CALIFORNIA ADJUSTER LICENSING INFORMATION
License Types
Independent Adjuster
An insurance adjuster is a person other than a private investigator who, for any consideration whatsoever, engages in the business of making an investigation for the purpose of obtaining information in the course of adjusting or participating in the disposal of any claim in connection with a policy of insurance or engages in soliciting insurance adjustment business.
Entity types: Individual and Business Entity
Public Insurance Adjuster
A Public Insurance Adjuster is a person who, for compensation, acts on behalf of or aids in any manner, an insured in negotiating for or effecting the settlement of a claim or claims for loss or damage under any policy of insurance covering real or personal property or any person who advertises, solicits business, or holds himself or herself out to the public as an adjuster of those claims and any person who, for compensation, investigates, for those losses on behalf of any public insurance adjuster.Entity types: Individual, corporation, partnership, nonprofit corporation, unincorporated association, limited liability company.
Interim Public Insurance Adjuster
An Interim Public Insurance Adjuster licensee is a person employed by a Public Insurance Adjuster for the purpose of training.
Crop Insurance Adjuster
CAL. INS. CODE ยง14085. (a) Upon application, the commissioner shall issue a crop insurance adjuster license to a person who meets both of the following requirements:
- Obtains an insurance adjuster license, with the exception of the examination requirement of Section 14026.
- Provides evidence that he or she has satisfactorily completed the loss adjustment training curriculum and competency testing required by the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation Standard Reinsurance Agreement.
For the purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:
(b) For the purposes of this article, the following definitions apply:
- "Crop insurance" means insurance provided by the private insurance market that indemnifies for damage to crops from unfavorable weather conditions, fire, lightning, flood, hail, insect infestation, disease, or other yield-reducing conditions or perils,and multiple peril crop insurance reinsured by the federal crop insurance corporation.
- "Crop insurance adjuster" means a person who investigates,negotiates, or settles crop insurance claims.
(c) A person shall not act as or purport to be a crop insurance adjuster unless licensed as a crop insurance adjuster.
(d) A person shall not contract, employ, or use any other person to adjust claims made under a crop insurance policy unless the other person is licensed as a crop insurance adjuster.
(e) All provisions of this chapter and any regulations adopted pursuant to this chapter shall apply to crop insurance adjusters, unless exempted by or in conflict with this article or the regulations adopted pursuant to this article.
(f) The commissioner may adopt regulations to implement this article, including, but not limited to, regulations that require applicants to satisfy other competency requirements in addition to or instead of those referred to in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a),and regulations that establish standards of practice for crop insurance adjusters.
Staff Adjuster
California does not licence staff adjustersExclusions
Data not available
Licensing Requirements
Requirements
Independent Adjuster
Qualifications: The person in charge of the business (owner, partner, officer, or an employed manager) must meet the following requirements:
Minimum Age: 18 years
Residency: Pursuant to Section 14029(a) of the California Insurance Code, the business of each licensee must be operated under the active direction, control, charge, or management of the licensee, if the licensee is qualified, or the person who has qualified to act as the licensee's manager, if the licensee is not qualified. Although the qualified manager is not required to be a resident of California, they must meet the oversight requirements pursuant to section 14029(a) stated above.
Entity Types: Individual and Business Entity.
Public Adjuster
Minimum Age: 18 years
Residency: California residency is not required.
Entity Types: Individual, corporation, partnership, nonprofit corporation, unincorporated association, limited liability company.
Reciprocity and Non Residents
California's licensing procedure does not provide any reciprocity with other states.
Reciprocity with Texas license
Not Reciprocal with TX license.
Pre Licensing Education
Must have two years certified experience in insurance adjusting field. 2,000 hours of compensated time in the adjusting field is equal to one year of experience.
Bond Requirement
Surety bond required: California requires all licensed adjusters to post a surety bond with a coverage value of $2,000. The annual premium charged for this bond will vary depending on your credit rating and other factors, but you should expect to pay at least $100 per year for the bond.
Type of Adjuster: Insurance adjusters
Amount: $2000
Bond Expiration information: May 31st of even years
Link to Forms: http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0050-renew-license/0200-requirements/upload/LIC31A14InsAdjBond.pdf
The annual premium charged for this bond will vary depending on your credit rating and other factors.
How to Apply
Application:
Individual - Application for individual Adjuster license, form LIC 041-A.
Business Entity - Application for Adjuster Business Entity License, form LIC 042-A.
Bond: A Bond of Insurance Adjuster, form LIC 31A-14, in the penal sum of $2,000 executed by a California admitted surety, and signed by the principal. If the applicant is a business entity, the business entity must be named as principal.
Branch Office Certificate: If the applicant intends to conduct business from any location in California other than the principal place of business, a Branch Office Certificate must be obtained by submitting an Application for Branch Office Certificate, form LIC 31A-13, and fee.
Fingerprint Impressions: Fingerprint impressions are required for unlicensed applicants. If an examination is required, fingerprint impressions may be taken at the California examination sites.
Additional Documents: The Insurance Commissioner may require such other documents as will aid in determining whether the applicant meets the qualifications for a license.
Examination: The person in charge of the business (qualified manager) must pass a qualifying license examination administered by the Department.
Maintaining Your License
Renewal
Insurance Adjuster licenses are issued for two year terms. Specifically, the term of the license begins the date the license is issued and ends the last day of that same calendar month two years later.
Note: Sections 14091 and 14094 of the CIC were amended to reduce the grace period during which an expired independent insurance adjuster license or branch certificate may be renewed from five years to one year.
Continuing Education
Section 14090.1 of the California Insurance Code (CIC) was amended to establish a CE requirement of 24 hours, including 3 hours of ethics during each two year license term for a California resident independent insurance adjusters and public adjustersNon-resident adjusters: Simply meet the CE requirements of your home state
License Termination or Lapse
Fees
| Original license application | $72.00 |
| Original license & renewal of license | $283.00 |
| Examination Fee | $105.00 |
| Fingerprinting Fee | $68.95 |
Contact
Phone: (800) 967-9331 or (916) 322-3555, Email: only through Producer Licensing Bureau website (click here)
Producer Licensing Bureau Mailing Addresses:
For correspondence pertaining to insurance producer licensing:
California Dept. of Insurance, Producer Licensing Bureau, 320 Capitol Mall, Sacramento, CA 95814
When mailing resident documents (application, etc), with applicable fees:
California Dept. of Insurance, Producer Licensing Bureau, PO Box 1139, Sacramento, CA 95812
When mailing non-resident documents (application, etc), with applicable fees:
California Dept. of Insurance, Producer Licensing Bureau, PO Box 1437, Sacramento, CA 95812
http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0050-renew-license/0200-requirements/insurance-adjuster.cfm
Other Information