(a) Certifications and provisional licenses issued under the provisions of sections 20-500 to 20-528, inclusive, shall be granted only to persons who bear a good reputation for honesty, truthfulness and fair dealing and who are competent to transact the business of a real estate appraiser in such manner as to safeguard the interests of the public.

(b) Each application for an appraiser certification or provisional license under said sections, or for a renewal thereof, shall be made in writing, on such forms and in such manner as is prescribed by the Department of Consumer Protection and accompanied by such evidence in support of such application as is prescribed by the commission. The commission may require such information with regard to an applicant as the commission deems desirable, with due regard to the paramount interests of the public, as to the honesty, truthfulness, integrity and competency of the applicant.

(c) Fees for applications under this section shall be paid to the commission as follows: Forty-five dollars for an appraiser certification and forty dollars for a provisional license. The payment of an application fee shall entitle an applicant who otherwise meets the appropriate requirements established by the commission to take the appropriate written examination, where applicable, within the one-year period from the date of payment. In addition to the application fee, applicants taking an examination administered by a national testing service shall be required to pay directly to such testing service an examination fee covering the cost of such examination.