Who is responsible for complying with USPAP?

The responsibility for complying with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP) falls primarily on individual appraisers. Each appraiser, regardless of their status as a trainee or a fully licensed professional, must adhere to the standards set forth by USPAP. This includes maintaining ethical conduct, following prescribed methodologies for valuation, and ensuring that their work is credible and transparent.

While appraisal firms may have policies in place to promote compliance and may provide training or guidance to their appraisers, it is ultimately the individual appraiser who is accountable for their specific actions and adherence to USPAP. This means that every appraiser must be familiar with USPAP guidelines, understand how to apply them, and be responsible for the quality and integrity of their work.

The role of supervisory appraisers, while important for guidance and mentorship, does not exempt the individual appraisers from their own responsibility. Similarly, state regulatory bodies oversee compliance and enforcement but do not bear the individual responsibility that appraisers carry. Thus, it is clear that the obligation to comply with USPAP rests with the individual appraisers.