How to Become an Insurance Adjuster in Manitoba
Manitoba insurance adjuster licensing: three levels with the Insurance Council of Manitoba, from assistant adjuster to Level 3, with fees and courses.
How to Become an Insurance Adjuster in Alberta
How to become an insurance adjuster in Alberta through the Alberta Insurance Council, from the Level 1 exam to Level 3 experience and courses.
Applies in: Alberta
In Alberta, independent insurance adjusters are licensed by the Alberta Insurance Council (AIC). Under Alberta's Insurance Act and Insurance Agents and Adjusters Regulation, you must be licensed by the AIC to work as an independent insurance adjuster in Alberta. This guide follows the licensing route as the Government of Alberta's ALIS certification profile and the Insurance Institute of Canada state it. It does not carry fee, pass-mark, or continuing-education figures, because none of those figures appear on the opened official pages. Confirm the current application steps and fees with the AIC before you spend money.
Step 1: Pick the level you are working toward
Alberta offers three levels of insurance adjuster licence. Adjuster Level 1 and Level 2 licensees must work under the direct supervision of an Adjuster Level 3 licensee, and Adjuster Level 3 licensees can work without supervision. Start at Level 1 unless you already hold equivalent qualifications that the AIC recognises, and plan the experience and courses for the higher levels from the start, because Level 2 and Level 3 both turn on months of adjusting experience that cannot be shortened after the fact.
Level 1 applicants must pass the Adjuster Level 1 exam. Level 2 applicants must have 24 consecutive months of claims adjusting experience and successfully complete specified courses offered by the Insurance Institute of Canada (IIC). Level 3 applicants must meet the Level 2 requirements, hold an appropriate professional designation from the IIC, successfully complete specified IIC courses, and have acted as an adjuster for at least 60 months within the 10 years prior to application.
Step 2: Assemble the three items every applicant needs
To apply for any level, applicants must submit a security clearance document, be recommended by an authorized person, and carry errors and omissions insurance. Get these three items in hand before you treat the application as ready. The opened official pages do not state which document counts as the security clearance, who counts as an authorized person in each employment situation, or the coverage amount your errors and omissions policy must carry. Ask the AIC for the current wording of each requirement and keep the answers with your application papers, rather than copying a checklist from a course provider.
Step 3: Pass the Adjuster Level 1 exam
The Level 1 exam is the entry gate. The AIC develops the examinations for General Insurance Levels 1, 2 and 3 and for Independent Adjusters Level 1, and the ALIS profile states that a Level 1 applicant must pass the Adjuster Level 1 exam. No opened official page states the exam fee, the number of questions, the pass mark, or how long a pass remains valid, so this guide states none of them. Book through the AIC, confirm the current exam format and fee at booking, and ask how long your result stays valid so you do not let a pass lapse before the application goes in.
Step 4: Build the Level 2 record
Once you hold a Level 1 licence, Level 2 turns on two things together: at least 24 months of consecutive claims adjusting experience, and 6 courses from the IIC Chartered Insurance Professional program, one of which must be C15 Loss Adjustment and Claims Settlements, C17 Claims 1, or C110 Essentials of Loss Adjusting. Keep a dated record of your adjusting work as you go, including the employer or firm, the period worked, and the type of claims handled, because the experience requirement is consecutive months, not total months spread across a career. Confirm the current specified courses with the IIC before enrolling, since the course list can change.
Step 5: Build the Level 3 record
Level 3 requires the Level 2 requirements plus completion of the IIC 10-course Chartered Insurance Professional program, successful completion of C32 Bodily Injury Claims and either C46 Claims 2, C41 Property Loss Adjustment, or C111 Advanced Loss Adjusting, and acting as an adjuster for at least 60 months within the 10-year period immediately preceding the date of your application. The 60-month test is measured against the application date, so time your application while the window still covers your experience. A Level 3 licence is also what lets you supervise Level 1 and Level 2 licensees, so if you plan to run an adjusting file team or sponsor new adjusters, Level 3 is the level to aim for.
If you already hold a licence elsewhere in Canada
Insurance adjusters licensed by and in good standing with a regulatory organization elsewhere in Canada may be eligible for licensing in Alberta if their scope of practice and competencies are similar. The AIC states that there is no licence transfer process from one province to another, and that both Alberta residents and non-residents need to submit a new application for each insurance licence class they intend to hold. A non-Alberta resident who holds an active licence equivalent to Alberta's may apply without writing Alberta's provincial exams. The AIC equivalency list includes, for example, BC Adjuster Level 1 as equal to Alberta Adjuster Level 1, and Ontario and Quebec equivalencies with conditions stated on that page. If your current licence is not equivalent to Alberta's, you will need to complete the educational requirements of the Alberta licence, including taking the appropriate exam. Provide proof of your existing licence qualifications, including proof that you passed the required exams in your home jurisdiction, and confirm the equivalence decision with the AIC before you assume any exam is waived.
