Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) Courses

Since its inception, The Appraisal Foundation (Foundation) has worked to foster professionalism in appraising by establishing, improving, and promoting the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). The Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery and Enforcement Act of 1989 recognizes USPAP as the generally accepted real property appraisal standards and requires USPAP compliance for appraisers in federally related transactions. Federal, state, and local agencies, appraisal services, and many professional appraisal organizations require compliance with USPAP.



 


Who has to take USPAP?

Real property appraisers are required to take the 15-Hour National USPAP Course (or its equivalent) to obtain a state credential. Once credentialed, all real property appraisers must take the 7-Hour National USPAP Update Course (or its equivalent) once every two calendar years. The seven hour course focuses on changes to USPAP.

Foundation Appraisal Sponsors who confer personal property designations must implement the minimum personal property qualifications, or the Personal Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria. These Criteria include USPAP requirements. For details, please review the Personal Property Appraiser Qualification Criteria booklet. 

The Foundation has other discipline specific and USPAP-related courses listed in the chart to the left that may be required by membership organizations, local, state, or federal agencies. These courses are available for several appraisal disciplines, including: Business Valuation, Personal Property, Mass Appraisal, and Real Property. Please contact your educational provider for a schedule of course offerings. 

Can I take USPAP online or in the classroom?

The Foundation has classroom and online versions of the real property USPAP Courses available for purchase. The Foundation and McKissock, a leading developer of computer-based education, have partnered again to develop online versions of the real property



version of the current 15-Hour National USPAP Course and 7-Hour National USPAP Update Course. The online National USPAP courses are currently available. Education providers interested in offering the Foundation's online National USPAP Courses should contact Adrian Allen at adrian.allen@mckissock.com or 800-328-2008 ext. 222 for additional information.  

The classroom versions of the National USPAP Courses are currently available. Education providers have the option of purchasing classroom course material or entering into a License Agreement with the Foundation to receive electronic copies of the course to reproduce on their own. For information on offering the National USPAP courses, please contact Mavis Kleso at mavis@appraisalfoundation.org. To order print copies of the National USPAP Course Student Manual or USPAP document, please visit the Foundation store. 

Please note some state regulatory agencies may not allow USPAP to be taken online. Be sure to check with your state appraisal regulatory agency for details. 

Can I develop my own USPAP course?

Education providers interested in developing their own equivalent versions of the USPAP Course should visit our USPAP Equivalent Course webpage for more information.
2020-2021 USPAP Courses* 
                                                   
 Course Title         Hours         Delivery
Mechanism**		         Audience          Count Toward Real Property
USPAP Requirements? 		         Count Toward Real Property
QE/CE Requirements?*** 
                                                   
7-Hour National USPAP
Update Course		          7         Classroom
and Online		         Real Property 
Appraisers		         Yes         CE Real Property Credit
                                                   
7-Hour USPAP Update Course for
Non-Residential Real Property 		          7         Online         Real Property
Appraisers		         Yes         CE Real Property Credit
                                                   
7-Hour USPAP Update Course
for Mass Appraisal 		          7         Classroom         Real Property and
Mass Appraisers 		         Yes          CE Real Property Credit 
                                                   
7-Hour USPAP Update Course
for Personal Property 		          7         Classroom         Personal Property
Appraisers		         No          No 
                                                   
7-Hour Residential Review and
Compliance Course 		          7         Classroom 
and Online		         Real Property
Appraisers		         No          CE Real Property Credit 
                                                   
15-Hour National USPAP Course           15         Classroom
and Online 		         Real Property
Appraisers		         Yes       
QE or CE Real Property Credit
                                                   
15-Hour USPAP Course for 
Business Appraisal		         15         Classroom         Business
Appraisers		         No          No
                                                   
15-Hour USPAP Course for
Personal Property		          15         Classroom          Personal Property
Appraisers 		         No          No 
                                                   

*The Foundation has once again partnered with McKissock to offer online versions of several USPAP Courses. Providers who choose to develop their own online versions must submit their courses to the International Distance Education Certification Center (IDECC) and the Appraiser Qualifications Board (for USPAP equivalency). Additionally, all Instructors wanting to teach online USPAP Courses are required to obtain the Certified Distance Education Instructor (CDEI) designation from IDECC. Instructors that have not earned the CDEI designation will not be permitted to be listed as an instructor of IDECC-certified courses. For more information, please visit IDECC's website at www.idecc.org.

**The 7-Hour National USPAP Update Course Student Manual is the only course manual available for purchase. Ordering information is available on the Foundation's Store webpage or by calling 800-348-2831. All other courses must be reproduced by education providers and a License Agreement must be signed. Contact Mavis Kleso for more information.

***State appraiser regulatory agencies will grant credit to students who have completed a National USPAP Course or its equivalent only if the course is taught by an AQB Certified USPAP Instructor who also holds an active, in good standing Certified General or Certified Residential credential in at least one US state or territory.