Florida
Appraiser Continuing Education Requirements

Informational summary only, not legal advice — verify current requirements with the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board. Full disclaimer at the bottom of this page.

 

Florida appraisers must complete 30 hours of Board-approved continuing education every two years, including the 7-Hour National USPAP Update Course taught by an AQB-certified instructor and a minimum of 3 hours on Florida Real Estate Appraisal Law and Board Rules. Credentials renew by November 30 of even-numbered years.

 

Florida runs the appraiser credential and the appraiser instructor permit on two different cycles, which is the structural fact that catches people out. The Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board, part of the Department of Business and Professional Regulation, administers Chapter 475, Part II, Florida Statutes, with rules at Chapter 61J1, Florida Administrative Code. Rule 61J1-4.003 sets the continuing education requirement. Rule 61J1-2.002 makes renewal biennial but does not itself state a date — it defers to the department-wide schedule in Rule 61-6.001, which places Real Estate Appraisers on November 30 of even years and Real Estate Appraiser Instructors on September 30 of odd years.

​

Florida appraiser CE at a glance

• Renewal deadline — November 30, every even-numbered year. The next is November 30, 2026.

• Renewal window opens — August of the even-numbered year.

• CE cycle — biennial, matching the renewal period. No skip years — every renewal requires documented CE.

• Hours required — 30, measured as 50 minutes per hour.

• What the 30 hours are — 7 hours National USPAP Update, 3 hours Florida Real Estate Appraisal Law and Board Rules, 20 hours specialty. The rule fixes the first two; the 20-hour specialty figure comes from DBPR guidance rather than the rule text.

• USPAP condition — the current edition of the 7-Hour National USPAP Update Course, or its equivalent, taught by an AQB-certified USPAP instructor.

• Valuation Bias and Fair Housing — not currently required. An eligible course topic only. Rulemaking opened July 22, 2026 and may change this.

• 10-year CE exemption — does not apply. § 455.2124(2)(b), F.S. excludes appraisers from the exemption available to many other DBPR licensees.

• Delivery — classroom, synchronous livestream, hybrid, or asynchronous distance. Board approval is delivery-method specific — a course approved for one format is not approved for another.

• Repeat courses — the 30 hours must be completed without duplication of material.

• Teaching credit — up to 50 percent of the required hours, once per cycle for any particular course.

• Board meeting credit — available, but the rule and the Board's guidance state it differently. Notify the Education Section at least 7 days before the meeting either way.

• New licensees — no CE required at the first renewal if the credential was issued less than 6 months before that renewal period began.

• Renewal fee — $175, plus $80 for the National Registry and a $5 unlicensed activity fee.

• Late fee — $25 to renew an inactive registration, license, or certification.

• Instructor permits — renew separately, September 30 of odd-numbered years. $50 biennial permit fee.

• Regulator — Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board, governed by Chapter 475, Part II, Florida Statutes and Chapter 61J1, Florida Administrative Code.

​

How many CE hours do Florida appraisers need?

Thirty hours every two years. Rule 61J1-4.003(1), effective November 29, 2023 with a technical change filed February 12, 2026, requires all registered, licensed, and certified appraisers to satisfactorily complete a minimum of 30 hours of continuing education, prescribed or approved by the Board and without duplication of material, during each renewal period.

​

Several mechanics in the rule determine whether a course will actually count:

• Classroom hour definition. Florida measures an hour as 50 minutes of instruction.

• Two-hour minimum. A course must contain at least two hours of instruction to qualify for Board approval.

• Closed list of providers. Credit may be earned only from a nationally or state recognized appraisal organization, an area technical center, an accredited university, college, or community college, a state or federal agency or commission, or a proprietary real estate school holding a permit under § 475.451, F.S. — or at a place approved by the Board.

• Enumerated subject areas. The rule lists acceptable topics, including ethics and standards of professional practice, valuation bias, fair housing, equal opportunity, ad valorem taxation, arbitration, construction estimating, land use planning and zoning, real estate law, litigation, condemnation, seller concessions and their impact on value, energy-efficient items and green building, and real property exchange.

