Florida Adjuster License: Requirements, Types, and Public Adjuster Steps

To meet Florida adjuster license requirements, you must be at least 18, hold a valid Social Security number, submit fingerprints for a background check, and apply through the Department of Financial Services for one of the state’s adjuster license types. The most common starting credential is the 6-20 All-Lines Adjuster license. Application and license identification fees total $55, and you can skip the state exam entirely by earning an approved professional designation.1Florida Department of Financial Services. 6-20 Resident All-Lines Adjuster License

Who Qualifies

Every applicant must be 18 or older with a valid Social Security number.2NIPR. Florida Non-Resident Adjuster Licensing Individual Non-citizens need work authorization documentation, which is emailed separately to the DFS licensing office.

A resident license requires that you live in Florida or maintain your primary business location in the state. If you already hold an adjuster license elsewhere, you can apply for a nonresident license instead. Florida has reciprocity with many states, so the nonresident path is streamlined when your home state meets Florida’s qualification standards.3Florida Statutes. Florida Code 626.8734 – Nonresident All-Lines Adjuster License Qualifications

Choosing the Right License Type

Picking the correct license at the start saves rework, because each type controls who you can work for and what claims you can handle.

  • 6-20 All-Lines Adjuster. The workhorse license. It covers three roles: independent adjusters at adjusting firms, company employees on an insurer’s staff, and public adjuster apprentices working under a licensed public adjusting firm. Most people entering the field start here.1Florida Department of Financial Services. 6-20 Resident All-Lines Adjuster License
  • 3-20 Public Adjuster. This license lets you represent policyholders rather than insurers. You cannot apply for it directly; you first hold a 6-20 and complete an apprenticeship.
  • Emergency Adjuster. A short-term license for out-of-state adjusters responding to a declared catastrophe. Valid for 180 days and restricted to losses from that specific disaster.
  • Temporary Adjuster. Issued month-to-month at $5 per month where Florida law expressly provides for it. A temporary license does not authorize claims from a declared emergency.4Florida Statutes. Florida Code 624.501 – Fees

If you are chasing a storm, note the boundary between the last two. A temporary license does not cover catastrophe work. Responding to a declared emergency requires the emergency adjuster license specifically, with the appointing firm verifying you are qualified before sponsoring the application.

The Exam or a Qualifying Designation

Florida does not force you to sit for a state exam. Earning any one of about a dozen approved professional designations waives the exam requirement entirely.5Florida Statutes. Florida Code 626.221 – Examinations The two most common paths:

  • Accredited Claims Adjuster (ACA). A 40-hour course offered through regionally accredited postsecondary institutions in Florida, covering property and casualty insurance fundamentals.
  • Certified Claims Adjuster (CCA). Offered by AE21, Incorporated, with department-approved curriculum that also waives the state exam.

Other accepted designations listed in Section 626.221 include the Associate in Claims (AIC) from the Insurance Institute of America, the Certified All Lines Adjuster (CALA) from Kaplan Financial Education, and the Professional Claims Adjuster (PCA).5Florida Statutes. Florida Code 626.221 – Examinations Each provider’s curriculum must be approved by the department and include testing at least equivalent to the state exam. If you would rather skip the designation route, you can take the state exam directly.

Applying Through MyProfile

All applications go through the state’s MyProfile portal, operated by the DFS Bureau of Licensing. The portal handles applications, document uploads, address changes, and continuing education tracking.6Florida Department of Financial Services. DICE – MyProfile Portal Create the account first, then start the application from inside it.

Fingerprints and Background Check

Florida requires every adjuster applicant to submit fingerprints for a criminal background check.7Florida Statutes. Florida Code 626.171 – Application for License The approved vendor is IdentoGO by Idemia. LiveScan fingerprinting costs $49.50 plus local sales tax, and fingerprint card submissions run $50.75 plus tax.8Florida Department of Financial Services. Fingerprinting Information Schedule the appointment early, because the background check must clear before your license issues.

