How do I choose a claims adjuster pre-licensing course?

First confirm your state's rules, because adjuster prelicensing varies sharply and some jurisdictions do not license adjusters at all. Where education is required, pick a provider from the state's approved-course list. Georgia requires 16 hours of property and casualty adjuster courses, and New York requires a 40-hour course for public adjuster candidates. A course can sometimes replace the exam: Texas waives the all-lines adjuster exam for applicants who completed a state-approved course within the last 12 months, and designations such as AIC or CPCU exempt exams in several states.

No prelicensing course is required to become an Alabama adjuster. Since January 1, 2024, the state no longer requires, regulates, or approves prelicensing education, so any course is optional preparation for the licensing exam. Candidates choose between self-study and a commercial exam-prep course, then register for one of the four state adjuster exams.

Alaska does not require a pre-licensing course for adjusters, so there is no state-mandated course you must choose. Instead, independent adjuster applicants must show six months of active working experience within the last two years, or special education or training in handling claims. The Pearson VUE candidate handbook lists study materials for information only, and neither the Division of Insurance nor Pearson VUE endorses any particular materials.

Arkansas requires 20 hours of prelicensing education for each adjuster line (property, casualty, and workers' compensation), so choose a course that covers the full 20 hours for your line. Courses may be classroom or online, and online study time must be tracked and verified. Your certificate of completion must be presented at exam check-in and is valid for 2 years, so time your enrollment against your planned exam date.

Choose a state-approved course that meets Georgia's requirement: 16 hours of Property and Casualty adjuster education, at 8 hours per major line. Confirm the provider reports completions electronically, because Georgia accepts only electronic uploads from the education provider and rejects paper completion forms. Plan to pass the Pearson VUE exam within one year of finishing the course, since completions are valid for one year.

Louisiana requires no prelicensing education for claims adjuster applicants, so a prep course is optional rather than a licensing step. You take the PSI adjuster exam directly: the Property and Casualty adjuster exam costs $36 and the other adjuster exams cost $19. PSI's published exam content outlines list the topics tested, which can guide your choice of study material.

Mississippi requires 20 hours of adjuster pre-licensing education, delivered by classroom or self-study. Choose any course on the state's approved-education list, which you can search at sircon.com/mississippi. Approved providers submit your course completion directly to the Mississippi Insurance Department.

Choose a course the Texas Department of Insurance has approved; approved adjusting courses are listed through the Sircon (Vertafore) website. A course is optional because you can take the state adjuster exam instead, but completing a TDI-approved course within the last 12 months exempts you from that exam. Either way, the $50 application is submitted through Sircon.

Wyoming requires no prelicensing course for adjusters, so any course you take is optional exam preparation. The state Department of Insurance lists providers with known study materials but does not endorse any of them, so compare options on cost and format. You must pass the Wyoming Insurance Adjuster Licensing Exam through Pearson VUE, which covers the Property, Casualty, and Crop lines.