Ch 1 · How to Become a Public Adjuster in Florida
Module 1.7
Practical Resources
Statutes. Portals. Exam vendors. CE providers. Bonds. Day-one toolkit. Bookmark this page.
8 min read
What you'll learn
The bookmarks. The portals. The exam vendors. The CE providers. Everything you'll actually use.
1.7.1 Florida Statutes — Chapter 626, Part VI
The PA universe lives here. Bookmark each one.
| Statute | Topic |
|---|---|
| § 626.854 | Public adjuster definition, conduct, fee caps, contracts, prohibited conduct |
| § 626.8651 | PA apprentice framework |
| § 626.864 | License requirements (general adjuster) |
| § 626.860 | Statutory exemptions from PA licensure |
| § 626.865 | Surety bond requirement ($50,000) |
| § 626.8796 | Contract fraud statement requirement |
| § 626.8698 | Penalties for evading fee caps |
| § 626.8738 | 3rd-degree felony for unlicensed practice |
| § 626.112 | Adjusting firm license requirement |
| § 626.2815 | Continuing education requirements |
| § 626.207 | Character/fitness disqualifiers |
| § 627.70131 | Insurer claim-handling timelines (acknowledgment, investigation, decision/payment) |
| § 627.70132 | Statute of limitations — 1-year notice / 18-month supplemental |
| § 627.70152 | Pre-suit notice requirement |
| § 627.7142 | Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights |
| § 624.155 | Bad faith / Civil Remedy Notice |
| § 626.9744 | Matching statute |
| § 817.234 | Insurance fraud (criminal) |
Direct access: leg.state.fl.us — Online Sunshine.
1.7.2 Regulator + portals
| Resource | URL | Use |
|---|---|---|
| DFS — Division of Agent and Agency Services | myfloridacfo.com | Licensing, enforcement, consumer complaints |
| DFS MyProfile | myprofile.fldfs.com | Apply, renew, update licensing info |
| License lookup | licenseesearch.fldfs.com | Verify any FL adjuster's license |
| Mediation program | DFS — Insurance Consumer Helpline | Free residential property mediation |
| CRN filing | DFS Civil Remedy Notice portal | File bad-faith pre-conditions |
1.7.3 Exam logistics
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Exam vendor | Pearson VUE — pearsonvue.com/fl/insurance |
| 6-20 exam | All-Lines Adjuster, ~100 questions, 120 minutes, 70% passing |
| 3-20 exam | Public Adjuster, ~100–110 questions, 120 minutes, 70% passing |
| Exam fee | ~$44 per attempt (current at time of writing — verify) |
| Retake | Allowed; pay fee again |
| Reschedule | Free w/ 24+ hours notice; otherwise forfeit fee |
1.7.4 Approved CE providers
DFS-approved providers offering PA-track CE:
- AdjusterPro — adjusterpro.com
- WebCE — webce.com
- Kaplan Financial Education — kaplanfinancial.com
- AdjusterTV — focused on practical scenario training
- NACA / IIABA chapters — local CE events
Required: 4-hour Law & Ethics Update (course authority CE 5-320) every cycle.
Total: 24 hours biennially first 6 years, 20 hours after, due by end of birth-month.
Verify the provider is currently DFS-approved before paying — list updates periodically.
1.7.5 Florida Administrative Code
Rules that supplement the statutes:
| Rule | Topic |
|---|---|
| 69B-220 | Ethical requirements for adjusters |
| 69B-227 | Continuing education rules |
| 69B-228 | Pre-licensing course standards |
Direct access: flrules.org.
1.7.6 Industry associations
Optional but useful:
- FAPIA — Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters. Membership, education, advocacy. fapia.net
- NAPIA — National Association of Public Insurance Adjusters. napia.com
- SAA — Society of Public Adjusters of America. Smaller, more niche.
Membership not required to practice. Often signals seriousness to clients + referral sources.
1.7.7 Surety bond providers
You'll need a $50,000 surety bond before the 3-20 issues (§ 626.865).
Common providers (shop quotes — premium varies materially with credit):
- Lance Surety Bonds
- Surety Bonds Direct
- Jet Insurance Company
- NFP / regional brokers
Premium range: $250–$750/year for $50K bond, depending on credit. Bond is annual; renews while license is active.
1.7.8 Day-one toolkit
Your bookmarks for day one of practice:
| Tool | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Xactimate (or Symbility / CoreLogic) | Estimating |
| CompanyCam / DocuSketch | Photo + measurement documentation |
| DocuSign / PandaDoc | E-signature for PA contracts |
| MyProfile (DFS) | Renewals, appointments, license updates |
| Google Calendar / Calendly | Inspection scheduling |
| Cloud file storage (Dropbox, Google Drive) | Claim files (folder per claim) |
| CRM (HubSpot free, GoHighLevel, etc.) | Lead + claim pipeline tracking |
1.7.9 Action steps
- Bookmark every URL above.
- Create DFS MyProfile account (5 min).
- Open accounts at FAPIA + NAPIA (or at minimum read their resources).
- Get 3 surety bond quotes — even before you need one.
- Set CE renewal calendar reminder for 90 days before your birth-month every other year.
Chapter 1 complete. Next chapter: 2.1 The Initial Inspection — how a PA works a claim from first contact.
Educational. Not legal advice. Florida insurance law and DFS procedures change. SB 2A (Dec 16, 2022) and HB 837 (March 24, 2023) altered claim and attorney-fee rules; subsequent amendments may apply. Verify all statute citations and procedural details against current Florida Statutes and DFS guidance.