Texas Public Adjuster Licensing Guide
Becoming a Licensed Public Adjuster in Texas
Public insurance adjusters represent policyholders - not insurance companies - in property claims. In Texas, the license is issued by the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) and the profession is governed by Texas Insurance Code Chapter 4102.
This guide summarizes the path as TDI describes it. The figures below were reviewed against the linked TDI and Texas Administrative Code sources on September 16, 2026.
Before you choose a path, learn more about what public adjusters do and the day-to-day work behind the license.
Step 1 - Pass the state licensing exam
Texas administers the public insurance adjuster exam through Pearson VUE. The Pearson VUE website has the candidate handbook, the exam content outline, testing locations, scheduling, and current exam fees. TDI does not list a pre-license course requirement for this license, so the exam content outline is the best map of what to study.
Plan your timeline around one TDI rule: if you do not submit your license application within 1 year of passing the exam, you will have to retake it.
Step 2 - Complete the fingerprint background check
Applicants complete the fingerprint process through TDI's online initial application and fingerprint portal, which gives you the instructions and service code, then have your fingerprints taken through IdentoGO. Keep the receipt showing your prints were sent to the Texas Department of Public Safety for your application.
Step 3 - Apply online through Sircon
Resident individual applications are submitted online through Sircon. TDI lists the application fee at $50 on its application page.
As part of the application, you tell TDI which contract you will use with your clients. The contract must meet 28 Texas Administrative Code Section 19.708, or you can use the contract TDI developed, Form FIN535 (PDF).
Step 4 - Provide proof of a surety bond
TDI requires proof of a surety bond of at least $10,000, with the licensee listed as the sole principal under 28 Texas Administrative Code Section 19.705 and Texas Insurance Code Section 4102.105. Upload the public insurance adjuster bond form, Form FIN509 (PDF), and a copy of the original bond form with your Sircon application.
After you are licensed - continuing education
To keep the license in good standing, Texas requires 24 hours of continuing education every 2-year license period, including 3 hours of ethics and at least one-half classroom or classroom-equivalent. TDI's continuing education page also provides for a $50 fine per deficient hour and a 90-day cure period after expiration. See TDI's continuing education information and license management page.
What the Exam Covers
The official exam content outline, available from Pearson VUE, is the authoritative study map. Expect heavy emphasis on property policy knowledge - fire and commercial property coverage, business income, and flood - along with general insurance principles, the claims process, and the Texas laws and ethics rules that apply specifically to public adjusters.
To learn each of those areas in depth, work through our free exam study guide - four lessons that follow the outline's content areas, with flashcards for the vocabulary and worked examples for the math.
A practical way to study: work through the content outline section by section, read Chapter 4102 directly since its fee and conduct rules are tested and short, and drill practice questions until the core concepts are automatic.
Fees and fast settlements
Texas limits a public adjuster's fee to 10 percent of the settlement under Insurance Code Section 4102.104.
If a claim is settled within 72 hours after it is reported, the public adjuster is entitled only to reasonable time and expenses only. These limits come from the statute and TDI licensing notices, and they are separate from the agreement's ordinary fee calculation.
Prepare for the Exam in Three Steps
AI study companion
Texas Public Adjuster Exam Prep is a third-party study tool built on ChatGPT that can quiz you and explain concepts conversationally. It is an external tool, not a Crossroads product, and it requires a ChatGPT account. As with any AI tool, verify important answers against official sources.
Open in ChatGPTOfficial Resources
- TDI - Public insurance adjuster: apply for a licenseThe official application steps, forms, and current fees
- TDI - Public insurance adjuster: manage your licenseRenewal, continuing education, and license maintenance
- Pearson VUE - Texas insurance examsCandidate handbook, exam content outlines, scheduling, and testing locations
- TDI - Fingerprinting processThe online initial application and fingerprint portal
- Sircon - License applicationWhere the license application is submitted online
- Texas Insurance Code Chapter 4102The statute that governs public insurance adjusters in Texas
This guide is provided for general information only and is not legal advice. Licensing requirements, forms, and fees are set by the Texas Department of Insurance and may change. The official TDI and Pearson VUE pages linked above control.