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 British Columbia
British Columbia insurance adjuster licensing: Level 1, 2 and 3, the GIE and CIP education routes, the Council Rules Course, and the 19 age rule.
Applies in: British Columbia
An insurance adjuster in British Columbia investigates and settles claims under contracts of insurance, and the licence for that work comes from the Insurance Council of British Columbia. The Council regulates insurance agents, salespersons, and adjusters under the Financial Institutions Act. Adjusting has its own licence ladder, separate from the general insurance sales ladder: Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 insurance adjuster licences, plus sole proprietor and corporate or partnership adjusting firm licences. Ontario's adjuster ladder, with its phases and its own exam body, does not apply here. British Columbia levels, courses, and experience rules are the Council's own and the Canadian Independent Adjusters' Association's statement of them, and this guide states them as those pages state them.
Step 1: Complete the Level 1 education
A Level 1 insurance adjuster licence is the entry-level licence. Applicants must complete the General Insurance Essentials Program (GIE) C81 and C82 from the Insurance Institute of Canada (IIC). The equivalent program is the Level 1 Adjuster Licensing Program from ILS Learning Corporation (ILScorp), accepted as part of the education prerequisites toward a Level 1, Level 2, or Level 3 insurance adjuster licence. Results, including courses granted under equivalency, remain valid up to one year from the successful course or exam completion date, after which the applicant is required to retake the course or exam.
The Council states plainly that it does not have any information about course details, including costs, delivery methods, or scheduling. Confirm cost, format, and exam dates with the Insurance Institute of Canada or ILScorp. Do not carry a course fee or duration from a provider advertisement into the licence plan without checking the provider's current offering, and do not carry an Ontario course list into a British Columbia application.
Step 2: Complete the Council Rules Course
The Insurance Council Rules Course is a prerequisite for licensure. All applicants for an insurance licence in British Columbia must complete the Council Rules Course to qualify for a licence, except those who qualify under the Reinstatement Provision in Council Rule 2(19). The course covers licensee responsibilities under the Insurance Council Rules, provincial legislation, and other regulatory responsibilities. Take the stream for general insurance agents, salespersons, and adjusters. The other stream, for life and accident and sickness agents, is a different course, and a person applying for both kinds of licence must complete both. The Insurance Council is the sole provider of the course, registration runs through the Council's online portal, and course fees are non-refundable and non-transferable. No course fee amount is stated on the opened Council pages, so confirm the current fee in the portal before paying.
Step 3: Get authorized by a licensed adjusting firm
A Level 1 insurance adjuster must be authorized to represent a licensed adjusting firm. Line up the firm before applying, because the authorization is part of how the licence works in practice: a Level 1 adjuster must have all reports signed by a Level 2 insurance adjuster or a Level 3 insurance adjuster. A Level 1 adjuster does not sign off reports alone and does not supervise others. Firm nominee and branch supervision rules are not stated in this guide — confirm them with the Council before planning a firm role.
Step 4: Apply at 19, with a criminal record check dated within 90 days
An applicant for an insurance agent or adjuster licence must have attained the age of 19 years. That age rule is stated on the Council's frequently asked questions page, and it differs from the age 16 rule for a general insurance salesperson licence, which is a different licence. Applicants must provide evidence of the educational requirements, such as examination results or a designation, and must disclose pending charges, convictions, bankruptcy, and discipline history as the application requires. Where an applicant does not meet the qualification requirements, the Council will consider the application if the applicant can demonstrate alternate education or experience equivalent to the requirements, under Council Rule 2(20). Equivalency applications are assessed case by case and take longer to review.
A criminal record check is required for all licence applications except the narrow exceptions the Council lists, such as non-residents licensed and in good standing in a Canadian jurisdiction. Checks must be dated within 90 days of the date the Council receives the licence application. The Council accepts online checks completed through Triton Canada via the secure link on the Council's website, and checks obtained through the applicant's municipal police or RCMP detachment. Applicants who have resided in Canada for less than five years must also obtain a criminal record check from any other country where they previously resided. Exam results remain valid for 12 months from the date the Council receives the licence application, with the course-completion currency rules on the Council's individual insurance page.
Step 5: Climb to Level 2 after two years
A Level 2 insurance adjuster must be authorized to represent a licensed firm and must have met the education prerequisites. The Council's individual insurance page lists four education and experience combinations, and successful completion of one of the four is required:
- GIE C81 and C82 plus Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) C110 and C111, with 2 consecutive years of experience as a licensed insurance adjuster Level 1.
- CIP C11, C110, and C111, with 2 consecutive years of experience as a licensed insurance adjuster Level 1.
- CIP C110, C111, and C112 plus any other 4 Insurance Institute of Canada courses, with 2 consecutive years of adjusting experience.
- All CIP courses leading to a CIP designation, with 1 year of adjusting experience.
For the last two combinations, the Council states that with the additional education it will consider adjusting experience in a capacity that did not require a licence, for example a staff adjuster. The ILScorp Level 1 Adjuster Licensing Program is accepted as part of the education prerequisites toward Level 2. Results remain valid up to one year from successful course or exam completion, after which the course or exam must be retaken, subject to the Council's rule on additional designation courses completed within the last year.
Step 6: Reach Level 3, the supervisory level
A Level 3 insurance adjuster is in a supervisory or management position and must have a higher level of education and experience than a Level 2 insurance adjuster. Applicants must have been licensed as an adjuster for 5 of the last 7 years, with a minimum of 3 years as a licensed Level 2 insurance adjuster, and must have completed courses leading to a Chartered Insurance Professional (CIP) or Fellow Chartered Insurance Professional (FCIP) designation. The ILScorp program is accepted as part of the education prerequisites toward Level 3 as well.
