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How to Become a Public Adjuster in Oregon (2026)

To become a public adjuster in Oregon, you pass the PSI Oregon Public Adjuster exam (Series 12-12), get fingerprinted, and apply for the Public Adjuster license through NIPR. There is no required prelicense course and no bond. The license itself is new: the Division of Financial Regulation created it by rule (OAR 836-071-1100 to 1195), effective August 1, 2025, so a lot of what you will read online about Oregon is out of date. This guide walks every step, with citations.

Quick summarySeparate Public Adjuster license since August 1, 2025 (OAR 836-071) · pass PSI Series 12-12 (100 questions, 120 minutes, 70 percent to pass) · fingerprints for all applicants · apply on NIPR ($30 application plus $45 issuance in state fees) · no bond, no prelicense course · 24 hours of CE every two years · 3 business day rescission right for clients.

Free download: the Public Adjuster Field Guide

The fieldwork side of public adjusting: a first-contact checklist, documentation standards, ACV and RCV valuation with a worked roof claim, estimating and scope, and fraud red flags, in one printable PDF you can keep in your truck. (Its statute pages cover Texas; the claim-handling method applies in Oregon too.)

Get the free Field Guide →

A new license, created by rule

For years Oregon licensed adjusters generically. ORS 744.502 defines only an "adjuster" and never uses the term public adjuster. That changed when DFR adopted OAR 836-071-1100 through 836-071-1195 in rulemaking docket ID 5-2025, filed July 25, 2025 and effective August 1, 2025, under its rulemaking authority in ORS 731.244 and implementing ORS 744.521. There is no enacting bill. NIPR began accepting public adjuster applications on August 18, 2025, which is an application date, not the effective date.

Under OAR 836-071-1105, a public adjuster is a person who, for compensation on behalf of an insured, acts or aids in relation to first-party claims involving real or personal property, advertises as a public adjuster, or solicits or investigates first-party claims for others. OAR 836-071-1100 excludes personal and commercial auto claims. You cannot hold an Oregon public adjuster license and an independent adjuster license at the same time, but an existing independent adjuster can switch license type at no charge (DFR announcement, August 5, 2025).

Oregon public adjuster license, requirements at a glance

RegulatorOregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR); OAR 836-071-1100 to 1195 under ORS 744.521
License typeSeparate Public Adjuster license, effective August 1, 2025; first-party property claims only, no auto (OAR 836-071-1100, 1105)
ExamPSI Series 12-12, "Oregon Adjuster's Examination, Public Adjuster": 100 questions, 120 minutes, 70 percent to pass (OAR 836-071-1130); exemptions in OAR 836-071-1135
Prelicense courseNot required (DFR: "No prelicense training is required"); focused exam prep recommended
FingerprintsRequired of all applicants; at a PSI Oregon site ($61.25) or through FieldprintOregon.com
ApplicationOnline through NIPR; state fees $30 application plus $45 issuance (OAR 836-009-0007), plus NIPR charges
RenewalEvery two years in your birth month; $45 renewal fee (OAR 836-009-0007(6))
Continuing education24 hours per two-year cycle, including 3 ethics; residents also 3 hours Oregon law (OAR 836-071-1155; ORS 744.521(2)(a)(B))
BondNone required, and no E&O requirement; client funds go in an escrow or trust account (OAR 836-071-1175)
Fee capNone; only the 72-hour policy limits rule (OAR 836-071-1165)
Rescission3 business days to rescind; refund within 15 business days (OAR 836-071-1165)
RecordsKeep for 5 years after the transaction ends (OAR 836-071-1180)

The five steps

  1. 1

    Study for the Oregon Public Adjuster exam (PSI Series 12-12)

    Oregon requires no prelicense course. The Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) states that all applicants for an Oregon resident adjuster license must take the Oregon adjuster exam and that no prelicense training is required. The Series 12-12 outline is broad: Adjustment Process is the largest area at 22 percent, followed by Property and Casualty Insurance Basics at 20 percent, Insurance Regulation at 15 percent, General Insurance Concepts at 13 percent, and Homeowners at 10 percent. Our $49.99 Oregon Public Adjuster exam prep course follows the published 12-12 outline. Start with the free practice exam to benchmark yourself.

