Chief County Assessment Officer Education Qualifications

An elected or appointed Chief County Assessment Officer must be qualified in accordance with Section 3-5 of the Property Tax Code (35 ILCS 200/3-5). To be eligible for filing nomination papers for participating as a candidate in an election for, being elected to, or being appointed to the office of Chief County Assessment Officer, the individuals must meet ALL three qualifications listed below:

1. Have two years experience in the field of property sales, assessments, finance or appraisals.

2. Pass the Chief County Assessment Officer examination conducted by the Department of Revenue.

3. Possess one of the following:

  • Certified Illinois Assessing Officer (CIAO) certificate from the Illinois Property Assessment Institute, plus any additional training required for additional compensation under 35 ILCS 200/4-10.

  • Certified Assessment Evaluator (CAE) certificate from the International Association of Assessing Officers, plus current continuing education requirements. as prescribed by the designating association.

  • Member of the Appraisal Institute (MAI), Residential Member (RM), Senior Real Estate Analyst (SREA), Senior Real Property Analyst (SRPA), or Senior Residential Analyst (SRA) certificate from the Appraisal Institute or its predecessor organizations, plus current continuing education requirements as prescribed by the designating association.

Note: If the CIAO designation is awarded in the same year of the appointment or the same year that the nomination papers are filed for an elected position, the person will not be required to have additional training under Section 4-10 of the Property Tax Code (35 ILCS 200/4-10).