Level 3 is the level that supervises the ladder below it. Level 1 reports are signed by a Level 2 or Level 3 adjuster. Do not plan a supervisory role on a Level 1 or Level 2 licence. Errors and omissions insurance is required for all licensees under the Council Rules, and a licensee must confirm E and O coverage at annual renewal and produce evidence of it if the Council starts an audit.
Figures the opened Council pages do not state
The opened Council pages state the levels, courses, experience rules, age rule, record check window, and Council Rules Course requirement set out above. They do not state a licence application fee, a Council Rules Course fee, a course tuition or schedule, a continuing education credit count, or a processing time. The Council's questions page states that processing times are displayed on the Council website, and no processing figure is stated in this guide. Those figures were cut rather than filled in from provider or advice sites. Confirm the current fees, continuing education rules, and processing times on the Council website before applying.
Related guides:
- How to become an insurance adjuster in Ontario: Ontario's three-phase adjuster ladder under FSRA, for comparison with British Columbia's levels.
- How to become an insurance broker in Canada: the insurance sales side, a different licence family from adjusting.
- How to get a real estate licence in BC: another British Columbia licence route, for readers comparing regulated occupations in the province.
The British Columbia insurance adjuster path
- Complete Level 1 educationGeneral Insurance Essentials Program C81 and C82 from the Insurance Institute of Canada, or the equivalent Level 1 Adjuster Licensing Program
- Complete the Council Rules CourseThe general insurance and adjuster stream, a prerequisite for licensure for all individual applicants except those under the Reinstatement Provision
- Get authorized by a licensed adjusting firmA Level 1 adjuster must be authorized to represent a licensed adjusting firm and have all reports signed by a Level 2 or Level 3 adjuster
- Apply at 19 with a fresh record checkAn adjuster applicant must have attained 19 years, with a criminal record check dated within 90 days of the application
- Climb to Level 2 after two yearsOne of four education and experience combinations, including two consecutive years as a licensed Level 1 adjuster in two of them
- Reach Level 3 with designation coursesLicensed as an adjuster for 5 of the last 7 years, at least 3 as a Level 2, with courses leading to a CIP or FCIP designation
Questions people ask
What can a Level 1 insurance adjuster do in British Columbia?
A Level 1 insurance adjuster licence is an entry-level licence. The Level 1 adjuster must be authorized to represent a licensed adjusting firm, must have all reports signed by a Level 2 or Level 3 insurance adjuster, and works under the direct supervision of a Level 2 or Level 3 adjuster. Level 1 is supervised work, not independent practice.
What education do I need for Level 1 in British Columbia?
Complete the General Insurance Essentials Program, GIE C81 and C82, from the Insurance Institute of Canada, or the equivalent Level 1 Adjuster Licensing Program from ILS Learning Corporation. Results remain valid up to one year from successful course or exam completion, after which the course or exam must be retaken. The Council states it has no information about course costs, delivery methods, or scheduling.
Do I have to take the Council Rules Course?
Yes, unless you qualify under the Reinstatement Provision in Council Rule 2(19). All individual applicants, including non-residents, must complete the Council Rules Course to qualify for licensure. Take the stream for general insurance agents, salespersons, and adjusters, not the life and accident and sickness stream. The Council is the sole provider of the course.
How old must I be, and how fresh must my criminal record check be?
An applicant for an insurance agent or adjuster licence must have attained the age of 19 years. A criminal record check must be dated within 90 days of the date the Council receives the licence application. Applicants who have resided in Canada for less than five years must also provide a criminal record check from each other country where they previously resided.
How do I reach Level 2 in British Columbia?
Be authorized to represent a licensed firm and complete one of four education and experience combinations on the Council page. Two combinations pair further CIP courses with 2 consecutive years as a licensed Level 1 adjuster. The other two pair more Institute courses with 2 consecutive years of adjusting experience or 1 year with all CIP courses, and the Council will consider adjusting experience in a capacity that did not require a licence, such as a staff adjuster, with the additional education.
What does Level 3 require in British Columbia?
A Level 3 adjuster is in a supervisory or management position with a higher level of education and experience than a Level 2 adjuster. Applicants must have been licensed as an adjuster for 5 of the last 7 years, with a minimum of 3 years as a licensed Level 2 adjuster, and must have completed courses leading to a Chartered Insurance Professional or Fellow Chartered Insurance Professional designation.
Sources
- Canadian Independent Adjusters' Association, British Columbia — the Level 1, Level 2, and Level 3 education and experience rules, the one-year validity of Level 1 results, and the continuing education credit rule.
- Insurance Council of British Columbia, Insurance adjusters' role and responsibilities — the Level 1 supervision and countersigning restrictions and nominee accountability.
- Insurance Council of British Columbia, Individual Insurance — Insurance Adjusting — the four Level 2 education and experience combinations, the ILScorp equivalency, the one-year validity of results, the 12-month validity of exam results from receipt of the application, and the Council Rules Course requirement.
- Insurance Council of British Columbia, Insurance Council Rules Course — the course as a prerequisite for licensure, the two streams, the Council as sole provider, and the non-refundable and non-transferable fee rule.
- Insurance Council of British Columbia, FAQ — the age 19 rule for agent and adjuster applicants, the 90-day criminal record check rule and the other-country check rule, the equivalency route under Council Rule 2(20), and the errors and omissions insurance requirement.