• Teaching credit. Credit may be earned by teaching Board-approved appraisal courses, granted once per renewal cycle for a particular course and limited to 50 percent of the required classroom hours for that cycle. The Board may request documentation verifying course content, dates, times, place, and hours taught.

• The six-month first-cycle exemption. An appraiser is not required to complete the 30 hours at an initial renewal if less than six months elapsed between the effective date on the initial registration, license, or certificate and the beginning of that first renewal period.

• Learning-outcome standards. At least 70 percent of a course's desired learning outcomes must be at the application level or higher, and no more than 10 percent at the knowledge level. You are entitled to a syllabus stating those objectives at the commencement of each course.

​

What is the Florida USPAP requirement?

Seven of the 30 hours must be the National USPAP Update Course or its equivalent. Rule 61J1-4.003(1) requires that it be taught by an AQB-certified USPAP instructor and delivered without significant duplication of material, as that phrase is defined in § 475.611(1)(q), F.S.

 

A minimum of 3 hours on Florida law and rules is separate and equally mandatory. The same subsection requires at least 3 hours dedicated to a review and update of the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Law and Board Rules, which must also introduce other state and federal laws affecting real estate appraisals. This is a Florida-specific course. It is not satisfied by a national ethics or law course, and it does not overlap with the USPAP requirement.

​

The remaining hours may be satisfied with Board-approved specialty appraisal education. The rule does not itself fix a specialty hour count; DBPR's Reactivation Education Information for Appraisers (PDF) describes the package as 3 hours of Appraisal Laws and Rules, 7 hours of National USPAP Update, and 20 hours of specialty appraisal courses. That document is dated February 2, 2016; read it alongside the current rule rather than in place of it.

​

What is the Valuation Bias and Fair Housing status in Florida?

Florida does not currently impose a standalone Valuation Bias and Fair Housing hour requirement for appraiser continuing education. Rule 61J1-4.003(3) lists valuation bias, fair housing, and equal opportunity among the subject areas a course may cover in order to qualify for Board approval. That makes it an eligible topic, not a mandate.

​

This is under active rulemaking and the direction is not yet clear. On July 22, 2026 the Board published a Notice of Development of Rulemaking (Volume 52, Number 141) covering Rules 61J1-4.001, 61J1-4.003, and 61J1-4.007. Its stated purpose is to amend the rules to preclude diversity, equity, and inclusion content in courses and to include updated Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Law and Regulations education course requirements.

​

What that does and does not tell you. A Notice of Development is the earliest stage of Florida rulemaking. No proposed rule text has been published, no workshop outcome is on the record, and there is no effective date. Florida appraisers should neither assume a Valuation Bias and Fair Housing course is required now nor assume one will not be required before the next cycle closes. Appraisers who complete a course meeting the AQB Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations Outline will have satisfied a requirement adopted in most neighboring states, and the hours count toward Florida's 30 as specialty education in any event.

​

Does the Florida 10-year CE exemption apply to appraisers?

No. This is the most commonly misunderstood point in Florida right now, and the answer is counterintuitive because so many other DBPR licensees do qualify.

​

What the exemption says. § 455.2124(2)(a), F.S., enacted by Chapter 2024-189, Laws of Florida and effective July 1, 2024, requires a board to exempt a licensee from continuing education for a renewal period if the licensee holds an active license, has continuously held it for at least 10 years, and has no disciplinary action imposed. Rule 61-6.011, effective December 11, 2024, directs the Department to identify exempt licensees weekly and lets licensees check their status through the Department's licensee search.

​

Why it does not reach appraisers. § 455.2124(2)(b), F.S., provides that the subsection does not apply to appraisers regulated pursuant to part II of chapter 475. Florida appraisers are excluded by statute and remain subject to the full 30-hour requirement no matter how long they have held the credential or how clean the disciplinary record.

​

Where the trap sits. Rule 61-6.011 is a department-wide rule and does not restate the statutory exclusions. An appraiser who reads only the rule — or who hears about the exemption from a broker or a contractor — can reasonably conclude it applies. The exclusion is in the statute, not the rule.