  2. 2

    Pass the PSI exam: 100 questions, 120 minutes, 70 percent

    OAR 836-071-1130 requires public adjuster applicants to pass a written examination. PSI administers it as the Oregon Adjuster's Examination, Public Adjuster, Series 12-12: 100 questions with a 120-minute time limit per the PSI outline, and you must get 70 percent correct to pass per the PSI Oregon candidate bulletin (the 80 percent minimum in that bulletin applies only to the Crop exam). PSI may also include five to ten unscored experimental questions. The bulletin's fee table does not list a fee for Series 12-12, so confirm the amount when you register. Some candidates are exempt from the exam under OAR 836-071-1135, including public adjusters licensed in another state (currently, or within 12 months of termination in good standing).

  3. 3

    Get fingerprinted

    Every applicant must provide fingerprints to DFR for a state and national criminal history check, per the PSI Oregon candidate bulletin. You can be fingerprinted electronically at a PSI Oregon test site on exam day (the August 2025 bulletin lists a $61.25 fee, paid at the site) or by appointment through FieldprintOregon.com.

  4. 4

    Apply online through NIPR

    Oregon public adjuster applications are filed electronically through NIPR; DFR stopped accepting paper adjuster applications on August 15, 2025 and opened NIPR applications on August 18, 2025. Public Adjuster is its own line of authority on NIPR. OAR 836-009-0007 sets the state adjuster fees at $30 for the application and $45 for license issuance; NIPR adds its own processing charges, so check the total at checkout. Nonresidents must already hold the equivalent public adjuster license in their home state (OAR 836-071-1140).

  5. 5

    Learn the OAR 836-071 contract and conduct rules before your first client

    Oregon's public adjuster rules are detailed. OAR 836-071-1165 requires a written contract titled Public Adjuster Contract that states your full compensation, a pre-signature disclosure explaining company, independent, and public adjusters, and a right for the insured to rescind within three business days, with anything of value returned within 15 business days. If the insurer pays or commits in writing to pay policy limits within 72 hours after the loss is reported, you may not take a percentage commission. Client funds go in a non-interest bearing escrow or trust account (OAR 836-071-1175), records are kept for five years (OAR 836-071-1180), and you may not solicit an insured during the progress of a loss-producing occurrence (OAR 836-071-1185).

Before you book with PSI, take our free practice exam to see whether you're ready. Series 12-12 is 100 questions in 120 minutes, so pacing matters as much as content.

What makes Oregon different

Oregon borrowed much of its public adjuster framework from other states but left out some of the most common requirements. Five distinctives every candidate should know:

  • No bond and no E&O. Many states require a public adjuster surety bond. Oregon's rules contain none, and no errors and omissions requirement either. The adjacent obligations are an escrow or trust account for client funds (OAR 836-071-1175) and keeping evidence of financial responsibility in your records (OAR 836-071-1180).
  • No percentage fee cap, but a 72-hour rule. Oregon sets no maximum percentage. If the insurer pays or commits in writing to pay policy limits within 72 hours after the loss is reported, you cannot take a percentage commission and are limited to reasonable hourly compensation and expenses (OAR 836-071-1165).
  • Business days, not calendar days. The insured has three business days to rescind, and you have 15 business days to return anything of value (OAR 836-071-1165). The contract must also be preceded by a written disclosure that explains the difference between company, independent, and public adjusters.
  • An event-based solicitation rule. Oregon has no time-of-day solicitation window. The only timing rule is that you may not solicit an insured during the progress of a loss-producing occurrence (OAR 836-071-1185(2)). Other prohibited conduct includes offering to pay or waive a deductible, acquiring salvage without written permission after settlement, and settling a claim without the insured's knowledge and consent.
  • Oregon's attorney fee statute. ORS 742.061 lets a court award attorney fees to an insured who sues when the claim is not settled within six months after proof of loss is filed and the recovery exceeds any tender the insurer made. It shapes how Oregon property claims are negotiated. Appraisal under the standard fire policy (ORS 742.232) runs on 20-day and 15-day deadlines for naming appraisers and an umpire.

For the claim-handling side of the job (documentation, valuation, and estimating), grab the free Public Adjuster Field Guide.

What it costs to become an Oregon public adjuster

Oregon is inexpensive to enter because there is no bond and no required course. Verify current amounts before paying:

  • Exam-prep course: $49.99 with Elite Training Academy, built on the PSI Series 12-12 outline
  • PSI exam fee: not published for Series 12-12 in the current bulletin; PSI shows the fee when you register
  • State license fees: $30 application plus $45 issuance (OAR 836-009-0007), plus NIPR processing charges
  • Fingerprinting: $61.25 at a PSI Oregon site per the August 2025 PSI bulletin
  • Bond: $0 (none required); prelicense course: $0 (none required)
  • Renewal: $45 every two years, plus the cost of 24 CE hours

The biggest avoidable cost is a failed exam attempt, which means paying PSI again and losing weeks before you can work claims.