Figures and details not verified on the opened official pages
No exam fee, licence fee, pass mark, exam-validity period, education prerequisite, or continuing-education requirement is stated on the opened ALIS, AIC, or Insurance Institute of Canada pages used for this guide, and none is stated here. The opened pages also do not state where or how often the exam is offered, the processing time for an application, or the licence term and renewal steps. Confirm all of those with the Alberta Insurance Council before you book, pay, or plan around a date. Figures from course providers, blogs, and forums were not used.
Related guides:
The Alberta insurance adjuster licensing path
- Confirm which adjuster level you are aiming forAlberta offers three adjuster licence levels, and Level 1 and Level 2 licensees work under the direct supervision of a Level 3 licensee
- Assemble the three items every applicant needsA security clearance document, a recommendation by an authorized person, and errors and omissions insurance
- Pass the Adjuster Level 1 examLevel 1 applicants must pass the Adjuster Level 1 exam before a licence can be issued
- Build Level 2 experience and coursesLevel 2 needs 24 consecutive months of claims adjusting experience plus specified Insurance Institute of Canada courses
- Build Level 3 designation and experienceLevel 3 needs the Level 2 requirements, an Insurance Institute of Canada designation and courses, and 60 months as an adjuster within 10 years
Questions people ask
Do I need a licence to work as an insurance adjuster in Alberta?
Yes, for independent adjusting work. Under Alberta's Insurance Act and Insurance Agents and Adjusters Regulation you must be licensed by the Alberta Insurance Council to work as an independent insurance adjuster in Alberta. If you are employed directly by an insurer rather than working independently, confirm with the Alberta Insurance Council whether the same licensing route applies to your position before assuming it does or does not.
What is the difference between Adjuster Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3?
Level 1 is the entry level and requires passing the Adjuster Level 1 exam. Level 2 adds 24 consecutive months of claims adjusting experience and specified Insurance Institute of Canada courses. Level 3 adds the Level 2 requirements, an appropriate professional designation and further specified courses from the Insurance Institute of Canada, and at least 60 months acting as an adjuster within the 10 years before application. Level 1 and Level 2 licensees must work under the direct supervision of a Level 3 licensee, while Level 3 licensees can work without supervision.
What must every applicant submit, whatever the level?
For any level, applicants must submit a security clearance document, be recommended by an authorized person, and carry errors and omissions insurance. The opened official pages do not state the exact form of the security clearance document, who counts as an authorized person for your situation, or the required errors and omissions coverage amount, so confirm each of those with the Alberta Insurance Council before you apply.
What courses does Level 2 and Level 3 require?
Level 2 requires successful completion of 6 courses from the Insurance Institute of Canada Chartered Insurance Professional program, one of which must be C15 Loss Adjustment and Claims Settlements, C17 Claims 1, or C110 Essentials of Loss Adjusting. Level 3 requires completion of the 10-course Chartered Insurance Professional program plus C32 Bodily Injury Claims and either C46 Claims 2, C41 Property Loss Adjustment, or C111 Advanced Loss Adjusting. Confirm the current course list with the Insurance Institute of Canada, since course codes and requirements can change.
I already hold an adjuster licence in another province. Do I start over in Alberta?
There is no licence transfer process from one province to another, and both Alberta residents and non-residents must submit a new application for each insurance licence class they intend to hold. A non-resident who holds an active licence equivalent to Alberta's may be eligible to apply without writing Alberta's provincial exams, and the Alberta Insurance Council publishes equivalencies, for example BC Adjuster Level 1 equals Alberta Adjuster Level 1. If your licence is not equivalent, you will need to complete Alberta's educational requirements, including the exam. Confirm your equivalence with the Council and provide proof of your licence qualifications.
How much does the exam and licence cost, and how long do I have after passing the exam?
No exam fee, licence fee, pass mark, or exam-validity period is stated on any opened official page used for this guide. Do not rely on fee or pass-mark figures from course providers or other non-official sites. Confirm the current fees, the pass mark, and how long an exam pass stays valid with the Alberta Insurance Council before you book or pay.
Sources
- Government of Alberta, Insurance Adjuster: Certifications in Alberta — the AIC licensing requirement for independent adjusters, the three licence levels and the supervision rule, the security clearance, recommendation and errors and omissions requirements for every level, the Level 1 exam requirement, the Level 2 experience and course requirements, and the Level 3 designation, course and 60-month requirements.
- Insurance Institute of Canada, Licensing requirements — the Level 2 requirement of 24 months consecutive experience and 6 Chartered Insurance Professional courses including C15, C17 or C110, and the Level 3 requirement of the 10-course program plus C32 and C46, C41 or C111 and 60 months within 10 years.
- Alberta Insurance Council, Non-Alberta residents — no licence transfer process, a new application for each licence class, eligibility without Alberta exams for holders of an equivalent active licence, the published equivalency examples, and the requirement to provide proof of licence qualifications and exam passes.