if 
a 
college or 
university accredited by 
a 
commission 
on 
colleges, a regional or national accreditation association 
or an accrediting agency that is recognized by the United 
States Secretary of Education accepts the exam and issues a 
transcript showing its approval: 
B. 
Satisfactorily complete 300 creditable class hours as 
specified in the required core curriculum. as approved by 
the appraisal subcommittee, which must include the IS-hour 
national 
uniform 
standards 
of 
principles 
of 
appraisal 
practice course and examination: 
C. 
Pass the appraisal subcommittee uniform state-certified 
general real property appraiser examination: and 
D. 
Hold a valid license under this chapter and demonstrate 
3.000 hours of appraisal experience obtained during no fewer 
than 
months, 
including 1,500 hours 
of nonresidential 
appraisal work. 
3. 
Ef fective date. 
This section takes effect January 1, 
2008. 
Sec. 8. 32 MRSA §14036 is enacted to read: 
§14036. 
Certified residential real prQperty appraiser 
1. 
Scope of license. 
A certified residential real property 
appraiser license entitles the holder to appraise residential 
real estate or real property of one to 
residential units, 
without regard to value or complexity and to appraise vacant or 
unimproved land that is to be used for one to 4 family units or 
for which the highest and best use is for one to 4 family units. 
A certified residential real property appraiser license does not 
entitle 
the 
holder 
to 
appraise 
subdivisions 
for 
which 
a 
development analysis and appraisal is necessary. 
2. 
PrQ..!Hsional 
qualificatj.o~!...!!.,--_"-,A...,n"----",a'J;;p:..&;p,-,,l...,i,,-,c,,-,a,",n~t __ .for 
a 
certified residential real property appraiser license must meet 
the 
licensing 
reguirements 
approved 
by 
the 
appraiser 
gualifications board. 
Each applicant must: 
A. 
Hold an associate's or higher degree from an accredited 
college 
or 
university 
or 
have 
successfully 
passed 
semester credit hours in the following collegiate level 
subject matter courses from an accredited college, junior 
college, community college or university: 
(1) 
English composition; 
(2) 
Principles of microeconomics or macroeconomics; 
(3) 
Finance; 
(4) 
Algebra, geometry or higher mathematics; 
(5) 
Statistics; 
(6) 
Introduction to computers, 
word processing and 
spreadsheets; and 
(7) 
Business or real estate law. 
An applicant may receive credit as for a college course for 
an exam taken through a college-level examination program if 
a 
college 
or 
university accredited by 
a 
commission 
on 
colleges, a regional or national accreditation association 
or an accrediting agency that is recognized by the United 
States Secretary of Education accepts the exam and issues a 
transcript showing its approval; 
B. 
SatisfactorilL complete 200 creditable class 
hou.r~ 
specified in the required core curriculum, as approved by 
the appraisal subcommittee, which must include the IS-hour 
national 
uniform 
standards 
of 
principles 
of 
appraisal 
practice course and examinatiQllL 
C. 
Pass the appraisal subcommittee uniform state-certified 
residential real property apP£aiser examination: and 
Q~ld a va~i~se under this chapter and demonstrat.e. 
2,500 hours of appraisal experience obtained during no fewer 
than 24 months. 
3. 
Effective date. 
This section takes effect January I, 
~ 
Sec. 9. 32 MRSA §14037 is enacted to read: 
§14031. Licensed residential real property appraiser 
1. 
SQQ~~~~~e~or federally related transactions, a 
residential real property appraiser license entitles the holder 
to appraise noncomplex residential property of one to 4 units 
having a transaction value of less than $1, 000,000 and complex 
residential property of one to 4 units having a transaction value 
of less than $250,000. 
For purposes of this section, "complex 
residential property of one to 4 units" means property that is 
atypical 
based 
on 
the 
nature of 
the property, 
the 
form 
of 
ownership or the market conditions. 
For nonfederally related 
transaction appraisals, "transaction value" means market value. 
A residential real property appraiser license entitles the holder 
to appraise vacant or unimproved land that is used for one to 4 
family purposes or for which the highest and best use is for one 
to 
family purposes. 
A residential real property appraiser 
license does not entitle the holder to appraise subdivisions for 
which a development analysis and appraisal is necessary. 
2. 
Professional 
qualifications. 
residential 
real 
property 
appraiser 
licensing requirements approved by the 
board. 
Each applicant must: 
Each 
applicant 
for 
a 
license 
must 
m~et 
the 
appraiser qualifications 
8.!... __ 
Satisfactorily complete 150 creditable class hours as 
specified in the required core curriculum, as approved by 
the appraisal subcommittee, which must include the I5-hour 
national 
uniform 
standard 
of 
principles 
of 
appraisal 
practice course and examination: 
B. 
