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Public adjusters in California: rules, fees and licensed firms

Public adjusters in California must be licensed by the state. Here are the rules that protect you, with sources, and 11 firms with a license record in California.

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Licensing and how to check a license

Anyone who is paid to help you negotiate or settle a property insurance claim must hold a California public insurance adjuster license, and you can void a contract with an unlicensed person and owe them nothing.Cal. Ins. Code §§ 15006, 15007 ↗
Search the adjuster's name or license number in the Department of Insurance's free License Status Inquiry ('Check a License') tool, which also shows enforcement actions, or call the CDI consumer hotline at 800-927-4357.Source ↗

Fee limits

California sets no percentage cap on public adjuster fees, but the fee can never leave you with less than the insurer had already paid you before you signed the contract.Cal. Ins. Code § 15027(b)(7) ↗
The contract may not let the adjuster take the whole fee out of the first insurance check, collect a fee on money the insurer owes but has not paid, or charge you late fees or collection costs; the fee must come as a percentage of each payment.Cal. Ins. Code § 15027(c) ↗
The adjuster may not take any payment from you or anyone else (such as a contractor or vendor) beyond the fee written in the contract, and must tell you about any money received from others connected to your claim.Cal. Ins. Code § 15027.5 ↗

Your right to cancel

You may cancel a public adjuster contract by written notice (certified mail or other mail with proof of mailing) by midnight of the third business day after signing and getting your copy, or within 5 calendar days if the loss is in a declared catastrophic disaster area; you owe nothing except reimbursement of itemized out-of-pocket emergency expenses, and any money you paid must be returned within 5 business days.Cal. Ins. Code § 15027(b)(13), (f)(1), (m), (n), (y) ↗

When adjusters may contact you

A public adjuster may not solicit you while the loss is still underway, meaning while the cause of the loss is still present, emergency responders are at the property, or an evacuation order is still in effect there.Cal. Ins. Code § 15027(d) ↗
Public adjusters may not solicit or contact you between 6 p.m. and 8 a.m. unless you asked them to.Cal. Ins. Code § 15027(e) ↗
After a declared catastrophic disaster, a public adjuster may not solicit homeowners in the disaster area until 7 calendar days after the loss event ends (the Department counts from when the evacuation order is lifted), unless you contact them first; they may still leave written information without personal contact.Cal. Ins. Code § 15027.1; CDI Urgent Notice, Jan. 10, 2025 ↗
A public adjuster may not use misrepresentations to get you to sign, advance you money to win your business, or have a financial stake in a repair or salvage company working on your claim.Cal. Ins. Code § 15028 ↗

What the contract must include

The adjuster must use a written contract on a form approved by the Insurance Commissioner, titled "Public Adjuster Contract," signed and dated by both of you, and you must receive an original copy.Cal. Ins. Code § 15027(a), (b), (f), (s), (t) ↗
The contract must list the adjuster's name, license number and contact details, describe the loss and the services, and state the fee percentage and what it applies to, with your initials next to the fee.Cal. Ins. Code § 15027(b), (f)(3) ↗
The contract must say "WE REPRESENT THE INSURED ONLY," disclose the adjuster's $20,000 surety bond, and include a separate "Notice of Cancellation" form at the end.Cal. Ins. Code § 15027(b)(11), (f)(1)-(2), (f)(4) ↗
The contract and cancellation notice must be written in the same language (for example, Spanish) mainly used when negotiating the deal.Cal. Ins. Code § 15027(l) ↗
Before you sign, the adjuster must give you a separate printed disclosure explaining the difference between public, company, and independent adjusters and your rights, including the right to keep talking to your insurer.Cal. Ins. Code § 15027(v) ↗
The contract may not require your insurer to make checks payable only to the adjuster.Cal. Ins. Code § 15027(c)(2) ↗
If the adjuster lied about or hid an important fact before you signed, you can cancel the contract at any time.Cal. Ins. Code § 15027(x) ↗

Claim deadlines

Under California's standard fire policy you must notify your insurer of a loss without unnecessary delay and submit a sworn proof of loss within 60 days, unless the insurer extends that in writing.Cal. Ins. Code § 2071 ↗
For a loss tied to a declared state of emergency, your insurer cannot require proof of loss sooner than 100 days after the loss and must grant 3-month extensions for good cause.Cal. Ins. Code § 2051.5(b)(3) ↗
A lawsuit against your insurer under the standard fire policy must be filed within 12 months after the loss, or within 24 months if the loss is related to a declared state of emergency.Cal. Ins. Code § 2071 ↗
You get at least 12 months from the first actual-cash-value payment to repair or rebuild and collect full replacement cost, or at least 36 months for a state-of-emergency loss, plus 6-month extensions for delays beyond your control.Cal. Ins. Code § 2051.5(b)(1)-(2) ↗

Other key rules

Licensed public adjusters must pass a state exam, have at least two years of claims experience (or 12 months as a licensed apprentice), keep a California office, and carry a $20,000 surety bond that consumers harmed by wrongful acts can sue on.Cal. Ins. Code §§ 15011, 15033, 15034 ↗
Claim money a public adjuster receives for you is held in trust: it must go into a non-interest-bearing escrow or trust account within 15 business days, with a written statement to you, unless you decline in writing.Cal. Ins. Code §§ 15028.6, 15028.7 ↗
Every public adjuster advertisement must show the adjuster's name, address, or license number as registered with the Department of Insurance.Cal. Ins. Code § 15032 ↗
Within 3 business days after your cancellation window ends, the public adjuster must notify your insurer that they have a contract with you.Cal. Ins. Code § 15027(w) ↗
A proposed 15% fee cap for disaster claims (AB 597, 2025-26) did not become law; the bill was held in the Senate Appropriations Committee on August 29, 2025.AB 597 (2025-2026), bill status ↗
You can file a complaint against a public adjuster with the Department of Insurance online or by calling 800-927-4357.CDI press release, Jan. 2025 ↗

Rules checked 2026-10-20 against state statutes and California Department of Insurance ↗. Laws change; always confirm with the regulator. General information, not legal advice.

Licensed public adjusting firms in California

Public adjusters in California: rules, fees and licensed firms

Licensing and how to check a license

Fee limits

Your right to cancel

When adjusters may contact you

What the contract must include

Claim deadlines

Other key rules

Licensed public adjusting firms in California

Action Public Adjusters

Capital Property Claims (CPC)

Concordia Claims Managers

Corey M. Locke Public Adjuster

Crown Adjusting LLC

Eclipse Claims Consulting, LLC

Julie Ann Lubarsky, Public Adjuster

Quality Claims Management Corporation

Rubin Adjusting

Skipton & Associates, Inc.

Smart Public Adjusters, Inc. (Claim Max Adjusters)