Licensing Requirements and Standards for Appraisers

(1) Requirement That License Be Obtained and Displayed. No person in Massachusetts shall appraise or estimate damages to motor vehicles or otherwise present himself or herself as an appraiser unless he or she has first obtained a license from the Auto Damage Appraiser Licensing Board. This license shall be valid for one year or less and shall be renewed annually on July 1st. Any appraiser, while making an appraisal, shall carry his or her license and shall, upon request, display it to any person involved in the claim or to any representative of the Board. (2) Qualifications for a License. Any applicant for a license shall be 18 years of age or over and of good moral character. He or she shall furnish satisfactory proof to the Board that he or she possesses the educational qualifications required for graduation from high school or that he or she possesses relevant work experience deemed satisfactory by the Board. No applicant shall be considered competent unless the applicant has assisted in the preparation of appraisals for at least three months under the close supervision of a licensed appraiser. He or she shall complete an approved appraisal course or at the Board's discretion work experience may be substituted for said schooling. (3) Application and Examination Fee for a License. Any applicant for a license shall complete an application to be prescribed by the Board and shall sign it under the penalties of perjury. He or she shall submit this application and non-refundable fee of $100 to the Board. After an application is received and approved, the applicant shall be required to pass an examination given under the supervision of the Board. All successful applicants will be issued a numbered license. Any applicant failing to pass an examination, upon the payment of a further non­ refundable fee of $50.00, shall be entitled to a reexamination after the expiration of six months from the date of the last examination. Any applicant failing to pass an examination shall be allowed to review his or her examination. (4) Renewal of License. The Board shall mail to each licensed appraiser an application for renewal. Such application shall be completed and returned to the Board. Each application shall be accompanied by a renewal fee of $50.00. After verification of the facts stated on the renewal application, the Board shall issue a renewal license dated July first, and this license shall expire on the June thirtieth of the year following. Any licensed appraiser who fails to renew his or her license within 60 days after notification by the Board of his or her license expiration date, before again engaging in the practice of a licensed appraiser within the Commonwealth, shall be required to re-register, pay a penalty fee determined by the Board and any back license fees, or may be required by the Board to be reexamined and pay applicable fees. (5) Procedure for Auto Damage Appraisals. (a) All forms used for auto damage appraisals must be approved by the Board. (b) All forms used are required to have an itemization of parts, labor and services necessary for repairs thereof. The prepared appraisal shall be sworn to under the penalties of perjury and shall include the appraiser's name, signature, license number, seal or stamp, employer, insurance company, repair shop registration number if applicable, fee charged, the date the vehicle was appraised and the name of the manual used (if any) in preparing the appraisal. The appraisal seal or stamp shall be of a design approved by the Board. All appraisals sent electronically need not include the appraiser’s signature and his or her seal or stamp. (6) Schedule of Appraisal Fees. (a) The Board may consider the appraisal fees charged within the territories where said appraiser operates. Any appraiser shall establish his or her own fee schedule unless limited by the Board. Any appraiser must post his or her appraisal fee schedule in a conspicuous location at his or her work place. The Board may establish a maximum schedule of fees by territory, type of business or complexity of work. Fees charged in excess of maximums approved by the Board shall result in penalties as established by the Board. (b) Fees paid by a claimant for an appraisal that was requested by the insurer are recoverable from the insurer. Fees for auto damage appraisals not requested by the insurer in first party claims are not recoverable from the insurer. (7) Conflict of Interest. It shall be a conflict of interest for any appraiser who has been assigned to appraise a damaged motor vehicle to accept, in connection with that appraisal, anything of value from any source other than the assignor of that appraisal. Further, it shall be a conflict of interest for any appraiser employed by a repair shop to accept the assignment of an appraisal from an insurer unless that appraiser's employment contract prohibits the repair shop from repairing damaged motor vehicles that have been so appraised. In addition, it shall be a conflict of interest for any appraiser who owns or has an interest in a repair shop to have a vehicle repaired at that shop if that appraiser has appraised that vehicle at the request of an insurer. It shall be a conflict of interest if any licensed appraiser operates a Drive-in Appraisal Service for an insurer at a repair shop. (8) Revocation or Suspension of a License. The Board may revoke or suspend any appraiser's license at any time for a period not exceeding one year if the Board finds, after a hearing, that the individual is either not competent or not trustworthy or has committed fraud, deceit, gross negligence, misconduct, or conflict of interest in the preparation of any motor vehicle damage report. The following acts or practices by any appraiser are among those that may be considered as grounds for revocation or suspension of an appraiser's license: (a) material misrepresentations knowingly or negligently made in an application for a license or for its renewal; (b) material misrepresentations knowingly or negligently made to an owner of a damaged motor vehicle or to a repair shop regarding the terms or effect of any contract of insurance; (c) the arrangement of unfair and or unreasonable settlements offered to claimants under collision, limited collision, comprehensive, or property damage liability coverages; (d) the causation or facilitation of the overpayment by an insurer of a claim made under collision, limited collision, comprehensive, or property damage liability coverage as a result of an inaccurate appraisal; (e) the refusal by any appraiser who owns or is employed by a repair shop to allow an appraiser assigned by an insurer access to that repair shop for the purpose of making an appraisal, supervisory reinspection, or intensified appraisal. (f) the commission of any criminal act related to appraisals, or any felonious act, which results in final conviction; (g) knowingly preparing an appraisal that itemizes damage to a motor vehicle that does not exist: and (h) failure to comply with 212 CMR 2.00. (9) Drive-in Claim and Appraisal Facilities. Drive-in claim and appraisal facilities shall possess the following equipment: (a) Operating telephone service. (b) A calculator. (c) Current collision, paint and body cost estimating guide manuals or an automated system. (d) An operating flash light. (e) A tape measure of at least 30 feet. (f) An operating camera and film. (g) A fax machine or other device capable of transmitting data.