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How to Become a Public Adjuster in Ohio (2026)

To become a public adjuster in Ohio, you pass the PSI Ohio Public Adjuster exam (Series 11-38: 100 questions, 2 hours, $49), file a $1,000 surety bond, and apply through NIPR for a public insurance adjuster certificate of authority ($100). Ohio requires no pre-licensing course, no fingerprints, and no continuing education, but the license expires every December 31 and must be renewed for $50. This guide walks each step with the statute or rule behind it.

Quick summaryCertificate of authority required (ORC 3951.02) · pass PSI Series 11-38 (100 questions, 2 hours, $49, 70 percent to pass, in person only) · $1,000 bond (ORC 3951.06) · apply on NIPR for $100 · no pre-licensing course, no fingerprints, no CE · expires every December 31, renew for $50 · contract form filed 30 days before use.

Free download: the Public Adjuster Field Guide

Our free field guide is written around Texas law, but most of it travels to Ohio claims: the first-contact checklist, the documentation standard, ACV and replacement cost valuation math, estimate and scope conventions, and fraud red flags, in one printable PDF you can keep in your truck.

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Ohio licenses public adjusters, not independent adjusters

Ohio's adjuster licensing lives in ORC Chapter 3951, titled Public Insurance Adjusters, administered by the Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI). The chapter licenses two credentials: the public insurance adjuster, who needs the exam, and the public insurance adjuster agent, a bona fide employee of a public insurance adjuster who is certified without examination (ORC 3951.03). Independent adjusters representing insurers are excluded from the chapter, so if you want to adjust in Ohio on the policyholder side, this is the license you need.

The statute is old and thin. Most of the day-to-day conduct rules are in one administrative rule, OAC 3901-1-24, which covers contract forms, fee disclosure, solicitation, conflicts, and records.

Ohio public adjuster license, requirements at a glance

Regulator	Ohio Department of Insurance; ORC Chapter 3951 and OAC 3901-1-24
License type	Public insurance adjuster certificate of authority (ORC 3951.02); separate agent certificate for employees
Exam	PSI Ohio Public Adjuster, Series 11-38: 100 questions, 2 hours, $49 fee, 70 percent to pass; in person only since March 13, 2026
Pre-licensing course	Not required by the state; focused exam prep strongly recommended
Fingerprints	Not required for this license (PSI and ODI bulletin license-type table)
Bond	$1,000 per designated person, payable to the state (ORC 3951.06); ODI Form INS3007
Application	Online through NIPR; $100 initial fee (ORC 3951.06)
Renewal	Annual; expires December 31 of the year issued; $50, without examination (ORC 3951.06)
Continuing education	None required for this license
Fee cap	None; the fee must be conspicuously stated in the contract (OAC 3901-1-24)
Contract form	Filed with the superintendent 30 days before use (OAC 3901-1-24)
Records	Full record of transactions for the previous three years (OAC 3901-1-24)

