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How to Become a Public Adjuster in Maryland (2026)

A complete guide to the Maryland public adjuster license: the Prometric exam, the NAIC Uniform Application filed through NIPR, why Maryland requires no surety bond and no pre-licensing course, and the Insurance Article Title 10, Subtitle 4 rules that govern how you practice, including the 10 business day rescission right and the 72 hour fresh-loss filing.

Quick summaryLicense required by Md. Code Ins. 10-403 · pass the Prometric "Maryland Public Adjuster" exam (60 items, 50 scored, 1.5 hours, $62, passing score 70) · no surety bond required (Ins. 10-405.1 does not exist) · no pre-licensing course (Ins. 10-404) · apply via NIPR with the $25 or $50 initial fee set by Ins. 2-112(a)(6).

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Every Maryland rule new PAs get wrong (the 10 business day rescission window, the 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. solicitation ban, the 72 hour policy limit fee restriction, the 72 hour fresh-loss filing, contract contents, escrow, and recordkeeping) in one printable PDF you can keep in your truck.

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What does a public adjuster do in Maryland?

Under Md. Code Ins. 10-401, a public adjuster is a person who, for compensation, acts or aids, solely in relation to first-party claims arising under an insurance policy that insures the real or personal property of the insured, on behalf of the insured in negotiating for, or effecting the settlement of, a claim. The definition also reaches soliciting employment as a public adjuster, soliciting that business, and holding yourself out as one. In plain English: when a homeowner or business owner files a storm, fire, or water claim, the insurance company sends its own adjuster. A public adjuster is the licensed professional the policyholder can hire to investigate, document, and negotiate the claim on their side of the table.

One Maryland carve-out matters immediately: Ins. 10-401 states the definition does not include a person that investigates, adjusts, or appraises claims for loss or damage covered by a motor vehicle insurance policy. Auto claims are outside this license entirely. Ins. 10-402 adds further exclusions, including attorneys who do not regularly act as or advertise as public adjusters, adjusters and employees of an insurer adjusting the insurer's own policies, producers acting without compensation, certain technical professionals, health care providers preparing claim forms, and insurer-to-insurer subrogation handling.

Md. Code Ins. 10-403 makes the license mandatory before acting as a public adjuster in the State, and it has teeth: a violation is a misdemeanor punishable by a fine of up to $500 or imprisonment of up to 6 months, or both, per violation. Marketing on behalf of a public adjuster, a defined term in Ins. 10-401, does not itself require a license. The Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) administers the license under Insurance Article, Title 10, Subtitle 4 (Ins. 10-401 through 10-416) and COMAR Title 31. Worth knowing: public adjuster is the only adjuster license Maryland issues. MIA licenses public adjuster individuals and business entities, but does not license staff or company adjusters, who are excluded by Ins. 10-402.

