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State guide

How to become a public adjuster in Illinois

Illinois requires a public adjuster license. Fees are capped at 10% on personal-residence claims; the surety bond is $50,000; the governing law is 215 ILCS 5/1510 et seq. (Art. XLV).

The pathway

Getting licensed in Illinois

The license is the Public Adjuster license (215 ILCS 5/Art. XLV). 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. Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI). Illinois does not license company or independent adjusters; the public adjuster license is a standalone license under Article XLV of the Insurance 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 Fees and hours change with the legislative calendar, and this page may be out of date.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 Illinois Public Adjuster exam at Pearson VUE ($92 including the state fee; 165 minutes). No pre-licensing course is required.

  2. Get fingerprinted by an Illinois-approved live scan vendor for the state and FBI background check.

  3. Obtain a $50,000 surety bond (or irrevocable letter of credit) on the IDOI 2024 Public Adjuster Bond form.

  4. Draft your public adjuster contract using IDOI's 2024 checklist and template; it must be approved by the Department.

  5. Apply through NIPR.com, pay the $250 fee by electronic funds transfer, and upload the contract and bond to the NIPR document warehouse.

  6. Wait for IDOI to approve the contract and issue the license before signing any client.

  7. Renew every 2 years for $250 after completing 24 hours of CE, including 3 hours of ethics.

Who can apply
At least 18 years old · Residents and non-residents Resident license requires designating Illinois as home state and maintaining an office in the home state with public access (215 ILCS 5/1525). Nonresidents receive a reciprocal license if licensed and in good standing in a home state that reciprocates (215 ILCS 5/1540).
Prelicensing course
Not required Pearson VUE handbook: 'The state does not require pre-licensing education to qualify for a Public Adjuster license.'
State exam
Pearson VUE · 165 minutes · $92 per attempt Single combined general/state exam. The $92 fee includes the $50 State of Illinois administrative fee. After a first failure candidates must wait 7 days to retest; after a second or later failure, 30 days (215 ILCS 5/1530). Exam waived for applicants licensed by exam in another state (215 ILCS 5/1535).
Application
NIPR · $250 application fee Nonresident license $500 per 2 years; Pearson VUE exam $92; live scan vendor fingerprint fee. All applications must be filed through NIPR; paper applications and checks are returned. The public adjuster contract and bond must be uploaded to the NIPR document warehouse at submission; the application is not reviewed until the contract, bond, and fingerprint results are received. You cannot contract with an insured until IDOI approves the contract and issues the license.
Background check
Fingerprint-based state and FBI criminal history check through an Illinois-approved live scan vendor; fingerprints must be on file before issuance or renewal (50 Ill. Adm. Code 3118).
Surety bond
$50,000 Surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit in favor of the State, minimum $50,000, maintained for the duration of the license (215 ILCS 5/1560). IDOI publishes a 2024 Public Adjuster Bond form.
Renewal
Every 2 years · $250 License fee of $250 (resident) or $500 (nonresident) is payable once every 2 years (215 ILCS 5/1563); CE must be completed at least 30 days before the renewal date. A lapsed license may be reissued within 12 months without re-examination on payment of double the unpaid renewal fee (215 ILCS 5/1545(e)).
Continuing education
24 hours · Every 2 years · 3 in ethics 24 hours including 3 hours of classroom or webinar ethics, reported biennially with renewal (215 ILCS 5/1565). Up to 36 credit hours may be carried; ethics hours cannot be carried forward. Nonresidents meeting home-state CE are exempt if the home state reciprocates.
Already licensed elsewhere?
Reciprocity available Nonresident license issued to public adjusters licensed and in good standing in a reciprocating home state (215 ILCS 5/1540); exam waived (215 ILCS 5/1535).

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: Pearson VUE Illinois handbook lists the exam time (165 minutes) but not the question count.
  • ·Exam passing score: Not stated in the Pearson VUE Illinois handbook sections we checked.
  • ·Application fingerprint fee: Set by the live scan vendor; not published by IDOI.

Illinois in the reference tables

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

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

Illinois law in the library

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

  • Illinois Appraisal Fee Shifting — 215 ILCS 5/397.05 Illinois General Assembly
  • Illinois DOI Consumer Complaint Process — 50 IAC 926 Illinois Department of Insurance (IDOI)
  • Illinois Director of Insurance — General Authority — 215 ILCS 5/401 Illinois General Assembly
  • Illinois FAIR Plan — Article XXXIII Urban Property Insurance Illinois General Assembly
  • Illinois Governor Emergency Powers — 20 ILCS 3305/7 Illinois General Assembly
  • Illinois Improper Claims Practice Regulation - 50 Ill. Admin. Code Part 919 Illinois Department of Insurance
  • Illinois Improper Claims Practices Statute - 215 ILCS 5/154.6 Illinois General Assembly
  • Illinois Insurance Fraud Reporting and Immunity — 215 ILCS 5/155.24 Illinois General Assembly