The five steps

1
Study for the Ohio Public Adjuster exam (Series 11-38)
Ohio requires no pre-licensing course for the public insurance adjuster license; the PSI and Ohio Department of Insurance candidate bulletin lists pre-licensing education as None and exam as Yes. The exam is heavier on coverage forms than most candidates expect. The Series 11-38 outline weights Insurance Regulation at 10 percent, Insurance Basics at 18 percent, Adjusting Losses at 15 percent, the Dwelling policy at 5 percent, the Homeowners policy at 7 percent, Auto at 8 percent, the Commercial Package Policy at 18 percent, the Businessowners policy at 16 percent, and Other Coverages and Options at 3 percent. Commercial lines alone are about a third of the exam. Our $49.99 Ohio Public Adjuster exam prep course is built around that outline. Start with the free practice exam to benchmark yourself.
2
Pass the PSI exam: 100 questions, 2 hours, $49
ORC 3951.05 requires a written examination, and PSI delivers it as the Ohio Public Adjuster exam, Series 11-38: 100 questions with a 2-hour time limit. The minimum passing score is 70 percent and the exam fee is $49 (PSI bulletin updated 3/24/2026). You do not need approval from the State of Ohio to schedule. Effective March 13, 2026, PSI no longer offers remote proctored Ohio exams, so plan to test in person at a PSI testing location. Register at test-takers.psiexams.com/ohins.
3
File the $1,000 surety bond
ORC 3951.06 requires a bond on file with the superintendent in the penal sum of $1,000 for each person designated in the application, conditioned on the faithful performance of the adjuster's duties and payable to the state. The bond must specifically authorize recovery on behalf of an injured party if the adjuster is guilty of fraudulent or dishonest practices. The Ohio Department of Insurance (ODI) uses Form INS3007 for the bond.
4
Apply through NIPR for your certificate of authority ($100)
Ohio calls the license a certificate of authority, and ORC 3951.02 makes one mandatory before you act as a public insurance adjuster. File the initial application electronically through NIPR, with supporting documents through the NIPR Attachment Warehouse; ODI's Form INS3024 is the initial application checklist. The initial fee is $100 (ORC 3951.06). The PSI bulletin's license-type table lists no fingerprint or background check requirement for this license. Under ORC 3951.04 the superintendent issues certificates only to applicants who are trustworthy and competent and will not issue one to a person convicted of a disqualifying offense.
5
File your contract form and renew every December 31
Under OAC 3901-1-24, you may not use a client contract until 30 days after the contract form has been filed with the superintendent, and every contract must conspicuously set out your fee. Keep a full record of your adjusting transactions for the previous three years. Your certificate expires on December 31 of the year it is issued, and ORC 3951.06 lets you renew for the next year without examination by paying a $50 fee. Ohio requires no continuing education for this license, so the annual renewal is a fee and a deadline, but miss it and you cannot keep working.

Before you book PSI, take our free practice exam to see whether you're ready. With 100 questions and a third of the exam on commercial forms, gaps show up fast.

What makes Ohio different

Ohio is one of the lighter public adjuster regimes to enter, but it has its own rules that trip up adjusters coming from other states:

An annual license with a hard December 31 date. Every certificate expires on December 31 of the year it is issued (ORC 3951.06). Renewal is $50 and requires no exam and no CE, but it happens every year.
Contract forms are filed before use. OAC 3901-1-24 bars using a client contract until 30 days after the form has been filed with the superintendent, and the contract must conspicuously set out your fee.
No fee cap and no fingerprints. Ohio sets no percentage cap on public adjuster fees, and the PSI and ODI bulletin lists no fingerprint or background check for this license.
Conflict and solicitation rules. OAC 3901-1-24 bars engaging in the business of repairing, remodeling, or replacing damaged property, and bars soliciting a loss during the progress of a fire or while the fire department is engaged at the premises.
A commercial-heavy exam. The Series 11-38 outline puts 18 percent on the Commercial Package Policy and 16 percent on the Businessowners policy, against 5 percent for the Dwelling policy and 7 percent for Homeowners. Study commercial forms seriously.

For the day-to-day claim work these rules sit on top of (documentation, valuation, scope), grab the free Public Adjuster Field Guide.

What it costs to become an Ohio public adjuster

Ohio is inexpensive to enter: no pre-licensing course, no fingerprinting fee, and a small bond. Verify current amounts before paying:

Exam-prep course: $49.99 with Elite Training Academy
PSI exam fee: $49 per attempt
Certificate of authority: $100 initial (ORC 3951.06), plus any NIPR transaction fee
$1,000 surety bond: you pay a premium set by the surety, not the face amount
Renewal: $50 every year; CE: $0 (none required)

The fixed state and vendor fees come to $149 before the bond premium. The hidden cost is a failed exam: another $49 and another trip to a PSI test center.

Ready to start studying?

Our Ohio Public Adjuster exam prep course is $49.99 with lifetime access, built around the PSI Series 11-38 outline, commercial lines included. Not sure yet? Take the free practice exam first, or grab the free Field Guide PDF.

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Frequently asked questions

What is the Ohio public adjuster license called?