Maryland public adjuster license: requirements at a glance

Regulator	Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA); governed by Md. Code Ins. 10-401 through 10-416 and COMAR 31.03.18
License required	Yes (Md. Code Ins. 10-403); acting without one is a misdemeanor, up to a $500 fine or 6 months, or both, per violation
Pre-licensing course	Not required (Md. Code Ins. 10-404); the resident path is exam-only
Surety bond	Not required. No bond appears in Md. Code Ins. 10-404, 10-405, or 10-406, and the commonly cited Ins. 10-405.1 does not exist in enacted law
Fingerprints	No fingerprint or background-check submission requirement appears in the statute or in MIA's public adjuster licensing materials
Exam	"Maryland Public Adjuster" at Prometric, series 2023 English / 2043 Spanish: 60 items (50 scored, 10 unscored), 1.5 hours, $62 per attempt (bulletin effective 2024-10-01). Required by Md. Code Ins. 10-404
Passing score	70 percent or higher (Prometric Maryland insurance exam FAQ)
Retake wait	At least 14 days after the last failed examination (Md. Code Ins. 10-404)
Application	NAIC Uniform Individual or Business Entity Application, signed under oath, via NIPR or on paper to MIA (Md. Code Ins. 10-405)
License fee	$25 or $50 initial, depending on the length of the initial term relative to the renewal cycle; $50 biennial renewal (Md. Code Ins. 2-112(a)(6))
License term	2 years (Md. Code Ins. 10-408); an individual's renewed license expires the last day of the license holder's birth month, business entity licenses run 2 years from issuance
Continuing education	24 hours per 2-year period, at least 3 in ethics, completed no later than 30 days before expiration (Md. Code Ins. 10-408(d)); the other 21 hours in Public Adjuster or Property/Casualty courses (COMAR 31.03.18.03)
Fee cap	No statutory percentage cap; the contract must disclose the full compensation (Md. Code Ins. 10-411), and no percentage commission is allowed where the insurer pays or commits to pay policy limits within 72 hours (Ins. 10-411(c))
Client rescission	10 business days after signing, by written notice (Md. Code Ins. 10-411(h)); business day defined by COMAR 31.03.18.17
Fresh-loss filing	A contract signed during, or within 72 hours after, the loss must be reported to the Commissioner within 1 business day (Md. Code Ins. 10-414; COMAR 31.03.18.17)
Escrow	Client funds in a noninterest-bearing escrow or trust account at a federally insured institution (Md. Code Ins. 10-412); disbursement within 15 business days of the insurer's payment (Ins. 10-414)
Records	Complete transaction records kept at least 5 years after the transaction ends, open to the Commissioner at all times (Md. Code Ins. 10-413)

The five steps

1
Study for the Maryland Public Adjuster exam
Maryland does not require a pre-licensing course for the public adjuster license: Md. Code Ins. 10-404 requires only that an individual applicant be trustworthy and competent to transact business as a public adjuster, pass a written examination administered by the Commissioner, and pay the fee, and the Maryland Insurance Administration's public adjuster licensing sheet imposes no coursework. Maryland went further in 2024 and repealed pre-licensing education even for insurance producers, effective October 1, 2024 (MIA Bulletin 24-19, implementing HB 265 and SB 336, Chapters 873 and 874 of 2024). The exam still tests Maryland insurance regulation heavily, so structured study matters. Our $49.99 Maryland Public Adjuster exam prep course is built around the Prometric content outline. Start with the free practice exam to see where you stand.
2
Schedule and pass the Prometric Maryland Public Adjuster exam
Prometric is the current vendor for Maryland Insurance Administration licensing exams, with a registration and scheduling system effective October 1, 2024. It is not PSI: PSI was the vendor historically and its Maryland insurance bulletin is dated October 1, 2018. Schedule at prometric.com/exams/mia or by phone at 1-800-610-1174, at any US Prometric test center or by remote proctoring. The Maryland Public Adjuster examination is Prometric series 2023 in English and series 2043 in Spanish. Per the official content outline it contains 60 questions, of which 50 are scored and 10 are unscored experimental items, with a 1.5 hour time limit. The passing score is 70 percent and the fee is $62 per attempt under the bulletin effective October 1, 2024. Content weights: Insurance Regulation 30 percent (15 items), Insurance Basics 18 percent (9), Adjusting Losses 12 percent (6), Other Coverages 12 percent (6), Dwelling Policy 10 percent (5), Homeowners Policy 10 percent (5), Commercial Package 4 percent (2), and Businessowners 4 percent (2). Bring one non-expired, US government-issued photo and signature ID; reschedule at least 24 hours ahead or forfeit the fee, and arriving more than 30 minutes late counts as a no-show. If you fail, Md. Code Ins. 10-404 states that an individual applicant who fails an examination may not take another examination until at least 14 days after the date of the last examination failed. Prometric's general Maryland insurance bulletin states a 4 day wait for Maryland insurance exams, but 10-404 is the statute written for this license, so plan on 14 days.
3
Confirm what Maryland does not require: no bond, no fingerprints, no course
This step saves money. Maryland requires NO surety bond for public adjusters. No bond appears in Md. Code Ins. 10-404 (qualifications), 10-405 (applications), or 10-406 (issuance), or in any MIA licensing document. The section commonly cited online for a $20,000 Maryland public adjuster bond, Ins. 10-405.1, does not exist in enacted law: the Maryland General Assembly statute database returns File Not Found for it, and the current code's Title 10, Subtitle 4 section list runs 10-401 through 10-416 with no 10-405.1. That citation traces to an industry document hosted on MIA's site titled Suggested Amendments to Maryland Public Adjuster Act, which proposes a new 10-405.1 requiring a $20,000 bond or an irrevocable letter of credit. It is proposed amendment language tracking the NAIC model act, not Maryland law. Maryland also imposes no fingerprint or background-check submission requirement in the statute, in the MIA public adjuster licensing sheet, or on the MIA public adjuster page, and no pre-licensing education under 10-404.
4
File the NAIC Uniform Application through NIPR
Under Md. Code Ins. 10-405, apply on the NAIC Uniform Individual Application, or the NAIC Uniform Business Entity Application for a firm, and sign it under oath. File online through nipr.com or on paper to the Maryland Insurance Administration, 200 Saint Paul Place, Suite 2700, Baltimore, MD 21202. The statutory license fee under Ins. 2-112(a)(6) is $25 or $50 for the initial license, depending on the length of the initial term relative to the renewal cycle. A business entity applicant must employ at least one licensed individual public adjuster (Ins. 10-404). Md. Code Ins. 10-406 directs that the Commissioner shall issue a license to each applicant who meets the requirements of the subtitle, and MIA reports that complete applications are verified in 1 to 7 business days with a final determination in 7 to 10 days.
5
Practice under Subtitle 4, then renew every two years with 24 CE hours
Once licensed, Md. Code Ins. 10-411 governs your contracts, 10-412 requires client funds to sit in a noninterest-bearing escrow or trust account at a federally insured institution in your home state or where the loss occurred, 10-413 requires complete transaction records kept at least 5 years after the transaction ends, and 10-414 imposes the duty of objectivity and complete loyalty to the interest of the client alone. Licenses are biennial under Ins. 10-408; an individual's renewed license expires on the last day of the license holder's birth month, while a business entity license runs two years from issuance, and MIA accepts renewal applications up to 90 days before expiration. Ins. 10-408(d) requires 24 credit hours of approved continuing education per two year license period, at least 3 hours relating directly to ethics, completed no later than 30 days before the license expires; COMAR 31.03.18.03 requires the remaining 21 hours to be in courses the Commissioner designates as Public Adjuster or Property/Casualty. If you lapse, Ins. 10-408.1 allows reinstatement for up to 1 year after expiration with the renewal fee, proof of CE, and a $100 reinstatement fee.

