33-17-301. Adjuster license -- qualifications -- catastrophe adjustments -- public adjuster -- education and examination exemption. (1) An individual may not act as or purport to be an adjuster in this state unless licensed as an adjuster under this chapter. An individual shall apply to the commissioner for an adjuster license in a form approved by the commissioner. The commissioner shall issue the adjuster license to individuals qualified to be licensed as an adjuster.
     (2) To be licensed as an adjuster, the applicant:
     (a) must be an individual 18 years of age or older;
     (b) (i) must be a resident of Montana or a resident of another state that permits residents of Montana regularly to act as adjusters in the other state; or
     (ii) if not a resident of this state, shall designate a home state in which the adjuster does not maintain a place of business or residence if:
     (A) the adjuster's principal state of business or residence does not offer adjuster licensure; and
     (B) the adjuster qualifies for the license as if the adjuster were a resident of the designated home state;
     (c) except as provided in subsection (4), shall pass an adjuster licensing examination as prescribed by the commissioner and pay the fee pursuant to 33-2-708;
     (d) must be trustworthy and of good character and reputation;
     (e) shall submit to a licensing background examination that meets the requirements provided in 33-17-220; and
     (f) shall maintain in this state an office accessible to the public and shall keep in the office for not less than 5 years the usual and customary records pertaining to transactions under the license. This provision does not prohibit maintenance of the office in the home of the licensee.
     (3) A business entity, whether or not organized under the laws of this state, may be licensed as an adjuster if each individual who is to exercise the adjuster license powers is separately licensed or is named in the business entity adjuster license and is qualified for an individual adjuster license.
     (4) (a) Subject to the provisions of subsection (4)(b), an individual who applies for a nonresident adjuster license in this state and who was previously licensed in another state may not be required to complete any prelicensing education or examination.
     (b) The exemption in subsection (4)(a) is available only if the individual is currently licensed in the other state or the individual's application is received within 90 days of the cancellation of the individual's previous license and the other state issues a certification or the state's database records indicate that, at the time of the cancellation, the individual was in good standing in that state.
     (5) An adjuster license or qualifications are not required for an adjuster who is sent into this state by and on behalf of an insurer or adjusting business entity for the purpose of investigating or making adjustments of a particular loss under an insurance policy or for the adjustment of a series of losses resulting from a catastrophe common to all losses.
     (6) An adjuster license continues in force until lapsed, suspended, revoked, or terminated. The licensee shall renew the license by the biennial renewal date and pay the appropriate fee or the license will lapse. The biennial fee is established pursuant to 33-2-708.
     (7) The commissioner may adopt rules providing for the examination, licensure, bonding, and regulation of public adjusters.

     History: En. Sec. 171, Ch. 286, L. 1959; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 423, L. 1971; R.C.M. 1947, 40-3327; amd. Sec. 28, Ch. 713, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 26, Ch. 531, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 14, Ch. 316, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 16, Ch. 427, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 15, Ch. 469, L. 2005; amd. Sec. 13, Ch. 271, L. 2009; amd. Sec. 13, Ch. 169, L. 2013; amd. Sec. 10, Ch. 406, L. 2013.