Ohio issues a certificate of authority as a public insurance adjuster under ORC Chapter 3951, and a holder is a certified public insurance adjuster. ORC 3951.02 bars anyone from acting as a public insurance adjuster without the certificate. Ohio also has a second credential, the public insurance adjuster agent, for a bona fide employee of a public insurance adjuster; that certificate is issued without examination for a $50 fee and a $1,000 bond (ORC 3951.03).

How many questions are on the Ohio public adjuster exam?

The PSI Ohio Public Adjuster exam, Series 11-38, has 100 questions with a 2-hour time limit, per the PSI and ODI candidate bulletin updated 3/24/2026. The minimum passing score is 70 percent, the exam fee is $49, and since March 13, 2026 the exam is offered in person only at PSI testing locations. The Commercial Package Policy (18 percent) and Businessowners policy (16 percent) sections together outweigh the dwelling and homeowners sections.

How much is the Ohio public adjuster bond?

$1,000 for each person designated in the application, under ORC 3951.06. The bond is conditioned on faithful performance of the adjuster's duties, is payable to the state, and specifically authorizes recovery on behalf of an injured party if the adjuster is guilty of fraudulent or dishonest practices. A public insurance adjuster agent is also bonded at $1,000 (ORC 3951.03). You pay a surety a premium, not the face amount.

Does Ohio require fingerprints for public adjusters?

The PSI and ODI candidate bulletin's license-type table lists Fingerprint/Background Check as No for both the Public Insurance Adjuster and the Public Insurance Adjuster Agent licenses. Ohio producer licenses are different, so do not assume the producer rules apply. The superintendent still reviews character and will not issue a certificate to a person convicted of a disqualifying offense (ORC 3951.04).

Does Ohio require continuing education for public adjusters?

No. Neither ORC Chapter 3951 nor OAC 3901-1-24 imposes continuing education on public insurance adjusters, and ORC 3951.06 lets the certificate be renewed each year without examination on payment of the $50 renewal fee. Ohio's producer CE rules apply to producers licensed under Chapter 3905, not to the Chapter 3951 public adjuster certificate.

Is there a fee cap for public adjusters in Ohio?

No. Ohio has no statutory or regulatory percentage cap on public adjuster fees. OAC 3901-1-24 requires every contract to conspicuously set out the adjuster's fee, and it bars offering the insured any part of the fee or the anticipated settlement as an inducement to sign. The fee itself is a matter of contract.

Can an Ohio public adjuster do the repairs?

No. OAC 3901-1-24 prohibits a public insurance adjuster from engaging in the business of repairing, remodeling, or replacing damaged or destroyed property, or holding an interest in that business. The same rule bars soliciting a loss during the progress of a fire or while the fire department is engaged at the damaged premises.

When does an Ohio public adjuster license expire?

Every December 31. ORC 3951.06 provides that a public insurance adjuster certificate expires on December 31 of the calendar year in which it was issued, and it can be renewed for the next year without examination for $50. A certificate issued in November still expires that December 31, so plan your first renewal as soon as you are licensed.

Sources

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

ORC Chapter 3951 (definitions, certificate requirement, qualifications, written examination)
ORC 3951.06 ($100 initial fee, $50 renewal without examination, December 31 expiration, $1,000 bond)
ORC 3951.03 (public insurance adjuster agent: no exam, $50, $1,000 bond)
OAC 3901-1-24 (contract form filing, fee disclosure, solicitation, repair business ban, 3-year records)
ODI public insurance adjusters page (NIPR filing, forms INS3024 and INS3007, December 31 expiration)
PSI and ODI Insurance License Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 3/24/2026: Series 11-38 outline, 100 questions, 2 hours, 70 percent, $49, in person only, license-type table)

Related guides

Last verified 2026-09-22 against the Ohio Revised Code, the Ohio Administrative Code, the Ohio Department of Insurance, and the PSI and ODI Insurance License Examination Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 3/24/2026). Our course is exam preparation for the Ohio Public Adjuster examination (PSI Series 11-38); Ohio does not require a state-approved pre-licensing course for this license, and our course is not state-approved education. Fees and vendor procedures change; verify current requirements at insurance.ohio.gov and test-takers.psiexams.com/ohins before relying on any specific number. This guide is not legal advice.