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How to Become a Public Adjuster in Colorado (2026)

To become a public adjuster in Colorado, you pass the Pearson VUE Public Adjuster exam (60 questions, $41), secure a $20,000 surety bond, and add the Public Adjuster line of authority to a Colorado producer license through Sircon or NIPR for $44. Colorado requires no pre-licensing course for this line. This guide walks every step with citations to C.R.S. 10-2-417 and Division Regulation 1-2-19, including the rules new Colorado public adjusters most often miss: the 72-hour rescission right, the 72-hour policy-limit rule, and the 10 percent fee cap in a catastrophic disaster.

Quick summaryLicense required by C.R.S. 10-2-417 · pass the Pearson VUE exam (60 questions, 1 hour 15 minutes, $41, scaled score) · file a $20,000 surety bond and Power of Attorney · apply on Sircon or NIPR for $44 · no pre-licensing course · 24 CE credits per cycle from your second cycle · renew every 2 years in your birth month, no grace period.

Free download: the Public Adjuster Field Guide

First-contact checklists, the documentation standard, ACV and RCV valuation with a worked roof claim, estimate and scope method, and fraud red flags in one printable PDF. The statute pages are written for Texas; the field sections work on any Colorado claim.

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What does a Colorado public adjuster do?

A public adjuster is the licensed professional a policyholder can hire to prepare, document, and negotiate an insurance claim on the policyholder's side of the table, while the insurer's company or independent adjuster works for the carrier. Colorado defines the term in C.R.S. 10-2-103(8.5), and C.R.S. 10-2-417(1)(a) makes the license mandatory: a person shall not act or hold himself or herself out as a public adjuster in Colorado unless licensed. A business entity acting as a public adjuster needs its own license and must designate a licensed public adjuster responsible for compliance.

Structurally, Colorado issues a single producer license that lists your lines of authority, and Public Adjuster is one of those lines. Pearson VUE runs the process end to end for the Division of Insurance, from the exam to application review and renewals.

Colorado public adjuster license: requirements at a glance

Regulator	Colorado Division of Insurance (DORA); governed by C.R.S. 10-2-417 and Regulation 1-2-19 (3 CCR 702-1)
License type	Public Adjuster line of authority on the Colorado producer license
Eligibility	Colorado resident, at least 18, trustworthy, competent, and financially responsible (Pearson VUE handbook #120600)
Exam	Pearson VUE Public Insurance Adjuster (exam 14): 60 scoreable questions, 1 hour 15 minutes, $41, scaled score set by the Division
Pre-licensing course	Not required for the Public Adjuster line; focused exam prep recommended
Bond	$20,000 surety bond plus Power of Attorney in the Regulation 1-2-19 format (C.R.S. 10-2-417(2))
Application	Online at sircon.com/colorado or nipr.com; $44 per authority (resident)
Renewal	Every 2 years, last day of your birth month; $27 per authority (resident); no grace period
Continuing education	24 credits per cycle (18 line, 3 ethics, 3 choice), starting with your second cycle (Regulation 1-2-04)
Fee cap	10 percent in a catastrophic disaster, with no fees before settlement (C.R.S. 10-2-417(4)); no statutory percentage cap on ordinary claims
Rescission	72 hours after signing; refund within 15 business days (C.R.S. 10-2-417; Regulation 1-2-19)
Records	5 years from the contract date or completion, whichever is longer (Regulation 1-2-19)

