Oklahoma · Insurance Adjuster Sample Interactive Mind Map
Oklahoma Adjuster Regulations
A visual breakdown of the Oklahoma rules an adjuster is tested on — including the deadlines that quietly disappeared in 2023.
Oklahoma is an unusual state to study. It licenses staff adjusters, which most states don't. It revoked its entire claims-handling regulation in 2023, and the bill meant to replace those deadlines died in the Senate in May 2026 — leaving a state with almost no numeric claim deadlines and a famously strong bad faith tort. This map lays out both halves.
So explore it. Click through the clusters, then take the scenario quiz at the end and see which numbers have actually stuck.
Explore by topic
Choose a Cluster to Study
👤
Oklahoma licenses STAFF adjusters — and that is the first thing out-of-state adjusters get wrong
The statutory definition of “insurance adjuster” expressly includes adjusters who work claims “as salaried employees of an insurer.” The employee exemption at § 6203(4) reaches only “a salaried employee of a licensed insurer whose primary duties are not adjusting, investigating, or supervising insurance claims.”
If adjusting is your job, you need the license — even on a carrier's payroll. New York exempts salaried company adjusters outright. Florida folds them into an appointment. Oklahoma just licenses them.
If adjusting is your job, you need the license — even on a carrier's payroll. New York exempts salaried company adjusters outright. Florida folds them into an appointment. Oklahoma just licenses them.
Cite the Act correctlyThe Insurance Adjusters Licensing Act runs from § 6201 through § 6224. A great deal of secondary material cites it as “36 O.S. § 6221 et seq.” — which skips the definitions, the exemptions, the apprentice license, the fees, and the emergency adjuster provision. § 6224 is the newest section, added in 2025.
| § 6203 | Who does NOT need an Oklahoma adjuster license |
|---|---|
| 1 | A licensed agent processing “undisputed or uncontested losses” under policies written through their own agency, receiving no extra compensation |
| 2 | Anyone handling life, annuity, or accident and health claims |
| 3 | A nonresident occasionally in the state for a single marine loss |
| 4 | A salaried insurer employee whose primary duties are NOT adjusting, investigating, or supervising claims |
| 5 | An Oklahoma-licensed attorney adjusting “from time to time, incidental to the practice of law” who does not advertise as an adjuster |
| 6 | Someone employed solely for technical assistance — photographers, appraisers, estimators, private detectives, engineers, handwriting experts, attorneys |
| 7 | A person performing clerical duties who does not negotiate disputed claims |
| 8 | A nonresident licensed elsewhere, in Oklahoma no more than once a year for a single loss, or as a temporary substitute |
| 9 | Claim data-entry personnel — no more than twenty-five under one licensed independent adjuster or agent |
the two numbers that become questions: 25 data-entry staff, and once a year / single loss
§ 6204.1
Apprentice adjuster
$20 · 6 months, NONRENEWABLE · no exam. Oklahoma only, and only “subject to the review and final determination” of the supervisor — who holds the same lines and assumes responsibility. Max 5 apprentices per supervisor. Paper application only.
§ 6214
Public adjuster
$30 biennially, Property line, and a $25,000 surety bond “in favor of the people of the State of Oklahoma.” Insured may cancel until midnight of the 3rd BUSINESS day.
§ 6218
Emergency adjuster
$15 · 90 days from the DECLARATION · no exam · and the applicant need not already be a licensed adjuster.
✅ What Oklahoma does NOT require
📌 What it does
Prelicensing
None. The only prelicensing in the Insurance Code — 16 hours — is for bail bondsmenExamination
Required, within 2 years before applying (§ 6206)Fingerprints
None. Not in the Act, not in OAC 365, not on OID's pages, and the NAIC chart lists Oklahoma only for bail bondsmenFederal screen
18 U.S.C. § 1033 — a felony of dishonesty or breach of trust needs a 1033 waiverAppointment
None. Producers are appointed in Oklahoma; adjusters are notThe carrier's duty
§ 6216(B) — an insurer may not knowingly refer a claim to anyone not currently licensed
One of the cheapest adjuster licenses in the country — $20 to test, $30 to license. But no designation gets you out of the exam.
And the vendor changed in 2023, which matters more than usual because the old handbook is still online and still ranking.
And the vendor changed in 2023, which matters more than usual because the old handbook is still online and still ranking.
🚫
PSI, not Prometric — and PSI does not publish exam lengths
PSI has administered Oklahoma's insurance examinations since February 16, 2023. Prometric's 2019 Oklahoma handbook is still online and still ranks well in search, so a great deal of prep material is quoting a bulletin superseded three years ago.
