In order to become a licensed auctioneer in Pennsylvania, there are several avenues available:

  1. Serving an apprenticeship as a licensed apprentice auctioneer for a period of not less than two years in the employ of a qualified sponsor and participating for compensation in no less than 30 auctions, including auctions under the supervision of a substitute qualified sponsor, without limitation as to the method of conducting the auctions, which may include online auctions;
  2. Successfully completing a prescribed course of study in auctioneering at a Group A auction school;
    • Harrisburg Area Community College (HACC) – Michelle Myers, 717-780-2494, memyers@hacc.edu
    • Reading Area Community College (RACC) – Approved Auction Curriculum; Auction Program Coordinator – Ida Schiaroli, 610-375-8818, ischiaroli@racc.edu
  3. Successfully completing a prescribed course of study in auctioneering at a Group B auction school and serving an apprenticeship as a licensed apprentice auctioneer for a period of not less than one year in the employ of a qualified sponsor and participating for compensation in no less than 15 auctions, which may include auctions under the supervision of a substitute qualified sponsor, without limitation as to the format of the auctions, which may include online auctions;
  4. Being licensed in good standing by another state to engage in auctioneering for at least two years. The board shall review applications under this paragraph to determine the qualifications of the applicant; or
  5. Demonstrating that the individual has conducted auctioneering for at least two years in a state that does not require a license. The board shall review applications under this paragraph to determine the qualifications of the applicant.

In each case, you will need to contact the State Board of Auctioneer Examiners in Harrisburg at (717) 783-3397 to request the necessary paperwork or download the forms from their website listed below. This board regulates and licenses all auctioneers in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.

The State Board of Auctioneer Examiners is located at https://www.dos.pa.gov/.

For information regarding the auction licensing exam, go to www.pcshq.com. This is the agency which administers the auction test in Pennsylvania. You can find the document necessary to record the 30 sales you need to conduct as an apprentice at this site, as well.

For information regarding obtaining a study guide and preparing for the PA auctioneer license exam, please contact Charlene A. Caple, GPPA, at (717) 521-9534.

You can also contact the National Auctioneers Association at www.auctioneers.org for general information on becoming an auctioneer or call them at 1-888-541-8084.

Once you get your auctioneer license or apprentice license, we would hope you would contact us again to become a member of the Pennsylvania Auctioneers Association. Good luck!

PA State Board Of Auctioneer Examiners:

(includes the entire Auction Law, Board Members, Board Forms, and more)