​

Can Florida CE be completed by live webinar?

Yes, but only where the specific course has been approved by the Board for that specific delivery method.

​

What the rule provides. Rule 61J1-4.003(4)(a) treats synchronous courses — those requiring the instructor and students to interact simultaneously online via live webinar or web-based meeting — as a component of distance education. The rule states that synchronous courses do not require final exams and do not require proof of certification of the delivery method by the AQB or an AQB-approved organization, and that the provider must supply the delivery platform. Asynchronous and hybrid courses carry examination, proctoring, and delivery-method certification obligations under Rule 61J1-4.003(4)(b) and (c).

​

What the Board's guidance adds. The Board's Education page states that, effective January 4, 2022, courses may be delivered through synchronous (live stream) and hybrid methods, that such courses must comply with Rules 61J1-4.001, 61J1-4.003, and 61J1-4.008, and — the operative point for students — that already-existing courses must be resubmitted for these delivery methods. Approval attaches to the course and the delivery method together. A course approved for classroom delivery is not thereby approved for live stream.

​

An unresolved tension in the rule text. Subsection (4)(a) states synchronous courses do not require final exams. Subsection (4)(b), which governs distance education generally and therefore appears to reach synchronous courses, requires submission of each form of the course examination and a minimum of two course examinations per course. The Board has not published a reconciliation. Providers and appraisers relying on the no-exam reading of (4)(a) should obtain the Board's position in writing.

​

Can Florida appraisers earn CE by attending a Board meeting?

Yes, but the codified rule and the Board's published guidance describe this credit differently, and the difference is material. Both are set out here rather than reconciled.

​

What the rule says. Rule 61J1-4.003(7) provides that a registrant, licensee, or certificate holder, including a Board member, who attends a meeting where the Board considers disciplinary cases shall earn, once during a renewal cycle, a maximum of seven classroom hours of continuing education credit. The individual must not be appearing as a party to a disciplinary action and must notify the Division of Real Estate, Education Section, of the intent to attend at least seven days before the meeting. No credit is given for a meeting lasting less than two hours. Attendance is subject to review, monitoring, and auditing by the Board or the Department.

​

What the Education page says. The Board's Education page states that real estate appraisers may earn five hours of appraiser continuing education credit for attending an entire board meeting, with a maximum of seven hours during a renewal cycle. It requires registration with the Division of Real Estate at least seven days before the meeting, attendance at the entire meeting, and that the appraiser not be part of a disciplinary action.

​

The two do not agree. The rule grants credit once per cycle and conditions it on the meeting including disciplinary cases. The guidance describes a five-hour-per-meeting award capped at seven per cycle for attending any entire board meeting. Board guidance is what gets applied at the renewal desk, but the rule is what would govern on audit. Confirm the treatment in writing with the Division of Real Estate, Education Section, before relying on this credit. Registration is handled through the form on the Board's Education page, which also lists the meeting dates for the year.

​

Important Florida deadlines

• August, even-numbered year — the renewal cycle opens. DBPR's Reactivation Education Information for Appraisers (PDF) states that renewal cycles open in August of the even year. August, not late November, is the safer target for beginning renewal.

• November 30, 2026 — appraiser credential renewal deadline. Rule 61-6.001(4) places Real Estate Appraisers on November 30 of even-numbered years. All 30 CE hours must be complete before renewal.

• November 30, 2026 — Appraisal Management Company registration renewal, also on the even-year November 30 schedule.

• September 30, 2027 — Real Estate Appraiser Instructor permit renewal. Rule 61-6.001(4) places instructors on September 30 of odd-numbered years. If you hold both an appraiser credential and an instructor permit, you have two deadlines on two different cycles.

• Seven days before any FREAB meeting — deadline to notify the Division of Real Estate, Education Section, if you intend to claim board-meeting attendance credit.

• Ninety days before a course is offered — deadline for a provider to submit a course approval application. Relevant to appraisers only in that a course not already before the Board will not carry Florida credit this cycle.

