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How to Become a Public Adjuster in Michigan (2026)

To become a public adjuster in Michigan, you apply through NIPR for an Adjuster for the Insured license ($20), pass the PSI Series 16-70 exam (100 questions, 2 hours, 71 percent to pass), and renew every year by March 31. Michigan requires no pre-licensing course, no bond, and no continuing education for this license. What it does require is a DIFS-approved contract and a fee no higher than 10 percent of the settlement (MCL 500.1226(3)). This guide walks every step, with citations.

Quick summaryThe license is Adjuster for the Insured (MCL 500.1222) · apply on NIPR for $20 ($15 plus $5) · pass PSI Series 16-70 (100 questions, 2 hours, 71 percent, $41) · no pre-licensing course, no bond, no CE · 10 percent fee cap · renew by March 31 every year for $5.

Free download: the Michigan Public Adjuster Field Guide

The 10 percent fee cap, both contract cancellation rights, the solicitation rules, the fire repair contractor bar, and the 6-year records rule, with citations, in one printable PDF you can keep in your truck.

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Same job, different name: Adjuster for the Insured

If you search the DIFS website for a public adjuster license, look for "Adjuster for the Insured." That is the statutory term used in MCL 500.1226 through 500.1228, and DIFS labels it "Adjuster for the Insured (Public Adjuster)" on its own pages. It is a separate license from the Insurance Adjuster (Independent Adjuster) license, which represents insurers. DIFS notes that the Adjuster for the Insured may not adjust workers' compensation claims.

The licensing trigger in MCL 500.1222(1) is broad: adjusting a loss, advertising or soliciting the business, or holding yourself out as an adjuster each requires a license. Exemptions include attorneys admitted in Michigan and employees of an insurer handling that insurer's claims. MCL 500.1224(4) adds a hard bar: the commissioner may not license anyone connected with a fire repair contractor.

Michigan public adjuster requirements at a glance

Regulator	Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS); Insurance Code chapter 12 (MCL 500.1222 to 500.1228)
License name	Adjuster for the Insured (Public Adjuster)
Pre-licensing course	Not required (MCL 500.1224; PSI lists 16-70 under exams not requiring pre-licensing education)
Exam	PSI Series 16-70: 100 scored items, 2 hours, 71 percent to pass, $41; up to 10 unscored items count against time
Application	NIPR; $15 plus $5 NIPR fee (resident), $15 plus $6.18 (nonresident); valid 180 days
Bond	None in MCL 500.1222 to 500.1228 or the DIFS licensing steps
Renewal	Annual; expires March 31; $5 renewal fee, portal open February 1 to March 31
Continuing education	None; the CE statute, MCL 500.1204c, covers producers
Fee cap	10 percent of the amount paid by the insurer in settlement (MCL 500.1226(3)); no catastrophe tier
Contract	Written, on the DIFS-approved form, before services (MCL 500.1226(4))
Cancellation	10 days if signed within 48 hours after the occurrence (MCL 500.1226(4)); 3 business days for home solicitation sales (MCL 445.112)
Records	At least 6 years after the transaction ends (MCL 500.1228)