The five steps

1
Study for the Colorado Public Adjuster exam
Colorado requires no pre-licensing course for public adjusters. The Pearson VUE Colorado candidate handbook (#120600) lists pre-license training only for Accident and Health, Property, Casualty, Life, and Personal Lines; Public Adjuster appears on the separate list of lines that require qualification by examination. The exam outline (#120606) covers four areas: general property insurance product knowledge (the Standard Fire Policy, personal and commercial property forms, inland marine, bonds), insurance terms and concepts, public adjuster practices and duties, and Colorado laws and regulations for public adjusters. Our $49.99 Colorado public adjuster exam prep course is built around that outline. Take the free practice exam first to see where you stand.
2
Pass the Pearson VUE exam: 60 questions, 1 hour 15 minutes, $41
The Colorado Public Insurance Adjuster exam (Pearson VUE exam 14) has 60 scoreable questions per the content outline and a time allowance of 1 hour and 15 minutes per the July 2026 candidate handbook. The exam fee is $41 per session. Colorado reports a scaled score from 0 to 100, and the passing standard is set by the Division of Insurance; the handbook states the reported score is neither the number nor the percentage of questions answered correctly, so do not plan around a simple percentage. If you fail, you must wait 24 hours before making a new reservation. A passing score is valid for 1 year, so apply for your license within a year of passing. Applicants who held a resident license for the same line in another state within the prior 90 days are exempt from the exam for that line.
3
Secure the $20,000 surety bond and Power of Attorney
C.R.S. 10-2-417(2) requires a public adjuster to secure financial responsibility before licensure and keep it for the life of the license: a surety bond of at least $20,000, issued by an insurer authorized to write surety bonds in Colorado, in favor of the state. The bond and a Power of Attorney must follow the format in Regulation 1-2-19, Appendix A. The bond lets the Commissioner recover on behalf of anyone in Colorado harmed by the adjuster's erroneous acts, failure to act, fraud, or unfair practices, and the Commissioner must summarily suspend your authority if the bond terminates or becomes impaired. You pay a surety an annual premium, not the $20,000 face amount.
4
Apply online through Sircon or NIPR ($44 per authority)
Public Adjuster is a line of authority on the Colorado producer license. You must be a Colorado resident, at least 18, and trustworthy, competent, and financially responsible, per the candidate handbook. Apply at sircon.com/colorado or nipr.com after you pass; Pearson VUE reviews Colorado applications. The resident fee for a new license or added authority is $44 per authority. Attach your signed $20,000 surety bond and Power of Attorney electronically in Sircon after you submit the application; the handbook warns that mailing them or failing to attach them may delay processing.
5
Learn the Colorado contract rules before your first client
Colorado's public adjuster conduct rules live in C.R.S. 10-2-417 and Regulation 1-2-19. Every contract must be in writing, titled Public Adjuster Contract, and state the exact percentage if your fee is a share of the settlement. Before the client signs, you must hand over a separate disclosure document about the claim process and the contract. The insured may rescind within 72 hours after signing, and anything of value they paid must be returned within 15 business days after you receive the cancellation notice. If the insurer pays or commits in writing to pay the policy limit within 72 hours after the loss is reported, you may not take a percentage commission and are limited to reasonable time-and-expense compensation. Keep your records for 5 years.

Before you book Pearson VUE, take our free practice exam to see whether you're ready. With only 60 questions on the exam, each one carries real weight.

What makes Colorado different

Colorado is a light-entry, heavy-conduct state: getting licensed is simple, but the contract rules are detailed. Five distinctives every candidate should know:

The fee cap only applies in a catastrophe. C.R.S. 10-2-417(4) caps compensation at 10 percent of any insurance settlement or proceeds in the event of a catastrophic disaster, and bars any fee, retainer, or deposit before the claim settles. The statute does not define catastrophic disaster, and it sets no percentage cap for ordinary claims. Treat any catastrophe-driven claim conservatively.
The 72-hour policy-limit rule. Under Regulation 1-2-19, if the insurer pays or commits in writing to pay the policy limit within 72 hours after the loss is reported, you may not take a percentage commission; you are limited to reasonable compensation for time and expenses. Fast catastrophe payouts make this rule bite.
A short rescission window. The insured may rescind within 72 hours after signing, and must get anything of value back within 15 business days after you receive the notice.
Solicitation and conflict rules. You may not solicit an insured during the progress of a loss-producing occurrence (C.R.S. 10-2-417(6)(b)), and you may not participate directly or indirectly in the reconstruction, repair, or restoration of property you are adjusting. Funds you hold for an insured go into a noninterest-bearing escrow or trust account at a federally insured institution (C.R.S. 10-2-417(5)).
A strong first-party bad-faith statute. C.R.S. 10-3-1115 bars insurers from unreasonably delaying or denying payment to a first-party claimant, and C.R.S. 10-3-1116(1) lets the claimant sue for reasonable attorney fees, court costs, and two times the covered benefit. Knowing this law is part of the Colorado exam outline and part of the job.

What it costs to become a Colorado public adjuster

Colorado has no pre-licensing course cost, so the fixed costs are low. Verify current amounts before paying:

Exam-prep course: $49.99 with Elite Training Academy
Pearson VUE exam fee: $41 per session
New license, Public Adjuster authority (resident): $44
Surety bond: a yearly premium on the $20,000 bond; premiums vary by surety and applicant
Pre-licensing course: $0 (none required)

That is about $135 in prep and state fees before the bond premium. Renewal is $27 per authority every two years, plus the cost of 24 CE credits once your second cycle begins.

Ready to start studying?

Our Colorado public adjuster exam prep course is $49.99 with lifetime access, built around the Pearson VUE Colorado Public Adjuster content outline. Not sure yet? Take the free practice exam first, or grab the free Field Guide PDF.

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Frequently asked questions

Does Colorado require a pre-licensing course for public adjusters?

No. The Pearson VUE Colorado candidate handbook (#120600) lists pre-license training as required only for Accident and Health, Property, Casualty, Life, and Personal Lines. Public Adjuster is not on that list; it is on the list of lines that require qualification by examination. So the gate is the Pearson VUE exam, not a course. Third-party sites that claim a Colorado public adjuster pre-licensing hour requirement are wrong. Our $49.99 course is exam prep for that exam, not state-required education.

