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How to Become a Public Adjuster in Virginia (2026)

A complete guide to the Virginia public adjuster license: the Prometric 11-08 exam, FBI fingerprinting, the $50,000 bond in favor of the Commonwealth, the 183 day exam window that runs in both directions, and the Article 4.1 rules that govern how you practice, including the 10 percent catastrophe fee cap and the 3 business day rescission right.

What does a public adjuster do in Virginia?

Under Va. Code 38.2-1845.1, a public adjuster is an individual or business entity who receives compensation for engaging in public adjusting services, and "public adjusting" means soliciting, investigating, negotiating, adjusting, or providing advice regarding first-party property insurance claims on behalf of policyholders. The same section expressly excludes liability claims, third-party claims, and uninsured motorist bodily injury claims. 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.

The license is administered by the Virginia State Corporation Commission Bureau of Insurance under Va. Code Title 38.2, Chapter 18, Article 4.1 (sections 38.2-1845.1 through 38.2-1845.24). The 2026 session added Va. Code 38.2-1845.24 (2026 Acts of Assembly, c. 142), which makes unauthorized public adjusting unlawful, including practicing through a power of attorney to evade licensure and negotiating with unlicensed adjusters. Not everyone who touches a claim needs the license: Va. Code 38.2-1845.3 exempts insurer staff and independent adjusters working for insurers, attorneys licensed in the Commonwealth, persons employed only to obtain facts or furnish technical assistance such as photographers, estimators, private investigators, engineers, and handwriting experts, motor vehicle repair facility employees preparing repair estimates, and persons settling subrogation claims between insurers.

Virginia public adjuster license: requirements at a glance

The five steps

1. 1

   Study for the Virginia Public Adjuster exam

   Virginia does not require a pre-licensing course: Va. Code 38.2-1845.2 sets out the license requirements and contains no pre-licensing education mandate, only the examination, so the resident path is exam-only. The exam still tests both property insurance fundamentals and Virginia insurance regulation, so structured study matters. Prometric's official content outline for the 11-08 VA Public Adjuster exam weights the sections as Insurance Regulation 7 percent, Insurance Basics 20 percent, Adjusting Losses 25 percent, Dwelling Policy 7 percent, Homeowners Policy 13 percent, Commercial Package Policy 10 percent, Businessowners Policy 13 percent, and Other Coverages 5 percent. Our $49.99 Virginia Public Adjuster exam prep course is built around that outline. Start with the free practice exam to see where you stand.

2. 2

   Register for and pass the Prometric "VA Public Adjuster" exam (series 11-08)

   Prometric administers Virginia Bureau of Insurance examinations, either in person at a test center or remotely through ProProctor. The VA Public Adjuster exam is series 11-08 and consists of 50 scored questions plus 5 unscored pre-test questions with a 1 hour time limit, at a fee of $35 per attempt, per the Prometric Virginia candidate information bulletin effective December 13, 2024. Watch two clocks: Va. Code 38.2-1845.4 forfeits your exam fee if you do not sit for the exam within 90 calendar days from the date your exam registration is accepted, and the same section requires exams to be offered at least monthly. If you fail, the candidate bulletin requires a 24 hour wait before rebooking, and after a third failure Virginia imposes a 30 calendar day waiting period. Your score is shown on screen at the end of the appointment and an emailed score report gives your overall result and section percentages.

3. 3

   Get fingerprinted for the FBI criminal history records check

   Virginia requires fingerprints from every individual applicant. Va. Code 38.2-1845.2 provides that each individual applicant for a public adjuster license shall, at the time of applying for a new license, be fingerprinted in a form and manner prescribed by the Commission, and that the prints are forwarded for a Federal Bureau of Investigation criminal history records check at the applicant's cost. This requirement predates the 2026 amendments: the history note on 38.2-1845.2 shows no 2026 change, so fingerprinting has been part of the Virginia application for years. Schedule the appointment early, because the background result has to be back before the Commission can act on your file.

4. 4

   Obtain the $50,000 bond in favor of the Commonwealth

   Va. Code 38.2-1845.2 requires that, prior to issuance of a license, each applicant attest that the applicant has, and thereafter shall keep in force for as long as the license remains in effect, a bond in favor of the Commonwealth in the amount of $50,000, written by a corporate surety licensed by the Commission. The bond may not be terminated unless at least 60 calendar days' prior written notice of the termination is filed with the Commission, and failure to maintain the bond terminates the license. Nonresident licensees carry the identical $50,000 bond with the same 60 day notice requirement under 38.2-1845.5, and business entity licensees carry the same $50,000 bond under 38.2-1845.2. Virginia requires a bond only: no separate errors and omissions policy appears in Article 4.1.

