The UAD 3.6 deadline is Monday, November 2, 2026. That date has been on the calendar since 2024, and as of this writing it's eight days out. What changed in the last month is everything around it. On September 30, 2026 Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac announced a one-time policy exception for lenders that aren't ready, which created a staggered set of dates running into the summer of 2027. If you're an appraiser trying to figure out whether next week's orders come in as a Form 1004 or a redesigned URAR, this is the page to bookmark.
Key takeaways
- November 2, 2026 is the mandate. It does not move.
- The date is tied to when the report is submitted to UCDP, not your inspection or effective date.
- Some lenders have a one-time exception that lets them keep submitting UAD 2.6 until May 19, 2027, with growing penalties after March 1.
- New UAD 2.6 submissions fail with a Fatal message from May 20, 2027. UAD 2.6 is retired June 28, 2027.
- The exception belongs to the lender. Your report format follows the order, so ask each client.
The full UAD 3.6 timeline at a glance
These dates come from the joint GSE UAD Redesign Timeline and the September 30, 2026 Temporary Policy Exception notice. Fannie Mae published the same exception in Lender Letter LL-2026-08.
| Date | Phase | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Sept 8, 2025 | Limited production | Approved lenders and vendors began submitting UAD 3.6 in production |
| Jan 26, 2026 | Broad production | Anyone could submit UAD 3.6. Not yet required |
| Nov 2, 2026 | Mandate | Sellers must submit UAD 3.6 unless they have an approved policy exception |
| Nov 2, 2026 – Feb 28, 2027 | Exception period | Excepted sellers may submit UAD 2.6. Those reports still get collateral R&W relief and a risk score |
| Mar 1 – May 19, 2027 | Reduced functionality | UAD 2.6 reports get a risk score of 99 (Freddie Mac) or 999 (Fannie Mae) and no R&W relief for value |
| May 20, 2027 | UAD 2.6 Fatal | New UAD 2.6 submissions are unsuccessful with a Fatal message. Only resubmissions of earlier 2.6 reports |
| May 20 – June 27, 2027 | Pipeline revisions | Revisions to previously submitted 2.6 reports still accepted |
| June 28, 2027 | Retirement | UAD 2.6 retired. No 2.6 reports processed |
November 2, 2026: the mandate
The Freddie Mac UAD 3.6 FAQ puts it plainly: UAD 3.6 becomes mandatory for all new appraisal reports submitted to UCDP on or after November 2, 2026, and the mandate applies based on the UCDP Submission Date, not the Loan Application or Effective Date.
That last part matters for your pipeline. Think about the report you inspect on Thursday, October 29. You write it over the weekend and deliver Monday morning, November 2. The lender's underwriter reviews it Tuesday and the AMC submits to UCDP Wednesday. Unless that lender has an exception, a UAD 2.6 file submitted on Wednesday is late. The effective date of October 29 doesn't save it.
What this means in practice:
- For orders that came in the last week of October, ask the client which format they want delivered.
- Don't assume a 1004 order placed in October will be accepted as a 1004 in November.
- If a client asks you to convert a 2.6 report you've already delivered into 3.6, that's a new report in a new format. Treat it like one, including your fee and your workfile.
Watch out: Some AMC portals still let you upload a 1004 PDF after November 2. That doesn't mean the lender can submit it. If you're unsure, ask in writing and keep the answer in your workfile.
The policy exception: who gets one and what it does
The September 30 notice says only sellers (lenders approved to sell loans to Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac) request the exception, separately from each GSE. Lenders that don't sell directly to the GSEs don't request it, but they must align with their investors. Aggregators that buy loans from third-party originators must either make sure all their TPOs submit UAD 3.6 or request the exception themselves.
To get it, a seller has to acknowledge it can't meet the mandate, accept revised contract terms during the exception, and commit to a final implementation plan "including coordination with vendor(s) and appraisers." The GSEs say it is a one-time exception that will not be extended.
For you, the takeaway is simple. You don't apply for anything. Your format is set by the order. If one AMC's lender has an exception and another's doesn't, you'll write 1004s for one and redesigned URARs for the other, possibly in the same week.
November 2026 to February 2027: business as usual for 2.6, if excepted
From November 2, 2026 through February 28, 2027, excepted sellers can keep submitting UAD 2.6 reports. Per the GSE timeline, those reports "will continue to be eligible for collateral R&W relief for value and receive a collateral risk score from each GSE."
This is the window where you'll see the most mixed orders. Expect it, and keep both formats working. If your software only does one of the two, you may need to keep your old program for a few months. Don't cancel your old license until you know your clients' plans.
