SECTION 153.18. Appraiser Continuing Education (ACE)

(a) The purpose of ACE is to ensure that license holders participate in programs that maintain and increase their skill, knowledge, and competency in real estate appraising.

(b) To renew a license, a license holder must successfully complete the equivalent of at least 28 classroom hours of ACE courses approved by the Board, including the 7-hour National USPAP Update course during the license holder's continuing education cycle. An ACE course may not be repeated during the license holder's continuing education cycle.

(c) Awarding ACE credit. The Board will award credit to a license holder for an ACE course approved by the Board upon receipt of a course completion roster from an approved ACE provider as required under §153.40 of this title (relating to Approval of Continuing Education Providers and Courses).

(d) Continuing education credit for qualifying courses. License holders may receive continuing education credit for qualifying courses that have been approved by the Board, the AQB or another state appraiser regulatory agency.

(e) Continuing education credit for courses taken outside of Texas. An ACE course taken by a Texas license holder outside of Texas may be accepted on an individual basis for continuing education credit in Texas upon the Board's determination that:

(1) the ACE course was approved for continuing education credit by the AQB or another state appraiser regulatory agency at the time the course was taken;

(2) the Texas license holder's successful completion of the course has been evidenced by:

(A) a course completion certificate;

(B) a letter from the provider; or

(C) such other proof as is satisfactory to the Board; and

(3) the Texas license holder has filed an Out of State Course Credit Request form with the Board.

(f) Up to one half of a license holder's ACE requirements may be satisfied through participation other than as a student, in real estate appraisal educational processes and programs. Examples of activities for which credit may be granted are teaching an ACE course, educational program development, authorship of real estate appraisal textbooks, or similar activities that are determined by the Board to be equivalent to obtaining ACE.

(g) The following types of courses or activities may not be counted toward ACE requirements:

(1) Teaching the same ACE course more than once per license renewal cycle;

(2) "In house" education or training; or

(3) Appraisal experience.

(h) ACE credit for attending a Board meeting.

(1) The Board may award a minimum of two hours and up to a maximum of 4 hours of ACE credit to a current license holder for attending the Board meeting held in February of an even numbered year.

(2) The hours of ACE credit to be awarded will depend on the actual length of the Board meeting.

(3) ACE credit will only be awarded in whole hour increments. For example, if the Board meeting is 2 and one half hours long, only 2 hours of ACE credit will be awarded.

(4) To be eligible for ACE credit for attending a Board meeting, a license holder must:

(A) Attend the meeting in person;

(B) Attend the entire meeting, excluding breaks;

(C) Provide photo identification; and

(D) Sign in and out on the class attendance roster for the meeting.

(5) No ACE credit will be awarded to a license holder for partial attendance.

(i) ACE credit for attending presentations by current Board members or staff. As authorized by law, current members of the Board and Board staff may teach or guest lecture as part of an approved ACE course. To obtain ACE credit for attending a presentation by a current Board member or Board staff, the course provider must submit the applicable form and satisfy the requirements for ACE course approval in this section.

Source Note: The provisions of this §153.18 adopted to be effective March 1, 1997, 22 TexReg 1717; amended to be effective January 1, 1999, 23 TexReg 6443; amended to be effective August 15, 1999, 24 TexReg 6293; amended to be effective November 17, 1999, 24 TexReg 10090; amended to be effective April 1, 2001, 26 TexReg 2163; amended to be effective January 1, 2003, 27 TexReg 11147; amended to be effective June 16, 2003, 28 TexReg 4554; amended to be effective January 1, 2006, 30 TexReg 8689; amended to be effective June 6, 2006, 31 TexReg 4624; amended to be effective March 27, 2007, 32 TexReg1747; amended to be effective November 9, 2008, 33 TexReg 8943; amended to be effective September 20, 2010, 35 TexReg 8496; amended to be effective March 20, 2011, 36 TexReg 1669; amended to be effective September 7, 2014, 39 TexReg 6857; amended to be effective March 13, 2016, 41 TexReg 1688; amended to be effective September 15, 2018; 43 TexReg 5776; amended to be effective December 16, 2018, 43 TexReg 8117; amended to be effective December 6, 2020, 45 TexReg 8518