Before you book Prometric, take our free practice exam to see whether you're ready: a failed attempt costs another $62 and a wait of at least 14 days under Md. Code Ins. 10-404.

The Maryland bond myth, and why it costs candidates money

If you search for a Maryland public adjuster bond you will find vendors selling a $20,000 surety bond and citing "Md. Code Ins. 10-405.1." That section does not exist. The Maryland General Assembly's official statute database returns File Not Found for Insurance Article 10-405.1, and the current code's Title 10, Subtitle 4 section list runs 10-401, 10-402, 10-403, 10-404, 10-405, 10-406, 10-407, 10-408, 10-408.1, 10-409, 10-409.1, and 10-410 through 10-416, with no 10-405.1 anywhere in it.

The citation traces to a document hosted on MIA's own site titled "Suggested Amendments to Maryland Public Adjuster Act," an industry draft that proposes adding a section 10-405.1 requiring a surety bond of at least $20,000 or an irrevocable letter of credit, tracking the NAIC model act. Proposed language on a regulator's website is not enacted law. Read the three sections that actually control admission to this license, Md. Code Ins. 10-404 (qualifications), 10-405 (applications), and 10-406 (issuance), and none of them mentions a bond. Neither does any MIA public adjuster licensing document. Maryland requires no surety bond for public adjusters.