The five steps

1
Study for the PSI Series 16-70 exam
Michigan requires no pre-licensing course for this license. MCL 500.1224 requires a written examination but no program of study, unlike the producer section, MCL 500.1204(2), which does. The PSI Michigan bulletin lists Public Adjuster 16-70 under examinations not requiring pre-licensing education. The exam weights Insurance Basics at 23 percent, Adjusting Losses at 22 percent, Homeowners Policy at 18 percent, Insurance Regulation at 12 percent, Dwelling Policy, Commercial Package Policy, and Businessowners Policy at 8 percent each, and Other Coverages and Options at 1 percent. Our $49.99 Michigan Public Adjuster exam prep course follows those eight areas with 500+ practice questions. Start with the free practice exam to benchmark yourself.
2
Apply through NIPR ($15 plus the NIPR fee)
Residents file an Electronic Resident Licensing (ERL) application through NIPR for the Adjuster for the Insured license. The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) lists a $15.00 application and license fee plus a $5.00 NIPR transaction fee, $20 total. DIFS says an application is valid for 180 days from entry into its database, so plan to pass the exam inside that window or you will have to reapply and pay again. Nonresidents file a Non-Resident Adjuster Licensing (NRAL) application ($15.00 plus a $6.18 NIPR fee) and must take the Michigan exam only if they are not active in another state that requires an exam.
3
Pass the exam: 100 questions, 2 hours, 71 percent, $41
The Michigan Public Adjuster exam, PSI Series 16-70, has 100 scored items and a 2-hour time limit, and the cut score is 71 percent, per the PSI outline, the PSI bulletin effective June 10, 2025, and the DIFS cut score table. Note that the two independent adjuster exams use 70 percent; the public adjuster exam does not. The exam fee is $41 and is not refundable or transferable. PSI may add 1 to 10 unscored experimental items that count against your time, so pace yourself for up to about 110 questions. Schedule at test-takers.psiexams.com/midifs or (855) 579-4639. If you fail, you can call the next day and retest as soon as seats allow. Passing results are valid for 12 months.
4
Set up your DIFS-approved contract
MCL 500.1226(4) bars you from providing services until you have a written contract with the insured on a form approved by the commissioner, and the insured must receive a copy when it is signed. DIFS publishes the approved Residential Public Adjusting Contract and a First Party Motor Vehicle Adjusting Contract, and its FAQ says the residential form itself cannot be altered beyond adding your logo and contact information. Your fee on that contract may not exceed 10 percent of the amount the insurer pays in settlement of the loss (MCL 500.1226(3)).
5
Renew every year by March 31 ($5)
Michigan adjuster and Adjuster for the Insured licenses expire March 31 every year. DIFS opens its renewal portal February 1 through March 31, and the renewal fee is $5.00 under MCL 500.240(1)(g). A license not renewed by March 31 is cancelled. DIFS lists no continuing education condition for adjuster renewal; Michigan's CE statute, MCL 500.1204c, applies to insurance producers.

Before you book PSI, take our free practice exam to see whether you're ready. Your NIPR application is only valid for 180 days, so it pays to pass on the first try.

What makes Michigan different

Michigan is one of the cheapest states to enter and one of the strictest on contracts. Five distinctives every candidate should know:

A flat 10 percent fee cap. MCL 500.1226(3) caps your rate at 10 percent of the amount the insurer pays in settlement of the loss. There is no higher catastrophe tier, and DIFS says the fee applies only to payments under the coverages marked on the contract.
You must use the state's contract. MCL 500.1226(4) requires a written contract on a form approved by the commissioner before you provide services. DIFS publishes the approved residential contract (revision 03-2019) and its FAQ says the form cannot be altered beyond adding your logo and contact information.
Two cancellation rules on two clocks. A contract signed within 48 hours after the loss-producing occurrence ends is voidable for 10 days after signing (MCL 500.1226(4)). A home solicitation sale can be cancelled until midnight of the third business day after signing (MCL 445.112). One is calendar days and conditional; the other is business days.
Event-based solicitation limits. MCL 500.1227(1) bars soliciting while the loss-producing occurrence is in progress or while the fire department is engaged at the premises. When you solicit, MCL 500.1226(2) requires you to identify yourself as an adjuster for the insured and give a card or document stating your rates. MCL 500.1226(1) bars paying anyone to help solicit or adjust unless you regularly employ them and they are licensed adjusters.
6-year records. MCL 500.1228 requires a complete record of each transaction, including the date and time each solicitation was made, kept for at least 6 years after the transaction ends and open to the commissioner.

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

What it costs to become a Michigan public adjuster

With no course mandate, no bond, and no CE, Michigan's required costs are small. Verify current amounts before paying:

Exam-prep course: $49.99 with Elite Training Academy (500+ practice questions across the eight PSI 16-70 content areas)
PSI exam fee: $41 per attempt, not refundable or transferable
NIPR application: $20 for residents ($15 license fee plus $5 NIPR fee); $21.18 for nonresidents
Annual renewal: $5
Bond: $0 (none required); pre-licensing course: $0; CE: $0

Required state and exam fees total $61 for a resident who passes on the first attempt. Each retake adds another $41, and the 180-day application window keeps running while you retest.

Ready to start studying?

Our Michigan Public Adjuster exam prep course is $49.99 with lifetime access, built around the eight areas of the PSI Series 16-70 outline, with 500+ practice questions. Not sure yet? Take the free practice exam first, or grab the free Field Guide PDF.

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Frequently asked questions

Does Michigan have a public adjuster license?

Yes, but it is called the Adjuster for the Insured license. MCL 500.1222(1) says a person may not adjust loss or damage under an insurance policy, or advertise, solicit, or hold out to the public as an adjuster, without an adjuster license. DIFS issues two adjuster types: the Adjuster for the Insured (Public Adjuster), who represents insureds, and the Insurance Adjuster (Independent Adjuster), who represents insurers. PSI titles the exam Public Adjuster, Series 16-70. All three names describe the same credential.

