Public adjuster license requirements, state by state
A public adjuster works for the policyholder, not the insurer, and almost every state licenses that separately from company and independent adjusting. What the credential is called, what the exam looks like and what it costs all change at the state line.
Below is every state we cover: 22 of them, using 7 different official names for the same job. Each name is the state's own, cited to its regulator or its published fee schedule.
Public, independent and company adjusters
The three are not interchangeable and the licences are not either. A company adjuster is employed by the insurer. An independent adjuster is contracted by the insurer. A public adjuster is hired by the policyholder to press their claim, which is why states regulate it more tightly: a separate exam in most places, and a bond in many.
That also means a course written for the independent adjuster exam is the wrong preparation. The state law section is where the two papers diverge most, and it is usually the largest single block on the exam.
What your state calls it, and what the exam looks like
Exam figures come from each state's own published candidate handbook. Where a state publishes no figure we leave it blank rather than fill it in.
Arizona issues this as Adjuster.
Colorado
Colorado Division of InsuranceColorado issues this as Resident Public Adjuster.
60 scored questions · 75 minutes · $41 exam fee · Pearson VUE
Florida issues this as Resident Public Adjuster.
100 scored questions · 120 minutes · $44 exam fee · Pearson VUE
Illinois
Illinois Department of InsuranceIllinois issues this as Public Adjuster.
100 scored questions · 165 minutes · $92 exam fee · Pearson VUE
Indiana issues this as Public Adjuster.
60 scored questions · 60 minutes · $50 exam fee · Pearson VUE
Iowa issues this as Public Adjuster.
50 scored questions · 60 minutes · $44 exam fee · Pearson VUE
Louisiana
Louisiana Department of InsuranceLouisiana issues this as Public Adjuster.
100 scored questions · 120 minutes · $19 exam fee · PSI
Maryland issues this as Public Adjuster.
50 scored questions · 90 minutes · $62 exam fee · Prometric
Michigan issues this as Resident Adjuster for Insured.
100 scored questions · 120 minutes · $41 exam fee · PSI
Minnesota
Minnesota Department of CommerceMinnesota issues this as Resident Public Adjuster.
Missouri issues this as Public Adjuster.
50 scored questions · 60 minutes · $25 exam fee · Pearson VUE
Montana issues this as Public Adjuster.
50 scored questions · 60 minutes · $65 exam fee · Pearson VUE
New Jersey issues this as Public Adjuster.
70 scored questions · 210 minutes · $38 exam fee · PSI
North Carolina
North Carolina Department of InsuranceNorth Carolina issues this as Public Adjuster.
135 minutes · $45 exam fee · Pearson VUE
Ohio issues this as Public Insurance Adjuster.
100 scored questions · 120 minutes · $49 exam fee · PSI
Oklahoma
Oklahoma Insurance DepartmentOklahoma issues this as Public Adjuster.
Oregon issues this as Public Adjuster.
100 scored questions · 120 minutes · PSI
Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Insurance DepartmentPennsylvania issues this as Resident Public Adjuster.
60 scored questions · 80 minutes · PSI
Tennessee issues this as Public Adjuster.
50 scored questions · 60 minutes · $50 exam fee · Pearson VUE
Texas
Texas issues this as Adjuster: all lines.
150 scored questions · 150 minutes · $49 exam fee · Pearson VUE
Texas issues this as Adjuster: property and casualty.
150 scored questions · 150 minutes · $49 exam fee · Pearson VUE
Texas issues this as Public Adjuster.
100 scored questions · 120 minutes · $39 exam fee · Pearson VUE
Virginia
Virginia issues this as Public Adjuster.
50 scored questions · 60 minutes · $35 exam fee · Prometric
Washington issues this as Public Adjuster.
Two states that do not fit
Arizona issues no public adjuster licence. The Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions says in as many words that public adjuster is a term describing someone hired to adjust, investigate or negotiate claim settlements on behalf of the insured, and licenses that work under a single general Adjuster licence under A.R.S. 20-321. An Arizona candidate sits the Adjuster exam.
Oklahoma licenses public adjusters but publishes no public adjuster exam. The Insurance Department's PSI candidate information bulletin lists adjuster examinations as Property & Casualty, Casualty, Property, Crop & Hail and Workers Compensation, and 36 O.S. 36-6207 carves out no separate paper. Confirm with OID licensing which exam you are assigned before you book.
Common questions
What is a public adjuster?
A public adjuster represents the policyholder in an insurance claim, rather than the insurer. That is the difference that matters for licensing: company and independent adjusters work for the carrier, and most states license the two roles separately, with a separate exam and often a bond for the public adjuster.
Do I need pre-licensing education to become a public adjuster?
In most states, no. Public adjuster licensing is usually exam-only, which is why exam prep is the whole of the study requirement. Indiana states it outright: the written public adjuster examination is required and no pre-licensing education is. Always confirm against your own state regulator before you file.
Is a bond required for a public adjuster license?
Frequently, and the amount varies a great deal. Florida requires a $50,000 surety bond and so does Virginia. Colorado requires $20,000, North Dakota $20,000, Indiana $10,000, New Mexico $10,000 and New York $1,000. Check your state, because the bond is filed with the application rather than after it.
Does every state issue a public adjuster license?
No. Arizona does not. Its regulator states that public adjuster is a term describing work performed under Arizona's single general Adjuster license, so an Arizona candidate sits the Adjuster exam. A handful of other states also fold the role into a broader adjuster credential, which is why the license name matters more than the job title.
How long is the public adjuster exam?
It depends on the state and the number is published in that state's candidate handbook rather than being a national standard. Colorado publishes 60 scored questions, Iowa 50 plus 5 pretest, Montana 50, and Texas 100. The per-state pages linked below print the figure for each one with the handbook it came from.
Not sure which licence you need?
The license finder covers every producer and adjuster line we prepare for, with your state's own name for each one.
Open the license finder →