​

A registration, license, certification, or instructor permit that is not renewed by the end of its period automatically reverts to inactive status under § 475.618(3), F.S. Reactivation education is governed by Rule 61J1-4.007 and is separate from, and in addition to, the 30 hours owed for the current cycle. DBPR publishes the Reactivation Education Information for Appraisers (PDF) and the Appraiser Reactivation Education Matrix (PDF) on this, both of which predate the current rule text. Appraisers in this position should confirm the hours owed with the Division of Real Estate before enrolling in anything.

​

Approved courses

Florida approves courses on rolling 24-month terms rather than on a fixed statewide cycle. Under Rule 61J1-4.003(2) the Board approves qualifying courses, seminars, and conferences in the real estate appraisal practice area, and each approval runs for 24 months. A course may not be offered after its expiration date, although a course begun before expiration may be completed afterward. Under Rule 61J1-4.003(3)(a) a course application must be submitted at least 90 days before use with complete course materials, a detailed timeline, and learning objectives; the Board issues a status report within 60 days; and approval must be granted before the course may be offered.

​

Verify before you register. DBPR's Continuing Education Course Search is the current authoritative source. Select "Real Estate Appraisers" as the Board, then filter by Course Type — the available values include Classroom, Correspondence, Distance/Online, Hybrid, Livestream, and Synchronous. Because Florida approval is delivery-method specific, checking the course name alone is not sufficient; confirm the format you intend to take is the format approved.

​

Note that the approved-course PDF linked from DBPR's own Renew and Manage My License page no longer resolves. Use the Course Search rather than that link.

​

Two provisions worth knowing as a student. Rule 61J1-4.003(5) entitles you to receive a copy of the most current Board-issued course approval letter at the commencement of each course. Rule 61J1-4.003(3)(b) entitles you to a course syllabus stating the course objectives and desired learning outcomes. If a provider cannot produce the approval letter, that is worth resolving before the course rather than after the renewal deadline.

​

Reporting. Approved education providers may report student attendance electronically through the Department's Online Education Provider Reporting Platform. Confirm the credit has posted to your DBPR account rather than assuming it was transmitted.

​

Stay on track with your Florida CE

Dennis Badger & Associates, Inc. delivers live, instructor-led virtual continuing education over Zoom, taught by Dennis Badger, an AQB Certified USPAP Instructor and a former member of the Appraisal Standards Board of The Appraisal Foundation — the board that writes the standards. Courses relevant to the Florida requirement:

• 7-Hour National USPAP Continuing Education Course — Seven hours nationally, satisfying the USPAP portion of Florida's 30-hour requirement.

• Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations — Seven hours, meeting the AQB Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Laws and Regulations Outline. Relevant given the Board's July 2026 rule development notice on this subject.

• Appraiser's Guide to the New URAR — Seven hours.  A practical walk-through of the redesigned Uniform Residential Appraisal Report and the UAD 3.6 dataset.

​

Florida grants credit only for courses the Board has approved for the specific delivery method, so confirm current Florida approval status on DBPR's Continuing Education Course Search before registering for Florida credit. Note separately that Florida's 3-hour Florida Real Estate Appraisal Law and Board Rules requirement is a state-specific course that Dennis Badger & Associates does not offer; plan to obtain those three hours from a provider approved for them. Current session dates are posted on our Education Calendar.

​

Appraiser CE requirements in nearby states

Alabama · Georgia · Mississippi · South Carolina · Tennessee · All state CE requirements

​

Legal Authority / Compliance References

Statute. Chapter 475, Part II, Florida Statutes governs Florida real estate appraiser licensure. § 475.618, F.S., Renewal of registration, license, certification, or instructor permit; continuing education, requires the renewal application to include proof satisfactory to the Board that the individual has completed any continuing education prescribed by the Board, and provides that a credential not renewed at the end of its period automatically reverts to inactive status. § 475.611(1)(q), F.S., supplies the definition of significant duplication of material that the USPAP requirement turns on. § 475.451, F.S., governs real estate schools. The Florida Legislature publishes the statutes at Chapter 475, Part II.