March 1 to May 19, 2027: reduced functionality
On March 1, 2027 the penalty starts. UAD 2.6 reports still go through UCDP, but:
- Freddie Mac's Loan Collateral Advisor returns a risk score of 99.
- Fannie Mae's Collateral Underwriter returns 999.
- The loans are not eligible for collateral representation and warranty relief for value.
In plain terms, a lender loses the automated comfort it gets from a good CU score. Most lenders will not want to live there. Expect any lender still ordering 1004s in February to switch hard on March 1, and expect a wave of "can you redo this as 3.6?" calls around then.
May 20, 2027: UAD 2.6 is Fatal for new submissions
From May 20, 2027, the exception ends. Initial submissions to UCDP must be UAD 3.6. A new UAD 2.6 appraisal returns an unsuccessful status and a Fatal feedback message on the Submission Summary Report.
UAD 2.6 is still allowed for one thing: resubmissions of 2.6 reports already in UCDP. If you delivered a 1004 in April and the lender sends a revision request in late May, you can still revise it as 2.6 until June 27.
One more rule from the Freddie Mac FAQ: UCDP does not accept mixed standards (UAD 2.6 and UAD 3.6) under the same Document File Identifier. If a 2.6 report gets redone as 3.6, it's a new submission.
June 28, 2027: UAD 2.6 retired
On June 28, 2027, no UAD 2.6 reports are processed. That's the real end of the 1004 era for GSE work.
The FAQ adds that the retirement is specific to submission in UCDP. A loan with an older 2.6 appraisal already in the file can still be delivered to the GSEs if it was properly submitted. Your old reports don't become invalid. They just can't be submitted or resubmitted.
What about FHA, VA and USDA?
The GSE timeline governs conventional loans sold to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. FHA appraisals go to HUD through the FHA Electronic Appraisal Delivery (EAD) portal, and HUD, VA and USDA set their own adoption dates. Check each agency's current guidance before you assume a government order uses the new URAR. Ask the lender what format its FHA, VA or USDA orders require.
A practical calendar for appraisers
| When | What to do |
|---|---|
| This week | Email every client: UAD 3.6 on Nov 2, or exception? Portal takes zips? Build one practice 3.6 report |
| Nov 2026 | Deliver 3.6 to clients without an exception. Keep your 2.6 software running |
| Jan–Feb 2027 | Ask excepted clients for their switch date. Most will switch before March 1 |
| March 2027 | Expect conversion requests. Price them as new work |
| May 19, 2027 | Last day for new 2.6 submissions under the exception |
| June 27, 2027 | Last day for 2.6 resubmissions. Close out any open 2.6 revisions |
| After June 28, 2027 | Keep your 2.6 workfiles for the USPAP retention period, then retire the old software |
That last row is easy to forget. USPAP's Record Keeping Rule requires you to keep each workfile at least five years after preparation, or at least two years after final disposition of any judicial proceeding in which you testified, whichever period ends later. Your 2.6 reports need to stay readable long after the format is retired. If you're changing software, export your archive before your old license lapses. The guide to switching appraisal software without losing your comps covers how.
Getting ready in the time left
Eight days isn't a lot, but it's enough to build one report from start to finish and fix what breaks. The UAD 3.6 readiness checklist is a step-by-step list. The complete UAD 3.6 guide covers the whole change. If you want to know what the GSEs will reject, start with the 728 compliance rules, Fatal vs. Warning.
Carat builds the redesigned URAR and the UCDP-ready zip, and runs hundreds of the H-1 compliance rules while you type, at $99 a month per appraiser, unlimited reports. You or your client still upload the file, and you sign it. You can start an account here and build a practice report before Monday.
Frequently asked questions
What is the UAD 3.6 deadline?
November 2, 2026. From that date, sellers that don't have an approved GSE policy exception must submit UAD 3.6 appraisal reports to UCDP for new submissions.
Is the UAD 3.6 deadline based on the effective date of the appraisal?
No. Freddie Mac says the mandate applies based on the UCDP submission date of the report, not the loan application date or the effective date of the appraisal.
What is the UAD 3.6 policy exception?
A one-time exception the GSEs offered to sellers that need more time. With it, a seller can submit new UAD 2.6 reports through May 19, 2027 and resubmit UAD 2.6 reports through June 27, 2027. The GSEs say it will not be extended.
When is UAD 2.6 retired?
June 28, 2027. After that date no UAD 2.6 appraisal reports are processed in UCDP.
What happens to UAD 2.6 reports from March 1, 2027?
From March 1 through May 19, 2027, UAD 2.6 reports submitted under an exception receive a collateral risk score of 99 from Freddie Mac and 999 from Fannie Mae and are not eligible for collateral representation and warranty relief for value.