How to Get an Insurance Adjuster License
Adjuster licensing is set state by state. This guide covers the three kinds of adjuster, the steps every candidate goes through, and each state's adjuster license classes and application fees as NIPR publishes them.
Company, independent and public adjusters
A company adjuster is employed by the insurer. An independent adjuster is contracted by insurers, often through an adjusting firm, and is the role most catastrophe adjusters hold. A public adjuster is hired by the policyholder. States license public adjusters separately; see public adjuster license requirements by state.
The five steps
- 1
Decide which adjuster you will be
Company (staff) adjusters work for an insurer, independent adjusters are contracted by insurers, and public adjusters are hired by the policyholder. States license public adjusters separately, so pick the role before you pick a course.
- 2
Find out whether your home state licenses adjusters
The NAIC's State Licensing Handbook notes that some states do not license adjusters. If yours does, you qualify there. If it does not, you can name another state as your designated home state and qualify in that state as if you lived there.
- 3
Qualify: exam or approved course
Qualify the way your home state requires, typically by passing its adjuster exam. Some states also accept an approved pre-licensing course; Texas, for example, accepts a TDI-approved course completed within 12 months of applying in place of the exam.
- 4
Apply, with fingerprints where required
Applications usually go through NIPR or the state's own portal. The table below lists each state's adjuster license classes and fees as NIPR publishes them.
- 5
Add nonresident licenses for the states you will work
Once you hold a home state license, many states will issue a comparable nonresident license, though the NAIC notes this is not the case in every state.
Adjuster courses and exam prep
Self-paced, online, with an AI tutor on every lesson. In Texas, our TDI-approved 40-hour courses can replace the state exam; see how to get a Texas adjuster license.
- Arizona Public Adjuster
- Colorado Public Adjuster
- Florida Public Adjuster
- Illinois Public Adjuster
- Indiana Public Adjuster
- Iowa Public Adjuster
- Louisiana Public Adjuster
- Maryland Public Adjuster
- Michigan Public Adjuster
- Minnesota Public Adjuster
- Missouri Public Adjuster
- Montana Public Adjuster
- New Jersey Public Adjuster
- North Carolina Public Adjuster
- Ohio Public Adjuster
- Oklahoma Public Adjuster
- Oregon Public Adjuster
- Pennsylvania Public Adjuster
- Tennessee Public Adjuster
- Texas All Lines Adjuster
- Texas Property & Casualty Adjuster
- Texas Public Adjuster
- Virginia Public Adjuster
- Washington Public Adjuster
Adjuster license classes and fees by state
Quoted from each state's NIPR resident-licensing page (read date shown per state). Where NIPR lists no adjuster class, confirm with the state regulator. Texas and Virginia are not in our NIPR transcription; see the Texas adjuster guide.
| State | Adjuster license classes and fees (NIPR) |
|---|---|
| Alabama | Adjuster: $110 (amendment $110, reinstatement $110)Apprentice Adjuster: $110NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Alaska | Independent Adjuster: $75Trainee Adjuster: $75NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Arizona | Adjuster: $120 (amendment $120)NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Arkansas | Adjuster: $0 licence fee plus $55 application feeCrop Adjuster: $50 licence fee plus $55 application feeNIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| California | Independent Adjuster: $311Crop Adjuster: $311Public Adjuster: $264Apprentice Public Adjuster: $264NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Colorado | Resident Public Adjuster: $44NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Connecticut | Casualty Adjuster: $130Public Adjuster: $300NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| DC | Public Adjuster: $100 (reinstatement $200)NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Delaware | Adjuster: $125Public Adjuster: $125Apprentice Adjuster: $75NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Florida | NIPR lists no adjuster classNIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Georgia | Adjuster (Resident): $100Public Adjuster - Resident: $100NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Hawaii | Independent Adjuster: $165Public Adjuster: $165Workers' Compensation Adjuster: $165NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Idaho | Independent Adjuster: $80NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Illinois | Public Adjuster: $250 (reinstatement $500)NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Indiana | Resident Independent Adjuster: $40NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Iowa | Independent Adjuster: $50Staff Adjuster: $50Public Adjuster: $50NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Kansas | Public Adjuster: $100NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Kentucky | Independent Adjuster: $50 per line of authority plus a $50 exam fee per line of authorityStaff Adjuster: $50 per line of authority plus a $50 exam fee per line of authorityNIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Louisiana | Public Adjuster: $75Claim Adjuster: $75 (amendment $75)NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Maine | Adjuster (Resident): $45NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Maryland | Public Adjuster: $50 (reinstatement $50)NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Massachusetts | Public Insurance Adjuster: $200NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Michigan | Resident Adjuster for Insured (Public Adjuster): $15Resident Insurance Adjuster: $15NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Minnesota | Resident Public Adjuster: $50Resident Independent Adjuster: $50Resident Crop Hail Adjuster: $50Resident Catastrophe Adjuster: $20NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Mississippi | Public Adjuster: $100Independent Adjuster: $100Emergency Adjuster: $50NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Missouri | Public Adjuster: $100 renewal fee, as the page prints itPublic Adjuster Solicitor: $100 renewal fee, as the page prints itNIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Montana | Public Adjuster: $50Adjuster: $50Crop Adjuster: $50NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Nebraska | Public Adjuster: $50NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Nevada | Public Adjuster: $185Independent Adjuster: $185Company Adjuster: $185Staff Adjuster: $185NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| New Hampshire | Public Adjuster: $100 (reinstatement $200)Adjuster: $75 (amendment $50; reinstatement $150)NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| New Jersey | Public Adjuster: $70NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| New Mexico | Public Adjuster: $30NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| New York | Public Adjuster: $50 for a term of one year or less, $100 for a longer termIndependent Adjuster: $50 for a term of one year or less, $100 for a longer termNIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| North Carolina | Public Adjuster: $207 (reinstatement $184)Adjuster: $169 (reinstatement $159)Hail Adjuster: $114 (reinstatement $104)NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| North Dakota | Public Adjuster: $100NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Ohio | Public Insurance Adjuster: $100NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Oklahoma | Public Adjuster: $30 (reinstatement $60)Adjuster (single line of authority): $30 (reinstatement $60)Adjuster (multiple lines of authority): $50 (reinstatement $100)NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Oregon | Public Adjuster: $100Adjuster: $100NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Pennsylvania | Resident Public Adjuster: $200NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Rhode Island | Public Adjuster: $250 (reinstatement $300)Company/Independent Adjuster: $250 (reinstatement $300)NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| South Carolina | Public Insurance Adjuster: $80 (reinstatement $80)Adjuster: $80 (reinstatement $80)NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| South Dakota | NIPR lists no adjuster classNIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Tennessee | Public Adjuster: $100 (amendment $100)NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Utah | Resident Public Adjuster: $75 (reinstatement $75)Resident Independent Adjuster: $75 (reinstatement $75)NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Vermont | Public Adjuster: $230Adjuster - Property and Casualty: $150Worker's Compensation Adjuster: $150NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Washington | Public Adjuster: $50 (reinstatement $75 within 30 days, $100 within 60 days, $150 within a year)Independent Adjuster: $50 (reinstatement $75 within 30 days, $100 within 60 days, $150 within a year)Crop Adjuster: $50NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| West Virginia | Public Adjuster: $50Independent Adjuster: $50Company Adjuster: $50NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Wisconsin | Public Adjuster: $50NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
| Wyoming | Resident Adjuster: $100NIPR, read 2026-09-16 |
Frequently asked questions
Do all states require an adjuster license?
No. The NAIC State Licensing Handbook (Chapter 18) says some states do not license adjusters. Adjusters who live in one of those states can declare another state as their designated home state and qualify there as if they were a resident.
What is a designated home state adjuster license?
It is a license from a state where you do not live, issued as if you were a resident, for adjusters whose own state does not license adjusters. The NAIC describes it as the Adjuster Designated Home State (ADHS).
Can I use one adjuster license in other states?
Often. The NAIC notes that many states grant a comparable nonresident license once you hold a home state license, but not all do, and differing license types can create barriers. Check each state before you deploy there.
Is a public adjuster license the same as an independent adjuster license?
No. A public adjuster represents the policyholder, and states license that role separately, usually with its own exam and often a bond. See our public adjuster license requirements by state.
How much does an adjuster license cost?
Application fees vary by state; the table on this page lists each state's adjuster license classes and fees as NIPR publishes them. Add the exam fee where an exam is required, and fingerprinting where the state requires it.
Related guides
- How to get a Texas adjuster license
- How to get a California adjuster license
- Public adjuster license requirements by state
- Using a Texas adjuster license in other states
General rules from the NAIC State Licensing Handbook, Chapter 18 (Adjusters). State classes and fees from NIPR as dated in the table. Confirm current rules with your state regulator before you apply.