What It Costs

The application itself has two components: a $50 application fee and a $5 license identification fee, totaling $55.9MyFloridaCFO. Fees and Payment Methods That is separate from the appointment fee. Once an employer or firm hires you, they file an appointment on your behalf, which carries a $60 fee.4Florida Statutes. Florida Code 624.501 – Fees Who pays the $60 depends on your arrangement.

A realistic all-in starting budget: $55 for the license application, roughly $50 for fingerprinting, $200 to $400 for a designation course depending on the provider, and $60 for the appointment. Plan for $365 to $565 before you handle your first claim.

After Submission

Once your application and fingerprints are in, DFS reviews your credentials. Track status through MyProfile. If the department needs additional documentation, you can upload it directly through the portal. Processing times fluctuate with application volume, but several weeks is typical. Approval and deficiency notices go to the email address on file.

Keeping the License Active

Florida ties license status directly to continuing education, so falling behind on credits can quietly kill your ability to work.

Every licensed adjuster completes a 4-hour update course every two years, specific to the license type and covering insurance law updates, ethics, disciplinary trends, and industry developments.10Florida Statutes. Florida Code 626.2815 – Continuing Education Required Elective hours sit on top of that:

  • First six years licensed: 20 elective hours, for 24 total every two years.
  • Six or more years licensed: 16 elective hours, for 20 total every two years.
  • 25 or more years with a CLU, CPCU, or qualifying degree: 6 elective hours, for 10 total every two years.10Florida Statutes. Florida Code 626.2815 – Continuing Education Required

Your compliance deadline is the last day of your birth month, calculated after you have held the license for 24 consecutive months.11Legal Information Institute. Florida Administrative Code 69B-228.030 – Definitions Public adjuster electives must relate specifically to commercial and residential property coverages and claim adjusting practices.

One detail that catches people off guard: Florida adjuster licenses do not have a traditional renewal cycle with a renewal fee. The license stays active as long as you maintain a valid appointment and complete your continuing education. Go 48 months without an appointment, though, and the license expires. Late appointment renewals carry a $20 penalty per appointment.4Florida Statutes. Florida Code 624.501 – Fees

The Extra Steps to Become a Public Adjuster

The public adjuster license is the most demanding credential Florida issues. Because public adjusters work for policyholders rather than insurers, the state layers on extra safeguards.

You cannot apply for it directly. Start by earning the 6-20 All-Lines license, then get appointed as a public adjuster apprentice by a licensed public adjusting firm. Before that appointment issues, you must file a $50,000 surety bond with the department, conditioned on faithful performance of your duties. The bond must remain in effect for one year after the license expires or terminates.

Each supervising public adjuster can oversee only one apprentice at a time, and no firm can maintain more than four apprentices at once. As an apprentice, you carry the same authority as the supervising adjuster with one key restriction: you cannot sign contracts for public adjusting services. The apprenticeship gives you hands-on experience negotiating with insurers on behalf of policyholders before you operate independently.

Criminal History and the Federal 1033 Barrier

Fingerprinting exists because criminal history matters, and a separate federal rule sits behind the state background check. Many applicants only learn about it when it derails an application already in motion.

Under 18 U.S.C. ยง 1033, anyone convicted of a felony involving dishonesty or breach of trust is a “prohibited person” who cannot work in the insurance business in any capacity affecting interstate commerce. Violating the prohibition carries up to five years of federal imprisonment.12Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1033 – Crimes by or Affecting Persons Engaged in the Business of Insurance The same statute makes it a federal crime for an insurer or firm to knowingly permit a prohibited person to participate in the business.

There is a path forward. You can apply for written consent from the state insurance regulatory official. The application requires certified copies of your criminal history, court documents, evidence of rehabilitation, and an employer affidavit detailing your proposed duties. The burden is on you to show you are trustworthy enough to participate in insurance without posing a risk to consumers. There is no fee for the 1033 waiver itself, but the process is separate from and in addition to your state license application. If you have a felony conviction involving dishonesty, address the waiver before investing in licensing courses and fees.