CHAPTER 702

LICENSING

Table of Contents

Sec. 38a-790. (Formerly Sec. 38-92b). Licensing of motor vehicle physical damage appraisers. Penalty.

Sec. 38a-792. (Formerly Sec. 38-77). Casualty claims adjusters. Penalty. Exemptions.


PART V

MOTOR VEHICLE PHYSICAL DAMAGE APPRAISERS

Sec. 38a-790. (Formerly Sec. 38-92b). Licensing of motor vehicle physical damage appraisers. Penalty. (a) No person shall act as an appraiser for motor vehicle physical damage claims on behalf of any insurance company or firm or corporation engaged in the adjustment or appraisal of motor vehicle claims unless such person has first secured a license from the Insurance Commissioner, and has paid the license fee specified in section 38a-11, for each two-year period or fraction thereof. The license shall be applied for as provided in section 38a-769. The commissioner may waive the requirement for examination in the case of any applicant for a motor vehicle physical damage appraiser's license who is a nonresident of this state and who holds an equivalent license from any other state. Any initial license issued by the commissioner to an appraiser for motor vehicle physical damage claims shall expire two years after the date of the licensee's birthday that preceded the date the license was issued unless sooner revoked or suspended. The license may, in the discretion of the commissioner, be renewed biennially upon payment of the fee specified in section 38a-11. The commissioner may adopt reasonable regulations concerning standards for qualification, suspension or revocation of such licenses and the methods by which licensees shall conduct their business.

(b) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be fined not more than two thousand five hundred dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

(c) Any person who has been engaged in the business of motor vehicle physical damage appraising for a period of two consecutive years immediately prior to July 1, 1968, shall be granted a license upon application with no further qualifications. The commissioner may waive the examination required under section 38a-769, in the case of an applicant who at any time within two years next preceding the date of application has been licensed in this state under a license of the same type as the license applied for.

(d) For purposes of this section and section 38a-769:

(1) “Motor vehicle” has the same meaning as provided in section 14-1; and

(2) “Motor vehicle physical damage appraiser” means any person, partnership, association, limited liability company or corporation that practices as a business the appraising of damages to motor vehicles insured under automobile physical damage policies or on behalf of third-party claimants.

(1967, P.A. 526, S. 1, 2; 1969, P.A. 489; P.A. 77-614, S. 163, 610; P.A. 80-482, S. 290, 348; P.A. 82-96, S. 3, 8; P.A. 90-243, S. 40; P.A. 95-79, S. 148, 189; P.A. 98-98, S. 6; P.A. 99-45, S. 5; P.A. 04-217, S. 32; P.A. 08-178, S. 37; P.A. 10-5, S. 37; P.A. 17-15, S. 86; P.A. 24-138, S. 4; P.A. 25-69, S. 4.)

History: 1969 act raised license fee from $10 to $20 and added provisions re examination and examination fee; P.A. 77-614 placed insurance commissioner within the department of business regulation and made the insurance department a division of said department, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 80-482 restored insurance commissioner and division to prior independent status and abolished the department of business regulation; P.A. 82-96 amended Subsec. (a) to require biennial rather than annual renewal for motor vehicle physical damage appraisers' licenses and accordingly doubled the license fee, effective June 1, 1983; P.A. 90-243 in Subsec. (a) made technical changes re licensing requirement by enumerating the section numbers for licensure and fees, added a new Subsec. (b) and renumbered the remaining Subsecs., added a provision allowing the insurance commissioner, in his discretion, to waive the examination requirement if the applicant has previously had a license of the same type and added definitions for “motor vehicle” and “motor vehicle physical damage appraiser”; Sec. 38-92b transferred to Sec. 38a-790 in 1991; P.A. 95-79 redefined “motor vehicle physical damage appraiser” to include a limited liability company, effective May 31, 1995; P.A. 98-98 amended Subsec. (a) to allow the commissioner to waive the examination requirement for nonresident applicants licensed in another state; P.A. 99-45 amended Subsec. (a) to substitute, re granting a license if nonresident applicant holds an equivalent license, “from any other state” for “from the state in which the applicant resides”; P.A. 04-217 amended Subsec. (d)(1) to eliminate reference to Sec. 14-1(30), effective January 1, 2005; P.A. 08-178 increased maximum fine from $500 to $2,500 and made a technical change in Subsec. (b); P.A. 10-5 made a technical change in Subsec. (d)(2), effective May 5, 2010; P.A. 17-15 made a technical change in Subsec. (d)(1); P.A. 24-138 amended Subsec. (a) by substituting “initial license issued by the commissioner to an appraiser for motor vehicle physical damage claims shall expire two years after the date of the licensee's birthday that preceded the date the license was issued” for “such license issued by the commissioner shall be in force until the thirtieth day of June in each odd-numbered year”; P.A. 25-69 made technical changes in Subsec. (d)(1) and (2), effective June 23, 2025.

