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State guide

How to become a public adjuster in Michigan

Michigan requires a public adjuster license. Fees are capped at 10% of the amount the insurer pays in settlement; the governing law is MCL 500.1222–500.1228.

Contracts must be on a DIFS-approved form.

The pathway

Getting licensed in Michigan

The license is the Adjuster for the Insured (public adjuster) license - Fire & Other Hazards line. 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. Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS). Michigan issues two adjuster licenses: 'Adjuster for the Insured' (public adjuster) and 'Insurance Adjuster' (independent adjuster). Company/staff adjusters are exempt. Adjusters for the insured may not adjust workers' compensation losses.

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 Fees and hours change with the legislative calendar, and this page may be out of date.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. File the Electronic Resident Licensing (ERL) application for the Adjuster for the Insured license at NIPR.com and pay $15 plus the $5.00 transaction fee.

  2. Schedule the Michigan Public Adjuster exam with PSI ($41; 100 questions, 2 hours) and pass it within 180 days of applying.

  3. Have your public adjusting contract form approved by DIFS before using it with policyholders (MCL 500.1226).

  4. Renew every year for $5 through DIFS Licensing Express Renewal between February 1 and March 31; no continuing education is required.

Who can apply
At least 18 years old · Residents and non-residents Nonresidents must be licensed for the same line in their home state; if the home state did not require an exam, they must pass the Michigan exam or prove an equivalent exam.
Prelicensing course
Not required DIFS's licensing steps and MCL 500.1224 list no pre-licensing education for adjusters.
State exam
PSI · 100 questions · 120 minutes · pass at 71% · $41 per attempt PSI bulletin table lists a 71% cut score for the Public Adjuster exam (other adjuster exams list 70%). Exam must be passed within 180 days of the application or a new application and fee are required. Passing results are valid for 12 months.
Application
NIPR Electronic Resident Licensing (ERL) / Non-Resident Adjuster Licensing (NRAL) · $15 application fee NIPR transaction fee $5.00 (resident) or $6.18 (nonresident); PSI exam $41. Application is valid for 180 days. Applicants working for an adjusting firm must answer 'Yes' to that question and provide firm information. Contracts with insureds must be on a DIFS-approved form (MCL 500.1226(4)).
Background check
No fingerprinting listed. Applicants who answer 'yes' to any background question must submit supporting documentation per DIFS guidance.
Surety bond
No bond required No surety bond requirement was found in MCL 500.1222-500.1244 or on DIFS's licensing pages.
Renewal
Annually · $5 License expires March 31 each year; renew online through DIFS Licensing Express Renewal between February 1 and March 31 (MCL 500.240(1)(g)). Unpaid renewals cause cancellation to Inactive status; reinstatement follows a separate DIFS process.
Continuing education
None required DIFS renewal guidance requires only the $5 fee; no CE is listed for adjusters.
Already licensed elsewhere?
Reciprocity available Nonresident Adjuster for the Insured license issued via NIPR to applicants licensed for the line in their home state; Michigan exam waived if the home state required an exam.

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:

  • ·Continuing education required: DIFS's continuing-education page could not be reached when we checked; 'no CE for adjusters' rests on the DIFS renewal page listing only a fee, plus MCL silence.
  • ·Bond amount: Absence of a bond requirement inferred from statute and DIFS pages; not affirmatively stated by DIFS.
  • ·Exam passing score: PSI bulletin shows 71% for Public Adjuster; could be a typo for 70% but is reported as published.

Michigan in the reference tables

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

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

Michigan law in the library

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

  • Emergency Management Act, Act 390 of 1976 (MCL 30.401–30.421) Michigan Legislature
  • Emergency Management Act, Act 390 of 1976 (MCL 30.401–30.421) (original PDF) Michigan Legislature
  • MCL 500.1222 — Adjuster's license required; exemptions Michigan Legislature
  • MCL 500.1224 — Adjuster; application for license; examination; qualifications; restrictions; "home state" defined Michigan Legislature
  • MCL 500.1226 — Persons aiding adjuster; representation by adjuster; procedure for soliciting loss; schedule of rates; limitation on charges; contract Michigan Legislature
  • MCL 500.1227 — Conduct of adjuster; prohibitions Michigan Legislature
  • MCL 500.1228 — Records of adjuster Michigan Legislature
  • MCL 500.1242 — Refusal, suspension, or revocation of license; notice; hearings; summary suspension; subpoenas Michigan Legislature