The continuing education exemption statute. § 455.2124, F.S., Proration of or not requiring continuing education, creates the 10-year exemption from continuing education for DBPR licensees. Subsection (2)(b) expressly excludes appraisers regulated pursuant to part II of chapter 475. The section was amended by s. 2, ch. 2024-189, Laws of Florida.

​

Administrative rules. Rule 61J1-4.003, Continuing Education, is the operative CE rule. It cites §§ 475.613(2) and 475.614, F.S. as rulemaking authority and implements §§ 475.613, 475.617, 475.618, and 475.628, F.S. Its current text became effective November 29, 2023; a Notice of Correction published February 12, 2026 recorded a technical change and stated that subsections (1) through (8) were unchanged. Rule 61J1-2.002, Renewal Period, makes renewal biennial and defers the schedule to Rule 61-6.001. Rule 61-6.001, Biennial Licensing, effective December 17, 2018, sets the actual dates. Rule 61-6.011, Exemption from Continuing Education Requirements, effective December 11, 2024, implements § 455.2124 department-wide. Rule 61J1-4.007 governs reactivation of inactive credentials, Rule 61J1-4.008 governs continuing education for school instructors, and Rule 61J1-2.001 sets fees.

​

Instructor qualification. Florida requires the National USPAP Update Course to be taught by an AQB-certified USPAP instructor. Unlike some neighboring states, Florida does not additionally require that an instructor of the class hold a Florida appraiser certification. Separately, appraisal instructors seeking a Florida instructor permit apply on Form DBPR FREAB 22, and instructor permits renew on the September 30 odd-year cycle. The Board's Education page states the instructor renewal package as 3 hours Florida Laws and Rules, 4 hours of Instructional Techniques, 7 hours of real estate appraisal subject matters, and a minimum of 7 hours of board-approved USPAP update instruction. Note that the same page presents a separate FREC package immediately above the appraisal instructor package under a similar heading; read the headings carefully.

​

Provider obligations. Under Rule 61J1-4.003(3)(a) a course application must be filed at least 90 days before use, approval must be granted before the course is offered, and the provider must notify the Board at least 90 days before implementing any significant change to an approved course during its approval period. Under Rule 61J1-4.003(5) each student must receive a copy of the most current Board-issued approval letter at the commencement of each course. Under Rule 61J1-4.003(6) courses must be offered by a nationally or state recognized appraisal organization, an area technical center, an accredited university, college, or community college, a state or federal agency or commission, or a proprietary real estate school holding a § 475.451 permit, or at a place approved by the Board. DBPR's DRE (FREAB & FREC) Provider Information (PDF) sets out three provider classifications; that document is marked "Revised 3/05" and should be confirmed with the Division of Real Estate before it is relied on.

​

Pending rulemaking — identified and active. A Notice of Development of Rulemaking published July 22, 2026 in Volume 52, Number 141 of the Florida Administrative Register proposes amendments to Rules 61J1-4.001, 61J1-4.003, and 61J1-4.007 to preclude diversity, equity, and inclusion content in courses and to include updated Valuation Bias and Fair Housing Law and Regulations education course requirements. No proposed rule text, workshop outcome, or effective date has been published as of the review date below. Because rulemaking moves between reviews, confirm with the Board if you are relying on a specific provision.

​

Board guidance. Published guidance appears on the Board's Education page, its Renew and Manage My License page, its Statutes and Rules page, and in the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Law Book (PDF), DBPR's combined compilation of Chapter 475, Part II and Chapter 61J1. Course approval status is verified through the Continuing Education Course Search.

​

State Appraisers Board Contact Information

Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board
Website: Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board
Executive Director: Giuvanna Corona
Division of Real Estate, Director: Katy McGinnis
Address: Division of Real Estate, 400 West Robinson Street, N801, Orlando, Florida 32801
Phone: (850) 487-1395
Fax: (850) 488-8040
Board email: DREAppraisalSection@myfloridalicense.com

Division of Real Estate, Education Section
Phone: (407) 481-5662
Fax: (407) 317-7245
Email: DREEducation@myfloridalicense.com

DBPR Customer Contact Center
Address: 2601 Blair Stone Road, Tallahassee, Florida 32399
Phone: (850) 487-1395
TTY: (800) 955-8771
Contact form: Contact DBPR

​

How to Renew

Florida appraisers renew every two years, by November 30 of even-numbered years. The renewal cycle opens in August of the even year. DBPR states that renewal notices are provided by email, so keeping a current email address on file with the Department matters.