Rules that surprise new Maryland public adjusters

Insurance Regulation is 30 percent of the Prometric exam, and these are the Maryland-specific rules that show up both on the test and in enforcement actions:

The 10 business day rescission window (Ins. 10-411(h)). The insured has the right to rescind or cancel the contract within 10 business days after the date the contract was signed, more than triple the 3 days in the NAIC model act. The notice must be in writing and mailed or delivered to the public adjuster at the address in the contract, and within 15 business days after receiving it the adjuster must return anything of value the insured gave under the contract. COMAR 31.03.18.17 defines business day here to exclude Saturdays, Sundays, and State holidays.
The 72 hour fresh-loss filing (Ins. 10-414; COMAR 31.03.18.17). A public adjuster who enters into a contract during, or within 72 hours after, the loss giving rise to an insurance claim must notify the Commissioner within 1 business day, using the electronic Public Adjuster Contract Submission Form on MIA's website. COMAR 31.03.18.17 fixes the loss date for this purpose: the Maryland landfall date for hurricanes, the NOAA-verified date for weather events, and the date discovered for other losses.
The 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. solicitation ban (Ins. 10-414). A public adjuster, or anyone acting on behalf of a public adjuster, may not solicit or attempt to solicit a client between the hours of 8:00 p.m. and 8:00 a.m.
The 72 hour policy limit compensation restriction (Ins. 10-411(c)). This is a fee rule, not a solicitation rule. If the insurer, within 72 hours after the time the loss is reported to the insurer, either pays or commits in writing to pay the insured the policy limit, the public adjuster may not take a percentage commission and may be entitled only to reasonable compensation from the insured based on the time spent on the claim and expenses incurred.
No referral fees to unlicensed people (Ins. 10-409.1). No person may give or offer any valuable consideration to an insured as an inducement to use the services of a public adjuster, and commissions or fees may be paid only to persons licensed as public adjusters, which bars referral-fee arrangements with unlicensed parties.
Complete loyalty, and no wearing two hats (Ins. 10-414, 10-415). Ins. 10-414(a) imposes a duty of objectivity and complete loyalty to the interest of the client alone. Ins. 10-415 bars adjusting a claim without competence in the coverage terms, knowingly or recklessly false statements, representing or acting as a company adjuster or independent adjuster on the same claim, settling a loss without the insured's knowledge and consent, and any contract or power of attorney giving the adjuster effective authority to choose who performs repair work. Under Ins. 10-411 you must also disclose any direct or indirect financial interest you or an immediate family member has with any other party involved in the claim, including construction, salvage, appraisal, or repair firms.
Escrow and prompt disbursement (Ins. 10-412, 10-414). Funds received on behalf of an insured toward a claim settlement must be deposited in a noninterest-bearing escrow or trust account at a federally insured financial institution in the adjuster's home state or where the loss occurred, and settlement payments received on the insured's behalf must be disbursed within 15 business days after the date of the payment from the insurer.
Penalties (Ins. 10-403, 10-410). Unlicensed public adjusting is a criminal misdemeanor carrying up to a $500 fine or 6 months, or both, per violation. For licensees, administrative penalties under Ins. 10-410 run from $100 to $5,000 per violation plus restitution, on top of denial, suspension, or revocation.

All of these, with citations, are in the free Public Adjuster Field Guide, formatted so you can find the rule mid-conversation with a client.

Claim-handling law every Maryland public adjuster should know

Your leverage on a disputed claim comes from Title 27. Md. Code Ins. 27-303 lists unfair claim settlement practices that are violations as single acts, including misrepresenting pertinent facts or policy provisions, refusing to pay a claim for an arbitrary or capricious reason based on all available information, attempting to settle based on an application altered without the insured's knowledge or consent, failing to include a statement of the coverage under which payment is made, failing to settle promptly under one part of a policy where liability is reasonably clear in order to influence settlement under other parts, failing to promptly explain the basis of a denial on request, and failing to act in good faith in settling first-party property and casualty claims. Ins. 27-304 lists additional practices, such as failing to investigate promptly and delaying payment when liability is clear, that are violations only when committed with the frequency to indicate a general business practice.

