Kentucky insurance adjuster license
Kentucky licenses independent, staff (company) and public adjusters (KRS 304.9-430). Staff adjusters employed by insurers must be licensed too. A person may hold only one adjuster license type at a time. Independent and staff adjusters may hold Property & Casualty, Workers' Compensation and/or Crop lines.
Some details on this page could not be confirmed on the regulator's own website. Check with the Kentucky Department of Insurance before you apply, and tell us if anything has changed.
How to get licensed in Kentucky, step by step
- Choose the license you need. Kentucky issues Independent Adjuster, Staff Adjuster. Most new independent adjusters start with the Independent Adjuster license.
- Pass the state exam. Schedule it with the state exam vendor, fee $50. Some applicants can skip it (see exemptions below). Practice first with our Kentucky Adjuster practice test.
- Apply for the license with the Kentucky Department of Insurance and pay the $50 license fee.
- Keep it active. Complete 24 hours of continuing education, including 3 hours of ethics, every 2 years and renew on time (license term: Continuous, with biennial renewal (KRS 304).
Kentucky adjuster license types
| License | Covers | Exam | Prelicensing |
|---|---|---|---|
| Independent Adjuster | Property & Casualty; Workers' Compensation; Crop (an exam for each line) | Required Under KRS 304.9-170, no exam is required for a lapsed license renewed within 12 months, or for a license held in Kentucky within the preceding 12 months. | Not required |
| Staff Adjuster | Property & Casualty; Workers' Compensation; Crop (an exam for each line) | Required | Not required |
License fees
- Resident license: $50
- Nonresident license: $50
NIPR lists $50 per line of authority plus a $50 exam fee per line for resident independent and staff adjusters. The nonresident independent or staff adjuster license is $50. Resident applicants must also upload a Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) criminal background report. NIPR transaction fees are extra.
License term: Continuous, with biennial renewal (KRS 304.9-260). Renewal and CE proof are due by the last day of the birth month, in even years for those born in even years and odd years for those born in odd years.
Continuing education
Kentucky adjusters need 24 hours of continuing education, including 3 hours of ethics, every 2 years (biennium). Nonresidents who meet their home state requirement are generally exempt.
KRS 304.9-295(5): independent and public adjusters must complete 24 hours, including 3 ethics, each biennium. The statute does not list staff adjusters. Licensees not licensed one full year before the end of the biennium are exempt, as are nonresidents who met home-state CE where the home state reciprocates.
Nonresident adjusters, reciprocity and DHS
KRS 304.9-430(15): a nonresident license is issued to a person licensed in good standing in their home state, if that state licenses Kentucky residents on the same basis. No Kentucky exam is required. 'Home state' includes a designated licensing state when the state of residence does not issue the adjuster license type. NIPR accepts ADHS on nonresident applications; all adjuster transactions are deferred to the state for review.
Designated home state license: No Kentucky DHS was found for out-of-state residents. Resident applicants must be eligible to designate Kentucky as home state, meaning their principal residence or business is in Kentucky (KRS 304.9-430(2)(c), (13)).
See every state's rules side by side on the adjuster license reciprocity map.
Emergency and catastrophe adjusters
After a catastrophe declared in Kentucky, the insurer must apply for temporary emergency registration of independent or staff adjusters not licensed in Kentucky within 5 days of deployment. The registration lasts up to 90 days unless extended (KRS 304.9-430(14)). Separately, someone sent in by an insurer solely to adjust a particular catastrophe loss or series of losses needs no independent adjuster license (KRS 304.9-430(10)(a)).
Public adjusters in Kentucky
Yes, a separate Public Adjuster license, with lines Property & Casualty or Crop. It requires an exam and a $50,000 surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit (KRS 304.9-430(3)). CE is 24 hours including 3 ethics. A PA may not simultaneously hold an independent or staff adjuster license.
Insurance adjuster salary in Kentucky
| Claims adjusters, examiners and investigators | Kentucky | United States |
|---|---|---|
| Mean annual wage | $76,120 | $80,470 |
| Median annual wage | $73,840 | $78,000 |
| 10th to 90th percentile | $52,600 to $100,400 | $48,850 to $117,040 |
| Employment | 3,670 | 324,230 |
Frequently asked questions
Do you need a license to be an insurance adjuster in Kentucky?
Kentucky licenses independent, staff (company) and public adjusters (KRS 304.9-430). Staff adjusters employed by insurers must be licensed too. A person may hold only one adjuster license type at a time. Independent and staff adjusters may hold Property & Casualty, Workers' Compensation and/or Crop lines.
How much does an adjuster license cost in Kentucky?
In Kentucky, the exam fee is $50, the resident license fee is $50. Fees change, so confirm current amounts with the Kentucky Department of Insurance.
Can a nonresident get an adjuster license in Kentucky?
KRS 304.9-430(15): a nonresident license is issued to a person licensed in good standing in their home state, if that state licenses Kentucky residents on the same basis. No Kentucky exam is required. 'Home state' includes a designated licensing state when the state of residence does not issue the adjuster license type. NIPR accepts ADHS on nonresident applications; all adjuster transactions are deferred to the state for review.
How many continuing education hours do Kentucky adjusters need?
24 hours, including 3 hours of ethics, every 2 years (biennium). KRS 304.9-295(5): independent and public adjusters must complete 24 hours, including 3 ethics, each biennium. The statute does not list staff adjusters. Licensees not licensed one full year before the end of the biennium are exempt, as are nonresidents who met home-state CE where the home state reciprocates.
How much do insurance adjusters make in Kentucky?
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, claims adjusters, examiners and investigators in Kentucky earned a mean of $76,120 a year in May 2025, with a median of $73,840. The national mean was $80,470. Independent catastrophe adjusters are paid by fee schedule and can earn more or less than this.
Official Kentucky resources
Regulator: Kentucky Department of Insurance
Sources
- codes.findlaw.com/ky/title-xxv-business-and-financial-institutions/ky-rev-st-sect-304-9-43
- codes.findlaw.com/ky/title-xxv-business-and-financial-institutions/ky-rev-st-sect-304-9-29
- codes.findlaw.com/ky/title-xxv-business-and-financial-institutions/ky-rev-st-sect-304-9-26
- codes.findlaw.com/ky/title-xxv-business-and-financial-institutions/ky-rev-st-sect-304-9-17
- codes.findlaw.com/ky/title-xxv-business-and-financial-institutions/ky-rev-st-sect-304-9-16
- codes.findlaw.com/ky/title-xxv-business-and-financial-institutions/ky-rev-st-sect-304-9-15
- nipr.com/licensing-center/state-requirements/kentucky-resident-licensing-individual
- nipr.com/licensing-center/state-requirements/kentucky-non-resident-adjuster-licensing-indi
- web.archive.org/web/20260203152715/https://insurance.ky.gov/PPC/Documents/CHECKLIST%20appl
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