What are the requirements to get a claims adjuster license?

Adjuster licensing is state-regulated, and requirements vary sharply: several states do not license adjusters at all, while others require prelicensing education, a state exam, or both. Where a license is required, applicants generally must be at least 18, pass the state exam for their line, submit fingerprints for a background check, and apply through the state or NIPR. Public adjusters typically face extra requirements, including a surety bond ($50,000 in Florida, $10,000 in Texas).

You must be at least 18 years old, pass one of Alabama's adjuster exams, and clear a fingerprint background check. Alabama offers four adjuster exams covering Property and Casualty, Workers' Compensation, Crop, and a combined line; each costs $75, and 70% is a passing score. You then apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) and submit proof of U.S. citizenship within 10 days. Alabama does not license or regulate public adjusters.

You must be at least 18, pass the adjuster exam (80 scoreable questions covering general insurance terms, Alaska adjuster law, and policy coverages), and have six months of active working experience within the last two calendar years. A trainee adjuster may select only property and casualty lines and must work under the supervision of an Alaska-licensed independent adjuster. Salaried employees of an insurer do not need an independent adjuster license.

Pass the Arizona Adjuster exam (Series 13-36, $59) with 70% correct, then submit fingerprints through the state's electronic process and apply through NIPR or the NAIC Uniform Application with the $120 license fee. Residents must pass the exam, and nonresident applicants who do not hold a resident license in their home state must pass it as well. Nonresidents who hold a resident license in their state are generally exempt from the exam.

Arkansas adjuster applicants must clear the criminal background check and pass the PSI exam for each adjuster line sought: General, Property, Casualty, or Workers' Compensation. Each adjuster exam lasts 1.5 hours, costs $40, and requires a 70% score, and any three adjuster exams can be taken together. The prelicensing certificate requirement applies to producer lines, not the adjuster exams.

California requires independent adjuster applicants to be at least 18 and to have two years of certified adjusting experience, equal to 4,000 hours of compensated time. You must pass the adjuster exam (70% passing score, $79 fee), apply through Sircon, NIPR, or form LIC 041-A, pay the $311 two-year license fee per qualified manager, and file a $2,000 surety bond unless you adjust only under an already-bonded adjuster or organization. Fingerprints and a passport photo are also required.

Colorado's claims adjuster credential is the Public Insurance Adjuster license. You must be at least 18 years old and a Colorado resident, pass the Pearson exam (60 scored questions in 1 hour and 15 minutes), and pay the $44 resident license fee. You must also submit a $20,000 signed surety bond and a power of attorney, as required under Colorado Revised Statutes 10-2-417(2) and Regulation 1-2-19.

Connecticut's Casualty Adjuster (Property & Casualty Claims) license requires no pre-licensing education; you study the Connecticut exam content outline and state statutes, then pass the Pearson VUE exam with a 70% score. The initial fee is $130, and no continuing education is required for this license. Public Adjuster licensure is different: it requires an approved 40-hour property course and a $300 initial fee. Nonresidents qualify by reciprocity with an equivalent home-state license.

Resident applicants must be at least 18, pass the Delaware adjuster exam for their line of authority through Pearson VUE, and submit fingerprints for a state and FBI criminal history report dated within 90 days. The application goes through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $150 fee, reflecting the $25 increase effective May 7, 2025. Nonresidents must hold an active license in a state that licenses adjusters; if your home state has no adjuster exam requirement, you must satisfy Delaware's exam before licensure.

DC licenses public insurance adjusters but has no independent adjuster licensing regime. To become a public adjuster, you must pass a Pearson VUE exam with 50 scored questions, hold a $20,000 bond, and apply at www.nipr.com; the biennial license fee is $100. Public adjusters must also maintain records for several years after each transaction.

You must be at least 18 years old and a U.S. citizen or legal alien with work authorization. You must complete a state-approved prelicensing course and pass the state examination, unless you hold an approved designation (such as AIC, ACA, or CPCU) that exempts you from the exam. Fingerprinting is mandatory, and certain felonies permanently bar licensure while others carry a 7- or 15-year disqualifying period. The license requires an insurer appointment to be valid.

To get a Georgia resident claims adjuster license, you must complete a 16-hour Property and Casualty adjuster course (8.0 hours per major line), pass the Property and Casualty adjuster exam, and apply online at Sircon with a $120 fee. You must also submit a notarized Citizenship Affidavit with a copy of your ID and complete electronic fingerprinting for a background check.

Idaho requires resident independent adjusters to pass the ID Independent Adjuster exam (75 minutes, $65) and submit fingerprints for a background check, then apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). Nonresidents must hold an equivalent license in their home state. Salaried staff adjusters who work directly for an insurer are exempt from licensing, and public adjusters must also post a $20,000 surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit.

