How do I get a job as an insurance claims adjuster?
Most adjuster jobs start with a license. Licensing rules vary by state: some states require prelicensing education and an exam, while others license only independent and public adjusters and let company-employed adjusters work under the company license. A high school diploma is the typical entry-level education, and new adjusters start on small claims under supervision before being assigned larger ones. If your state does not license adjusters, you can obtain a designated home state license from Florida or Texas and use reciprocity to work in other states.
To work as a claims adjuster in Alaska, you need an independent adjuster license, which requires at least six months of active claims experience within the last two years. You can enter without experience through the trainee adjuster license, which covers property and casualty claims and requires supervision by an Alaska-licensed independent adjuster. The independent adjuster license fee is $75, and the adjuster exam has 80 scoreable questions.
Sources: Alaska DOI: Reinstate an expired license (form 08-307c).
Start with an Arizona adjuster license: pass the PSI adjuster exam (Series 13-36, $59 fee, 70% to pass), submit fingerprints, and pay the $120 application fee through the National Insurance Producer Registry. The Department processes most applications within 10 days. Once licensed, you can apply for staff and independent adjusting positions.
Sources: PSI: Arizona insurance candidate information bulletin (revised June 11, 2026).
In Florida, claims adjusters must hold the 6-20 all-lines adjuster license before handling claims. You can qualify by passing the state examination, a 2-hour test of 100 scored questions plus 10 unscored pretest questions, or by completing a 40-hour accredited claims adjuster designation course from a department-approved Florida postsecondary institution, which exempts you from the exam. You must also submit fingerprints ($52.50 plus local county sales tax) and apply online with a $50 application fee plus a $5 license ID fee.
Sources: Pearson VUE — Florida Insurance Examination Content Outlines (effective January 1, 2026); Florida DFS: professional designations accepted in lieu of pre-licensing; Florida DFS: fees and payment methods.
Illinois does not license company (staff) claims adjusters, so many Illinois residents obtain a Texas or Florida designated-home-state all-lines adjuster license to adjust claims in reciprocal states. If you want to represent policyholders against insurers instead, Illinois licenses public adjusters: you must pass the Pearson VUE public adjuster exam ($92 fee), pay a $250 license fee, post $50,000 in financial responsibility, and be fingerprinted by an Illinois-approved live scan vendor before the license issues.
Sources: Illinois IDOI: FAQs – Producer licensing exam changes (Pearson VUE testing); Illinois IDOI: Fee schedule; Illinois IDOI: How to become a resident producer (Illinois insurance agent).
To work as a claims adjuster in Louisiana you must first hold a claims adjuster license, and Louisiana requires no prelicensing education for adjusters. You pass the PSI exam for your line, such as Property and Casualty (Series 204, $36) or Automobile, Personal Lines, Commercial Lines, Crop, or Workers Compensation ($19 each), then file your application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) and complete fingerprinting.
Sources: PSI: Louisiana Department of Insurance candidate information bulletin.
To work as a claims adjuster in Maine, get an adjuster license: pass the Pearson VUE adjuster exam for your line, such as Property & Casualty (50 questions in 60 minutes, $55), then submit a license application and fee to the Maine Bureau of Insurance. The handbook sets no experience requirement for adjuster candidates; its five-year experience rule applies to consultants.
Sources: Pearson VUE: Maine insurance candidate handbook (incl. exam content outlines, March 2026).
Start by getting an adjuster license, since Montana requires adjusters to pass an exam and hold a license before handling claims. The Multi-line Adjuster exam has 88 scoreable questions with a passing score of 75%. The application fee is $50, the biennial renewal is $100, and you must complete 24 hours of continuing education every 2 years.
Sources: Pearson VUE: Montana insurance candidate handbook (June 2025); Montana CSI: Steps to obtaining a nonresident insurance license; Montana CSI: Producer, adjuster and consultant licensing.
New Jersey does not issue a separate license for staff or independent claims adjusters; insurance companies handle those roles internally. The only adjuster license New Jersey issues is the Public Adjuster license, which requires passing a PSI exam, paying a $70 total fee, and posting a $10,000 bond. Public adjusters initially licensed after July 4, 2011 must also complete 15 hours of continuing education.
Sources: NIPR: New Jersey resident individual licensing requirements; New Jersey DOBI: Insurance licensing and education hub.
To work as a claims adjuster in Rhode Island, you must first hold an adjuster license. Resident company and independent adjusters pass the applicable Rhode Island adjuster exam at a Pearson VUE test center, then apply electronically through NIPR with a $250 license fee and a certified background check (BCI) from the state that is no more than 30 days old. Public adjusters follow the same path with a separate exam.
Sources: NIPR: Rhode Island resident individual licensing requirements.
Most adjuster jobs in Texas require an adjuster license. You can qualify by passing the Pearson VUE all-lines adjuster exam (150 scoreable questions, $49), by completing a TDI-approved adjusting course within the last 12 months, or by holding the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) or Associate in Claims (AIC) designation. Then apply through Sircon within one year of passing, with a $50 fee; adjuster applications cannot be filed through NIPR.
Sources: Pearson VUE: Texas insurance licensing candidate handbook (October 2024); Texas TDI: all-lines adjuster license (apply); Texas TDI: life agent license management (renewal).
In Vermont, working as an adjuster requires a Property and Casualty Adjuster license: you must be at least 18, be deemed competent, trustworthy, and financially responsible, pass the Adjuster's Property and Casualty exam, and show two years of loss-claims experience, special training of sufficient duration and scope, or supervision by a Vermont-licensed adjuster with at least 3 years of experience. Staff and salaried adjusters must also be licensed, except officials and employees of Vermont domestic insurance companies.
Sources: Vermont DFR: PC adjuster license.
Virginia licenses only public adjusters, who handle first-party property claims on behalf of policyholders; the state does not license company or independent adjusters. Virginia residents seeking that work typically obtain a Designated Home State adjuster license from another state, such as Texas or Florida. To work as a public adjuster, you must pass the Series 11-08 exam and pay the $15 application fee.
Sources: NIPR: Virginia resident individual licensing requirements.
Wyoming licenses adjusters, so a license comes first. Resident adjusters must pass the Wyoming Insurance Adjuster Licensing Exam (scheduled through Pearson VUE), apply through Sircon, pay the fee ($100 for residents), and be fingerprinted; the typical turnaround is 30 days. Crop adjuster applicants with a CAP certification may bypass the exam. During a declared catastrophe, insurers can request emergency adjuster authorization lasting up to 90 days.
Sources: Wyoming DOI: producer licensing requirements, fees and FAQs; Wyoming Statutes Title 26, W.S. 26-9-209 (Exemption from examination), Wyoming Legislature.