5. 5

   Apply within 183 days of passing and receive your license

   Virginia's 183 day rule runs in both directions, so timing is the single most common way candidates lose their exam result. Va. Code 38.2-1845.2 requires that the applicant have passed the public adjuster examination within 183 calendar days prior to the date of application, and Va. Code 38.2-1845.4 provides that a passing grade becomes invalid, with fees forfeited, if the license is not obtained within 183 calendar days after passing. The Prometric candidate bulletin states the same shelf life: exams remain valid for license applications for 183 calendar days. The bulletin directs candidates to apply online after passing, and the application requires a nonrefundable application processing fee in an amount prescribed by the Commission under 38.2-1845.2. By applying, you appoint the Clerk of the Commission as your agent for service of process on Virginia insurance matters (38.2-1845.2).

Before you book Prometric, take our free practice exam to see whether you're ready: a failed attempt costs another $35 and a 24 hour wait before you can rebook, and a third failure triggers a 30 calendar day wait under the Prometric Virginia candidate information bulletin.

Rules that surprise new Virginia public adjusters

Article 4.1 is compact, but it hides several rules that trip up new licensees and show up on the exam's Insurance Regulation section:

• The 183 day exam window runs both ways (38.2-1845.2 and 38.2-1845.4). You must have passed the examination within 183 calendar days prior to the date of application (38.2-1845.2), and your passing grade becomes invalid, with fees forfeited, if you do not obtain the license within 183 calendar days after passing (38.2-1845.4). A separate clock in 38.2-1845.4 forfeits the exam fee if you do not test within 90 calendar days from the date your registration is accepted.
• The 10 percent catastrophe cap and the 72-hour rule (38.2-1845.14). In the event of a catastrophic disaster, no public adjuster may charge, agree to, or accept compensation of more than 10 percent of any insurance settlement proceeds. Separately, if the insurer, not later than 72 hours after the date the loss is reported, pays or commits in writing to pay the policy limit, the public adjuster may not take a percentage commission on that claim and may receive only reasonable compensation for time spent and expenses incurred. Note that Va. Code 38.2-1845.1 defines a catastrophic disaster as an event declared an emergency by the President of the United States or the Governor of Virginia.
• No fee of any kind before settlement (38.2-1845.14). No public adjuster shall require, demand, or accept any fee, retainer, compensation, deposit, or thing of value prior to the settlement of a claim. The same section bars fees based on amounts the insurer paid before the contract was signed, bars collecting the entire fee out of the first check rather than as a percentage of each check, and bars collection costs and late fees.
• The 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. solicitation ban (38.2-1845.12). Virginia's standards of conduct section provides that no public adjuster shall solicit a client for employment from 8:00 p.m. to 8:00 a.m. daily, and that no public adjuster shall solicit a client during the progress of a loss producing occurrence as covered by the insurance contract. The same section bars any financial interest in the claim beyond the contracted compensation, participating in the reconstruction or repair of property whose claim you handled, referring the insured to vendors you own or take referral compensation from, and rebating deductibles as an inducement.
• Contract and rescission rules live in 38.2-1845.13, not .12. The section number matters, because the two are frequently confused. Va. Code 38.2-1845.13 sets 12 mandatory contract elements, including your legible full name as it appears in Commission records, your license number, the title "Public Adjuster Contract," an attestation that you are bonded, and full compensation terms. It also requires a separate disclosure document telling the insured, among other things, that hiring a public adjuster is not required, that you are not the insurer's representative, that your fee is the insured's obligation, and that the insured may contact the Commission about your licensing status. The rescission right in the same section is 3 business days, or 5 business days after a catastrophic disaster.
• CE is in 38.2-1866, and it is heavier than for agents. Public adjusters complete 24 hours of relevant continuing education per biennium, 3 of them in insurance ethics (Va. Code 38.2-1866(F) and (I)), while Virginia property and casualty agents need only 16 hours (38.2-1866(D)). Renewal and reinstatement under 38.2-1845.8 are conditioned on satisfying those requirements, and compliance is filed in your birth month under 38.2-1868.1.
• Client funds move fast and records live long (38.2-1845.16 and 38.2-1845.15). Funds received or held on behalf of a policyholder toward settlement must be deposited in a separate noninterest-bearing fiduciary trust account at a financial institution licensed in the Commonwealth no later than the close of the second business day after receipt or acceptance, never commingled with personal or nonbusiness funds, and held funds must be disbursed within 30 calendar days of an invoice once the policyholder approves that the work was satisfactorily completed (38.2-1845.16). Records must be kept a minimum of five years after the claim is settled (38.2-1845.15).
• Virginia's unfair claim settlement statute gives your client no private lawsuit (38.2-510(B)). Va. Code 38.2-510(A) lists 17 unfair claim settlement practices, but 38.2-510(B) provides that no violation of the section shall of itself be deemed to create any cause of action in favor of any person other than the Commission. Deadlines that do bite are in regulation: acknowledgment of a claim notice and replies to other pertinent communications within 15 calendar days (14VAC5-400-50), and acceptance or denial within 15 calendar days after a properly executed proof of loss, with written status letters every 45 calendar days during a continuing investigation (14VAC5-400-60). A policyholder's money remedy runs through Va. Code 38.2-209, which lets a court award costs and reasonable attorney fees where the insurer, not acting in good faith, denied coverage or refused to pay.

