Get clarity on the Indiana public adjuster exam and licensing.
A public adjuster works for the policyholder, not the insurance company. When a home or business has a property claim, like hail, wind, fire or water damage, you document the damage, prepare the estimate and negotiate with the insurer on the owner's behalf. In Indiana, the license is called a certificate of authority, it's issued by the Indiana Department of Insurance (IDOI), and license holders are known as Certified Public Adjusters.
There are three kinds of adjusters. A company adjuster works for the insurance company as an employee. An independent adjuster is hired by the insurance company on contract. A public adjuster works for the policyholder, and is the only one of the three the policyholder pays. In Indiana, the public adjuster license is its own license, with its own exam and its own rules.
Yes. In Indiana, you can't act as a public adjuster, or get paid to adjust a claim for a policyholder, without a license from the Indiana Department of Insurance. A license from another state doesn't cover Indiana. Working without one is a Class B infraction with a fine of up to $1,000, and any contract you sign without a license is void.
There are four steps. First, email agentlicensing@idoi.in.gov with your name (as it appears on your driver's license) and the exam type to request a Certificate of Test Eligibility. Second, book your exam with Pearson VUE at least 24 hours ahead, and pass it. Third, buy your $10,000 surety bond. Fourth, apply online at sircon.com/indiana with your exam pass, your bond, five years of work history and the $50 license fee. Our three-day class gets you ready for the exam in one stretch.
You must be at least 18, live in Indiana, pass the state exam, and file a sworn application with a $10,000 surety bond that's no more than six months old. There's no required pre-licensing course (the 40-hour course you may see online is for independent adjusters), and no fingerprints.
It depends on your record. Indiana can refuse a license to anyone with a felony conviction, and federal law (the 1033 rule) bars anyone convicted of a felony involving dishonesty or breach of trust from working in insurance without the state's written consent. Answer the background questions fully, and talk to the IDOI's licensing division before you pay for anything.
Yes. Indiana requires a $10,000 surety bond payable to the State of Indiana, no more than six months old when you apply, and you renew it every year. You don't pay the $10,000. Bond companies sell it for about $100 a year.
Plan on roughly $200: the $50 exam fee, the $50 license fee plus an electronic processing fee, and about $100 a year for your bond. Each retake is another $50. If you need to change or cancel your exam, call Pearson VUE at least 48 hours ahead to move your fee or get a refund.
The online course is $597, with 12 months of access. For the three-day class, contact our team for current pricing.
The exam follows Pearson VUE's Indiana public adjuster content outline, which has seven sections: Adjusting Losses (15 questions), Homeowners Policies (11), Insurance Basics (10), Building Construction (9), Insurance Regulations (7), Commercial Package Policies (6) and Dwelling Policies (2).
The exam has 60 questions, you get 60 minutes, and you need a 70 to pass. Every question counts, because the current outline has no unscored questions. You get a printed pass or fail report at the test center.
In person, at a Pearson VUE test center. There are centers across Indiana, including Indianapolis, Fort Wayne, Evansville and South Bend, and Indiana no longer offers the exam online. Bring your Certificate of Test Eligibility and an unexpired government photo ID with your signature, in the same name you registered under, and arrive 30 minutes early. Late arrivals are turned away and lose the fee.
Don't give up. You can retake the exam after 48 hours. Book again with Pearson VUE and pay the $50 fee again, before your Certificate of Test Eligibility expires. Your score report shows how you did in each section, so you'll know exactly where to focus.
Our three-day class covers the full Indiana exam outline, from insurance regulations and policy basics to adjusting losses, homeowners and commercial policies, and building construction. It's taught in person, in Indiana.
It's self-paced, with the same material as our in-person class in nine modules and more than 40 lessons, including videos, quizzes, flash cards, downloadable PDFs and a full-length practice exam. It's designed to take about six to eight hours, and you keep access for 12 months.
No. There's no prerequisite, and you don't need any insurance background. We start with the insurance basics the exam expects and build from there.
Usually a percentage of what the insurance company pays on the claim, and Indiana doesn't cap it. Your contract has to be on a form approved by the IDOI and state the exact percentage, and you can't take your fee before the insurer pays. If the insurer pays, or commits in writing to pay, the policy limit within five business days after the loss is reported, there's no percentage fee, only reasonable pay for your time and expenses.
Every Indiana public adjuster license expires on December 31, and you renew it each year for $50 with a bond continuation certificate. There's no continuing education for public adjusters in Indiana. If your license lapses, you have to start over, exam included.
Not by itself, but it can get you there. Illinois gives non-resident licenses to public adjusters who hold a resident license in good standing in their home state, if that state licenses Illinois residents on the same basis, and you skip the Illinois exam. You'll still need fingerprints, a $50,000 surety bond, a $500 license fee every two years and an Illinois-approved contract form.
