(1) The employee must hold a bachelor degree from an accredited college or have at least five years experience in the business or centrally assessed property valuation field.

(2) Training and testing criteria shall be as follows:

(a) The employee will be required to take the International Association of Assessing Officers (IAAO) Courses I and II or their equivalents. The employee will be required to take the American Society of Appraisers (ASA) Courses BV201N, BV202N, and BV203N1 or their equivalents. The employee will be required to take the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practices (USPAP) course. An USPAP refresher will be required every five years thereafter. The employee will be required to attend the Western States Association of Tax Administrators, Committee on Centrally Assessed Properties (WSATA-CCAP) Courses 101, 102, and 103 or their equivalents. These courses will be made available annually if funding is available.

(b) The employee shall attend the first scheduled WSATA-CCAP course after accepting the unit valuation or centrally assessed appraiser responsibilities. Satisfactory completion of the unit valuation training session shall include successful completion of the written examination conducted at the conclusion of the unit valuation training session. If the employee fails to successfully complete the first written examination, attendance at the next unit valuation training session shall be required. Failure to successfully complete the second written examination shall result in immediate termination of employment. Previous appraisal designations may be considered as substitutes for this course as determined by the Unit Manager. The appraiser shall attend either the first scheduled IAAO Courses I and II, or ASA Courses BV201N, BV202N, and BV203N. Satisfactory completion of the IAAO or ASA training session shall include successful completion of the written examination conducted at the conclusion of the unit valuation training session. If the employee fails to successfully complete the first written examination, attendance at the next IAAO or ASA training session shall be required. Failure to successfully complete the second written examination shall result in immediate termination of employment. Previous appraisal courses may be considered as substitutes for these courses as determined by the Unit Manager.

(3) Upon commencement of employment with the department as a unit valuation or centrally assessed appraiser, the employee shall undertake a one-year period of on-the-job appraisal work during which time the employee will begin the process of meeting the requirements set forth in (1) and (2). For employees new to state government, this one-year period will run concurrently with and in addition to the automatic six-month probation period set forth in department policy 3.1.4. The commencement of the year experience requirement will coincide with the employee's notification of being assigned unit or centrally assessed appraisal responsibilities. All work will be supervised by the department. Failure to perform the appraisal work satisfactorily shall result in immediate termination. 

(4) The department may waive the criteria set forth in (1) and (2) if sufficient proof is presented that the employee has previously fulfilled such criteria. For example, the employee may have completed a course of instruction from a professional appraisal and real estate related organization, provided that the organization is a member of The Appraisal Foundation as defined in 37-54-102(3), MCA. The course must be equal to or greater in complexity than that of courses required above. An employee who has attained a Certified General License through the Board of Real Estate Appraisers of the Business and Occupational Licensing Bureau of the Montana Department of Labor and Industry is also eligible for a waiver under this subsection.