MD Public Adjuster study guide
MD Public Adjuster · Work through your exam, one topic at a time.
A Maryland public adjuster license authorizes you to represent insureds - never insurers - in preparing, presenting, and negotiating first-party property and casualty claims in Maryland. The license and the examination behind it are administered by the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA), the state regulator headquartered at 200 St. The MD Public Adjuster study guide has 7 sections and about 1,971 words.
01Insurance Principles and Concepts
This domain checks whether you can apply the doctrines that decide coverage before anyone opens an estimate: risk transfer, insurable interest, indemnity, utmost good faith, adhesion, proximate cause, and actual cash value versus replacement cost. Maryland items often frame these through the public adjuster's role: you advocate for the insured, but you cannot manufacture coverage that the policy does not provide.
305 words, about 2 min02Property Insurance Policy Coverages and Provisions
The exam tests the homeowners and commercial property forms: Coverage A dwelling, B other structures, C personal property, D loss of use; commercial forms add business income, extra expense, and ordinance or law. Know named-peril versus open-peril forms, the standard exclusions (wear and tear, faulty workmanship, vacancy, mold caps), and the conditions that decide claims: duties after loss, proof of loss, appraisal, salvage, and the mortgage clause.
272 words, about 1 min03Casualty Insurance Policy Coverages and Provisions
Casualty items cover commercial general liability, personal and commercial auto, umbrella and excess, and workers' compensation. Know Coverage A bodily injury and property damage, Coverage B personal and advertising injury, Coverage C medical payments, and the difference between occurrence and claims-made triggers.
275 words, about 1 min04Claims Handling, Investigation and Loss Valuation Practices
This domain tests the sequence: notice, acknowledgment, investigation, documentation, coverage determination, valuation, and payment or denial. Know the insured's duties after loss, the proof-of-loss requirement, examination under oath, recorded statements, and the insurer's reservation-of-rights letter.
290 words, about 1 min05Maryland Insurance Law
The Maryland Insurance Administration, led by the Insurance Commissioner, regulates insurers, producers, public adjusters, and claim practices under the Insurance Article and COMAR. The Commissioner licenses and disciplines, examines insurers, reviews rates and forms, and acts on consumer complaints.
280 words, about 1 min06Public Adjuster Regulation and Ethics
Maryland requires a public adjuster to be licensed by the MIA. A public adjuster represents the insured, not the insurer, and may not act as a company or independent adjuster on the same claim.
292 words, about 1 min07Public Adjuster Regulation and Ethics (Professional Responsibility)
Maryland's public adjuster rules are tested through scenarios, not just definitions. The adjuster owes the client loyalty, but also owes the insurer and the MIA accurate information.
257 words, about 1 min