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.

What it costs to become a Virginia public adjuster

Virginia sets its licensing fees by Commission prescription rather than by a dollar figure in the Code, so the exam fee is the one number published in a primary source:

• Exam-prep course: $49.99 with Elite Training Academy (practice questions built around the Prometric 11-08 content outline)
• Prometric exam fee: $35 per attempt for the 11-08 VA Public Adjuster exam (Prometric Virginia candidate information bulletin, effective 2024-12-13)
• Fingerprinting and the FBI criminal history records check: paid by the applicant, amount set by the fingerprint vendor (Va. Code 38.2-1845.2)
• Application: a nonrefundable application processing fee in an amount prescribed by the Commission (Va. Code 38.2-1845.2). As of the last verification on 2026-08-09 the SCC Bureau of Insurance fee schedule page could not be retrieved for independent confirmation, so check the current amount on the Bureau's website before you file.
• $50,000 bond in favor of the Commonwealth (Va. Code 38.2-1845.2): the annual premium varies by surety and your credit history, so get quotes before you apply
• Renewal: biennial, on your birth month and birth-year parity schedule (Va. Code 38.2-1845.8), plus 24 CE hours including 3 ethics hours (Va. Code 38.2-1866). Renewal and reinstatement fees are also prescribed by the Commission; if your license terminates for non-renewal, 38.2-1845.8 allows reinstatement within 12 months on a renewal application plus a nonrefundable reinstatement processing fee equivalent to double the renewal processing fee, with no re-examination required.

The biggest hidden cost is not a fee at all: it is losing your exam result. Under Va. Code 38.2-1845.4 the passing grade dies and your fees are forfeited if you do not obtain the license within 183 calendar days, and your registration fee is forfeited if you do not sit within 90 calendar days of registering. Retakes cost another $35 each, with a 24 hour wait before rebooking and a 30 calendar day wait after a third failure.

Frequently asked questions

Sources

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

• Va. Code Title 38.2, Chapter 18, Article 4.1 (Public Adjusters), sections 38.2-1845.1 through 38.2-1845.24 including 38.2-1845.2 (license requirements, 183-day exam window, fingerprints, $50,000 bond), 38.2-1845.4 (examinations, 90-day registration window, 183-day validity, exam waivers), 38.2-1845.5 (nonresidents), 38.2-1845.8 (renewal and reinstatement), 38.2-1845.12 (standards of conduct and solicitation), 38.2-1845.13 (contract, disclosure document, rescission), 38.2-1845.14 (fees and compensation), 38.2-1845.15 (records), 38.2-1845.16 (fiduciary trust accounts), and 38.2-1845.24 (unauthorized practice, added 2026 c. 142)
• Va. Code 38.2-1866 (continuing education: 24 hours per biennium for public adjusters, 3 hours in insurance ethics, versus 16 hours for P&C agents) and 38.2-1868.1 (CE compliance filed in the licensee's birth month)
• Va. Code 38.2-510 (unfair claim settlement practices; no private cause of action under subsection B), 38.2-209 (attorney fees on a bad-faith finding), and 14VAC5-400-50 and 14VAC5-400-60 (15-day acknowledgment and decision deadlines, 45-day status letters)
• Virginia SCC Bureau of Insurance: Public Adjusters (licensing instructions and the Commission-prescribed application and renewal fees; this page could not be retrieved during our last verification pass, so confirm fees there directly)
• Prometric: Virginia Insurance Candidate Information Bulletin (effective 2024-12-13) ($35 exam fee, 60 minute appointment, 183-day exam validity, retake waits, application instructions) and the 11-08 VA Public Adjuster content outline (50 scored plus 5 pre-test questions, 1 hour, section weights)

Last verified: facts on this page were verified 2026-08-09 against the Virginia Code at law.lis.virginia.gov, the Virginia SCC Bureau of Insurance, and the Prometric Virginia candidate information bulletin and 11-08 content outline.

Related guides

• Free practice exam
• Public Adjuster Field Guide (free PDF)

Statutory requirements summarized from Va. Code Title 38.2, Chapter 18, Article 4.1 (sections 38.2-1845.1 through 38.2-1845.24), Va. Code 38.2-1866 and 38.2-1868.1, and 14VAC5-400, current as of 2026-08-09 and reflecting the 2026 amendments in chapter 142. Our course is exam preparation for the Virginia Public Adjuster examination; Virginia does not require any pre-licensing course for this license, and our course is not approved or endorsed by the State Corporation Commission. Fees and procedures change; verify current requirements at scc.virginia.gov before relying on any specific number. This guide is not legal advice.