Delaware Adjuster License Requirements: Exam, Bond, and Renewal

To work as a Delaware adjuster, you need a license from the Delaware Department of Insurance. The core path is straightforward: choose your line or lines of authority, pass the Pearson VUE exam for each one, submit fingerprints for a state and FBI background check, and file the Uniform Application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). The state fee for an initial license is $125, and the Department typically turns new applications around in 24 to 48 hours.¹²

Who Needs an Adjuster License in Delaware

Delaware defines an adjuster as someone who, as an independent contractor or on behalf of an insurer, self-insurer, producer, or managing general agent, investigates or negotiates settlement of claims under insurance contracts.³ That is the standard independent adjuster license. If you plan to represent policyholders against insurers, you fall under a separate category, the public adjuster, which has extra requirements explained below.

There is also an apprentice adjuster category for applicants who meet every qualification except experience, education, or training. An apprentice must file a certification from a licensed adjuster who agrees to supervise the apprentice and take responsibility for the work.³

Choosing Your Lines of Authority

On the application you pick one or more lines. Each line has its own exam unless specifically exempted:⁴

Property (real and personal property losses)
Casualty (liability claims, including general and professional liability)
Surety (fidelity and surety bond claims)
Motor Vehicle (auto insurance claims)
Marine and Transportation (ocean marine, inland marine, and transportation losses)
Workers’ Compensation
Multi-Peril Crop, the only line with no written exam; crop adjusters submit a copy of their Crop Adjuster Proficiency Program (CAPP) card instead⁵

Baseline Eligibility

Section 1706 of Title 18 sets the minimums the Insurance Commissioner looks for before approving an application. You must be at least 18, pay the required fees under Chapter 7, pass the exam for each requested line unless exempt, and have no disqualifying history under § 1712, which covers felony convictions, fraud, misappropriation of funds, and license denial or revocation in another state.⁶

Resident applicants have to actually live in Delaware or work for a licensed insurance business entity that keeps a physical office in the state open to the public. A registered agent address or a Delaware P.O. box will not satisfy that requirement.⁶

Passing the Licensing Exam

Pearson VUE administers Delaware’s adjuster exams. You reserve a seat online or by phone, pay the exam fee, and sit the test at an approved testing center.⁷ Every line of authority has its own exam covering the legal and technical material for that type of insurance.

The passing threshold is either a 70 or 80 scaled score depending on the specific exam, and your score report will tell you which standard applied.⁷ Once you pass, your result feeds directly into the Department’s licensing system, and you move on to the application step.

Fingerprints and Background Check

Every resident applicant, along with any non-resident naming Delaware as a home state, must submit fingerprints for a state criminal history check through the State Bureau of Identification and a federal check through the FBI.⁶ Fingerprinting is handled digitally through IdentoGO, and the applicant pays for the reports. If you submit incorrect information during fingerprinting, you have to repeat the entire procedure and pay again.⁸

Non-resident applicants who are not licensed in any state must additionally obtain both state and federal criminal history reports dated within 90 days of the Department’s receipt of them.⁵

Before filing, pull together your Social Security number, a full five-year employment history, and documentation for any prior administrative actions or legal judgments. You will have to disclose these on the application and upload supporting documents.

Filing Through NIPR

Delaware uses NIPR for both resident and non-resident adjuster applications.⁵ You complete the Uniform Application online, certify under penalty of license refusal, suspension, or revocation that everything you submitted is accurate, and pay the fees electronically.

The state fee is $125 for both residents and non-residents.¹ NIPR adds its own transaction fee.⁴ The Department usually processes new applications within 24 to 48 hours; delays happen when the Department has to investigate administrative actions or background disclosures.²

Extra Requirements for Public Adjusters

Public adjusters represent policyholders rather than insurers and are licensed under Chapter 17A, with several obligations other adjusters do not face.

$20,000 Surety Bond

At the time of application, a public adjuster must file a $20,000 surety bond issued by a surety insurer authorized in Delaware. The bond guarantees faithful performance of the adjuster’s duties, and if it lapses, the license automatically terminates. The surety company has to give at least 30 days’ written notice before canceling, and notice must also be filed with the Commissioner.⁹

Fee Caps and Contract Rules

Delaware limits what a public adjuster can charge. The fee cannot exceed 2.5% of the first $25,000 of the client’s total insurance recovery, plus up to 12% of any recovery above that. Every engagement goes on a written contract using a Commissioner-approved form, signed by both the adjuster and the insured. The insured has three business days to cancel after signing, and public adjusters cannot discourage a client from communicating directly with the insurer or anyone else about the claim.¹⁰

Non-Resident and Reciprocal Licensing

If you already hold a valid adjuster license in your home state, Delaware will waive its exam and most other requirements under its reciprocity statute, provided your home state offers the same courtesy to Delaware residents.¹¹ You file through NIPR’s non-resident application.⁵

Reciprocity does not help non-residents who are not licensed anywhere. They have to take the Delaware exam and submit the state and FBI criminal history reports, dated within 90 days.⁵ If you live in a state that does not require an adjuster license, a Designated Home State (DHS) license from another state can serve as the basis for your Delaware non-resident application. Reciprocal licenses are limited to the lines of authority held on the home or DHS license, so if your home license covers only property and casualty, your Delaware license cannot go broader.

After You’re Licensed: CE and Renewal

Delaware Regulation 504 requires resident adjusters and public adjusters to complete 12 hours of approved continuing education every two years, including at least 3 hours of ethics.¹² Two narrow exemptions apply: resident adjusters licensed only in fidelity and surety or marine and transportation are exempt. Non-resident adjusters satisfy Delaware’s CE rules by meeting their home state’s requirements, as long as that home state recognizes Delaware CE on the same basis; if the home state has no adjuster CE requirement at all, the non-resident must meet Delaware’s 12-hour rule directly.¹¹

Licenses renew every two years on a fixed February 28 deadline. Residents renew in even-numbered years, non-residents in odd-numbered years, and the renewal fee is $125. If you got your initial license between December 1 and February 28, you skip the renewal fee for that cycle because you just paid for the license.¹ If you miss the deadline, Delaware allows late renewal for up to one year past expiration if the license is still in Active status or was cancelled specifically for non-renewal or CE non-compliance. Past that one-year window, you have to apply for a new license from scratch.¹³

1
Justia. Delaware Code 18 – 701 – Fee Schedule
2
Delaware Department of Insurance. Delaware Department of Insurance Frequently Asked Questions
3
Delaware Code Online. Delaware Code 18 – Licensing of Professional Insurance Personnel
4
NIPR. Delaware Resident Licensing Individual
5
Delaware Insurance Department. Delaware Licensing Procedures
6
Justia. Delaware Code 18 – 1706 – Application for License
7
Pearson VUE. Delaware Insurance Candidate Handbook
8
Division of Professional Regulation. Criminal Background Check Process
9
Delaware Code Online. Delaware Code 18 – Licensing of Public Adjusters
10
Justia. Delaware Code 18 – 1756 – Contracts and Solicitation
11
Justia. Delaware Code 18 – 1717 – Reciprocity
12
Delaware Regulations. Delaware Regulations 504 – Continuing Education for Insurance Agents, Brokers, Surplus Lines Brokers and Consultants
13
NIPR. NIPR – Delaware Non-Resident Renewal Individual