How do I get certified as an insurance adjuster?

Most states license adjusters rather than certify them, and requirements vary by state: some require prelicensing education and a licensing exam, while others have few requirements. If your state does not license adjusters, Texas issues a designated home state adjuster license to residents of non-licensing states, and Florida offers a nonresident designated home state (70-20) license. Once you hold an active home-state license, many states grant a nonresident license by application and fee under reciprocity agreements.

Pass the Alaska adjuster exam, which has 80 scoreable questions, and pay the $89 exam fee at reservation. Then apply through nipr.com with a $75 application fee, one fingerprint card, and the $48.25 fingerprint evaluation fee. Independent adjuster applicants need six months of active working experience within the last two years; applicants without it can be licensed as a Trainee Adjuster under a licensed supervisor.

In Delaware you apply for an adjuster license online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), pass the Pearson VUE exam for each line of authority you want (Property, Casualty, Surety, Motor Vehicle, Marine and Transportation, or Workers Compensation), and submit state and FBI criminal history reports dated within 90 days. Resident crop adjusters submit a CAPP card in place of the exam. Apprentice adjuster licenses are also available for full-time supervised employees of a licensed adjuster and run for 1 year.

DC licenses adjusters only as public adjusters, through the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking. You must pass the Pearson VUE public adjuster exam (50 scored questions, 1 hour), then apply for a license, pay the $100 biennial fee, and post a $20,000 surety bond. DC requires no pre-licensing education or continuing education for public adjusters, and you must keep records for at least five years after each transaction.

Florida licenses adjusters under the 6-20 all-lines adjuster class. You must be at least 18, apply through MyProfile, submit fingerprints through IdentoGO by Idemia, and pass the state exam unless you hold an approved designation such as AIC, ACA, or CPCU, which exempts you from the examination. The license requires an insurer appointment to be valid and expires if unappointed for 48 months.

Georgia requires an independent adjuster to complete a 16-hour Property and Casualty adjuster course (8.0 hours per major line) and pass the Pearson VUE adjuster exam. Then apply online through Sircon with a $120 fee, a completed Citizenship Affidavit (GID-276-EN), and electronic fingerprints for a background check. Staff adjusters, who are salaried insurance company employees, are registered by their insurer instead of licensed.

To become an independent adjuster in Idaho, pass the ID Independent Adjuster exam ($65), complete fingerprinting, and apply online through NIPR ($80). Public adjusters follow similar steps but must also obtain a $20,000 surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit. Salaried staff adjusters who work directly for an insurer are not required to be licensed. Resident and designated-home-state adjusters complete 24 hours of CE with 3 ethics hours every 2 years.

If you want to adjust claims independently for policyholders, Illinois requires a public adjuster license: pass the single $92 Pearson VUE exam (165 minutes, 100 scored questions), apply through NIPR with the $250 fee, and submit a $50,000 surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit. You must also be fingerprinted by an Illinois-approved live scan vendor before the license is issued. Illinois does not require pre-licensing education for public adjusters and does not license company adjusters at all.

Iowa licenses public adjusters, independent adjusters, and staff adjusters through the Iowa Insurance Division. Each license has its own Pearson VUE exam: Public Adjusters (12-IA-20), Independent Adjuster (12-IA-21), and Staff Adjuster (12-IA-22), each 1 hour long with a $44 fee and 50 scoreable questions. After passing, submit your application and license fee online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) within 90 days.

Take the Pearson VUE adjuster exam for the line you want (Property & Casualty, Multi-Peril Crop, or Workers' Compensation; $55 each), then apply through NIPR with the $45 resident license fee. The Multi-Peril Crop line can also be earned by showing proof of passing the federal exam, submitted through a paper application to the state. Resident adjuster licenses renew October 1 of even-numbered years for $30.

Montana licenses adjusters rather than certifying them. You must pass the adjuster exam through Pearson VUE (the multi-line exam has 88 scoreable questions and a passing score of 75), submit fingerprints with a $30 payment to Montana Criminal Records, and apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $50 application fee. Resident adjusters must also maintain a Montana office accessible to the public with usual and customary records.

Nebraska licenses adjusters through the Public Adjuster license. You must be at least 18, pass the Public Adjuster exam with a 70% score ($43 fee), pay a $50 application fee, and show proof of a $20,000 surety bond. Resident public adjusters must also maintain a Nebraska office with public access. After passing, apply at NIPR.com.

To become a licensed adjuster in New Hampshire, you must pass the PSI adjuster exam for your line (Property and Casualty 12-75, $72, or Workers' Compensation 12-76, $59), then apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $75 fee. NIPR verifies the passing exam result before it accepts the application. Non-residents may qualify with a home-state adjuster license or 6 months of verifiable adjusting experience instead of the exam.

New Mexico does not certify adjusters; it licenses them through the Office of Superintendent of Insurance. You must be at least 18, a bona fide New Mexico resident or a resident of a reciprocal state, have a good business reputation, pass the adjuster exam within one year before applying, and pay the $30 fee. Public and independent adjusters must also file a $10,000 surety bond, while staff adjusters must be appointed by an insurance company.

North Carolina does not certify adjusters; it licenses them. You must be at least 18 years old, apply online at www.nipr.com, and pay the fees, which total $169 for an adjuster license ($50 registration, $75 license fee, $44 application processing) plus a $5.60 transaction fee. You must then pass the Pearson VUE adjuster exam, which costs $45 per attempt and requires a passing score of 70. No prelicensing education is required, and adjusters do not submit fingerprints.

North Dakota has no certification or license for independent or staff adjusters who work for insurance companies. To become a licensed public adjuster, pass the PSI public adjuster exam ($58, 70% to pass), apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) for $100, and submit a $20,000 bond to the department.

Rhode Island licenses company, independent, and public adjusters, and you apply electronically through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) after passing the applicable Rhode Island adjuster exam at a Pearson VUE test center. Residents must obtain a certified background check (BCI) from the Rhode Island Attorney General, no more than 30 days old, and email it to the Insurance Division. The biennial license fee is $250, and adjusters must complete 24 hours of continuing education, including 3 hours of ethics, every two years.

South Dakota does not license property and casualty adjusters, so there is no state adjuster certification to obtain there. Producers, by contrast, must pass a written exam and apply to the Division of Insurance for a license.

To become a licensed Texas adjuster, pass the state licensing exam, complete fingerprinting through the Texas Department of Insurance online portal, and apply through Sircon within one year of passing, paying the $50 application fee. You can skip the exam if you completed a TDI-approved adjusting course within the last 12 months, hold a Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) or Associate in Claims (AIC) designation, or are a nonresident licensed in good standing in a reciprocal state.

In Vermont, you need a Property and Casualty Adjuster license: you must be at least 18 years old, pass the Adjuster's Property and Casualty exam, and meet an experience requirement (two years handling loss claims, special training of sufficient duration and scope, or supervision by a Vermont-licensed adjuster with at least 3 years' experience). The paper application requires a $30 application fee and a $120 license fee.

West Virginia offers company, independent, and public adjuster licenses, covering Property and Casualty, Crop, and Workers' Compensation lines. No pre-licensing education is required: you must pass the Pearson VUE exam ($84), pay a $50 application fee, and submit fingerprints ($47.25) when obtaining a new adjuster license type or line. The company and independent adjuster exam has 80 questions in 90 minutes.

In Wyoming, you become a licensed adjuster by passing the Wyoming Insurance Adjuster Licensing Exam, applying online through Sircon, and being fingerprinted for a background check. You must be at least 18 years old. The resident fee is $100 plus a $39 fingerprinting fee, and the typical turnaround is 30 days.