State guide
How to become a public adjuster in Colorado
Colorado requires a public adjuster license. There is no statutory fee cap; in a declared emergency 10% of settlement proceeds in a catastrophic disaster; the surety bond is $20,000; the governing law is C.R.S. § 10-2-417.
The pathway
Getting licensed in Colorado
The Colorado Division of Insurance issues the Public Adjuster (line of authority on the Colorado Producer license) license. It is its own license, so make sure any course or exam you book is the public adjuster one and not the company or independent adjuster version. Colorado does not license company or independent adjusters. Public adjusters are licensed under C.R.S. 10-2-417 as a 'Public Adjuster' line of authority on the producer license; business entities need their own public adjuster license.
Official sources
- C.R.S. 10-2-417, Public insurance adjusters (C.R.S. 2026 Title 10, OLLS)
- Colorado Insurance Regulation 1-2-19, contract, record retention and bond rules for public adjusters
- Pearson VUE Colorado Insurance Licensing Candidate Handbook (July 2026)
- Colorado Division of Insurance: For Producers / Agents
Gathered from these sources on August 28, 2026. Fees and hours change with the legislative calendar, and this page may be out of date. The regulator’s own page is the only current authority.
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Pass the Colorado Public Insurance Adjuster exam at Pearson VUE (1 hour 15 minutes, $41).
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Purchase a $20,000 surety bond with power of attorney in the Regulation 1-2-19 format.
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Apply on Sircon (or NIPR) within one year of passing, pay the $44 fee, and attach the signed bond and power of attorney electronically.
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Keep the bond in force for the life of the license; the license is suspended if it lapses.
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From your second cycle onward, complete 24 CE credits (18 public adjuster, 3 ethics, 3 elective) and continue the license by the end of your birth month every two years for $27.
- Who can apply
- At least 18 years old · State residency required · None Resident license requires Colorado residency; nonresident licensing follows the producer reciprocity rules.
- Prelicensing course
- Not required Prelicensing training is required only for Life, Accident and Health, Property, Casualty, and Personal Lines
- State exam
- Pearson VUE · 75 minutes · $41 per attempt Scaled score, passing level set by the Division; numeric scores reported only to failing candidates. Passing scores valid one year.
- Application
- Sircon · $44 application fee State exam $41. $44 per authority for a new resident license; the signed $20,000 surety bond and power of attorney must be attached electronically in Sircon after submission.
- Background check
- Application screening questions with supporting documentation for any 'yes' answers; the handbook does not list fingerprinting for this line
- Surety bond
- $20,000 Surety bond in favor of the state; 30 days' notice before termination (C.R.S. 10-2-417(2); Regulation 1-2-19)
- Renewal
- Every 2 years · $27 Continue by 10:00 PM Mountain Time on the last day of the licensee's birth month every two years; first cycle may be 13 to 24 months; no grace period. $27 per authority for residents.
- Continuing education
- 24 hours · Every 2 years · 3 in ethics 18 credits in the licensed line of authority, 3 ethics, 3 elective; exempt during the first continuation cycle
- Already licensed elsewhere?
- Reciprocity available Nonresident producer licensing available for those licensed in their home state; nonresident new license $68 per authority, renewal $40
Not stated in these sources
These points were not stated in the sources listed, so we have left them blank rather than guess. Ask the regulator directly:
- ·Exam questions: Handbook lists time but no item count for the public adjuster exam
- ·Exam passing score: Scaled score; numeric passing level not published
- ·Eligibility background check: No fingerprint requirement found; not confirmed with the Division
Colorado in the reference tables
Each table answers one question for all 50 states and DC, with the citation. Open one and find the Colorado row.
- Additional Living Expenses (ALE) & Loss of Use Reference Guide
- Appraisal Demand Deadlines & Requirements
- Assignment of Benefits (AOB) Restrictions
- Bad Faith Framework
- Common Endorsements Reference Guide
- Cosmetic Damage Exclusion Rules
- Depreciation & ACV Calculation Rules
- Depreciation Schedules by Category
- Examination Under Oath (EUO) Requirements
- FAIR Plans & Wind Pools
- Fire Insurance Claims Reference Guide
- Hurricane & Named Storm Deductible Rules
- NFIP Flood Insurance Claims Requirements
- Notice of Claim Filing Deadlines
- Penalty Interest Rates & Remedies
- Pre-Suit Notice Requirements
- Proof of Loss Requirements
- Property Insurance Claims Timelines
- Public Adjuster Licensing & Fee Caps
- Statute of Limitations (SOL)
- Valued Policy Laws
- Wind vs. Water Causation & Anti-Concurrent Causation Rules
- Window Insurance Claims Reference Guide
Colorado law in the library
45 primary-source documents for Colorado: statutes, regulations, bulletins and consumer guides, stored as published. Sign in to open them.
- 3 CCR 702-5, Regulation 5-1-14 - Penalties for failure to promptly address property and casualty first party claims Colorado Division of Insurance (Code of Colorado Regulations, Colorado Secretary of State)
- 3 CCR 702-5, Regulation 5-1-21 - Concerning law and ordinance coverage Colorado Division of Insurance (Code of Colorado Regulations, Colorado Secretary of State)
- 3 CCR 702-5, Regulation 5-1-22 - Concerning tolling certain time limits of policyholder benefits in the event of a catastrophic disaster Colorado Division of Insurance (Code of Colorado Regulations, Colorado Secretary of State)
- 3 CCR 702-5, Regulation 5-1-23 - Concerning streamlined inventory process and consumer disclosures Colorado Division of Insurance (Code of Colorado Regulations, Colorado Secretary of State)
- 3 CCR 702-5, Regulation 5-1-24 - Concerning language requirements for insurance policy documents Colorado Division of Insurance (Code of Colorado Regulations, Colorado Secretary of State)
- 3 CCR 702-5, Regulation 5-1-25 - Concerning homeowner coverage disclosure requirements Colorado Division of Insurance (Code of Colorado Regulations, Colorado Secretary of State)
- 3 CCR 702-5, Regulation 5-1-26 - Concerning homeowner reconstruction costs and replacement cost estimates Colorado Division of Insurance (Code of Colorado Regulations, Colorado Secretary of State)
- 3 CCR 702-5, Regulation 5-1-27 - Concerning requests for commercial or personal automobile policy information from a claimant or claimant's attorney and policyholder's requests for a certified copy of the homeowner insurance policy Colorado Division of Insurance (Code of Colorado Regulations, Colorado Secretary of State)