Online. Renewal is filed through DBPR online services, which allow you to renew a license, review license requirements, and update license information. Complete all 30 hours first, then confirm the education has posted to your online account before submitting — approved providers report attendance electronically, but the credit is your responsibility to verify.

​

By mail. DBPR directs appraiser renewal to its online system and does not publish a paper appraiser renewal path on the Board's Renew and Manage My License page. Appraisers who cannot renew online should contact the Customer Contact Center at (850) 487-1395 before the deadline rather than assuming a mail option exists.

​

Fees, set by Rule 61J1-2.001, effective November 9, 2022:

• Biennial fee — $175.00 for Registered Trainee Appraiser, Licensed Appraiser, Certified Residential Appraiser, and Certified General Appraiser

• Biennial Registry fee for licensed and certified appraisers, as required by the Appraisal Subcommittee — $80.00

• Unlicensed activity fee, charged on initial licensure and on license renewal — $5.00

• Late renewal of an inactive registration, license, or certification — $25.00

• Appraisal Management Company biennial fee — $300.00, plus an annual Registry fee that varies with the number of appraisers who performed appraisals for the AMC in covered transactions

• Appraisal course instructor biennial permit — $50.00

• Letter of Good Standing — $25.00

The fee rule contains a numbering anomaly: two consecutive subsections are both numbered (12), covering the unlicensed activity fee and the examination date change fee.

​

Pro-Tips for 2026

• Do not treat the 30 hours as interchangeable. Seven hours of USPAP and three hours of Florida law and rules are fixed components. Neither substitutes for the other, and neither is satisfied by general specialty education.

• Verify the delivery method, not just the course name. Florida approval is delivery-method specific and existing courses had to be resubmitted for live stream and hybrid. Filter by Course Type in DBPR's Continuing Education Course Search before you register.

• Ask for the Board approval letter at the start of every course. Rule 61J1-4.003(5) entitles you to it, and it is the cleanest evidence that the course carries Florida credit for the format you took.

• If you have held your credential 10 years or more, do not assume you are exempt. § 455.2124(2)(b), F.S. excludes appraisers from the exemption that covers many other DBPR licensees. The exclusion is in the statute, not in Rule 61-6.011.

• Calendar the instructor permit separately if you hold one. Instructor permits renew September 30 of odd years, not November 30 of even years. The next instructor deadline is September 30, 2027.

• Get board-meeting credit confirmed in writing before you attend. The rule and the Board's Education page describe this credit differently, and the notification deadline is seven days before the meeting either way.

• Watch the Valuation Bias and Fair Housing rulemaking. The July 22, 2026 Notice of Development signals change to the education rules mid-cycle, and requirements adopted mid-cycle have caught appraisers in other states short.

• Start in August, not November. Course approvals run on rolling 24-month terms, so a course that carried Florida credit last cycle may have lapsed, and there is no grace period built into the November 30 deadline.

• Check your own expiration date. Confirm it in your DBPR online account rather than relying on the general even-year rule.

• ​

Important Disclaimer

This page is provided for general informational purposes only and is not legal advice. Continuing education and renewal requirements change, and Florida's appraiser education rules are the subject of pending rulemaking as of the review date below. Where the Board's published guidance and the codified rule text differ — as they currently do on continuing education credit for board meeting attendance — this page presents both rather than reconciling them, and appraisers should obtain the Board's position in writing before relying on either. Appraisers should verify current requirements directly with the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board before relying on any statement here.

​

Dennis Badger & Associates does not guarantee this summary reflects every requirement applicable to every appraiser, credential type, or individual circumstance.

​

Last reviewed by Dennis Badger: August 3, 2026.