Puerto Rico

Reciprocity, or reciprocal licensing privileges, allows a licensed adjuster to obtain another state(s) license without having to pass that specific state’s exam. Thank goodness, right? Once you have your home state or DHS license, you can apply for other state licenses through reciprocity.

It’s not automatic – you will need to complete the required paperwork and submit the licensing fees but most licensing states are now reciprocal with each other, as long as the license your home state or DHS license holds more lines of authority than what you are requesting. For example, if you hold a P&C Adjuster License, you are only qualified for a P&C reciprocal license in another state. You can not obtain a reciprocal All-Lines license if your home state or DHS license is for P&C because it covers fewer lines of authority.

There are some additional caveats – New York, California and Hawaii do not reciprocate with any other state for example. You can read more about the importance of reciprocity in our Reciprocity: The Truth About Licensing Agreements article.

It’s also important to note that reciprocity doesn’t always go both ways. For example, New York doesn’t offer reciprocal licenses to licensed adjusters from any other state. However, there are plenty of states that will offer licensed New York adjusters a reciprocal license.

To learn what states will offer you a reciprocal license, visit the AdjusterPro Reciprocity Map and click on your state.

The bottom line: the more licenses you have, the better. Whether it’s an insurance carrier or an independent adjusting firm, employers need adjusters who can work whenever and wherever claims happen. And you can only do that if you have the proper license for that state.

For example, employers may need to send hundreds of adjusters to Florida after a hurricane. The company checks their roster and adjusters who hold a Florida license are first in line for deployment. But the large number of adjusters sent to Florida leaves holes for the daily claims that will still need to be handled in states like Georgia and Mississippi. So now they need to find adjusters who are licensed in those states to come in and work. You get the idea….

Bottom Line: being licensed in multiple states will make you more attractive to employers, increase your revenue, and allow you to help wherever you are needed.

Adjusters who hold a resident home state adjusters license can get a reciprocal license for Puerto Rico by applying for it on the NIPR Website.

It’s important to note that Puerto Rico does not accept designated home state (DHS) licenses.

This is one of the most common misconceptions about reciprocity. Too often, adjusters believe or hear from someone else that some states enjoy more reciprocity than others (e.g. Texas is reciprocal with 32 states!). That may have been true once upon a time, but in today’s industry, reciprocity is predicated not on what state license you have but on whether it’s your home state license. So if you want to enjoy reciprocal licensing privileges, you need to hold your home state license first. It’s that simple.