How many questions are on the Colorado public adjuster exam?

The Colorado Public Adjuster exam has 60 scoreable questions, per the Pearson VUE Colorado content outline (#120606, effective January 1, 2024). The July 2026 candidate handbook allots 1 hour and 15 minutes for the Public Insurance Adjuster exam (exam 14), and the exam fee is $41. The outline covers four areas: general property insurance product knowledge, insurance terms and concepts, public adjuster practices and duties, and Colorado law for public adjusters. The outline does not publish percentage weights for the public adjuster exam.

What score do I need to pass the Colorado public adjuster exam?

Colorado uses a scaled score. Per the Pearson VUE candidate handbook, the passing score was set by the Division of Insurance with Pearson VUE after a study of each exam, raw scores are converted to a scale from 0 to 100, and the reported score is neither the number nor the percentage of questions you answered correctly. Numeric scores are reported only to failing candidates. The practical takeaway: aim to know the material well rather than targeting a specific percentage.

How much is the Colorado public adjuster bond?

At least $20,000. C.R.S. 10-2-417(2) requires a surety bond in favor of the state, issued by an insurer authorized to write surety in Colorado, secured before licensure and maintained for the life of the license. The bond and a Power of Attorney must follow Regulation 1-2-19, Appendix A, and you attach both in Sircon after submitting your application. The bond may not terminate without at least 30 days prior written notice, and the Commissioner must summarily suspend your public adjuster authority if the bond terminates or becomes impaired.

Is there a cap on public adjuster fees in Colorado?

Only in a catastrophe. C.R.S. 10-2-417(4) says that in the event of a catastrophic disaster, a public adjuster may not charge or accept more than 10 percent of any insurance settlement or proceeds, and may not require or accept any fee, retainer, or deposit before the claim settles. The statute does not define catastrophic disaster, and for ordinary claims it sets no percentage cap. Whatever the fee, Regulation 1-2-19 requires the contract to state the exact percentage, and the 72-hour policy-limit rule can cut your fee to reasonable time and expenses.

How long does a homeowner have to cancel a public adjuster contract in Colorado?

72 hours. Under C.R.S. 10-2-417, the insured may rescind the contract in writing within seventy-two hours after signing, and the public adjuster must give the insured written notice of that right. Under Regulation 1-2-19, anything of value the insured gave under the contract must be returned within 15 business days after the public adjuster receives the cancellation notice. That is one of the shortest cancellation windows in the country.

Does Colorado require continuing education for public adjusters?

Yes, starting with your second license cycle. The Pearson VUE Colorado handbook states that resident producers holding a Public Adjuster license must complete 24 continuing education credits every continuation cycle: 18 in the line of authority, 3 in ethics, and 3 in a category of choice. You are exempt during your first cycle, and credits taken in the first cycle do not carry forward. Up to 12 extra credits can carry to the next cycle if completed in the last 120 days of the cycle. The CE rule is Division Regulation 1-2-04.

How often do I renew a Colorado public adjuster license?

Every two years. All Colorado producer licenses, including the Public Adjuster line, continue every two years on the last day of your birth month, so the first term may run anywhere from 13 to 24 months. The resident renewal fee is $27 per authority, filed at sircon.com/colorado or nipr.com. Colorado has no grace period: everything must reach Pearson VUE by 10:00 PM Mountain Time on your expiration date.

Sources

Every factual claim in this guide traces to a primary source. The load-bearing ones:

C.R.S. 10-2-417 (license required, $20,000 bond, catastrophe fee cap, escrow, solicitation, conduct standards, 72-hour rescission)
Regulation 1-2-19 (contract contents, pre-signing disclosure, 72-hour policy-limit rule, 15-business-day refund, 5-year records, bond format)
Regulation 1-2-04 (continuing education for producers, including public adjusters)
C.R.S. 10-3-1116 (two times the covered benefit plus attorney fees for unreasonable delay or denial)
Pearson VUE: Colorado candidate handbook (#120600, July 2026) (exam time, $41 fee, scaled score, license fees, CE, renewal) and content outlines (#120606) (60 scoreable questions, content areas)

Related guides

Last verified 2026-09-22 against C.R.S. Title 10, Division of Insurance Regulation 1-2-19, and the Pearson VUE Colorado candidate handbook (#120600, July 2026) and content outlines (#120606). Our course is exam preparation for the Colorado Public Adjuster examination; Colorado does not require a pre-licensing course for the Public Adjuster line, and our course is not state-approved pre-licensing education. Fees and vendor procedures change; verify current requirements at doi.colorado.gov and pearsonvue.com/us/en/co/insurance.html before relying on any specific number. This guide is not legal advice.