(a)        Any person desiring to be registered as a trainee or to obtain licensure or certification as a licensed or certified real estate appraiser shall make written application to the Board on the forms as are prescribed by the Board setting forth the applicant’s qualifications for registration, licensure, or certification. Each applicant shall satisfy the following qualification requirements:

(1), (3) Repealed by Session Laws 2019-146, s. 1, effective October 1, 2019, and applicable to registrations, licensures, and certifications issued after that date.

(4)        Repealed by Session Laws 2001-399, s. 1.

(5)        Obtain a high school diploma or its equivalent.

(6)        Successfully complete education, experience, and examination as required by The Appraisal Foundation‘s Appraiser Qualifications Board for each level of registration, licensure, or certification.

(7)        Satisfy any additional education or experience requirements that the Board may impose by rule.

(b)        Each application for registration as a trainee or for licensure or certification as a real estate appraiser shall be accompanied by a fee of two hundred dollars ($200.00). The applicant shall pay the fee for the required competency examination directly to the private testing service.

(c)        Repealed by Session Laws 2019-146, s. 1, effective October 1, 2019, and applicable to registrations, licensures, and certifications issued after that date.

(c1)      The Board shall also make an investigation as it deems necessary into the background of the applicant to determine the applicant’s qualifications with due regard to the paramount interest of the public as to the applicant’s competency, honesty, truthfulness, and integrity. All applicants shall consent to a criminal history record check. Refusal to consent to a criminal history record check may constitute grounds for the Board to deny an application. The Board shall ensure that the State and national criminal history of an applicant is checked. The Board shall be responsible for providing to the North Carolina Department of Public Safety the fingerprints of the applicant to be checked, a form signed by the applicant consenting to the criminal history record check, and the use of fingerprints and other identifying information required by the State or National Repositories of Criminal Histories and any additional information required by the Department of Public Safety in accordance with N.C. Gen. Stat. § 143B-961 The Board shall keep all information obtained pursuant to this section confidential. The Board shall collect any fees required by the Department of Public Safety and shall remit the fees to the Department of Public Safety for expenses associated with conducting the criminal history record check.

(c2)      In addition, the Board may investigate and consider whether the applicant has had any disciplinary action taken against any other professional license in North Carolina or any other state, or if the applicant has committed or done any act which, if committed or done by any real estate trainee or appraiser, would be grounds under the provisions hereinafter set forth for disciplinary action including the suspension or revocation of registration, licensure, or certification, or whether the applicant has been convicted of or pleaded guilty to any criminal act. If the results of the investigation shall be satisfactory to the Board, and the applicant is otherwise qualified, then the Board shall issue to the applicant a registration, license, or certificate authorizing the applicant to act as a registered trainee real estate appraiser or licensed or certified real estate appraiser in this State.

(d)       If the applicant has not affirmatively demonstrated that the applicant meets the requirements for registration, licensure, or certification, action on the application will be deferred pending a hearing before the Board. ?(1993, c. 419, s. 6; 1995, c. 482, s. 6; 2001-399, s. 1; 2007-506, ss. 5, 6; 2013-403, s. 2; 2014-100, s. 17.1(mm); 2019-146, s. 1.)