The current PSI bulletin gives fees and passing scores but does not state question counts or time limits for the adjuster exams — it links out to content outlines instead. The figures circulating (85 questions / 2h15 for P&C) come from that dead Prometric handbook. They may still hold; nothing published confirms it. Check the content outline when you register.
The current PSI bulletin gives fees and passing scores but does not state question counts or time limits for the adjuster exams — it links out to content outlines instead. The figures circulating (85 questions / 2h15 for P&C) come from that dead Prometric handbook. They may still hold; nothing published confirms it. Check the content outline when you register.
📝 The exam
$20 single class; $40 maximum for two or more (§ 6212)
70% — “You must get 70% correct to pass”: a true percentage, not a scaled score
Score supports an application for 2 years; allow 3 business days before applying
Test-center and remote-proctored, both through PSI
❌ No designation waives it
OAC 365:25-3-16 is the exclusive exemption rule and lists no designation for adjusters
AIC, CPCU, AINS, SCLA — none of them help here (contrast Florida's thirteen)
The only credential waiver: Federal RMA certification for multi-peril crop
Relational exemptions: nonresident in good standing · relicensing within 12 months · new resident within 90 days
| Continuing education — 24 hours per 24 months | Hours | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Ethics | 3 | 36 O.S. § 6217(B) |
| State or federal legislative updates | 2 | OAC 365:25-3-14 |
| Earthquake insurance — resident adjusters with a property line only | 1 | OAC 365:25-3-14 |
| General adjuster | balance | — |
The earthquake hour is unique to OklahomaEffective January 1, 2015, a direct response to the state's induced seismicity, and it applies specifically to resident adjusters holding a property line of authority. OID's own CE summary page omits it — the rule text controls. Six excess hours carry forward as general hours.
🌪️
The Emergency License — Read the Duration Clause
§ 6218, and it is the most misunderstood provision in Oklahoma licensing
“The license as an emergency adjuster shall remain in force for not more than ninety (90) days from the date the Commissioner issues an emergency declaration order.”
- Not from the date your license issues. Licensed on day 60 of a declaration? You have 30 days left, not 90
- Usable only for claims related to that specific catastrophe
- The applicant “shall not have to be a licensed adjuster” — no prior license needed
- The individual applies through NIPR, but must be certified “by an adjuster licensed in this state or by an insurer who maintains an office in this state”
- $15 per declaration · no examination
Renewal & termLicenses run not longer than 24 months; renewal opens about 90 days out, online only, $30 / $50. Neither statute nor rule states whether expiration falls on your birth month, a fixed date, or the anniversary — third-party sites assert birth month with no primary support. Check your license record.
🗑️
Oklahoma's claim-handling deadlines were REVOKED in 2023 — and the replacement died in 2026
OAC 365:15-3, “Claims Resolution and Unfair Claim Settlement Practices,” was revoked in its entirety effective September 1, 2023. Every section now reads “[Revoked].”
The Insurance Department's answer was HB 2933 (2026), the Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights — 14 days to acknowledge, 30 days to decide, 90 days to final resolution, 10% interest. It passed the House, cleared Senate committee 9–0 on April 23, 2026, was placed on General Order… and died without a floor vote on May 14, 2026.
Result: Oklahoma is in a regulatory gap. The old rules are repealed and the statutory replacement failed.
The Insurance Department's answer was HB 2933 (2026), the Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights — 14 days to acknowledge, 30 days to decide, 90 days to final resolution, 10% interest. It passed the House, cleared Senate committee 9–0 on April 23, 2026, was placed on General Order… and died without a floor vote on May 14, 2026.
Result: Oklahoma is in a regulatory gap. The old rules are repealed and the statutory replacement failed.
🚫 REVOKED 9/1/2023 — do not apply
❌ DIED 5/14/2026 — not law
Old OAC 365:15-3-5(a)
Acknowledge a claim within 30 business daysHB 2933 would have required
Acknowledge within 14 daysOld 365:15-3-6
Complete investigation within 45 business days of proof of lossHB 2933
Adjuster estimate within 7 days of preparationOld 365:15-3-7(a)(1)
Accept or deny within 45 business days of proof of lossHB 2933
Decision within 30 days; final resolution 90 days; 10% interestTwo publishing trapsJustia's regulations mirror still shows OAC 365:15-3 as live. It is stale — Cornell LII tracks the Oklahoma Register and shows the revocation section by section. And the OID's December 2025 press release plus heavy spring 2026 trade coverage make HB 2933's numbers look like settled law. They are not. Expect a re-file; do not answer with them.
