The four license levels
The state lists four levels: trainee, licensed residential, certified residential and certified general. Each has its own education, experience and scope of practice. The trainee level covers property the supervising appraiser is permitted to appraise. The licensed residential level covers non-complex one-to-four unit residential property up to a stated transaction value, with lower limits for complex property. The Certified Residential level covers one-to-four unit residential property, and non-residential property up to a $250,000 transaction value. The certified general level covers all property types.
Read the regulator's own wording, linked below, before relying on a limit.
How to look an appraiser up
Open the California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers search.
Search by name or license number.
Open the record and read the license level, status and effective and end dates.
Check that the name, business address and telephone match the appraiser you are dealing with.
A record that shows an active Certified Residential license means the appraiser is permitted to appraise within that scope. It does not say whether the appraiser fits your purpose.
What Randy M. Sonns's record shows
The state record lists Randall Sonns with a Certified Residential license, number 004056, active status, a current term ending July 18, 2028, and an initial credential date of May 1, 1992, observed on October 8, 2026. The federal Appraisal Subcommittee registry lists the same name, business address and telephone with the credential number AR004056. Check both yourself. Neither record says anything about disciplinary history in the summary used here, and no conclusion about it is drawn.
Licensed versus certified
Licensed and certified residential appraisers hold different classes with different scopes. The practical difference is the range of property each may appraise, so ask which class your assignment needs.
For ordering questions, use the guide to questions to ask an appraiser. To see why the class can matter, read the value of a licensed appraiser, and for the service itself see residential appraisal in Los Angeles.
Frequently asked questions
What does certified residential mean?
A California license level whose scope covers one-to-four unit residential property and non-residential property up to a $250,000 transaction value.
Is a licensed appraiser the same as a certified one?
No. They are different classes with different scopes.
Where is the license number?
On the state record, and appraisers often show it on their reports and sites.
Does a license guarantee a good appraisal?
No. It shows permission to appraise within a scope. Quality is judged from the report.