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State guide

How to become a public adjuster in Virginia

Virginia requires a public adjuster license. There is no statutory fee cap; in a declared emergency 10% in a declared catastrophic disaster; the surety bond is $50,000; the governing law is Va. Code § 38.2-1845.1 et seq..

The pathway

Getting licensed in Virginia

The Virginia Bureau of Insurance issues the Public Adjuster 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. Virginia State Corporation Commission, Bureau of Insurance (Va. Code Title 38.2, ch. 18, art. 4.1). Virginia does not license company or independent adjusters.

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 Fees and hours change with the legislative calendar, and this page may be out of date.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 Virginia Public Adjuster exam with Prometric ($35, 60 minutes); results are valid for 183 days.

  2. Order a Criminal History Record Report from the Virginia State Police (must be under 90 days old when you apply).

  3. Buy a $50,000 surety bond in favor of the Commonwealth from a surety licensed in Virginia.

  4. Apply online through Sircon or NIPR, attach the CHRR, enter the bond details, and pay the $15 processing fee.

  5. Complete 24 hours of CE (3 in ethics) every two years and renew by the end of your birth month, paying $10 per line and certifying the bond is still in force.

Who can apply
At least 18 years old · Residents and non-residents Residents must pass the Virginia exam; nonresidents licensed in a reciprocal home state receive a nonresident license (§ 38.2-1845.5). Residents must use a residential street address as address of record.
Prelicensing course
Not required No prelicensing course requirement appears in art. 4.1 or on the Bureau's public adjuster page.
State exam
Prometric · 60 minutes · $35 per attempt Exam must be passed within 183 calendar days before application (§ 38.2-1845.2). Time and fee are from the Bureau-hosted Prometric bulletin dated June 2020.
Application
Sircon or NIPR · $15 application fee Exam $35 (Prometric); Virginia State Police CHRR fee; $50,000 bond premium. $15 nonrefundable application processing fee. Applications close after 30 days if documentation is incomplete and a new fee is required.
Background check
Applicant must be fingerprinted and submit to state and federal criminal history records searches at own cost (§ 38.2-1845.2); the Bureau's bulletin requires a Virginia State Police Criminal History Record Report no more than 90 days old.
Surety bond
$50,000 Bond in favor of the Commonwealth with corporate sureties licensed by the Commission; must stay in force for the life of the license and cannot be terminated without 60 days' notice to the Commission. Bond number, effective date and insurer are entered on the application; the bond itself is not filed.
Renewal
Every 2 years · $10 Individual licenses expire on the last day of the birth month in odd or even years based on year of birth; renewal opens 90 days before expiration. Business entities renew by May 1 of odd years. $10 per line of authority. Renewal requires certifying the $50,000 bond remains in force and (residents) CE completion.
Continuing education
24 hours · Every 2 years · 3 in ethics Resident individuals only; due at renewal. Nonresidents are not required to complete Virginia CE.
Already licensed elsewhere?
Reciprocity available Nonresident license issued if the applicant is licensed and in good standing in a home state that licenses Virginia residents on the same basis; exam not required (§ 38.2-1845.5).

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: The 2020 Prometric bulletin gives time (60 min) and fee only; the current Prometric Virginia page could not be reached when we checked
  • ·Exam passing score: Not stated in the bulletin we checked
  • ·Application fingerprint fee: Statute requires fingerprinting at applicant's cost; VSP fee amount not published on the Bureau pages we checked
  • ·Exam fee: $35 is from the June 2020 bulletin and may have changed

Virginia in the reference tables

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

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

Virginia law in the library

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

  • 14VAC5-400. Rules Governing Unfair Claim Settlement Practices Virginia State Corporation Commission, Bureau of Insurance
  • Article 4.1. Licensing of Public Adjusters (Va. Code §§ 38.2-1845.1 through 38.2-1845.24) Virginia General Assembly
  • Code of Virginia §§ 38.2-2118, 38.2-2125, 38.2-2127, 38.2-2129 — Mandatory Policy Disclosure and Notice Requirements Virginia General Assembly
  • Va. Code Title 38.2, Chapter 27. Basic Property Insurance Residual Market Facility and Joint Underwriting Association Virginia General Assembly
  • Va. Code § 38.2-209. Award of insured's attorney fees in certain cases Virginia General Assembly
  • Va. Code § 38.2-2105. Standard provisions of fire insurance policies Virginia General Assembly
  • Va. Code § 38.2-2131 — Assignment of claims prohibited Virginia General Assembly
  • Va. Code § 38.2-510. Unfair claim settlement practices Virginia General Assembly