The ASC National Registry is the federal list of state-licensed and certified appraisers eligible to appraise in federally related transactions. To check a Claremont appraiser on it, open the Appraiser Registry on asc.gov, choose California, enter the last name, and open the entry: confirm the credential number and type, an Active status, "Yes" under Conforms to AQB, and an empty disciplinary section. Treat it as the second check after the state's own BREA record, which is the source the registry reflects.
This walkthrough covers what the registry is, how to search it, how to read an entry, and what it cannot tell you. It is part of the choosing an appraiser in Claremont series.
What is the ASC, and what is the National Registry?
The ASC, the Appraisal Subcommittee of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council, was created under Title XI of FIRREA, the Financial Institutions Reform, Recovery, and Enforcement Act of 1989. It monitors state appraiser regulatory programs, including California's, for compliance with federal law.
The ASC keeps the Appraiser Registry, a database of state-licensed, state-certified residential and state-certified general appraisers who are eligible to perform appraisals in connection with federally related transactions, meaning real estate financial transactions that a federal financial institution regulator engages in or regulates and that require an appraiser. Most mortgage lending falls in that group. The registry is fed by the states; it does not issue licenses.
Why check the registry if BREA already has the record?
Three reasons. It is an independent federal view of the same credential. It shows whether the credential conforms to the criteria of the AQB, the Appraiser Qualifications Board of The Appraisal Foundation, which sets minimum education, experience and examination requirements. And it lists an appraiser's credentials in every state in one place.
The registry depends on what the state sends, and each state record shows the date the state data was last updated. If an entry looks out of step with the BREA license search, the BREA record is the current one, and the ASC says corrections must go through the state agency, not through the ASC.
Step 1: Open the Appraiser Registry
On asc.gov, open the National Registries menu and choose Appraiser Registry, or go directly to the ASC Appraiser Registry search. The page opens on a Quick Search tab, with an Advanced Search tab beside it.
Step 2: Fill in the Quick Search
- Credentialing State/Territory: choose California.
- Certificate Type: leave it open, or choose Certified Residential, Certified General or Licensed.
- First Name and Last Name: enter the appraiser's name as it appears on the license.
- Choose how many results per page and the sort order, then select Apply.
Trainees are not among the credential types the registry lists. If the person who inspects your house is a trainee, look up both the trainee and the supervising appraiser on BREA.
Step 3: Read the entry
Each state credential appears as its own block. The fields that matter:
- Status: Active is what you want to see for the California credential.
- Credential Number: should match the BREA license number, with its level prefix.
- Credential Type: Licensed, Certified Residential or Certified General.
- Conforms to AQB: according to the ASC, "Yes" means the appraiser met the AQB criteria for education, experience and examination. "No" generally means the appraiser has not shown the state that every AQB minimum is met.
- Disciplinary and Other Actions and Temporary Discipline Actions: empty sections mean the registry is reporting no action.
- State Data Last Updated On: the date the state last sent data for that credential.
The entry also carries a company name, mailing address and telephone on file with the state. As on the BREA record, those confirm identity. They do not describe where the appraiser works or which markets the appraiser knows.
When an entry lists more than one state
An appraiser who has held a credential in another state may show a second block, often marked Inactive. That is normal. For a Claremont property, the California credential is the one that must be active and the right type.
What the disciplinary section does and does not show
The ASC says the registry reports, as public information, active disciplinary actions that limit an appraiser's ability to appraise: current revocations, suspensions and voluntary surrenders in lieu of discipline. Other disciplinary information is held by the state, so for a California appraiser, check BREA, where published disciplinary documents are linked from the licensee's search result. The ASC also runs an appraisal complaint hotline, linked from the top of its site, for anyone who needs to report a concern about an appraisal.
A worked example: Gordon Hall
Search California, last name Hall, first name Gordon, and open the entry. The California block shows Credential Number AR003877 and Credential Type Certified Residential, matching the credential line Gordon Hall, California Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser, BREA No. AR003877. Read the status, the AQB field and the disciplinary sections yourself on the ASC National Registry entry, then compare it with the BREA license record. A website's description of its own credential should never be the last word.
What the registry cannot tell you
The registry confirms that a credential exists and is in good standing. It does not tell you whether the appraiser knows how a pre-1940 house near the Colleges differs from a postwar ranch north of Foothill or a hillside home in Claraboya, or how a sale across Mills Avenue in Montclair should be treated. Nor does it show independence, the rule that the opinion of value is developed free of pressure from any party, including the one who pays, with the fee set by the scope of the assignment and quoted before work begins. Those checks are in how to check a Claremont appraiser and what to ask a Claremont appraiser before ordering.
Next step
The About page places both registry links beside the appraiser's bio, and the Claremont area page describes the pockets this practice works in Los Angeles and San Bernardino counties. When the credential checks out, order an appraisal or call (909) 324-6122; the fee does not depend on the value.
Sources
- Appraisal Subcommittee, Appraiser Registry search, accessed October 30, 2026
- Appraisal Subcommittee, Frequently Asked Questions, accessed October 30, 2026
- Appraisal Subcommittee, National Registry entry for Gordon S. Hall, accessed October 30, 2026
- California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers, license record AR003877, accessed October 30, 2026
- California Bureau of Real Estate Appraisers, appraiser license search, accessed October 30, 2026
- BREA Licensing Handbook, Real Estate Appraiser License Levels, accessed October 30, 2026
Gordon Hall, California Certified Residential Real Estate Appraiser, BREA No. AR003877 (lookup: https://www2.brea.ca.gov/breasearch/faces/party/view.xhtml?id=23601). Reports are prepared in conformity with the Uniform Standards of Professional Appraisal Practice (USPAP). Nothing here is legal or tax advice; admissibility is always the court's decision.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ASC National Registry?
It is a federal database kept by the Appraisal Subcommittee of the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council, listing state-licensed and state-certified appraisers eligible to appraise in federally related transactions. The data comes from the state licensing agencies, which in California is BREA.
What does Conforms to AQB mean on an ASC record?
According to the ASC, Yes means the appraiser met the Appraiser Qualifications Board criteria for education, experience and examination. No generally means the appraiser has not shown the state that every AQB minimum is met.
What if the ASC record and the BREA record disagree?
The registry reflects what the state reports and shows when the state data was last updated, so the BREA record is the current one. The ASC says corrections must be made through the state appraiser regulatory agency, not through the ASC.
Are appraiser trainees listed on the ASC National Registry?
The registry lists licensed, certified residential and certified general appraisers, not trainees. If a trainee will inspect the property, look up both the trainee and the supervising appraiser on the BREA license search.
