Washington D.C. does not have a licensing requirement for insurance adjusters. If Washington D.C. is your home base and you’re looking to work in a state that requires a license, you’ll need to have a “designated home state” (DHS) license from another state to comply with licensing laws.

Many employers prefer or require their adjusters to be licensed. Having a DHS license can open up more job opportunities.

How to Get Your Insurance Adjuster License in Washington D.C.

Washington D.C. does not license insurance adjusters and does not require Washington D.C. residents to hold a license in order to operate legally within the District 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 Washington D.C. or Massachusetts — 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:

• 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 Washington D.C., 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. Staff, independent, and catastrophe adjusters do not require a license in Washington D.C., whereas public adjusters do.

• Staff Adjuster – Works directly for one insurance company in order to investigate, evaluate, and potentially settle claims (these may also be known as company adjusters) 
• 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

Washington D.C. Public Adjuster License

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

This entails completing a pre-licensing education course, taking and passing the one-hour Washington D.C. Public Adjuster Examination via Pearson VUE. The exam fee is $75.

After passing your exam, you can file for your license online via NIPR. The license application fee is $100.

According to § 31–1631.05., you must provide a surety bond in the amount of $20,000 when filing your NIPR application.

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

Washington D.C. Department of Insurance Contact Information

Mailing Address:

District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities, and Banking
1050 First St. NE, 801
Washington, D.C. 20002

Phone: (202) 727-8000

Fax: (202) 671-0650

Email: disb.insurancelicensing@dc.gov 

Website: disb.dc.gov