How many questions is the Michigan public adjuster exam?

PSI Series 16-70 has 100 scored items with a 2-hour time limit, and you need 71 percent to pass (71 correct), per the PSI content outline and the DIFS Insurance Examination Cut Scores table. The exam fee is $41. The PSI bulletin says 1 to 10 unscored experimental items may be added and that they count against exam time.

Does Michigan require a bond for public adjusters?

No bond requirement appears in Michigan's adjuster provisions. The sections that govern adjusters in the Insurance Code, MCL 500.1222, 500.1224, 500.1226, 500.1227, and 500.1228, contain no bonding clause, and the DIFS licensing steps for an Adjuster for the Insured list only the NIPR application, the fee, and the exam. Bond figures you may see online for Michigan are usually carried over from other states.

What is the Michigan public adjuster fee cap?

10 percent. MCL 500.1226(3) says an adjuster for the insured shall not charge a rate for services that exceeds 10 percent of the amount paid by the insurer in settlement of the loss. There is no separate catastrophe tier. The DIFS-approved residential contract states the fee as a percentage not to exceed 10 percent of amounts paid in settlement by the insurer.

Do Michigan public adjusters need continuing education?

No. Michigan's CE statute, MCL 500.1204c, requires 24 hours every two years, including 3 hours of ethics, for insurance producers, which it defines as life-health and property-casualty agents. It does not reach adjusters. The DIFS renewal page for adjusters describes the renewal as a $5.00 annual fee paid between February 1 and March 31, with no education requirement.

Can a homeowner cancel a Michigan public adjuster contract?

Possibly under two different rules. Under MCL 500.1226(4), a contract signed within 48 hours after the loss-producing occurrence ends is voidable by the insured for 10 days after it is signed. Separately, when the sale is a home solicitation sale, the Michigan Home Solicitation Sales Act, MCL 445.112, gives the buyer the right to cancel until midnight of the third business day after signing. Both rights are disclosed on the DIFS-approved contract.

When can a Michigan public adjuster solicit a client?

MCL 500.1227(1) bars soliciting or attempting to solicit a loss during the progress of a loss-producing occurrence, or while the fire department or its representatives are engaged at the damaged premises. When you do solicit, MCL 500.1226(2) requires you to identify yourself verbally as an adjuster for the insured and hand over a business card or other document that says so and states the rates you charge. You may not claim to represent an insurer or a fire department.

Can a Michigan public adjuster work for a contractor?

No. MCL 500.1224(4) bars the commissioner from licensing anyone who is employed by, owns stock in, is an officer or director of, or is otherwise connected with a fire repair contractor. MCL 500.1227(2) also bars collecting a fee from a repair contractor for obtaining repair work, and MCL 500.1227(3) bars advancing money or anything of value to an insured while a claim is being adjusted.

Sources

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

MCL 500.1224 (application, examination, fire repair contractor bar)
MCL 500.1226 (solicitation identification, 10 percent fee cap, approved contract, 10-day voidability)
MCL 500.1227 (solicitation during a loss; contractor fees; advances)
MCL 500.1228 (6-year records)
MCL 445.112 (Home Solicitation Sales Act, 3 business days)
DIFS: How to Become Licensed as an Adjuster for the Insured ($15 fee, NIPR fees, 180-day application validity)
DIFS Renewal Information for Adjusters (March 31 expiration, $5 renewal)
DIFS Residential Public Adjusting Contract (approved form, revision 03-2019)
DIFS Insurance Examination Cut Scores (Public Adjuster: 100 items, 71 percent)
PSI Michigan DIFS candidate information bulletin (effective 6/10/2025: $41 fee, experimental items, no pre-licensing education for 16-70) and the Series 16-70 content outline (100 items, 2 hours, content weights)

Related guides

Last verified 2026-09-22 against the Michigan Compiled Laws (chapter 12 of the Insurance Code and MCL 445.112), DIFS licensing, renewal, and contract pages, and the PSI Michigan candidate information bulletin and Series 16-70 content outline. Our course is exam preparation for the Michigan Public Adjuster examination (PSI Series 16-70); Michigan does not require pre-licensing education for the Adjuster for the Insured license, and our course is not state-approved education. Fees and vendor procedures change; verify current requirements at michigan.gov/difs and test-takers.psiexams.com/midifs before relying on any specific number. This guide is not legal advice.