| What survives | Trigger | Cite |
|---|---|---|
| 30 cal | Receipt of an inquiry from the Commissioner → adequate response | § 1250.4(B) |
| 30 cal | Receipt of a claimant's written communication reasonably suggesting a response is expected | § 1250.4(C) |
| 60 | Proof of loss received AND loss ascertained → the amount becomes payable | § 4803 (policy, not statute) |
| 1–24 mo | Date of loss — roof wind/hail claims not evident without inspection | § 1250.5(7) |
There is NO deadline to acknowledge, supply forms, accept or deny, pay, or update. Penalty for § 1250.4: $100–$5,000
⚖️
§ 1250.3 — Two Prongs, and They Are DISJUNCTIVE
Note also: § 1250.3 is the qualifier, § 1250.5 is the list — the reverse of what the numbering suggests
“It is an unfair claim settlement practice… if: 1. It is committed flagrantly and in conscious disregard of this act… or 2. It has been committed with such frequency as to indicate a general business practice…”
Read the “or”National courses teach “it must be a general business practice.” In Oklahoma that is half the rule — a single flagrant act in conscious disregard qualifies, for any item on the list. Compare South Carolina, which requires both “without just cause” and a general business practice, and Florida, which exempts three subparagraphs from the frequency test but keeps it for the rest.
No private right of action — but say it the right wayThe Act is enforced administratively by the Commissioner; Oklahoma courts have consistently held there is no private cause of action under § 1250.5. The correct framing is that a UCSPA violation is evidence relevant to a common-law bad faith claim — it is not itself a cause of action.
The rules that told you WHEN to act are gone. The tort that punishes you for acting unreasonably is not.
Oklahoma is where American first-party bad faith law was substantially built — and with the regulations revoked, it is now the main discipline on claim handling in this state.
Oklahoma is where American first-party bad faith law was substantially built — and with the regulations revoked, it is now the main discipline on claim handling in this state.
⚖️
Christian v. American Home Assurance Co.
1977 OK 141, 577 P.2d 899
“An insurer has an implied duty to deal fairly and act in good faith with its insured and that the violation of this duty gives rise to an action in tort for which consequential and, in a proper case, punitive, damages may be sought.”
- Liability attaches where the insurer “unreasonably, and in bad faith, withholds payment of the claim of its insured”
- But merely litigating a disputed claim — even losing it — is not bad faith
The modern elements — Badillo (2005 OK 48)Covered under the policy and the insurer required to take reasonable actions · the insurer's actions were unreasonable under the circumstances · it failed to deal fairly and act in good faith · and that breach directly caused damages.
🛡️ What protects you
A legitimate dispute defeats bad faith. No claim lies where coverage or amount is genuinely disputed
The standard is “more than simple negligence but less than recklessness”
§ 1250.4(A) still requires files detailed enough that “pertinent events and the dates of such events can be reconstructed” — that survived the 2023 revocation and now does heavier work
💰 Punitive damages — 23 O.S. § 9.1
Category I — reckless disregard: greater of $100,000 or actual damages
Category II — intentional and malicious: greatest of $500,000, 2× actual, or the defendant's increased benefit
Category III — plus a court finding beyond a reasonable doubt of life-threatening conduct: no cap
Bad faith SOL: 2 years (12 O.S. § 95(A)(3))
Most recent significant decisionCoates v. Progressive Direct Ins. Co., 2022 OK 45 — a bad faith claim may proceed notwithstanding partial summary judgment on the underlying UM claim.
A statutory fire policy, a one-year suit clause, a hail statute, UM and UIM as one coverage, and a guaranty cap half what your national course will tell you.
🔥
The Statutory Standard Fire Policy — § 4803
Now load-bearing, because the claims regulations are gone
- Proof of loss within “sixty days after the loss, unless such time is extended in writing”
- Payable 60 days after proof of loss is received and the loss is ascertained by written agreement or a filed award
- Suit within 12 months next after inception of the loss
The one-year trapA national course says “five years to sue on a policy.” For Oklahoma property claims that is wrong. § 3617 lets a property, marine, or transportation policy cut suit to one year from the DATE OF OCCURRENCE — not accrual, not discovery — so the clock can start before the insured knows about the loss. Oklahoma courts enforce these clauses. (Non-property minimum: 2 years from accrual.)
