(1) To qualify for any of the certifications, an applicant must have at least 2 years experience in a Florida property appraiser’s office, a Florida tax collector’s office, or with the Department. To qualify for the special qualification salary, officials must meet all certification requirements set forth in these rules within 4 years after taking office. A person who is a Certified Florida Evaluator or a Certified Florida Collector Assistant upon being appointed or elected to office will be recognized as a Certified Florida Appraiser or Certified Florida Collector upon taking office.
    (2) Applicants for a certification as a Certified Florida Appraiser, Certified Florida Evaluator, Certified Florida Collector, or Certified Florida Collector Assistant must attend a minimum of 120 hours of approved courses and pass monitored examinations. Applicants for a certification as a Certified Cadastralist of Florida must attend a minimum of 150 hours of approved courses and pass monitored examinations.
    (3) The approved courses for certification as a Certified Florida Collector or a Certified Florida Collector Assistant must include the following courses:
    (a) A minimum of 30 hours of approved courses which include instruction and examination on the duties and responsibilities of a Florida Tax Collector.
    (b) A minimum of 90 hours of approved elective courses which include instruction and examination designed to impact expertise in the areas of tax administration, assessment, or collection in Florida.
    (4) The approved courses for certification as a Certified Florida Appraiser or a Certified Florida Evaluator must include the following courses:
    (a) A minimum of 30 hours of approved courses which include instruction and examination on basic appraisal principles, types of value, and economic principles pertaining to the valuation of real property. A Certified Residential Appraiser license or Certified General Appaiser license issued by the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board may be substituted for this course requirement.
    (b) A minimum of 30 hours of approved courses which include instruction and examination on procedures and methods regarding the income approach to estimating the value of real property. A Certified General Appraiser license issued by the Florida Real Estate Appraisal Board may be substituted for this course requirement.
    (c) A minimum of 60 hours of approved elective courses which include instruction and examination related to the professional designation.
    (5) The approved courses for a Certified Cadastralist of Florida certification must include the following courses:
    (a) A minimum of 30 hours of approved courses which include instruction and examination on mathematic principles for cadastral mappers.
    (b) A minimum of 30 hours of approved courses which include instruction and examination on the Public Land Survey System for the Cadastral Mapper.
    (c) A minimum of 30 hours of approved courses which include instruction and examination on real property descriptions.
    (d) A minimum of 30 hours of approved courses which include instruction and examination on basic map compilation.
    (e) A minimum of 30 hours of approved elective courses which include instruction and examination on principles, techniques, or applications of cadastral mapping.
    (6) To receive credit for the education requirements, applicants must be present in the classroom during all instructional hours and pass the required examination. Attendance in an online course qualifies as presence in the classroom.
    (a) An applicant who wishes to qualify for an initial certification may challenge an examination and receive credit for the instructional course hours without taking the course provided the applicant passes the examination as determined by the course provider. A passing grade on course examinations provided by the Department is a grade of 70% or better. All questions are weighed equally. The applicant must provide documentation of passing the examination in the form of a certificate of completion or other documentation from the course provider.
    (b) An applicant who wishes to challenge an examination must contact the course provider to arrange scheduling. An applicant who wishes to challenge an examination for a course provided by the Department must submit a written request to PTOTraining@floridarevenue.com at least 30 days prior to the start of the course.
Rulemaking Authority Florida Statutes § 195.002(2), 195.027(1) FS. Law Implemented 145.10, 145.11, 195.002 FS. History-New 4-2-81, Formerly 12-9.03, Amended 4-11-89, 12-19-89, 12-30-97, 1-2-01, 10-26-21, Formerly 12-9.003.