76-2231.01. Credential as a certified residential real property appraiser; applicant; qualifications; fingerprints; national criminal history record check; upgraded credential; requirements; scope of practice.

(1) To qualify for a credential as a certified residential real property appraiser, an applicant shall:

(a) Be at least nineteen years of age;

(b)(i) Hold a bachelor's degree, or higher, from an accredited degree-awarding college or university;

(ii) Hold an associate's degree from an accredited degree-awarding community college, college, or university in the study of business administration, accounting, finance, economics, or real estate;

(iii) Successfully complete thirty semester hours of college-level education from an accredited degree-awarding community college, college, or university that includes:

(A) Three semester hours in each of the following: English composition; microeconomics; macroeconomics; finance; algebra, geometry, or higher mathematics; statistics; computer science; and business law or real estate law; and

(B) Three semester hours each in two elective courses in any of the topics listed in subdivision (b)(iii)(A) of this subsection, or in accounting, geography, agricultural economics, business management, or real estate;

(iv) Successfully complete thirty semester hours of the College-Level Examination Program from an accredited degree-awarding community college, college, or university that includes three semester hours in each of the following subject matter areas: College algebra; college composition; college composition modular; college mathematics; principles of macroeconomics; principles of microeconomics; introductory business law; and information systems; or

(v) Successfully complete any combination of subdivisions (b)(iii) and (iv) of this subsection that ensures coverage of all topics and hours identified in subdivision (b)(iii) of this subsection;

(c) Have his or her education evaluated for equivalency by one of the following if the college degree is from a foreign country:

(i) An accredited degree-awarding college or university;

(ii) A foreign degree credential evaluation service company that is a member of the National Association of Credential Evaluation Services; or

(iii) A foreign degree credential evaluation service company that provides equivalency evaluation reports accepted by an accredited degree-awarding college or university;

(d)(i) Have successfully completed and passed examination for no fewer than two hundred class hours in Real Property Appraiser Board-approved qualifying education courses conducted by education providers as prescribed by rules and regulations of the Real Property Appraiser Board and completed the fifteen-hour National Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice Course. Each course shall include a proctored, closed-book examination pertinent to the material presented; or

(ii) Hold a bachelor's degree or higher in real estate from an accredited degree-awarding college or university that has had all or part of its curriculum approved by the Appraiser Qualifications Board as required core curriculum or the equivalent as determined by the Appraiser Qualifications Board. If the degree in real estate or equivalent as approved by the Appraiser Qualifications Board does not satisfy all required qualifying education for credentialing, the remaining class hours shall be completed in Real Property Appraiser Board-approved qualifying education pursuant to subdivision (d)(i) of this subsection;

(e) Have no fewer than one thousand five hundred hours of experience as prescribed by rules and regulations of the Real Property Appraiser Board. The required experience shall be acceptable to the Real Property Appraiser Board and subject to review and determination as to conformity with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice. The experience shall have occurred during a period of no fewer than twelve months;

(f) Submit two copies of legible ink-rolled fingerprint cards or equivalent electronic fingerprint submissions to the Real Property Appraiser Board for delivery to the Nebraska State Patrol in a form approved by both the Nebraska State Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A fingerprint-based national criminal history record check shall be conducted through the Nebraska State Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with such record check to be carried out by the Real Property Appraiser Board; and

(g) Within the twelve months following approval of the applicant's education and experience by the Real Property Appraiser Board, pass a certified residential real property appraiser examination or certified general real property appraiser examination, approved by the Appraiser Qualifications Board, prescribed by rules and regulations of the Real Property Appraiser Board, and administered by a contracted testing service.

(2) To qualify for an upgraded credential, a certified residential real property appraiser shall satisfy the following requirements:

(a) Submit two copies of legible ink-rolled fingerprint cards or equivalent electronic fingerprint submissions to the Real Property Appraiser Board for delivery to the Nebraska State Patrol in a form approved by both the Nebraska State Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. A fingerprint-based national criminal history record check shall be conducted through the Nebraska State Patrol and the Federal Bureau of Investigation with such record check to be carried out by the Real Property Appraiser Board; and

(b) Within the twelve months following approval of the applicant's education and experience by the Real Property Appraiser Board for an upgrade to a certified general real property appraiser credential, pass a certified general real property appraiser examination approved by the Appraiser Qualifications Board, prescribed by rules and regulations of the Real Property Appraiser Board, and administered by a contracted testing service.

(3) To qualify for a credential as a certified general real property appraiser, a certified residential real property appraiser shall:

(a) Meet the postsecondary educational requirements pursuant to subdivisions (1)(b) and (c) of section 76-2232;

(b) Successfully complete and pass proctored, closed-book examinations for no fewer than one hundred additional class hours in board-approved qualifying education courses conducted by education providers as prescribed by rules and regulations of the board, or hold a bachelor's degree in real estate from an accredited degree-awarding college or university or equivalent pursuant to subdivision (1)(d)(ii) of section 76-2232; and

(c) Meet the experience requirements pursuant to subdivision (1)(e) of section 76-2232.

(4) An appraiser holding a valid certified residential real property appraiser credential shall satisfy the requirements for the trainee real property appraiser credential and licensed residential real property appraiser credential for a downgraded credential. If requested, evidence acceptable to the Real Property Appraiser Board concerning the experience shall be presented along with an application in the form of written reports or file memoranda.

(5) The scope of practice for a certified residential real property appraiser shall be limited to the appraisal of, and review of appraisal of, residential real property or real estate having no more than four residential units, if any, without regard to transaction value or complexity. The appraisal of subdivisions for which a development analysis or appraisal is necessary is not included in the scope of practice for a certified residential real property appraiser.

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