Insurance adjusters who have a Full Adjuster Licence from most Canadian provinces or territories, can apply for the same licence in Ontario without completing the education program required for new Ontario applicants. You would still need to complete Ontario’s auto insurance exam if you want to adjust auto claims.
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) regulates and licenses all adjusters in Ontario.
Licence exception: If you are an adjuster working for an Ontario-licensed insurance company, you do not apply for a licence.
If you are an Ontario-licensed insurance adjuster and want to apply for a licence in a different province or territory, visit the Canadian Council of Insurance Regulators website to access links to the different regulators.
About the Ontario licence
Sponsorship with an adjusting company is required
As an Ontario adjuster, you will need to be sponsored by an Ontario-licensed adjusting company at all times.
- Your adjusting company is responsible for confirming you meet all licensing requirements, and for managing the application process for your licence.
- As the adjuster, you are responsible for maintaining your licence.
Fee for a new application
The fee to apply for a new adjuster licence is $75. This fee will cover your first year up to June 30. Then, you will need to renew it to keep your licence active.
Depending on the arrangement you have with your adjusting firm, they may pay the fee OR you may be responsible for paying this fee. Check with your adjusting firm for details.
What are the requirements to apply from another province or territory?
Education exemption
New adjusters in Ontario must complete an education program to quality for a Full Adjuster Licence. The program includes eight courses from the Insurance Institute, and an exam from the Canadian Independent Adjusters’ Association.
However, if you hold an equivalent Full Adjuster Licence in good standing from most provinces or territories, you are exempt from having to complete the full education program. There is an additional auto insurance exam that you need to take.
Auto insurance exam required for all out-of-province applicants
If you want to adjust auto claims in Ontario, you are required to take RIBO Ontario's Auto Equivalency exam offered by the Insurance Institute of Ontario.
- Complete the RIBO Ontario Auto Equivalency Examination Candidate Declaration Form and review the instructions on the form on how to register.
Note: If you don't complete the auto insurance exam, your licence will be issued with a restriction that you can't handle auto claims in Ontario.
What is an equivalent licence?
If you are from one of the provinces or territories listed below, you are exempt from the Ontario education program as long as you hold the equivalent licence listed below. You will need to get a letter from your home regulator as proof of your licence history and level, which will need to be submitted along with your application, along with any other required documents.
Exceptions:
- Yukon and Nunavut: if you have a licence from these territories, you will need to requalify and complete all of the requirements as a new applicant. Review Apply for a new insurance adjuster licence for more details.
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Province/territory |
Equivalent licence |
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Alberta |
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British Columbia |
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Manitoba |
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New Brunswick
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Newfoundland and Labrador |
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Northwest Territories |
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Nova Scotia
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Prince Edward Island |
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Québec |
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Saskatchewan |
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You will need to meet all other eligibility requirements in the checklist below to get an Ontario licence.
What if my current licence is inactive?
If you have an inactive licence in your home province or territory (e.g., you’ve either surrendered your licence or you’ve let it lapse), you may be able to apply for an Ontario licence without completing the education program. This will depend on how long your licence has been inactive.
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If it has been less than two years |
If you hold an equivalent licence from your home province or territory (see chart above), you can apply for an Ontario licence without completing the education program.
You will need to provide a letter of history from your home province or territory regulator as proof. |
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If it has been more than two years |
You can still apply for an adjuster licence in Ontario, but you will need to satisfy Ontario's education requirements.
Review all requirements and instructions on Apply for a insurance adjuster licence. |
Checklist for a new licence
Review this checklist to ensure you are ready to apply for a new licence in Ontario.
Requirements:
- Verify that you have an equivalent licence in your home province or territory. You will need to get a letter from your regulator.
- Be sponsored by an adjusting firm.
- Be legally entitled to work in Canada.
- Be 18 years of age or older.
- Confirm you are not licensed as an insurance agent.
- Be familiar with the laws of Ontario relating to the licensing of adjusters.
- Be suitable for a licence.
If you have met all these requirements, you are ready to begin the application process.
New Criminal Record check process
FSRA is changing its licensing process for criminal background checks to ensure the processes remain up to date. Criminal record checks are part of FSRA’s rigorous licence qualification process to protect consumers by ensuring only suitable individuals sell or offer financial products and services in Ontario.
FSRA now requires licence applicants to complete their criminal record checks through our approved vendor Triton. You must complete a background check before you submit your FSRA application, using Triton’s website to complete the check. Once completed, you will need to provide a copy of your Triton receipt in your application to FSRA.
Please note that a fee of $19.15 applies for Triton’s service, and the background check is valid for 90 days.
If you have any further questions about the new background check process, please contact us.
Frequently asked questions – Background check process
Ready to apply for a new licence?
1. Download the Insurance Adjuster Application.
- Right click on the link and choose Save link as to download the PDF to your computer or drive.
2. Fill out the application electronically.
- Select the Full Adjuster Licence as the Type of Licence.
- You will need to verify your suitability to have a licence by confirming:
- You are a person of good character and reputation.
- You have the appropriate education to be an adjuster.
- You meet all licensing requirements and are a suitable person to receive a licence as an adjuster.
- You have provided information about bankruptcies, lawsuits, criminal records, decisions from other regulators or licensing bodies or other employment information.
- You will comply with Ontario’s laws and the requirements of the adjuster’s licence.
3. Ask your adjusting firm to fill out Part D (Notice of Appointment).
4. Complete a background check through Triton.
5. Your adjusting firm can submit the completed form and a copy of your Triton receipt through the Online Services Portal.
- If you need to pay the fee, you can make the payment through the Online Services Portal with credit card (VISA, Mastercard) or select debit cards (RBC, TD, First Nations Bank of Canada, most credit unions).
What happens after the application is submitted:
FSRA will send you an email to confirm it has received your application.
Note: out-of-province applications often do require additional reviews so be aware that the process will likely take longer than 10 business days.
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For most applications |
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If the application requires additional review |
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