Tennessee Insurance Adjuster License

Written by: Kevelyn Rodriguez

Last updated:

Tennessee Insurance Adjuster License

There is no domestic Tennessee adjuster license nor a requirement for adjusters to possess a license to be able to work legally within the state.

Despite this, it’s still highly common for residents to seek qualifications in another state in order to boost employment opportunities. Obtaining a “designated home state” (DHS) license from another state is simple and effective way for adjusters to do this.

We recommend getting a DHS license in Florida. This is because a Florida DHS adjuster license has great reciprocity, the quickest application process, and a relatively short insurance adjuster exam.

How to Get Your Insurance Adjuster License in Tennessee

Tennessee does not license insurance adjusters and does not require Tennessee 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 Tennessee or Washington D.C. — the opportunity to “designate” a different state (e.g., Florida, Indiana, 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 insurance 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 Tennessee, the only way to do that is to get a designated home state license.

StateRequirement recommends getting a Florida DHS Adjuster License. This is because it has an exceptionally fast application process, short exam structure, and high reciprocity.

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What Kind of Insurance Adjuster Will You Be?

There are four main types of insurance adjustersstaff 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. Staff, independent, and catastrophe adjusters do not require a license in Tennessee, whereas public adjusters do.

  • 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 – 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

Tennessee Public Adjuster License

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

This entails completing a pre-licensing education course, then taking and passing the Tennessee Public Adjuster Examination — which takes 60 minutes (1 hour) and is made up of 50 scorable questions. The exam fee is $50.

You will also be required to pass a fingerprint-based background check via IdentoGo (ORI# TN920560Z).

Once you passed the exam and completed the fingerprint-based background check, you may apply for your license online via NIPR. The license application fee is $100.

Keep in mind that — you will need to submit a surety bond in the amount of $50,000 and provide proof of an Errors and Omissions Policy in the amount of $500,000 when filing your NIPR application.

Note: This can also be submitted via a paper application, although this may significantly delay your application.

Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance Contact Information

Mailing Address:

Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance
Insurance Division – Agent Licensing
500 James Robertson Parkway
Nashville, TN 37243-1134

Phone: (615) 741-2693

Fax: (615) 532-2862

Emailce.agent.licensing@tn.gov 

Websitehttp://www.tn.gov/commerce

Tennessee Insurance Adjuster License FAQ

How do I become an insurance adjuster in Tennessee?

In Tennessee, there’s no requirement for adjusters to be licensed in order to work, as no domestic adjuster license is offered. However, since many employers favor licesed individuals, many adjusters get qualified in another state with a DHS (designated home state) adjuster license. Florida is one of the best options for this. To find out why, see our Florida DHS adjuster license article for more information.

Does Tennessee require an adjuster license?

No, Tennessee doesn’t offer its own adjuster license and has no requirement for claims adjusters to be licensed in order to work adjusting the damages covered by an insurance policy or insurance contract. That being said, it’s common for employers to require an adjuster license. To get around this, many adjusters choose to obtain a DHS license. To find out more about how this works, see our Tennessee Insurance Adjuster License article.

How do I get my insurance adjuster license in Tennessee?

Since there is no domestic adjuster license available in Tennessee, your best option is to get qualified in another state via a DHS license. This not only opens up more opportunities for work within the state, but outside of it too. Many adjusters going down this route choose Texas because of its high reciprocity. Read our Texas DHS Adjuster License for more detailed licensing instructions.

How much does a licensed insurance adjuster get paid in Tennessee?

Claims adjusters in Tennessee can expect to earn an average salary in the range of $44,430 and $54,490. Naturally, this figure will vary depending on the individual’s experience, specialty, and time in the industry. For more information on this specific topic, we encourage you to take a look at our article on How Much Does an Insurance Adjuster Make.

Is Tennessee a reciprocal state for insurance adjuster license?

No. This is becuase Tennessee does not license adjusters. Instead many domestic adjusters choose to get licensed in states such as Texas or Florida because of the high reciprocity of their licenses. To read about this topic in more detail, make sure to check out our Adjuster License Reciprocity article for more information.

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