Illinois licenses only public adjusters; staff and company adjusters do not need a state license. Public adjuster applicants must pass the Pearson VUE exam, apply through NIPR with the $250 fee, and submit a $50,000 surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit through the NIPR document warehouse. Applicants must also be fingerprinted by an Illinois-approved live scan vendor, and no license issues until the Department receives Illinois State Police and FBI results.

Indiana licenses independent adjusters and public adjusters separately. For an independent adjuster license, you must be at least 18, complete a 40-hour pre-licensing program, pass the Indiana Independent Adjuster exam through Pearson VUE, and pay a $40 fee. Public adjusters skip pre-licensing education but must pass a written exam, post a $10,000 surety bond, and pay a $50 fee. Staff adjusters who work directly for an insurer need no license.

Resident applicants must pass the appropriate adjuster licensing exam through Pearson VUE (results are valid 90 days) and apply through NIPR with the $50 fee. Public and independent adjuster applicants must also submit evidence of financial responsibility from an insurer authorized to act as a surety, and public adjusters submit their customer contract as well. Staff adjuster licensing is optional and requires proof of employment. Adjusters then complete 24 CE credits, including 2 ethics hours, each two-year license term.

Kansas licenses only public adjusters, limited to first-party claims under commercial lines contracts (K.S.A. 40-5501 et seq.); residential public adjusting requires no license under Attorney General Opinion 2025-22. Resident applicants must be at least 18, pass the Kansas Public Adjuster Examination, be fingerprinted, upload a Certificate of Tax Clearance, and submit the NAIC Uniform Application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $100 application fee and a $60 fingerprint fee. Renewal is biennial with 18 hours of CE, including 3 hours of ethics.

Resident adjuster applicants must be at least 18 years old, be trustworthy and financially responsible, pass the adjuster examination for each line of authority, and pay a $50 license fee per line. Kentucky offers independent, staff, and public adjuster licenses; public adjuster applicants must also post a $50,000 surety bond, and no new public adjuster applications are accepted for the two years beginning April 13, 2026. The adjuster lines of authority are property and casualty, workers' compensation, and crop.

Louisiana requires claims adjuster applicants to be at least 18 years old, competent and trustworthy, and to reside in or maintain a principal place of business in the state. You must pass a licensing exam administered by PSI, though there is no mandatory prelicense education. The application and $75 fee are filed online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), and first-time resident applicants must then be fingerprinted through IdentoGo after applying.

Resident adjuster applicants must pass the Pearson VUE adjuster exam for the line sought, such as Property & Casualty (12-ME-31), which has 50 questions in 60 minutes and costs $55. After passing, submit a license application and fee to the Maine Bureau of Insurance, which reviews the application before issuing the license.

Maryland does not license staff or independent adjusters; it licenses only public adjusters, who adjust claims on behalf of insureds. To become a resident public adjuster, you must be at least 18 years old, pass the Maryland public adjuster exam with Prometric (code 2023), and submit the NAIC Uniform Individual Application with the $50 fee. Maryland residents who want an independent adjuster license instead pursue a designated home state license from another state, such as Texas, that issues them.

Massachusetts licenses only Public Insurance Adjusters (it does not license independent or staff adjusters). Applicants must be at least 21, be trustworthy and competent, have no insurance license revoked or suspended, and have at least 2 years of experience adjusting property loss claims or related work. They must also pass the Massachusetts Public Insurance Adjuster exam, then apply through NIPR with a score report, written contract, photo, experience letter, and a Massachusetts CORI background check report.

Michigan offers two adjuster licenses through the Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS): Adjuster for the Insured, who represents policyholders, and Insurance Adjuster, who represents insurers. Resident applicants file through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $15.00 fee plus a $5.00 transaction fee, and must pass a PSI exam within six months. Lines of authority include Fire and Other Hazards, Workers' Compensation, and Crop. Salaried staff adjusters of an insurer are exempt, and no pre-licensing education is required for adjuster exams.

Minnesota resident independent and public adjusters must pass the required exam through PSI ($25 for the Property & Casualty, Crop, or Workers Compensation adjuster exams), submit fingerprints, and complete the adjuster license application online through Sircon. Available lines of authority are property and casualty, workers' compensation, and crop. Public adjusters must also email an original $10,000 surety bond on the Commerce-approved form. No prelicensing education is required for adjuster exams.

Mississippi requires adjuster applicants to be at least 18 years old, complete 20 hours of approved prelicensing education (or submit written proof of sufficient claims-handling experience or training instead), and pass the Pearson VUE licensing exam, which costs $50 per attempt. Resident test scores are sent electronically to the Mississippi Insurance Department, and you apply at sircon.com/mississippi or nipr.com with the $100 license fee.

