(1) (a) The board shall, by rule, prescribe requirements for the initial licensing or certification of persons under this part 7 to meet the requirements of the "Real Estate Appraisal Reform Amendments", Title XI of the federal "Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989", as amended, 12 U.S.C. secs. 3331 to 3351, and shall develop, purchase, or contract for examinations to be passed by applicants. The board shall not establish any requirements for initial licensing or certification that are more stringent than the requirements of any applicable federal law; except that all applicants shall pass an examination offered by the board. If there is no applicable federal law, the board shall consider and may use as guidelines the most recent available criteria published by the appraiser qualifications board of the appraisal foundation or its successor organization.

(b) The four levels of appraiser licensure and certification, pursuant to paragraph (a) of this subsection (1), are defined as follows:

(I) "Certified general appraiser" means an appraiser meeting the requirements set by the board for general certification;

(II) "Certified residential appraiser" means an appraiser meeting the requirements set by the board for residential certification;

(III) "Licensed ad valorem appraiser" means an appraiser meeting the requirements set by the board for ad valorem appraiser certification. Only a county assessor, employee of a county assessor's office, or employee of the division of property taxation in the department of local affairs may obtain or possess an ad valorem appraiser certification; and

(IV) "Licensed appraiser" means an appraiser meeting the requirements set by the board for a license.

(c) A county assessor or employee of a county assessor's office who is a licensed ad valorem appraiser may not perform real estate appraisals outside of his or her official duties.

(d) The board shall transfer persons employed in a county assessor's office or in the division of property taxation in the department of local affairs who are registered appraisers as of July 1, 2013, to the category of licensed ad valorem appraiser. The board shall allow these persons, until December 31, 2015, to meet any additional requirements imposed by the board pursuant to section 12-61-704 (1)(a), as amended.

(2) (a) The board shall, by rule, prescribe continuing education requirements for persons licensed or certified as certified general appraisers, certified residential appraisers, or licensed appraisers as needed to meet the requirements of the "Real Estate Appraisal Reform Amendments", Title XI of the federal "Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989", as amended, 12 U.S.C. secs. 3331 to 3351. The board shall not establish any continuing education requirements that are more stringent than the requirements of any applicable law; except that all persons licensed or certified under this part 7 are subject to continuing education requirements. If there is no applicable federal law, the board shall consider and may use as guidelines the most recent available criteria published by the appraiser qualifications board of the appraisal foundation or its successor organization.

(b) The board shall, by rule, prescribe continuing education requirements for licensed ad valorem appraisers.

(3) Notwithstanding any provision of this section to the contrary, the criteria established by the board for the licensing or certification of appraisers pursuant to this part 7 shall not include membership or lack of membership in any appraisal organization.

(4) (a) Subject to section 12-61-719 (2), all appraiser employees of county assessors shall be licensed or certified as provided in subsections (1) and (2) of this section. Obtaining and maintaining a license or certificate under either of said subsections (1) and (2) entitles an appraiser employee of a county assessor to perform all real estate appraisals required to fulfill the person's official duties.

(b) Appraiser employees of county assessors who are employed to appraise real property are subject to this part 7; except that appraiser employees of county assessors who are employed to appraise real property are not subject to disciplinary actions by the board on the ground that they have performed appraisals beyond their level of competency when appraising real estate in fulfillment of their official duties. County assessors, if licensed or certified as provided in subsections (1) and (2) of this section, are not subject to disciplinary actions by the board on the ground that they have performed appraisals beyond their level of competency when appraising real estate in fulfillment of their official duties.

(c) The county in which an appraiser employee of a county assessor is employed shall pay all reasonable costs incurred by the appraiser employee of the county assessor to obtain and maintain a license or certificate pursuant to this section.

(5) The board shall not issue an appraiser's license as referenced in subparagraph (IV) of paragraph (b) of subsection (1) of this section unless the applicant has at least twelve months' appraisal experience.

(6) (a) The board shall not issue a license or certification until the applicant demonstrates that he or she meets the fitness standards established by board rule and submits a set of fingerprints to the Colorado bureau of investigation for the purpose of conducting a state and national fingerprint-based criminal history record check utilizing records of the Colorado bureau of investigation and the federal bureau of investigation. Each person submitting a set of fingerprints shall pay the fee established by the Colorado bureau of investigation for conducting the fingerprint-based criminal history record check to the bureau. Upon completion of the criminal history record check, the bureau shall forward the results to the board. The board may require a name-based criminal history record check for an applicant who has twice submitted to a fingerprint-based criminal history record check and whose fingerprints are unclassifiable. The board may deny an application for licensure or certification based on the outcome of the criminal history record check and may establish criminal history requirements more stringent than those established by any applicable federal law. At a minimum, the board shall adopt the criminal history requirements established by any applicable federal law.

(b) An applicant for certification as a licensed ad valorem appraiser is not subject to the fingerprinting and criminal background check requirements of paragraph (a) of this subsection (6).