The Designated Home State or ‘DHS’ license was created to provide individuals who are residents of non-licensing states, a means to designate a home state for the purposes of reciprocity and compliance.
Holding your home state license is vital if you want to obtain additional state licenses through reciprocity. (And you do.) Most states will only grant a reciprocal license to an adjuster who is licensed in their home state, or one who designates a home state and holds that license.
If you want more information about who needs a DHS and why, check out our article The DHS Adjuster License.
In this piece, we want to focus not on who needs it and why, but which one? For years we’ve been recommending either the Texas or Indiana DHS to adjusters from nonlicensing states. But due to recent changes to both the Florida and Indiana licensing processes, we’ve updated our recommendations.
Florida’s 70-20 DHS License is our top recommendation for adjusters from nonlicensing states.
Why? Florida offers a fairly straightforward licensing process with a quick turnaround time. This is especially important if you’re working towards deployment for a recent catastrophe. The state’s process also includes all the necessary pieces so that when you move on to applying for reciprocal licenses, you won’t need to add any additional steps to qualify.
To get the Florida 70-20 DHS license, a nonresident adjuster from a nonlicensing state would need to obtain a Florida approved adjuster designation, like AdjusterPro’s, or pass the Florida all-lines adjuster exam. Then, you would apply for the license, designating Florida as your home state, and receive all of the same reciprocity benefits of a 6-20 resident license. Then you’ll need to complete the bi-annual Florida continuing education requirements to keep the license active.
Confused about those Florida licensing numbers and which one is best for you? Read our Decoding Florida Adjuster License Types article.
Details on the Florida 70-20 License
- Latest reports say Florida processes applications same day, but let’s say 3 business days to play it safe. This makes Florida the quickest turnaround for having your license in-hand after completing the coursework, testing and application process.
- Florida’s 70-20 is affordable, no outrageous testing or licensing fees.
If you’re interested in acquiring the 70-20, AdjusterPro’s Certified Adjuster Designation is just the ticket to get you started. Our course includes the 40-hour pre-licensing course required by the state, and offers practice exams which can be taken as many times as needed before attempting the final.
Once you take the 100-question final exam, you are ready to apply for your license. Our students usually pass the exam on the first attempt but if you don’t, there is no mandatory waiting period or financial penalty to retake it.
Bottom Line: The Florida 70-20 is our top recommendation for those in need of a Designated Home State license. It offers a moderate price and a quick turnaround, it checks all the boxes for reciprocal licensing, plus you can complete the course and exam online with AdjusterPro.
If you have questions about adjuster licensing, give us a call. We are happy to help.