Missouri does not license staff, independent, or catastrophe adjusters; the adjuster license it issues is the public adjuster license. To qualify, you must be 18, pass the Pearson VUE public adjuster exam (1 hour, $25 fee), submit an application with a $100 fee, and post a $10,000 corporate surety bond or $1,000 bond. The license renews annually for $50 and cannot be late renewed; if it expires, you must retake the exam and reapply.

Montana requires adjuster applicants to be at least 18 years old, be state residents, and maintain a Montana office accessible to the public with usual and customary records. You must pass the licensing exam and submit fingerprints for a background check, citing reason-fingerprinted statute MCA 33-17-301. The application fee is $50. Public adjusters face two added requirements: a $5,000 surety bond and a copy of the contracts they use.

Nebraska's only individual adjuster license is the Public Adjuster license. Resident applicants must be at least 18, pass the public adjuster exam ($43 fee, 70% to pass), pay a $50 application fee, and file a $20,000 surety bond as proof of financial responsibility. Resident public adjusters must also complete 24 hours of continuing education each cycle, including 3 hours of ethics.

Nevada resident adjuster applicants must be at least 18 years old, pass the Pearson VUE adjuster exam ($37 per exam, per the October 2024 candidate handbook), and apply through NIPR with a $185 state fee for each license class (Independent, Company, Staff, or Public Adjuster). Fingerprinting is required for all resident adjuster classes. You cannot hold a Nevada adjuster license while holding a producer license with Property or Casualty lines, and the conflicting license must be surrendered to the state.

Resident applicants must pass the New Hampshire adjuster exam administered by PSI before applying, then apply online through nipr.com with the NAIC Uniform Application, original passing exam results on file, and the $75 adjuster license fee. Non-residents qualify with a license in their home state, a designated home state, or 6 months of verifiable adjusting experience. Applicants must be at least 18 years old.

New Jersey does not issue a staff or independent adjuster license; the only adjuster license is the Public Adjuster license. It requires passing a PSI exam, a $70 fee, a $10,000 bond, and Live Scan fingerprinting for residents. Public adjusters first licensed after July 4, 2011 must also complete 15 hours of continuing education.

New Mexico licenses public, staff, and independent adjusters, and each type has slightly different requirements. You must be at least 18, be a bona fide resident of New Mexico or a reciprocal state, pass the adjuster examination, and pay the $30 license fee. Public and independent adjusters must also file a $10,000 surety bond; staff adjusters are exempt from the bond but must be sponsored and appointed by an insurance company. Adjusters must pass the exam within one year before applying, and the $75 exam fee is paid to the state's testing vendor, PSI.

You must be at least 18 years old, pass the PSI adjuster exam, and apply online through the Department of Financial Services. Public adjuster candidates complete a 40-hour approved prelicensing course, post a $1,000 bond, and submit five Certificates of Character from people who have known them for at least five years. Independent adjuster candidates need no prelicensing course. All adjuster applicants submit fingerprints, and there is no reciprocity, so every applicant must pass the New York exam.

You must be at least 18 and apply online through NIPR; the initial adjuster application totals $169, made up of a $50 registration fee, a $75 license fee, and a $44 application processing fee. You must pass the state adjuster exam, a one-part test of 100 scoreable questions plus 20 pretest questions in 2 hours and 15 minutes, with a passing scaled score of 70. Fingerprints are not required for the adjuster license. Adjusters previously licensed in another state, except New York, California, and Hawaii, are exempt from the exam.

North Dakota does not license staff or independent adjusters who represent insurance companies, so no license is required for those roles. The state does require a public adjuster license. Public adjuster applicants must be at least 18, pass the $58 exam (120 minutes, 70% to pass), submit a $20,000 bond, and pay the $100 application fee through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR).

Ohio's adjuster license is the Public Insurance Adjuster license, issued by the Ohio Department of Insurance. No pre-licensing education is required, but you must pass the Series 11-38 exam (100 questions, 2 hours) with a score of at least 70% and pay a $100.00 initial application fee. A fingerprint check is not required for this license type, and the renewal fee is $50.00.

Oklahoma adjuster applicants must be at least 18 years old, pass the PSI adjuster exam ($20 per exam, 70% required to pass) in the line they want, and pay a license fee of $30 for one line of authority or $50 for two or more. After passing, wait 3 business days for results to transmit, then apply online; the department processes most applications in 5 to 7 business days. Adjuster exam lines include Property, Casualty, Crop and Hail, and Workers Compensation.

Oregon resident adjuster applicants must pass the Oregon adjuster exam, which PSI administers; no prelicense training is required. After passing, you provide fingerprints ($61.25) at an Oregon PSI test center or a FieldPrint location, then apply online at NIPR.com for the $100 state fee. Adjusters must complete 24 hours of continuing education, including 3 hours of ethics, before each two-year renewal.