The remedy your client may care about most is Md. Code Ins. 27-1001, the good faith failure remedy for first-party claims under property and casualty policies and individual disability policies. Before suing under Courts and Judicial Proceedings 3-1701, the insured must first file a complaint with the Maryland Insurance Administration, with exceptions for small claims court, an agreed waiver, and commercial policies with liability limits over $1,000,000. The insurer has 30 days to respond, and MIA must decide within 90 days or the matter is treated as a no-breach determination. On a finding of breach, actual damages are capped at policy limits plus interest, and if bad faith is found, expenses and litigation costs including attorney fees are limited to one-third of actual damages. CJP 3-1701 defines good faith as an informed judgment based on honesty and diligence supported by evidence the insurer knew or should have known at the time it made a decision on a claim.

What it costs to become a Maryland public adjuster

Maryland is one of the least expensive states to enter, precisely because of what it does not require:

Exam-prep course: $49.99 with Elite Training Academy (built around the Prometric content outline)
Prometric exam fee: $62 per attempt under the Maryland insurance bulletin effective 2024-10-01
Initial license fee: $25 or $50, depending on the length of the initial term relative to the renewal cycle (Md. Code Ins. 2-112(a)(6))
Surety bond: $0. Maryland requires none (nothing in Md. Code Ins. 10-404, 10-405, or 10-406)
Fingerprinting: $0. No fingerprint requirement appears in the statute or MIA's licensing materials
Pre-licensing education: $0. None required (Md. Code Ins. 10-404)
Renewal: $50 every 2 years under Ins. 2-112(a)(6), which MIA lists as $65 total with a $15 fraud prevention fee, plus 24 CE hours including 3 in ethics (Ins. 10-408(d); COMAR 31.03.18.03)
Reinstatement if you lapse: renewal fee plus a $100 reinstatement fee within 1 year of expiration (Md. Code Ins. 10-408.1)

Realistically, budget roughly $90 to $115 in exam and license fees to get licensed. The biggest hidden cost is failing the exam: each retake is another $62, and Md. Code Ins. 10-404 requires at least 14 days between attempts. One scheduling note to verify directly with MIA before you plan around it: MIA's public adjuster licensing sheet states that examination results are valid for 6 months, but that sheet is visibly out of date on the exam vendor (it still names PSI), and the current Prometric bulletin does not state a validity period, so treat the 6 month figure as unconfirmed.

Ready to start studying?

Our Maryland Public Adjuster exam prep course is $49.99 and covers the Prometric content outline: Insurance Regulation (the largest block at 30 percent, which is Md. Code Ins. Title 10, Subtitle 4), Insurance Basics, Adjusting Losses, Dwelling and Homeowners policies, Commercial Package, Businessowners, and Other Coverages. It is exam preparation, not state-approved education (Maryland requires none). Not sure yet? Take the free practice exam first, or grab the free Field Guide PDF.

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Frequently asked questions

Does Maryland require a surety bond for public adjusters?

No. Maryland requires no surety bond for a public adjuster license. No bond requirement appears in Md. Code Ins. 10-404 (qualifications), 10-405 (applications), or 10-406 (issuance), nor in any Maryland Insurance Administration licensing document. The section widely cited online for a $20,000 Maryland public adjuster bond, Ins. 10-405.1, does not exist in enacted Maryland law: the Maryland General Assembly's official statute database returns File Not Found for it, and the current Insurance Article Title 10, Subtitle 4 runs 10-401 through 10-416 with no 10-405.1. That citation comes from an industry document hosted on MIA's website, Suggested Amendments to Maryland Public Adjuster Act, which proposes a new 10-405.1 requiring a bond of at least $20,000 or an irrevocable letter of credit. It is proposed amendment language tracking the NAIC model act, not law. Bond vendors that sell a Maryland public adjuster bond citing 10-405.1 are wrong on Maryland law.

Do I need a pre-licensing course to become a public adjuster in Maryland?

No. Maryland has no pre-licensing education requirement for the public adjuster license. Md. Code Ins. 10-404 requires only that an individual applicant be trustworthy and competent to transact business as a public adjuster so as to safeguard the interests of the public, pass a written examination administered by the Commissioner, and pay the fee, and the Maryland Insurance Administration's public adjuster licensing sheet imposes no coursework. Maryland also repealed pre-licensing education for insurance producers effective October 1, 2024 (MIA Bulletin 24-19, implementing HB 265 and SB 336, Chapters 873 and 874 of 2024). The resident path is exam-only, so most candidates use dedicated exam prep; ours is $49.99 and is built around the Prometric content outline, not state-approved education.