Pass 
the 
o,lll1J::!;tisa_I_;illbcgmrrdttee 
licensed residential 
real property appraiser examination; and 
C. 
Hold a valid license ~nder this chapter and demonstrate 
2,000 hours of appraisal experience obtained during no fewer 
than 12 months. 
3. 
Effective date. 
This section takes effect January I, 
Sec. 10. 32 MRSA §14038 is enacted to read: 
§14038. 
Trainee real property appraiser 
1. 
S~9pe of license. 
A trainee real property appraiser 
license entitles the holder to appraise properties pursuant to 
this section under the supervision of a certified residential 
real property appraiser or 
a 
certified general real property 
.appraiser. 
The 
trainee 
may 
appraise 
properties 
that 
the 
supervising certified residential 
real 
property 
appraiser 
or 
certified general real property appraiser is permitted by this 
chapter to appraise and is qualified to appraise. 
2. 
Professional 
gualification. 
Each 
applicant 
for 
a 
trainee real property appraiser license must meet the licensing 
requirements 
approved 
by 
the 
appraiser qualifications 
board. 
Each applicant must satisfactorily complete 75 creditable class 
hours as specified in the required core curriculum as approved by 
the 
appraisal 
subcommittee, 
which 
must 
include 
the 
15-hour 
national uniform standards of principles of appraisal practice 
course and examination. 
3. 
Filing with board. 
Before employing 
a 
trainee real 
property 
appraiser, 
a 
supervising certified residential 
real 
property appraiser or certified general real property appraiser 
must register the name and starting date of employment of that 
trainee with the board. 
4. 
TraiJ!e~-'J.perv:i._si_Q~ li!llj.tations. 
A 
trainee 
real 
property appraiser may have more than one supervising certified 
residential real property appraiser or certified general real 
property appraiser, but a supervising appraiser may not supervise 
more than 3 trainee real property appraisers at one time~ 
5. 
Limited license t~~. 
A trainee real propert~praiser 
license may only be renewed for 2 biennial terms. 
After 6 years L 
the trainee is not eligible for license renewal but must qualify 
as a new applicant. 
6. 
Effective date. 
This section takes effect January 1, 
2008. 
Sec. 11. Transition provisions. 
An 
applicant who 
submits 
a 
license 
application 
to 
the 
Department 
of 
Professional 
and 
Financial Regulation, Office of Licensing and ~egistr~tion. Board 
of Real Estate Appraisers between January 1, 
2008 and December 
30, 
2009 who has satisfactorily completed one or more of the 
requirements for licensure, education, experience and examination 
prior to January 1, 2008 is deemed to satisfy the requirements 
for licensure, education, experience and examination in effect at 
the time of application with respect to that requirement as 
required for that level of licensure, while such an applicant who 
has not satisfactorily completed one or more of the requirements 
for licensure, education, experience and examination must meet 
the 
requirements 
in effect at the 
time of application with 
respect to that requirement. 
An applicant who does not complete 
the requirements for licensure before December 
31, 
2009 must 
satisfy all of the requirements for licensure in effect at the 
time of application. 
Sec. 12. License status. 
On the effective date of this Act 
every person holding an active license issued pursuant to the 
Maine Revised Statutes, Title 32, chapter 124, subchapter 3 under 
the requirements for that level of license in effect prior to 
January 1, 
2008 remains licensed at the same level and is not 
required to meet the new license criteria for that same level of 
licensure effective January 1, 2008. 
Sec. 13. Licensed real property appraiser. 
Beginning January 1, 
2008, 
every person holding an active real property appraiser 
license must 
be issued a 
residential real property appraiser 
license at the time the licensee next is issued a license. 
SUMMARY 
This bill proposes to change the license qualifications for 
real estate appraiser applicants to conform to the education, 
experience and examination requirements adopted by the federally 
recognized appraiser qualifications board, effective January 1, 
2008. 
Under the provisions of Title XI of the federal Financial 
Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989, the 
appraiser qualifications board establishes the minimum education, 
experience 
and 
examination 
requirements 
for 
real 
estate 
appraisers to obtain a state license. 
The 
changes 
include 
an 
increase 
in 
requirements for licensure. 
The changes include 
the number of appraisal-related classroom hours 
the 
education 
an increase in 
in addition to 
the requirement of an associate's degree or 21 semester credit 
hours 
of 
specific 
courses 
identified 
by 
the 
appraiser 
qualifications board 
and 
a 
bachelor's degree 
or 
semester 
credit hours or specific courses identified by the appraiser 
qualifications board for applicants applying for the certified 
residential and certified general license level, respectively.