🌪️
Hail, roofs, and a statute that regulates YOU from outside the Insurance Code
§ 1250.5(7): a policy limiting roof wind or hail claims must allow filing “after the first anniversary but no later than twenty-four (24) months after the date of the loss, if the damage is not evident without inspection.” A floor of one year, a ceiling of two.
59 O.S. § 1151.30 bars roofing contractors from advertising or promising to pay any part of a deductible — and imposes a matching notice duty on insurers and adjusters in their initial claim estimates. Violation means “the insurer… shall not be obligated to consider the estimate prepared by the roofing contractor.”
Per OID's bulletin, a contractor who negotiates a claim for compensation is acting as an unlicensed public adjuster.
Two things Oklahoma does NOT have: no matching statute (the “reasonably uniform appearance” standard is Ohio/Kentucky, not Oklahoma), and no regulation of roof ACV schedules.
59 O.S. § 1151.30 bars roofing contractors from advertising or promising to pay any part of a deductible — and imposes a matching notice duty on insurers and adjusters in their initial claim estimates. Violation means “the insurer… shall not be obligated to consider the estimate prepared by the roofing contractor.”
Per OID's bulletin, a contractor who negotiates a claim for compensation is acting as an unlicensed public adjuster.
Two things Oklahoma does NOT have: no matching statute (the “reasonably uniform appearance” standard is Ohio/Kentucky, not Oklahoma), and no regulation of roof ACV schedules.
🚗 Auto — § 3636
💰 Guaranty — § 2007
Minimums
25/50/25 — tort state, no PIP mandate, no 2024–26 changeMost claims
$150,000 per claimant — NOT $300,000UM and UIM
One statutory coverage. § 3636(C) defines “uninsured” to include a vehicle whose limits are less than the claim — that is Oklahoma's UIMWorkers' comp
Full amount — no capRejection
Included unless rejected in writing, and that rejection remains valid for the life of the policy — no new form on renewalUnearned premium
$10,000 per policy — double the usual model figureStorage caps (SB 641)
$39/day days 1–10, $75/day after; $125 / $200 lithium-ion; admin 4 hoursExcluded
Punitive damages · high-net-worth insureds · attorney fees · interest · claims filed >18 months after liquidation🚫
AOB banned — including auto
§ 1230(B), effective 11/1/2025: no assignment of post-loss benefits under auto collision or comprehensive, residential, or commercial property policies. Exceptions: financial institutions, mortgagees, subsequent purchasers, and liability coverage.
🚨
Fraud — report immediately
§ 363 binds “any insurer, employee or agent of any insurer” with reason to believe to immediately notify the Anti-Fraud Unit. No day count exists. Immunity absent fraud, bad faith, reckless disregard, or actual malice.
⚠️
The required warning
§ 3613.1 — on all policies, applications, and claim forms, warning that a false claim is a felony. Substantial compliance permitted; omission is not a defense in a fraud prosecution.
🏭
Workers' comp — Title 85A
70% of AWW — not two-thirds — capped at 100% of the state AWW. 156 weeks (+52). Wait 3 days. Notice 30 days, but that is a rebuttable presumption, not a bar. File within 1 year.
Cancellation — do not use § 3639 for personal lines§ 3639 is COMMERCIAL ONLY. Personal lines run on OAC 365:15-1-14, which survived the 2023 purge: cancellation 10 days, nonrenewal 20 days, homeowners nonrenewal 30 days. And § 3639.1 bars cancelling, nonrenewing, or raising the premium on a homeowners policy solely for a first claim after 45 days in force. Oklahoma has no post-catastrophe moratorium.
🎯
Top Exam Tips — Oklahoma Adjuster Regulations
1. Oklahoma licenses STAFF adjusters. The § 6203(4) exemption covers only an employee whose primary duties are not claims.
2. The Act is § 6201–6224, not § 6221 et seq.
3. No prelicensing, no fingerprints, no appointment — and no designation waives the exam (only Federal RMA crop certification).
4. Exam is PSI since 2/16/2023, $20, 70% — a true percentage; PSI does not publish question counts.
5. CE 24 hours = 3 ethics + 2 legislative + 1 EARTHQUAKE (resident property LOA) + general.
6. Emergency license: 90 days from the DECLARATION, not from issuance; no prior license needed; sponsor may be an adjuster or an insurer with an Oklahoma office.
7. Apprentice: $20, 6 months, nonrenewable, max 5 per supervisor.
8. § 1250.3 is disjunctive — a single flagrant act in conscious disregard OR a general business practice.