Who administers the Maryland public adjuster exam and what is on it?

Prometric administers Maryland Insurance Administration licensing exams, under a registration and scheduling system effective October 1, 2024; scheduling is at prometric.com/exams/mia or 1-800-610-1174, at any US Prometric center or by remote proctoring. It is not PSI, which was the vendor only historically and whose Maryland insurance bulletin is dated October 1, 2018. The exam is the Maryland Public Adjuster examination, Prometric series 2023 in English and 2043 in Spanish. The official content outline sets 60 questions, of which 50 are scored and 10 are unscored experimental items, with a 1.5 hour time limit and a passing score of 70 percent. Content weights are Insurance Regulation 30 percent (15 items), Insurance Basics 18 percent (9), Adjusting Losses 12 percent (6), Other Coverages 12 percent (6), Dwelling Policy 10 percent (5), Homeowners Policy 10 percent (5), Commercial Package 4 percent (2), and Businessowners 4 percent (2). Because Insurance Regulation is the single largest block, Md. Code Ins. Title 10, Subtitle 4 is the highest-yield material on the test.

How much does a Maryland public adjuster license cost?

Direct state and vendor fees are low because Maryland requires no bond, no fingerprints, and no pre-licensing course. Budget $62 for the Prometric exam per attempt under the bulletin effective October 1, 2024, plus an initial license fee of $25 or $50 set by Md. Code Ins. 2-112(a)(6), the amount depending on the length of the initial term relative to the renewal cycle. That is roughly $87 to $112 in total to get licensed, plus study materials (our exam prep course is $49.99). Renewal is biennial: Ins. 2-112(a)(6) sets the renewal fee at $50, and MIA lists the total renewal as $65, consisting of the $50 renewal fee plus a $15 fraud prevention fee. If you let the license lapse, Ins. 10-408.1 adds a $100 reinstatement fee on top of the renewal fee within the one year reinstatement window.

How long does it take to get a Maryland public adjuster license?

For a prepared candidate, a few weeks. There is no pre-licensing course to sit through under Md. Code Ins. 10-404, so the timeline is study time plus exam scheduling plus application review. Prometric schedules Maryland Insurance Administration exams at any US test center or by remote proctoring, and the Maryland Insurance Administration reports that complete applications are verified in 1 to 7 business days with a final determination in 7 to 10 days. The main risk to your timeline is failing the exam: Md. Code Ins. 10-404 provides that an individual applicant who fails an examination may not take another examination until at least 14 days after the date of the last examination failed, and each attempt costs another $62.

Can an insured cancel a Maryland public adjuster contract?

Yes. Md. Code Ins. 10-411(h) gives the insured the right to rescind or cancel a public adjuster contract within 10 business days after the date the contract was signed. That is far longer than the 3 days in the NAIC model act and is a distinctive Maryland rule. The notice must be in writing and mailed or delivered to the public adjuster at the address shown in the contract, and within 15 business days after receiving the notice the public adjuster must return anything of value the insured gave under the contract. For purposes of 10-411(h), COMAR 31.03.18.17 defines a business day to exclude Saturdays, Sundays, and State holidays.

Is there a cap on public adjuster fees in Maryland?

Maryland sets no statutory percentage cap on public adjuster fees. Md. Code Ins. 10-411 instead requires the written contract, titled Public Adjuster Contract, to state the full salary, fee, commission, compensation, or other consideration the public adjuster is to receive, along with the adjuster's name, address, phone, and license number, the insured's name and address, the insurer and policy number, a description of the loss, the services to be provided, both signatures and dates, and a disclosure that approved expenses will be reimbursed from insurance proceeds. Two limits do apply. Under Ins. 10-411(c), if the insurer within 72 hours after the time the loss is reported either pays or commits in writing to pay the policy limit, the public adjuster may not take a percentage commission and may be entitled only to reasonable compensation based on time spent on the claim and expenses incurred. Ins. 10-411 also bars collecting a fee on money due from but not yet paid by the insurer, and bars taking the entire fee out of the first settlement check rather than proportionally.