Pennsylvania does not license property and casualty claims adjusters. The comparable license is the public adjuster, who represents policyholders: you must pass the Public Adjuster exam, pay a $200 application fee, and obtain a surety bond of no less than $20,000. The license runs 2 years based on your birth month. Motor vehicle physical damage appraisers are licensed separately.

Rhode Island licenses company, independent, and public adjusters, and applicants must be at least 18 years old. You must pass the applicable Rhode Island adjuster exam at a Pearson VUE test center and submit a certified background check (BCI) from the Rhode Island Attorney General that is no more than 30 days old. The license fee is $250, licenses renew every 2 years in the licensee's birth month, and a company/independent adjuster may not hold a public adjuster license at the same time.

Resident adjuster applicants must pass the South Carolina adjuster exam, apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), pay the $80 license fee, and provide the original South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED) report. South Carolina does not require adjusters to submit fingerprints or complete continuing education. Exam certificates expire 12 months after issuance, so you must apply within that window.

South Dakota does not license property/casualty adjusters, according to the Division of Insurance. The state instead licenses insurance producers, who must be at least 18 years old, pass the exams for their lines of authority, and pay the fees in the state fee schedule before selling, soliciting, or negotiating insurance.

Tennessee does not issue independent adjuster licenses, so residents have no in-state adjuster exam or application. Residents who want adjusting credentials commonly obtain a Designated Home State license from another state, such as Texas, which many other states accept reciprocally. Tennessee does license public adjusters, though: applicants must be 18 or older, pass an exam, pay a $100 fee, and file a $50,000 surety bond with $500,000 of errors and omissions (E&O) coverage.

You must be at least 18 years old, pass the Texas adjuster exam, complete electronic fingerprinting, and apply through Sircon within one year of passing. TDI waives the exam if you completed a TDI-approved adjusting course within the last 12 months, hold the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) or Associate in Claims (AIC) designation, or are a nonresident licensed in good standing in a reciprocal state. The application fee is $50.

Utah licenses independent and public adjusters, but not company staff adjusters (Utah Code 31A-26-201). You must pass the applicable Prometric exam, such as the adjuster property and casualty exam (code 17-11, 150 questions in 2.5 hours), apply online through SIRCON or NIPR, and, as a resident, be fingerprinted at a Prometric test center. The independent adjuster license fee is $75.

A Vermont Property and Casualty Adjuster applicant must be at least 18 years old, be deemed competent, trustworthy, and financially responsible, pass a written examination, and meet an experience requirement. The experience can be two years handling loss claims, special training of sufficient duration and scope, or immediate supervision by a Vermont-licensed adjuster licensed for 3 or more years. Workers' compensation claims require a separate WC Adjuster license.

Virginia licenses adjusters only in the public adjuster capacity, covering individuals who represent policyholders on first-party property claims. A resident applicant must pass the Public Adjuster exam (Series 11-08, 60 minutes, $35 fee), submit fingerprints through the state's live-scan vendor, and pay a $15 application fee. Licensed public adjusters then complete 24 hours of continuing education each biennium, including 3 hours of ethics. Residents who want to handle claims for insurers typically obtain an adjuster license from another state and designate it as their home state.

Washington issues three adjuster licenses: crop, independent, and public. Before the exam, you must meet one of three criteria: 12 consecutive months of full-time salaried claims experience, a designation such as the Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU), or a supervised trainee program of 6 to 9 months totaling at least 960 hours. Designation holders must still pass the exam, while qualifying experience may exempt you. The exam costs $38 with a 70% passing score, and the license fee is $50. Public adjusters must also file a $5,000 bond.

West Virginia issues three adjuster licenses: company, independent, and public. Candidates must pass a Pearson VUE exam covering property and casualty content, pay a $50 application fee, and be fingerprinted when obtaining a new adjuster license type or line. No pre-licensing education is required for adjusters. Licensed adjusters then complete 24 hours of continuing education, including 3 hours of ethics, every two years.

Wisconsin does not license company or independent claims adjusters; it registers only public adjusters. Residents may register but are not required to, while nonresidents must register before performing adjusting services in the state. Registration involves passing a $50 exam through PSI, applying through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $50 fee, mailing an original surety bond of at least $20,000, and submitting a home-office availability statement. Resident registrants complete 15 continuing education credits every two years, including ethics credits.

To get a Wyoming adjuster license, you must be at least 18, pass the Wyoming Insurance Adjuster Licensing Exam through Pearson VUE within one year before applying, and apply through Sircon with the $100 resident fee. Resident applicants must also submit fingerprints for a background check, which adds a $39 fee. Wyoming licenses adjusters in the Property, Casualty, and Crop lines of authority.