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State guide

How to become a public adjuster in Delaware

Delaware requires a public adjuster license. Fees are capped at 2.5% of the first $25,000, then up to 12%; the surety bond is $20,000; the governing law is 18 Del. C. ch. 17A (bond § 1752; fees § 1756).

The pathway

Getting licensed in Delaware

The license is the Public Adjuster. 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. Delaware Department of Insurance, under 18 Del. C. ch. 17A. Delaware separately licenses adjusters (company/independent) under ch. 17; there is no public adjuster regulation in Title 18 of the Administrative Code.

Official sources

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 Fees and hours change with the legislative calendar, and this page may be out of date.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.

  1. Schedule and pass the DE Public Adjuster exam with Pearson VUE ($90, 1 hour 15 minutes).

  2. Request a criminal background report from the Delaware State Police.

  3. Buy a $20,000 surety bond in favor of the State of Delaware.

  4. Apply through NIPR, pay the $125 fee, then fax the background report, bond, and a copy of your client contract form to the Department.

  5. Complete 12 hours of approved CE (3 in ethics) each two-year cycle and renew by the last day of February in even-numbered years.

Who can apply
Residents and non-residents · Statute requires 'sufficient experience, training, and instruction' in first-party property claims as determined by regulation (§ 1751(b)(3)), but no implementing regulation exists and the Department publishes no threshold. Resident applicants take the exam; nonresidents licensed in a reciprocal state may be licensed without exam (§ 1751(c)).
Prelicensing course
Not required No prelicensing course is listed for the Public Adjuster license in the June 2025 candidate handbook.
State exam
Pearson VUE · 75 minutes · $90 per attempt Listed as a limited-lines exam, 1 hr 15 min. Handbook states passing scores are scaled (70 or 80 depending on exam) and appear on the score report.
Application
NIPR · $125 application fee Exam $90 (Pearson VUE); $20,000 bond premium; Delaware State Police background report fee. After the NIPR submission, fax the State Police background report, the $20,000 bond, and a copy of the contract form to be used (18 Del. C. ch. 17A) to 302-736-7906. The Department accepts only electronic applications.
Background check
Resident applicants must submit a Delaware State Police criminal background report with the application (Pearson VUE candidate handbook, June 2025).
Surety bond
$20,000 Surety bond in favor of the State filed at application; license automatically terminates if the bond lapses; 30 days' notice required before termination (18 Del. C. § 1752).
Renewal
Every 2 years Resident licenses renew by the last day of February in even-numbered years (Department renewal page: 'February 28, 2026'). § 1751(d): license continues in force if CE is completed and renewal fees 'as established for adjusters' are paid.
Continuing education
12 hours · Every 2 years · 3 in ethics Regulation 504: resident adjusters and public adjusters complete 12 credit hours per two-year reporting period, 3 in ethics.
Already licensed elsewhere?
Reciprocity available License may be issued without exam to a holder of a like license in good standing whose state certifies a passed exam and recognizes Delaware public adjuster licenses reciprocally (§ 1751(c)).

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's limited-lines table gives timing and fee only
  • ·Exam passing score: Handbook says scaled score of 70 or 80 depending on exam; not specified for Public Adjuster
  • ·Renewal fee: Secondary sources report $100; not confirmed on a Department page
  • ·Eligibility minimum age: No age requirement in ch. 17A; ch. 17 adjuster qualifications not checked
  • ·Continuing education hours: Regulation 504 page returned no body text; 12 hours/3 ethics confirmed via the Department's CE FAQ as summarized in search results

Delaware in the reference tables

Each table answers one question for all 50 states and DC, with the citation. Open one and find the Delaware row.

See how a claim runs in Delaware, stage by stage Associations covering Delaware

Delaware law in the library

27 primary-source documents for Delaware: statutes, regulations, bulletins and consumer guides, stored as published. Sign in to open them.

  • 18 Del. Admin. C. § 201 — Insurance Certificate of Authority (Agency) [Formerly Regulation 16] Delaware Department of Insurance
  • Delaware Chapter 17A. Licensing of Public Adjusters — 18 Del. C. §§ 1750–1761 Delaware General Assembly
  • Delaware Chapter 23. Unfair Practices in the Insurance Business — 18 Del. C. §§ 2301–2321 Delaware General Assembly
  • Delaware Chapter 24. Insurance Fraud — 18 Del. C. §§ 2401–2414 Delaware General Assembly
  • Delaware Chapter 3. The Insurance Commissioner — 18 Del. C. §§ 301–334 State of Delaware
  • Delaware Chapter 41. Property Insurance Contracts — 18 Del. C. §§ 4101–4161 Delaware General Assembly
  • Delaware Emergency Management — The Governor and Emergency Management, 20 Del. C. §§ 3115–3117 Delaware General Assembly
  • Delaware Regulation 702 — Required Disclosures For Residential Homeowners Policies State of Delaware