How to verify a real estate license in Alabama

The five trades at a glance

Real estate agents and brokers

Use the AREC License Search at arec.alabama.gov. You can search by first and last name, company name or license number. A record shows the license number, status, type, address, the dates the license was issued and renewed, and its expiration date. A company record also lists the people licensed under it.

AREC’s disciplinary actions are online only from August 1, 2019. For earlier actions, AREC asks you to email arec@arec.alabama.gov or call (334) 242-5544. AREC also points to the ARELLO database for licensees from other jurisdictions. Report unlicensed activity to the Commission.

Note that the owner of a home may sell it without a license (§ 34-27-2(b)(1)), so an unlicensed seller is not by that fact a violation.

Mortgage loan originators

An individual may not act as a mortgage loan originator for a dwelling in Alabama without a license, and each licensed originator must register with the Nationwide Mortgage Licensing System and Registry and keep a valid unique identifier (§ 5-26-4(1)). Employees of certain regulated lenders are exempt from the state license but are registered federally, and so are certain family members, individuals financing their own residence and attorneys acting ancillary to representation (§ 5-26-4(2)). The search tool is NMLS Consumer Access. I could not open it today (the site returned an access error), so I cannot describe what it displays; confirm there that the person’s identifier matches the one on your loan documents.

Home inspectors

Alabama’s Home Inspectors Registration Act (Title 34, Chapter 14B) calls for a certificate of licensure that is issued for a period ending December 31 and renewed each year (§ 34-14B-4). No one may advertise as a home inspector without complying, and ads, contracts and correspondence must show the inspector’s registration number, name and address (§ 34-14B-7). The Division of Construction Management publishes an inspector roster search and a complaint form for buyers who paid for an inspection. Its page lists the Home Inspections contact as (334) 242-4802.

An inspector’s report is also something to review before you buy. See home inspection cost.

Appraisers

A person who performs an appraisal for a fee on Alabama property must be licensed under the Real Estate Appraisers Act (§ 34-27A-3). The Alabama Real Estate Appraisers Board offers a public portal where you select “Users” to find an individual appraiser or “Entities” for an appraisal company or management company. The federal Appraisal Subcommittee’s registry (asc.gov/appraiser) lets you search by state, certificate type and name. See home appraisal cost.

Land surveyors

No one may practice or offer to practice land surveying without a board license (§ 34-11-2(a)). The Board for Engineers and Land Surveyors provides a License Search at bels.alabama.gov/license-search, and the statute requires it to publish a roster of licensed surveyors (§ 34-11-3). The Board’s phone numbers are (334) 242-5568 and (866) 461-7640. See land survey cost.

What to do if a license is expired or suspended

Do not pay or sign until you have the license status in writing from the lookup. AREC can discipline a licensee under § 34-27-36 with a fine of $100 to $5,000, extra education, a public reprimand, or license suspension or revocation. Aggrieved parties may file a complaint with AREC; the Commission posts a complaint form on its site. For other trades, contact the board named in the table above.

For help choosing, see real estate attorney in Alabama and the local overview of Birmingham.