Can a nonresident get a Maryland public adjuster license?

Yes, and Maryland handles it on a reciprocity basis. Under Md. Code Ins. 10-409, the Commissioner may waive Maryland's requirements or issue a nonresident license where the applicant's home state licenses the applicant as a public adjuster and grants Maryland residents the same treatment. Applicants from states that do not reciprocate, or that do not license public adjusters at all, are not shut out: Ins. 10-409(c) lets them qualify by meeting Maryland's full resident requirements under Ins. 10-404 and 10-405, which means passing the Prometric Maryland Public Adjuster exam and filing the NAIC Uniform Application. Nonresidents licensed on a reciprocal basis are exempt from Maryland continuing education if they comply with their home state's CE requirements.

Sources

Every requirement on this page traces to one of these primary sources:

Md. Code, Insurance Article, Title 10, Subtitle 4 (Justia official code) including 10-401 (definitions and the motor vehicle exclusion), 10-402 (scope exclusions), 10-403 (license required, misdemeanor penalty), 10-404 (qualifications, examination, 14-day retake), 10-405 (applications), 10-406 (issuance), 10-408 (term, renewal, CE), 10-408.1 (reinstatement), 10-409 (nonresident reciprocity), 10-409.1 (prohibited inducements), 10-410 (administrative penalties), 10-411 (contracts, compensation disclosure, 72-hour policy limit rule, 10-business-day rescission), 10-412 (escrow), 10-413 (5-year records), 10-414 (duties, solicitation hours, fresh-loss filing, disbursement), and 10-415 (ethics). The section list on this page also confirms there is no section 10-405.1
Official statute text from the Maryland General Assembly: Ins. 10-404 (14-day retake wait), Ins. 10-411 (72-hour policy limit rule, 10-business-day rescission), Ins. 10-414 (loyalty duty, 8 p.m. to 8 a.m. solicitation ban, fresh-loss filing, 15-business-day disbursement), Ins. 2-112 (license fees), and the File Not Found result for Ins. 10-405.1, which is the direct evidence that the Maryland public adjuster bond section does not exist
Claim-handling law from the Maryland General Assembly: Ins. 27-303 and Ins. 27-304 (unfair claim settlement practices), Ins. 27-1001 (first-party good faith remedy), and Courts and Judicial Proceedings 3-1701
Maryland Insurance Administration: Public Adjusters (application routing, processing times, renewal fees, birth-month expiration) and the MIA public adjuster licensing sheet (no coursework, no bond, nonresident CE exemption; note this sheet is out of date on the exam vendor). Pre-licensing repeal: MIA Bulletin 24-19. Source of the bond myth: Suggested Amendments to Maryland Public Adjuster Act (a proposed-amendment draft containing the nonexistent 10-405.1 bond section)
Prometric: Maryland Insurance Administration exams, the Maryland Insurance Licensing Information Bulletin (effective 2024-10-01: $62 fee, ID rules, rescheduling), the Maryland Public Adjuster content outline (series 2023) (60 items, 50 scored, 1.5 hours, content weights), and the Maryland insurance exam FAQ (70 percent passing score, series 2023 and 2043)
COMAR Title 31, Subtitle 03, Chapter 18: COMAR 31.03.18.03 (CE hour allocation) and COMAR 31.03.18.17 (business day definition, fresh-loss contract submission form, loss-date rules)

Last verified: facts on this page were verified 2026-08-09 against the Annotated Code of Maryland, Insurance Article, the Maryland Insurance Administration's published licensing materials, COMAR Title 31, and the Prometric Maryland candidate bulletin and content outline.

Related guides

Statutory requirements summarized from the Annotated Code of Maryland, Insurance Article, Title 10, Subtitle 4 and Title 27, and from COMAR Title 31, Subtitle 03, Chapter 18, current as of 2026-08-09. Our course is exam preparation for the Maryland Public Adjuster examination; Maryland does not require any pre-licensing course for this license, and our course is not approved or endorsed by the Maryland Insurance Administration. Fees and procedures change; verify current requirements at insurance.maryland.gov before relying on any specific number. This guide is not legal advice.