Insurance adjusters, sometimes called claims adjusters, help insurance companies process customers claims for reimbursement. Adjusters may have a number of duties, including investigating witnesses, checking police records and inspecting properties for damage. They may also meet with professionals to get their evaluations. Adjusters then write and submit reports regarding the claim and help negotiate between the company and the customer in order to settle it. There is usually no formal training requirements for insurance adjusters, who are often former police officers and private investigators. However, almost all states require that insurance adjusters obtain a state license.

Georgia

Georgia law not only requires that adjusters have licenses but also mandates that all residents seeking a state insurance adjuster license take a 40-hour course beforehand. Residents who already have a CPCU (chartered property and casualty underwriter) license can obtain a waiver of examination. Adjusters new to the state who come from an area which has reciprocity can also apply for an examination waiver if they do so within 90 days of moving to Georgia. Georgia insurance adjuster licenses are good for one year and can be renewed online. Adjusters with less than 20 years of service have to complete 15 hours of continuing education credits per year, three of them concerning ethics. Adjusters with more than 20 years of service only need 10 hours of CE credits per year.

Texas

The Long Star State allows aspiring insurance adjusters to either complete and pass a pre-licensing course or pass the state adjuster exam to obtain a license. The pre-licensing course must consist of 30 hours of class time, which can be completed either in person or online, 10 hours of self-study and a final examination. You do not have to take the pre-licensing course to take the state exam, which, as of 2010, is offered at locations administered by Thompson-Prometric. Texas insurance adjusters must also be at least 18 years old, a legal resident of the United States and complete and submit the proper forms and fees. Residents who already hold an associate in claims license or a chartered property and casualty underwriter (CPCU) license do not have to take the state exam or the pre-licensing course.

States With No Licensing Requirement

As of 2010, the following 16 states that do not require a license for insurance adjusters to work: Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Tennessee, Maryland, Colorado, Missouri, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Iowa, Nebraska, Ohio, North Dakota and South Dakota. The District of Columbia also has no licensing requirement.