Ready to start studying?

Our Oregon Public Adjuster exam prep course is $49.99 with lifetime access, built around the PSI Series 12-12 outline. Not sure yet? Take the free practice exam first, or grab the free Field Guide PDF.

Start the exam prep course →

Frequently asked questions

Does Oregon have a public adjuster license?

Yes, since August 1, 2025. The Oregon Division of Financial Regulation adopted OAR 836-071-1100 through 836-071-1195 in rulemaking docket ID 5-2025, effective August 1, 2025, creating a distinct public adjuster license. Before that, Oregon licensed adjusters generically without separating those who represent insureds from those who represent insurers. The license was created by administrative rule under ORS 731.244 and ORS 744.521, not by a new bill, and NIPR began accepting applications on August 18, 2025. Much older material online still says Oregon has no public adjuster license; that stopped being true in 2025.

Does Oregon require a bond for public adjusters?

No. The public adjuster rules, OAR 836-071-1100 through 836-071-1195, contain no surety bond requirement and no errors and omissions insurance requirement. What Oregon does require is that any funds you receive or hold on behalf of an insured toward settlement of a claim be deposited in a non-interest bearing escrow or trust account at a federally insured financial institution (OAR 836-071-1175).

How many questions is the Oregon public adjuster exam?

The PSI Oregon Adjuster's Examination, Public Adjuster, Series 12-12 has 100 questions with a 120-minute time limit, per the PSI content outline. You must get 70 percent correct to pass, and PSI may add five to ten unscored experimental questions. The largest content areas are Adjustment Process (22 percent), Property and Casualty Insurance Basics (20 percent), Insurance Regulation (15 percent), and General Insurance Concepts (13 percent). One detail worth knowing: the published outline cites the general adjuster statutes in ORS chapter 744 and does not list the new OAR 836-071 public adjuster rules.

Is there a cap on public adjuster fees in Oregon?

No. OAR 836-071-1160 and 836-071-1165 set no maximum percentage, and there is no separate catastrophe fee cap. The one compensation limit is the 72-hour policy limits rule in OAR 836-071-1165: if the insurer pays or commits in writing to pay the policy limit within 72 hours after the loss is reported, the public adjuster may not take a percentage of the amount paid and is limited to reasonable hourly compensation and expenses. The contract must state your full compensation, and if it is a percentage, the percentage.

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

Three business days. Under OAR 836-071-1165, the insured may rescind the contract within three business days after the date it was signed, by a written rescission mailed or delivered to the public adjuster at the address in the contract. If the insured rescinds, anything of value the insured gave under the contract must be returned within 15 business days after the public adjuster receives the cancellation notice. Both periods are business days, not calendar days.

Does Oregon require continuing education for public adjusters?

Yes. OAR 836-071-1155 applies the CE requirement of ORS 744.521(2)(a)(B), which is 24 hours of continuing education. DFR requires the 24 hours each two-year renewal cycle, including 3 hours of ethics, and resident licensees must also complete 3 hours on Oregon law. CE hours are due by the last day of your renewal month.

Can I hold both an Oregon independent adjuster and public adjuster license?

No. DFR's August 5, 2025 announcement states that an adjuster cannot hold both a public adjuster and an independent adjuster license at the same time. If you already hold an Oregon independent adjuster license, the same announcement says you may request a change to your license type at no charge.

Can an Oregon public adjuster handle auto claims?

No. OAR 836-071-1100 limits public adjuster work to assisting insureds with first-party claims and excludes personal and commercial automobile insurance. The regulatory definition in OAR 836-071-1105 ties the license to first-party claims involving real or personal property.

Sources

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

Related guides

Last verified 2026-09-22 against the DFR rule order ID 5-2025, DFR licensing pages, OAR 836-009-0007, and the PSI Oregon candidate bulletin and Series 12-12 outline. Our course is exam preparation for the Oregon Public Adjuster examination (PSI Series 12-12); Oregon does not require a prelicense course for this license, and our course is not state-approved education. Fees and vendor procedures change; verify current requirements at dfr.oregon.gov and test-takers.psiexams.com/orins before relying on any specific number. This guide is not legal advice.