UAD 3.6 Becomes Mandatory for New Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac Appraisals
Beginning November 2, new appraisal reports submitted to the GSEs’ Uniform Collateral Data Portal must use UAD 3.6 unless a lender has an approved policy exception. FHA’s transition remains optional.
By Christopher Salem · 4 min read
Beginning Monday, November 2, 2026, new residential appraisal reports submitted to the Uniform Collateral Data Portal must use Uniform Appraisal Dataset 3.6 for loans intended for sale to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. The mandate changes the appraisal format and data workflow used by lenders, appraisal management companies, appraisers and mortgage technology providers.
The operative date is the report’s initial UCDP submission date, not the loan application date or appraisal effective date. According to the joint UAD 3.6 frequently asked questions, a new UAD 2.6 appraisal submitted on or after November 2 will receive a fatal message and a “Not Successful” submission result unless the lender is operating under an approved policy exception.
What changes under UAD 3.6
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac developed the new dataset through the Uniform Mortgage Data Program at the direction of the Federal Housing Finance Agency. UAD 3.6 aligns appraisal reporting with the Mortgage Industry Standards Maintenance Organization Reference Model 3.6 and replaces multiple static appraisal forms with a dynamic Uniform Residential Appraisal Report.
The GSEs say the new structure is intended to capture property, inspection and market information in a standardized format instead of relying heavily on free-form commentary. It is designed to support different residential property types and valuation methods through one reporting framework.
| Submission | Treatment |
|---|---|
| New appraisal submitted to UCDP | UAD 3.6 required unless the lender has an approved GSE policy exception |
| New UAD 2.6 report without an exception | Fatal message and “Not Successful” status |
| Revision to a UAD 2.6 report first submitted before November 2 | May remain in UAD 2.6 during the transition period |
| FHA appraisal submitted through EAD | UAD 2.6 or UAD 3.6 remains optional until FHA announces a mandatory date |
Sources: Freddie Mac UAD 3.6 FAQ, Fannie Mae UAD resources and FHA INFO.
Legacy revisions and policy exceptions
The mandate does not force every existing appraisal file into the new format. Revisions to UAD 2.6 reports initially submitted before November 2 may continue in UAD 2.6 during the transition period. UCDP does not permit UAD 2.6 and UAD 3.6 files to be mixed under the same document file identifier.
Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac also offer temporary policy exceptions for lenders needing additional implementation time. A lender seeking continued use of UAD 2.6 must follow the applicable GSE exception process. An exception should not be assumed merely because a vendor or appraisal partner is not ready.
FHA is following a different timetable
FHA opened an optional broad-production period for UAD 3.6 through its Electronic Appraisal Delivery portal in October. FHA-approved mortgagees may submit forward-mortgage and Home Equity Conversion Mortgage appraisals in either UAD 2.6 or UAD 3.6 for now. FHA has not announced its mandatory adoption date.
That distinction matters for lenders running conventional and government channels. A system or appraisal vendor may need to support mandatory GSE delivery while preserving the legacy FHA workflow. For an individual FHA case, the initial format must also be used for later submissions associated with that case.
What mortgage teams should verify now
Loan operations teams should confirm that engagement letters specify the required format, appraisal vendors can produce compliant UAD 3.6 files, UCDP credentials and integrations are working, and staff know how to respond to fatal submission messages. Pipeline reports should separate new appraisals from revisions to reports submitted before the deadline.
Borrowers are unlikely to interact with the data standard directly, but transition failures can still affect appraisal delivery and loan timing. Mortgage professionals should avoid promising that the new format will change a property value. UAD 3.6 changes how appraisal information is structured and transmitted. It does not prescribe the appraiser’s value conclusion.