Do I need a license to work as an insurance adjuster?

It depends on your state and how you are employed. Licensing requirements for claims adjusters vary by state: some states have few requirements, while others require prelicensing education, a licensing exam, or both. In some states, adjusters employed by insurance companies can work under the company license without holding an individual license, and a number of states do not license adjusters at all.

Yes. Independent adjusters in Alabama must hold an adjuster license, which requires passing one of four state adjuster exams (70% to pass, $75 fee), completing a fingerprint background check through Fieldprint, and applying through NIPR with a $110 fee. Public adjusters are the exception: the Alabama Department of Insurance does not license or regulate them, and the Alabama State Bar treats negotiating an insured's claim directly with the insurer as the practice of law.

Yes, Arizona licenses insurance adjusters. Residents, and nonresidents who do not hold a resident adjuster license in their home state, must pass the Arizona adjuster exam (Series 13-36, $59 fee, 70% to pass) and pay the $120 application fee through the National Insurance Producer Registry, with fingerprints required. Nonresidents who already hold a resident adjuster license in their home state do not take the Arizona exam.

Yes, independent adjusters in Georgia must be licensed. The state requires a 16-hour Property and Casualty adjuster course, a passing exam score, a $120 fee, a Citizenship Affidavit, and fingerprints. Staff adjusters, who are salaried employees of an insurance company, are not licensed; their insurer registers them instead for $50 per adjuster plus a $5 processing fee.

Illinois does not require a license for company or staff adjusters who handle claims for their employer. The state does license public adjusters, who represent policyholders: they must pass the Pearson VUE exam ($92), pay a $250 license fee, submit evidence of $50,000 in financial responsibility, and be fingerprinted by an Illinois-approved live scan vendor before the license issues.

Most adjusters in Mississippi need a license, with two exceptions. Salaried employees of an insurance company do not need an adjuster license, and no license is required to adjust multi-peril crop claims. Resident independent adjusters must complete 20 hours of prelicensing education (or prove equivalent claim-handling experience) and pass the Pearson VUE exam; public adjusters take a separate exam and must post a $50,000 bond or letter of credit.

New Jersey does not issue or require a separate staff or independent adjuster license. The only adjuster license class in the state is the Public Adjuster license, which requires passing an exam, paying a $70 total fee, and carrying a $10,000 bond. Public adjusters represent policyholders, rather than insurance companies, in claim negotiations.

You need a license issued by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI), such as the all-lines or property and casualty adjuster license, to adjust claims in Texas. Pass the Pearson VUE exam, or qualify for a waiver such as a TDI-approved adjusting course completed within the last 12 months or the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) or Associate in Claims (AIC) designation. Then complete fingerprinting through TDI's portal and apply through Sircon within one year of passing for a $50 fee.