How do I get an independent insurance adjuster license?
Independent adjuster licensing is regulated state by state, so you start with the insurance department where you plan to work. Requirements vary sharply: some states have few requirements, others require prelicensing education, a licensing exam, or both. Several states do not license independent adjusters at all, because company-employed adjusters can work under the company license; adjusters in those states commonly obtain a nonresident license by claiming a designated home state such as Florida or Texas, which other states accept by reciprocity.
To get an Alaska independent adjuster license, you must be 18 or older, have at least six months of active claims-handling experience within the last two calendar years, and pass the adjuster exam. Schedule the exam through Pearson VUE, pay the $89 exam fee, and pass with a scaled score of 70. Then apply online at nipr.com or on state form 08-240 with the $75 application fee, one fingerprint card, and the $48.25 fingerprint evaluation fee. Exam results are valid for one year from the date of the exam.
Sources: Pearson VUE: Alaska insurance candidate handbook; Alaska DOI: Reinstate an expired license (form 08-307c); Alaska DOI: Individual application and instructions (form 08-240).
An independent adjuster follows Delaware's standard adjuster path: apply online through NIPR, pass the Pearson VUE exam for each line of authority, and submit state and FBI criminal history reports dated within 90 days. Adjusters who represent policyholders instead of insurers need a separate public adjuster license, which requires a $20,000 bond and a copy of the contract. Nonresidents licensed in a state with an adjuster exam can apply on that basis without taking Delaware's exam.
Sources: Delaware Code Title 18 Chapter 17: Licensing of Professional Insurance Personnel (producers and adjusters).
You cannot get one in the District of Columbia. DC has no independent adjuster licensing regime; its adjuster statute, D.C. Code Chapter 16A, licenses public adjusters only. Adjusters who work on behalf of insurers do so without a separate DC adjuster license. If you want to represent policyholders in DC, you would apply for a public adjuster license instead.
Sources: D.C. Code 31-1131.05: Examination prior to licensure; D.C. Code 31-1131.05a: Pre-licensing education.
Florida licenses independent adjusters under the 6-20 all-lines adjuster class. You must be at least 18, apply through MyProfile, be fingerprinted through IdentoGO by Idemia, and pass the state exam unless you hold an approved designation, such as AIC, ACA, or CPCU, that exempts you. An insurer appointment is required for the license to be valid, and continuing education is 24 hours every two years.
Sources: Florida DFS: continuing education requirements by license type.
Pass the ID Independent Adjuster exam through Pearson VUE, submit fingerprints, and apply online through NIPR. The exam costs $65, runs 75 minutes with 50 scored questions, and the application fee is $80. Nonresidents instead need an equivalent license in their home state, and no company appointments are required for adjusters.
Sources: Idaho DOI: Testing and fingerprints; Idaho Department of Insurance — Testing and Fingerprints page.
Take the licensing exam first, then apply. Maine administers adjuster exams for property and casualty, multi-peril crop, and workers' compensation through Pearson VUE at authorized test centers. After passing, submit your application through NIPR; the resident adjuster fee is $45 and the nonresident fee is $75. Resident adjuster licenses renew October 1 of even years for $30.
Sources: Maine BOI: Individual and business entity fee schedule.
You must pass the appropriate Pearson VUE adjuster exam, submit fingerprints with the $30 fee to Montana Criminal Records, and apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) for a $50 fee. Nonresident applicants can also apply through NIPR and may use the Adjuster Designated Home State option. A $5,000 surety bond applies only to public adjusters, who may adjust only first-party physical damage claims.
Sources: Montana CSI: Fingerprints for insurance licensing purposes; Pearson VUE: Montana insurance candidate handbook (June 2025); Montana CSI: Producer, adjuster and consultant licensing.
To work as an independent adjuster in New Hampshire, pass the PSI adjuster exam for your line (Property and Casualty 12-75 or Workers' Compensation 12-76), then apply online through NIPR with the $75 fee. Residents need original passing exam results on file. Non-resident applicants qualify with a resident-state adjuster license, a designated home state license, or 6 months of verifiable adjusting experience.
Sources: New Hampshire NHID: Licensing fees; New Hampshire NHID: Adjuster licenses.
Pass the independent adjuster exam within one year before applying, then file a $10,000 surety bond with the Office of Superintendent of Insurance and submit the $30 application through NIPR. Nonresidents skip the exam if they hold an active adjuster license of the same type in their home state or designated home state. If your license has been expired for one year or more, reexamination is required.
Sources: 13.4.8 NMAC: Public, Staff and Independent Adjusters; New Mexico OSI: License Fees 2026.
North Dakota does not license independent or staff adjusters, so you do not need a state license to adjust claims for an insurance company. If you want to adjust claims on behalf of policyholders, you need a public adjuster license, which requires passing the $58 exam, submitting the $100 application, and providing a $20,000 bond.
Sources: North Dakota NDID / PSI: Insurance licensing examination candidate information bulletin (Dec 27, 2024); North Dakota NDID: Apply for a resident producer license; NIPR: North Dakota resident individual licensing requirements.
To become an independent adjuster in Rhode Island, pass the applicable Rhode Island adjuster exam at a Pearson VUE test center, wait 3-5 days for the results to post for electronic validation, then apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). Residents must obtain a BCI background check from the Rhode Island Attorney General that is no more than 30 days old and email it to the Insurance Division. The biennial license fee is $250.
Sources: NIPR: Rhode Island resident individual licensing requirements.
South Dakota does not offer an independent adjuster license, because the state does not license property and casualty adjusters at all. There is no state application, exam, or fee for property and casualty adjusting work in South Dakota.
Sources: SDCL 58-2-29: Division of Insurance fee schedule; SDCL 58-30-145: Written examination required for resident applicants.
To work as an independent adjuster in Vermont, obtain the Property and Casualty Adjuster license: be at least 18, pass the Prometric Adjuster's Property and Casualty exam, and meet an experience requirement (two years handling loss claims, special training, or supervision by a Vermont adjuster licensed 3 or more years). The resident application carries a $30 application fee plus a $120 license fee, and the license runs April 1 to March 31 of even years.
Sources: Vermont DFR: Producer license; NIPR: Vermont resident individual renewal requirements.
To become a Wyoming independent adjuster, you must pass the Wyoming Insurance Adjuster Licensing Exam, scheduled through Pearson VUE, apply online through Sircon, and then submit fingerprints after the department receives your application. The resident fee is $100 and fingerprinting costs $39. If you live in a state that does not license adjusters, Wyoming also offers a Designated Home State (DHS) adjuster license, earned through the same exam, application, and fingerprinting steps.
Sources: Wyoming DOI: producer licensing requirements, fees and FAQs.