How Do I Become a Public Adjuster?

After a person becomes a public adjuster, he or she usually has several different career directions to go in, including working for oneself or working as a contractor for a large company. Different employers have different qualifications that they want their public adjusters to meet, so, if a person wants to become a public adjuster for a certain company, he or she should first identify the company’s exact requirements. Within the United States, each state has its own requirements that a person must fulfill in order to carry out public adjuster duties. Most states require a person to obtain a high school education, complete certain college courses, and pass certain examinations in order to become a public adjuster.

No matter what state a person is working within, the minimum requirement to become a public adjuster is to at least complete a high school education. For those who did not graduate from high school, obtaining a General Education Diploma (GED) is the equivalent to a high school education. Most employers will prefer for a public adjuster to have more schooling than just a high school classes.

A college education is preferred by a large range of companies that hire public adjusters. Sometimes the employer will only prefer a person to have some type of associate’s degree, but the majority of companies want you to have a bachelor’s degree. Some employers even prefer for their public adjusters to have some type of law enforcement training, as this type of background, along with a small amount of experience in insurance appraisals, proves to be a sufficient amount of training to successfully become a public adjuster. Many people take their college course classes online, making this type of career a very convenient one to obtain for those people living fast-paced and busy lives.

Most states require a person to pass a certain type of licensing exam before applying for the additional licenses that are needed in order to become a public adjuster. A person should always identify the state’s exact requirements he or she must fulfill in order to become a public adjuster before taking any classes or any exams. After passing the required exams and obtaining the required licenses, all a public adjuster must do then is find a job.

It does not matter what type of public adjuster a person becomes, he or she must complete certain educational classes every year, sometimes every other year, in order to stay certified. In addition, some public adjusters with enough experience choose to become a part of the National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (NAPIA), the Certified Professional Public Insurance Adjuster (CPPA), and/or the Senior Professional Public Adjuster (SPPA). In order to become part of the CPPA, a person must have worked in the industry for a minimum of five years and pass an exam. In order to become part of the SPPA, the person should have at least ten years of experience and also pass additional exams and tests.