How do I become an entry-level claims adjuster with no experience?

Entry-level adjuster roles typically require only a high school diploma, and new adjusters start on small claims under supervision. If your state licenses adjusters, you must be at least 18 and pass a licensing exam; 16 jurisdictions — among them Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee — do not license adjusters, and their residents commonly obtain a designated home state license from Florida or Texas, which more than 30 states reciprocate. Certification in claims-estimating software is a common hiring credential for new independent adjusters.

Alaska offers a Trainee Adjuster license for applicants without claims experience: you pay the $75 fee and must work under the supervision of an Alaska-licensed independent adjuster supervisor. To upgrade to a full Independent Adjuster license, you must have six months of active working experience within the last two calendar years and pass the 80-question adjuster exam, which costs $89.

Delaware offers an apprentice adjuster license for applicants without experience. A licensed adjuster must submit a statement assuming responsibility for you and certifying that you are a full-time supervised employee, and the license is valid for 1 year. Alternatively, you can qualify directly as a resident adjuster by passing the Pearson VUE exam for your line of authority, submitting state and FBI criminal history reports, and paying the license fee through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR).

In Maine, adjuster candidates pass a Pearson VUE adjuster exam for their line: Property & Casualty, Workers' Compensation, or Multiple-Peril Crop Insurance, each with 50 questions in 60 minutes at a $55 fee. After passing, submit a license application and fee to the Maine Bureau of Insurance. The handbook's five-year experience requirement applies to consultant candidates, not adjusters.

Montana does not list prior experience as a requirement for an adjuster license. You must pass the multi-line adjuster exam (88 scoreable questions, $65 fee) through Pearson VUE, apply for the $50 license through NIPR, and submit fingerprints with a $30 payment to Montana Criminal Records. Resident adjusters must also maintain a Montana office that is accessible to the public and keep usual and customary records.

New Hampshire does not require prior adjusting experience for a resident license, so you can start by passing the adjuster examination administered by PSI. Register for the Property and Casualty adjuster exam (series 12-75, $72) or the Workers' Compensation adjuster exam (12-76, $59), then apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with the $75 initial license fee. After licensing, resident adjusters must complete 24 continuing education hours every two years, including 3 ethics credits.

New Jersey does not license staff or independent claims adjusters, so you can begin handling claims as an insurer or adjusting-firm employee without a state license. To work as a licensed adjuster across state lines, New Jersey residents can obtain a non-resident adjuster license by claiming Texas or Florida as a designated home state, which then supports applications in other states without additional exams.

North Dakota does not license staff or independent adjusters who represent insurance companies, so entry-level claims work for insurers requires no state adjuster license. Only public adjusters, who represent policyholders, must be licensed: that path requires passing the $58 Public Adjuster exam, paying a $100 application fee, and posting a $20,000 bond. Employers, not the state, set the experience requirements for company claims jobs.

To become a claims adjuster in Rhode Island, pass the applicable adjuster exam at a Pearson VUE test center, obtain a certified background check (BCI) from the Rhode Island Attorney General dated within the past 30 days, and apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). The biennial license fee is $250 for company, independent, and public adjusters. Once licensed, you must complete 24 hours of continuing education, including 3 hours of ethics, every two years.

South Dakota does not license property or casualty adjusters, so there is no state adjuster license or examination required to handle property and casualty claims in the state. The Division of Insurance licensing framework covers producers rather than adjusters.

Wyoming's adjuster licensing requirements do not include prior experience. You must be at least 18, pass the Wyoming Insurance Adjuster Licensing Exam through Pearson VUE, apply and pay the $100 resident fee, and be fingerprinted for the background check ($39). The adjuster lines of authority are Property, Casualty, and Crop.