One of the questions we get asked a lot is “What do I do if my license is expired?”. Let’s first talk about how to maintain your Texas adjuster license. Here are your responsibilities in maintaining an active adjuster license in Texas.
• Promptly notify Texas Department of Insurance if you change addresses.
• Submit a renewal application with an appropriate fee every two years.
• Take 30 hours of Continuing Education (CE) within that two-year period
• 15 of the 30 hours must be classroom or classroom equivalent hours
• 2 hours must be Ethics or Consumer Protection hours
When we discuss what happens after your license has expired, you will fall into one of three categories.
1. Expired Less than 90 Days
2. Expired More than 90 Days but Less than One Year
3. Expired More than One Year
So let\’s look at each of these individually.
1. My insurance adjuster license expired LESS than 90 days ago.
First you must have all your 30 hours of CE credits finished to renew license. If at the time of expiration you did not have all 30 hours complete, you will have an additional fine of $50 per CE credit hour that you are lacking. Once your CE hours have been met, you can simply file a renewal and pay a fine equal to ½ the application fee. This allows you to keep your original license and avoids making you reapply for a new license.
So your expenses would be as follows:
• Renewal Fee
• Renewal Fee Fine
• CE Fine of $50 per CE credit that you were lacking at time of expiration
2. My insurance adjuster license expired MORE than 90 days ago but LESS than 1 year.
Things get a bit harder after you cross the 90-day window. The difference is now you are having to re-apply for a new insurance adjuster license. With this new application you will have to pay for the fee and a new background check. The big downside here is that you will be issued a new license number.
When you originally got your license, you more than likely went out and got several other state licenses through reciprocity. All those licenses acquired through reciprocity are tied to your home state license number. What this means is that all those states will need to be re-applied for with your new license number when you receive it from Texas Department of Insurance.
3. My insurance adjuster license expired MORE than 1 year ago.
Sad to say, you are now starting over as you did when you first got your license. You have to take a Pre-Licensing course with exam. The only good news here is that you should already know the material and should be able to go through the class efficiently and quickly. Here at 2021 Training, you can the Texas All-Lines Pre-Licensing course online which is both cost-efficient and convenient.
By far the best bet is to maintain your license by getting your CE credits and sending in your renewal applications on time. As always though, when dealing with Texas Department of Insurance or other regulatory agencies, always verify with them as things do change from time to time. You can reach Texas Department of Insurance Licensing Division at 512-676-6500.