PART VI

CASUALTY CLAIM ADJUSTERS

Sec. 38a-792. (Formerly Sec. 38-77). Casualty claims adjusters. Penalty. Exemptions. (a)(1) No person may act as an adjuster of casualty claims for any insurance company or firm or corporation engaged in the adjustment of casualty claims unless such person has first secured a license from the commissioner, and has paid the license fee specified in section 38a-11, for each two-year period or fraction thereof. Application for such license shall be made as provided in section 38a-769. Any initial license issued to an adjuster of casualty claims shall expire two years after the date of the licensee's birthday that preceded the date the license was issued unless sooner revoked or suspended. The licensee may, at the discretion of the commissioner, renew the license biennially thereafter upon payment of the fee specified in section 38a-11.

(2) The commissioner may waive the examination required under section 38a-769, in the case of any applicant for a casualty claims adjuster's license that (A) is a nonresident of this state or has its principal place of business in another state, and holds an equivalent license from any other state, or (B) at any time within two years next preceding the date of application has been licensed in this state under a license of the same type as the license applied for.

(b) The commissioner may prescribe reasonable regulations, in accordance with the provisions of chapter 54, governing the licensing of casualty claims adjusters and the adjustment of casualty claims.

(c) Any person who violates any provision of this section shall be fined not more than two thousand dollars or imprisoned not more than one year, or both.

(d) The provisions of this section shall not apply to any:

(1) (A) Individual who, for purposes of claims for portable electronics insurance, as defined in section 38a-397, only (i) collects claim information from or furnishes claim information to insureds or claimants, and (ii) conducts data entry, including data entry into an automated claims adjudication system, provided (I) such individual is an employee of a casualty insurance company licensed in this state, an employee of a casualty claims adjuster licensed in this state or an employee of an affiliate of such insurance company or adjuster, and (II) not more than twenty-five such individuals are under the supervision of a casualty claims adjuster licensed in this state or an insurance producer who adjusts portable electronics insurance claims and is licensed in this state. A licensed insurance producer who adjusts portable electronics insurance claims or supervises individuals pursuant to this subparagraph shall not be required to be licensed as a casualty claims adjuster.

(B) For purposes of this subdivision, “automated claims adjudication system” means a preprogrammed computer system, designed for the collection, data entry, calculation and final resolution of portable electronics insurance claims, that (i) is used only by a supervised individual, a casualty claims adjuster licensed in this state or an insurance producer licensed in this state, in accordance with subparagraph (A) of this subdivision, and (ii) complies with all applicable claims payment requirements under this title; or

(2) Member of the bar of this state in good standing who is engaged in the general practice of the law.

(1949 Rev., S. 6070; 1955, S. 2790d; 1959, P.A. 621, S. 1; 1969, P.A. 488; P.A. 82-96, S. 2, 8; P.A. 90-243, S. 34; P.A. 98-98, S. 7; P.A. 99-45, S. 6; P.A. 08-178, S. 38; P.A. 14-64, S. 2; P.A. 24-138, S. 5; P.A. 25-69, S. 5.)

History: 1959 act raised license fee to $10; 1969 act raised license fee to $20 and added provisions re examination and examination fee; P.A. 82-96 required biennial rather than annual renewal for casualty claim adjusters' licenses and accordingly doubled the license fee, effective June 1, 1983; P.A. 90-243 divided section into Subsecs., substituted “may” for “shall”, added provision re licensing application in accordance with Sec. 38a-769 and provisions re suspension or revocation of licenses and discretionary biennial renewal of casualty claim adjusters licenses, deleting provision requiring $10 examination fee; Sec. 38-77 transferred to Sec. 38a-792 in 1991; P.A. 98-98 amended Subsec. (a) to allow the commissioner to waive the examination requirement for nonresident applicants licensed in another state; P.A. 99-45 amended Subsec. (a) to substitute, re granting a license if nonresident applicant holds an equivalent license, “from any other state” for “from the state in which the applicant resides”; P.A. 08-178 increased maximum fine from $200 to $2,000 in Subsec. (c); P.A. 14-64 amended Subsec. (a) to designate existing provisions re licensure and application as Subdiv. (1) and to reposition and designate provisions re waiver of examination as Subdiv. (2), amended Subsec. (b) to add reference to Ch. 54, amended Subsec. (d) to add Subdiv. (1) re exemption for individuals collecting or furnishing portable electronics insurance claim information and conducting data entry and to designate existing provision re exemption for member of the bar as Subdiv. (2), and made technical and conforming changes; P.A. 24-138 amended Subsec. (a)(1) by substituting “initial license issued to an adjuster of casualty claims shall expire two years after the date of the licensee's birthday that preceded the date the license was issued” for “such license issued by the commissioner shall be in force until June thirtieth in each odd-numbered year” and made technical and conforming changes; P.A. 25-69 made a technical change in Subsec. (c), effective June 23, 2025.