State guide
How to become a public adjuster in Wisconsin
Wisconsin registers public adjusters rather than licensing them. In a declared emergency 10% of the recovery for catastrophic-disaster claims; the surety bond is $20,000; the governing law is Wis. Stat. ch. 629.
Wisconsin registers public adjusters under ch. 629 rather than licensing them. Registration is mandatory for non-residents before adjusting a Wisconsin claim and optional for residents.
The pathway
Getting licensed in Wisconsin
The license is the Public Adjuster registration (Wis. Stat. ch. 629). 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. Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI). Wisconsin 'registers' rather than licenses public adjusters (2019 Wis. Act 129, effective July 1, 2020). Registration is mandatory for nonresidents before adjusting in Wisconsin and optional for Wisconsin residents. Company/independent adjusters are not licensed. No entity registrations are offered.
Official sources
- OCI - Public Adjuster (registration steps, fees, bond, CE, renewal; updated July 17, 2026)
- Wis. Stat. ch. 629 - Public Adjusters (629.02 registration, 629.03 exam, 629.082 bond, 629.11 CE)
- PSI Wisconsin Public Adjuster exam content outline, series 22-15 (35 questions, 1-hour limit)
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 Fees and hours change with the legislative calendar, and this page may be out of date.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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Read the Wisconsin Candidate Information Bulletin, then schedule and pass the PSI Public Adjuster exam ($50; 35 questions, 1 hour). Bring two forms of ID.
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Wait 48-72 hours for the passing score to post to NIPR, then apply for the Public Adjuster registration at NIPR.com and pay the $50 fee.
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Buy a $20,000 surety bond (OCI template available) and mail the original signed, sealed bond to OCI Agent Licensing in Madison.
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Email ociagentlicensing@wisconsin.gov a written statement of your home office address and your availability to the public by appointment or regular business hours.
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File your public adjusting contract with OCI (ocipublicadjusters@wisconsin.gov) before performing any adjusting service (s. 629.04).
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Renew every 2 years through NIPR for $50 after completing 15 CE credits including 3 in ethics; a missed renewal cannot be reinstated.
- Who can apply
- At least 18 years old · Residents and non-residents Residents may register (optional); nonresidents must register before engaging in adjusting services. All registrants must maintain a home office in their state of residence available to the public by reasonable appointment or regular business hours (s. 629.02(2)(d)).
- Prelicensing course
- Not required OCI's registration steps list no pre-licensing education.
- State exam
- PSI · 35 questions · 60 minutes · $50 per attempt Wait 48-72 hours after passing for the score to post to NIPR before applying. Nonresidents who passed a written exam in their home state may have the Wisconsin exam waived (s. 629.03(2)); if the home state has no PA exam, the Wisconsin PSI exam is required.
- Application
- NIPR · $50 application fee PSI exam $50. After applying, mail an original signed and sealed surety bond to OCI Agent Licensing, Attn: Public Adjuster Bond, P.O. Box 7872, Madison, WI 53707-7872, and email a written statement of your home office address and public availability to ociagentlicensing@wisconsin.gov. Outstanding items must be supplied within 90 days or the application closes as expired. Fees are non-refundable.
- Background check
- No fingerprinting listed. Application requires social security number and documentation the commissioner requires; registrants must report administrative actions and criminal prosecutions within 30 days (s. 629.12).
- Surety bond
- $20,000 Minimum $20,000 bond in favor of the state authorizing recovery by the commissioner for damaged persons; may not be terminated without 30 days' written notice (s. 629.082; OCI bond template available).
- Renewal
- Every 2 years · $50 Registration is valid for 2 years from issuance and expires on the last day of that month; renew via NIPR up to 90 days before expiration (s. 629.02(4)). Registrations are not eligible for reinstatement: if not renewed by expiration, the registration is canceled and the individual must retake the exam and reapply.
- Continuing education
- 15 hours · Every 2 years · 3 in ethics 15 credits biennially including 3 ethics credits; each credit is at least 50 minutes (s. 629.11). CE completed for a Wisconsin producer license also counts. Nonresidents meeting substantially similar home-state CE on a reciprocal basis are exempt.
- Already licensed elsewhere?
- Reciprocity available Nonresidents register via NIPR; home-state written exam accepted in lieu of the Wisconsin exam if the home-state registration/license is in good standing (s. 629.03(2)).
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 passing score: Not stated on the OCI page or the PSI 22-15 outline; the Wisconsin Candidate Information Bulletin could not be reached.
- ·License name: Confirmed: Wisconsin registers rather than licenses public adjusters, and resident registration is optional. Treat 'licensed' status as 'registration (mandatory for nonresidents only)'.
Wisconsin in the reference tables
Each table answers one question for all 50 states and DC, with the citation. Open one and find the Wisconsin 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
Wisconsin law in the library
30 primary-source documents for Wisconsin: statutes, regulations, bulletins and consumer guides, stored as published. Sign in to open them.
- Wis. Admin. Code s. Ins 6.11 — Insurance claim settlement practices (verbatim) Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
- Wis. Stat. s. 628.34 — Unfair marketing practices (verbatim) Wisconsin State Legislature
- Wis. Stat. s. 628.46 — Timely payment of claims (verbatim) Wisconsin State Legislature
- Wis. Stat. s. 632.05 — Indemnity amounts (replacement cost; total loss / valued policy) — verbatim Wisconsin State Legislature
- Wis. Stat. ss. 631.83 (Limitation of actions) and 631.85 (Appraisal or arbitration) — verbatim Wisconsin State Legislature
- Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapter Ins 20 - Insurance Marketing Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
- Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapter Ins 3 - Casualty Insurance Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance
- Wisconsin Administrative Code Chapter Ins 4 - Fire and Allied Lines (§4.10 FAIR Plan) Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance