In Pennsylvania, you aren’t obligated to carry a Pennsylvania adjuster license to be able to become an insurance adjuster within the state.

That being said, it is extremely common for individuals to apply for a “designated home state” (DHS) insurance license in another state since it can grant increased employment opportunities and earning potential.

How to Get Your Insurance Adjuster License in Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania does not license insurance adjusters and does not require Pennsylvania residents to hold a license in order to operate legally within the state.

Having said that, getting a license from a different state — known as a DHS license — is often recommended nonetheless.

This is because operating without a license can handicap you significantly in the long run and will undoubtedly limit your employment opportunities.

Designated Home State Insurance Adjuster License

There are several states that offer what is called a Designated Home State license. Having said that, it is important to note that Florida, Texas, and Indiana are the most popular.

Essentially, this is a type of license that allows people that live in a non-adjuster licensing state — such as Pennsylvania or South Dakota— the opportunity to “designate” a different state (e.g., Florida, Texas, etc.) as their “home state.”

This allows them to apply for and obtain a Florida insurance adjuster license as if they were an in-state resident of Florida.

This is beneficial for several reasons, including:

• Employment – Many potential employers of claims adjusters will look specifically for applicants who are already licensed. Even if they aren’t specifically looking for licensed individuals, they are likely to prefer these over non-licensed applicants (due to the geographical flexibility advantage)
• Catastrophe (CAT) or Traveling Adjusters – If a non-licensed adjuster wishes to work on CAT claims, there is a good chance that they will need to travel across state lines. To operate in a state other than your home state, you will need to have a reciprocal license in that state. This means that applying for a reciprocity license can only be done if you hold an equivalent license in your own state (such as a DHS license)

The bottom line is this: if you wish to work in insurance claims, you should have a license to do so, and in Pennsylvania, the only way to do that is to get a designated home state license.

Congratulations!

You’ve done the work, put in the time and effort, and now hold the key to your own success! We’re proud of you. Take five minutes and celebrate.

What Kind of Insurance Adjuster Will You Be?

There are four main types of insurance adjusters: staff adjusters, independent adjusters, catastrophe adjusters, and public adjusters.

Each of these positions accomplishes essentially the same task: assess the damage to property brought about by some event and make an evaluation of what monetary value the insurance claim should carry.

The big difference between these different types of insurance adjusters is who pays them and, in the case of the public adjuster, who they are advocating for. Another key difference to note is that public adjusters will need a license to work in Pennsylvania, whereas staff, independent, and catastrophe adjusters do not.

• Staff Adjuster – Works directly for one insurance company in order to investigate, evaluate, and potentially settle claims
• Licensed Independent Adjuster – Works for a third-party company, often called an Independent Adjusting Firm, which has been contracted by insurance carriers to help settle their claims
• Catastrophe (CAT) Adjuster – Can be an independent or staff adjuster who travels to an area that has been largely affected by an event (usually severe weather) and performs claims adjuster services en masse
• Inside Adjuster – Inside adjusters, sometimes referred to as “desk” or “remote” adjusters, handle claims from an office. They are the policyholder’s main point of contact and the appropriate company official who applies each policy’s terms and standards to the claim
• Public Adjuster – This is an independent, licensed insurance adjuster that customers choose to hire in order to settle insurance claims. Public adjusters are not hired by insurance companies

Pennsylvania Public Adjuster License

If you want to become a public adjuster in Pennsylvania, you will be legally required to get licensed.

This entails completing a pre-licensing education online course and passing the Pennsylvania Public Adjuster Examination — which is 60 minutes long and includes 60 scorable questions. You must take your final exam via PSI Exams. The exam fee for public adjusters is $43.

You must also complete a fingerprint-based background check via IdentoGo (use code: 1KGBGJ).

Once you have the above requirements, you can now file your license online via Sircon or NIPR. The initial licensing application fee is $200.

Keep in mind that — in accordance with Act 21 of 2012, a surety bond in the amount of no less than $20,000 must be submitted with your license application. In addition, all public adjusters must use a contract approved by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department.

Note: This can also be submitted via mail, although this will likely significantly delay your application.

Pennsylvania Insurance Department Contact Information

Mailing Address:

Pennsylvania Insurance Department
Bureau of Licensing & Enforcement
1326 Strawberry Square
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120

Phone: (717) 787-3840, option 3

Fax: (717) 787-8553

Email: ra-in-producer@pa.gov 

Website: http://www.insurance.pa.gov/