In Illinois, certification and/or licensure as a real estate appraiser is available from the Office of Banks and Real Estate. The following three designations are offered: Certified General Real Estate Appraiser, Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser, and State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser.

To become a Certified General Real Estate Appraiser, a person must meet the following qualifications: completion of 180 hours of appraisal coursework and 3,000 hours of experience, passage of an examination, and payment of the required fees. Certification must be renewed every two years and requires 28 continuing education hours.

To obtain the Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser designation, a person must meet the following qualifications: completion of 120 hours of appraisal coursework and 2,500 hours of experience, passage of an examination, and payment of the required fees. Certification must be renewed every two years and requires 28 continuing education hours.

To become a State Licensed Real Estate Appraiser, a person must meet the following qualifications: completion of 75 hours of appraisal coursework and 1,000 hours of experience; passage of an examination; and payment of the required fees. Licenses must be renewed every two years and requires 20 continuing education hours.

All states either elect or appoint assessors. In some states, assessors must pass an exam. Most assessors are former real estate appraisers, and maintain their state licenses.