9. OAC 365:15-3 was revoked 9/1/2023 and HB 2933 died 5/14/2026. There is no deadline to acknowledge, accept, deny, or pay. Only 30 days to answer a Commissioner inquiry or a claimant communication.
10. Bad faith is the real discipline — Christian (1977), Badillo elements, and a legitimate dispute defeats it.
11. Property suit can be cut to 1 year from the OCCURRENCE (§ 3617); fire policy pays 60 days after proof and ascertainment.
12. Guaranty is $150,000, not $300,000; roof hail window 1–24 months; UM and UIM are one coverage.
2. The Act is § 6201–6224, not § 6221 et seq.
3. No prelicensing, no fingerprints, no appointment — and no designation waives the exam (only Federal RMA crop certification).
4. Exam is PSI since 2/16/2023, $20, 70% — a true percentage; PSI does not publish question counts.
5. CE 24 hours = 3 ethics + 2 legislative + 1 EARTHQUAKE (resident property LOA) + general.
6. Emergency license: 90 days from the DECLARATION, not from issuance; no prior license needed; sponsor may be an adjuster or an insurer with an Oklahoma office.
7. Apprentice: $20, 6 months, nonrenewable, max 5 per supervisor.
8. § 1250.3 is disjunctive — a single flagrant act in conscious disregard OR a general business practice.
9. OAC 365:15-3 was revoked 9/1/2023 and HB 2933 died 5/14/2026. There is no deadline to acknowledge, accept, deny, or pay. Only 30 days to answer a Commissioner inquiry or a claimant communication.
10. Bad faith is the real discipline — Christian (1977), Badillo elements, and a legitimate dispute defeats it.
11. Property suit can be cut to 1 year from the OCCURRENCE (§ 3617); fire policy pays 60 days after proof and ascertainment.
12. Guaranty is $150,000, not $300,000; roof hail window 1–24 months; UM and UIM are one coverage.
Exam vocabulary
Key Terms to Know
Insurance Adjusters Licensing Act
36 O.S. § 6201 through § 6224 — not § 6221. § 6224 was added in 2025.
Insurance Adjuster
One who acts for an insurer investigating claims, adjusting losses, negotiating settlements — expressly including salaried staff adjusters.
Apprentice Adjuster
§ 6204.1 — $20, 6 months, nonrenewable, no exam, Oklahoma only, max 5 per supervising adjuster.
Emergency Adjuster
§ 6218 — $15, 90 days from the Commissioner's DECLARATION, no exam, and no prior adjuster license required.
§ 1250.3 Qualifier
Two prongs, disjunctive — a single flagrant act in conscious disregard OR a general business practice.
OAC 365:15-3
Oklahoma's former claim-handling deadlines — REVOKED effective 9/1/2023. Justia's mirror still shows it live; it is stale.
HB 2933 (2026)
The Homeowner Claims Bill of Rights — 14/30/90 days and 10% interest. Died in the Senate, not law.
Christian (1977)
Oklahoma's foundational bad faith case — a tort action for unreasonably withholding payment, with punitive damages available.
Legitimate Dispute
The defense that defeats bad faith. A documented, articulable, contemporaneous basis in the claim file.
§ 4803
The statutory standard fire policy — 60-day proof of loss, 60 days to pay after proof and ascertainment, 12-month suit clause.
§ 3617
A property policy may lawfully cut suit to one year from the DATE OF OCCURRENCE — not accrual, not discovery.
§ 1250.5(7)
Roof wind/hail claims must be filable after the first anniversary, no later than 24 months, where damage is not evident without inspection.
§ 3636
UM and UIM as a single coverage. Included unless rejected in writing — and that rejection lasts the life of the policy.
§ 1230(B)
Post-loss AOB ban effective 11/1/2025 — reaching auto collision and comprehensive as well as property.
§ 6224
Public adjuster 10% commission cap — but only for entities under the Governmental Tort Claims Act. Private claims are uncapped.
Anti-Fraud Unit
Where § 363 requires you to report suspected fraud immediately. No numeric deadline exists.
Like learning this way? There's a whole library of them.
If the old manual you inherited from the office breakroom isn't cutting it and this format fits how your brain actually works, you'll want the rest. There are 56 Interactive Mind Maps like this one in the TESTivity Platinum Insurance Adjuster package — covering the full curriculum, right alongside the practice questions, exam simulators, and study guides.
🧭
Studying for a different state?
This concept is the same wherever you sit for the exam — but your study guide and prep package should match your state. Find your state's L&H and P&C guides here →