Aspiring cat adjusters hailing from states with no licensing requirements have several good options for licensure so they can get in the game. Being from such a state (Kansas) and working through this myself, here’s my recommendation on how to proceed:
First, just so we’re all on the same page, here is a list of the 16 states (and one district) that don’t require their adjusters be licensed: Colorado, District of Columbia, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, Massachusetts, Missouri, Nebraska, New Jersey, North Dakota, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, Tennessee, Virginia, and Wisconsin.
How 17 bureaucracies could miss such an obvious recurring fee opportunity is nothing short of remarkable but let’s leave that aside. Just because they don’t ask you to be licensed doesn’t mean you shouldn’t get one somewhere. As a cat adjuster open and available for nationwide deployment, getting a license somewhere, anywhere achieves the following –
- Increase Professional Credibility. All things being equal, employers will favor a licensed claims adjuster over an unlicensed adjuster every time. Having a license legitimizes your application – demonstrating you have done some amount of due diligence in your new career path.
- Increase Your Knowledge of Insurance Policy. Preparing for an insurance adjuster licensing exam or taking an adjuster licensing course will require you to understand a wide spectrum of insurance policies and principles and apply them within the context of an insurance claim. Knowing how to read and apply insurance policies is an absolute necessity when you hit the field.
With that in mind, I would suggest the following options ranked in order of their ease and effectiveness:
1) Florida. Great online licensing options that satisfy both the state’s pre-licensing and exam requirements. Florida is traditionally the state most commonly affected by hurricanes so it’s almost a necessity for CAT adjusting. Excellent reciprocity including Texas. Florida’s Department of Insurance has greatly improved over the past few years and now boasts the quickest license turnaround time.
2) Texas. A simple, affordable, and straightforward online pre-licensing course (includes exam) gets you one of the most coveted licenses in cat claims. For a variety of reasons including the fact that Texas is rather massive and has a coastal exposure to the gulf, it’s the heart of the cat adjuster industry. The license is well-respected and with online licensing options, you don’t have to leave your home, let alone your state, to get it. Also, the Texas license enjoys excellent reciprocity, meaning you can get your Florida license per below without further testing or coursework. The downside is that Texas doesn’t process license applications as quickly as Florida, but they have improved in recent years.
Start to finish, any one of these licensing routes will take every bit of a month to complete (the majority of that time is while your application is being processed by the state’s Dept. of Insurance). With cat season right around the corner, now is the time to get the ball rolling on licensing! Don’t hesitate to call one of our career consultants at (214) 329-9030 to get set up with the right course for you.
