An insurance adjuster within the meaning of this chapter is a person other than a private investigator as defined in Section 7521 of the Business and Professions Code who, for any consideration whatsoever, engages in business or accepts employment to furnish, or agrees to make, or makes, any investigation for the purpose of obtaining, information in the course of adjusting or otherwise participating in the disposal of, any claim under or in connection with a policy of insurance on behalf of an insurer or engages in soliciting insurance adjustment business or aids an insurer in any manner with reference to:

Crime or wrongs done or threatened against the United States of America or any state or territory of the United States of America; the identity, habits, conduct, business, occupation, honesty, integrity, credibility, knowledge, trustworthiness, efficiency, loyalty, activity, movement, whereabouts, affiliations, associations, transactions, acts, reputation, or character of any person; the location, disposition, or recovery of lost or stolen property; the cause or responsibility for fires, libels, losses, accidents, or damage or injury to persons or to property; or securing evidence to be used before any court, board, officer, or investigating committee.

Notwithstanding any other provision of law, this section is in no way intended to limit the ability of a duly licensed independent insurance adjuster to perform the duties of an independent insurance adjuster for any other entity.

This chapter does not apply to:

person or manager read and understand the most recent notice and adjuster handbook prepared by the department pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 14046 no later than 15 calendar days from the date on which the nonlicensed adjuster began claims adjusting activity in California.

is employed exclusively and regularly by one employer pursuant to paragraph (1).

attorney.

no later than 15 calendar days from the date on which the nonlicensed adjuster began claims adjusting activity in California.

means filing with the commissioner a notice in a form or other format specified by the commissioner, submitted by the supervising licensed adjuster or admitted insurer, naming the nonlicensed adjusters, identifying their adjuster licenses held in other jurisdictions, or, if not licensed, providing other identification specified by the commissioner, stating when their claims adjusting activity will commence or has commenced, and any other information the commissioner may require.

An application for a license under this chapter shall be on a form prescribed by the commissioner and accompanied by the application fee provided by this chapter.

An application shall be verified and shall include:

Before an application for a license is granted, the applicant, or his or her manager, shall meet all of the following:

The commissioner may require an applicant, or his or her manager, to demonstrate his or her qualifications by a written or oral examination, or a combination of both.

Where a person who is or has been licensed under this chapter has been found by the commissioner to have violated any provision of this code that would justify the suspension or revocation of a license held by the person, or where a person is applying for a license under this chapter and there exists grounds for the denial of the application by the commissioner, the commissioner may, after hearing, revoke the license held or deny the application for an unrestricted license, and in lieu thereof issue to the person a restricted license. The commissioner may impose any reasonable conditions upon the acquisition of the restricted license or conduct of the holder of the license. The holder of the restricted license has no property right in it and the commissioner may, with or without either hearing or cause, suspend or revoke a restricted license. If a hearing is held under this section, it shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code. The holder of a restricted license is subject to all the provisions of this code and the license shall be kept in force and renewed in the same manner, at the same time, and subject to the same conditions and fees as are applicable to an unrestricted license to act in the same capacity.

Payment of the application fee prescribed by this chapter entitles an applicant, or his or her manager, to one examination without further charge. If the person fails to pass the examination, he or she shall not be eligible for any subsequent examination except upon payment of the reexamination fee prescribed by this chapter for each such subsequent examination.

After a hearing the commissioner may deny a license unless the application makes a showing satisfactory to the commissioner that the applicant, if an individual, has not, or if the applicant is a person other than an individual, that its manager and each of its officers and partners have not:

The commissioner may, without hearing, deny a license if the applicant has committed any act or crime constituting grounds for denial of license under Section 1669.

Whenever the individual on the basis of whose qualifications a license under this chapter has been obtained ceases to be connected with the licensee for any reason whatever, the business may be carried on for such temporary period and under such terms and conditions as the commissioner shall provide by regulation.

Whenever a hearing is held under this chapter to determine whether an application for a license should be granted or to determine the qualifications of a licensee’s manager, the proceedings shall be conducted in accordance with Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11501) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code, and the commissioner shall have all of the powers granted therein.

The form and content of the license shall be determined by the commissioner in accordance with Section 164 of the Business and Professions Code.

The license shall at all times be posted in a conspicuous place in the principal place of business of the licenses.

Upon the issuance of a license, a pocket card of such size, design, and content as may be determined by the commissioner shall be issued without charge to each licensee, if an individual, or if the licensee is a person other than an individual, to its manager and to each of its officers and partners, which card shall be evidence that the licensee is duly licensed pursuant to this chapter. When any person to whom a card is issued terminates his or her position, office, or association with the licensee, the card shall be surrendered to the licensee and within five days thereafter shall be mailed or delivered by the licensee to the department for cancellation.

A licensee shall, within 30 days after such change, notify the department of any change of his or her address and of any change in the officers or partners of such licensee. The principal place of business may be at a home or at a business address, but it shall be the place at which the licensee maintains a permanent office.

Applications, on forms prescribed by the commissioner, shall be submitted by all new officers or partners. The commissioner may suspend or revoke a license issued under this chapter if he or she determines that at the time the person became an officer or partner of a licensee, any of the facts stated in Section 14028 or 14028.5 existed as to such person.

A license issued under this chapter is not assignable.

A licensee shall at all times be legally responsible for the good conduct in the business of each of the licensee’s employees or agents, including the licensee’s manager and any nonlicensed adjusters the licensee registers pursuant to Section 14022.5.

No person licensed as an insurance adjuster shall do any of the following:

Any badge or cap insignia worn by a person who is a licensee, officer, director, partner, manager, or employee of a licensee shall be of a design approved by the commissioner, and shall bear on its face a distinctive word indicating the name of the licensee and an employee number by which such person may be identified by the licensee.

Each licensee shall maintain a record containing such information relative to his or her employees as may be prescribed by the commissioner.

A licensee shall not conduct a business under a fictitious or other business name unless and until he or she has obtained the written authorization of the commissioner to do so.

The commissioner shall not authorize the use of a fictitious or other business name that is so similar to that of a public officer or agency or of that used by another licensee that the public may be confused or misled thereby.

The authorization shall require, as a condition precedent to the use of any fictitious name, that the licensee comply with Section 1724.5 of this code and Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 17900) of Part 3 of Division 7 of the Business and Professions Code.

A licensee desiring to

conduct his or her business under more than one fictitious business name shall obtain the authorization of the commissioner in the manner prescribed in this section for the use of each name.

The licensee shall pay a fee of twenty-five dollars ($25) for each authorization to use an additional fictitious business name and for each change in the use of a fictitious business name. If the original license is issued in a nonfictitious name and authorization is requested to have the license reissued in a fictitious business name, the licensee shall pay a fee of twenty-nine dollars ($29) for that authorization.

Each licensee shall file with the commissioner the complete address of his or her principal place of business, including the name and number of the street or, if the street where the business is located is not numbered, the number of the post office box. The commissioner may require the filing of other information for the purpose of identifying such principal place of business.

Every advertisement by a licensee soliciting or advertising business shall contain his or her name, address, and license number as they appear in the records of the commissioner. The commissioner may adopt regulations defining the term “advertisement” as used in this section.

A licensee shall not advertise or conduct business from any location other than that shown on the records of the commissioner as his or her principal place of business unless he or she has received a branch office certificate for such location after compliance with the provisions of this chapter and such additional requirements necessary for the protection of the public as the commissioner may by regulation prescribe. A licensee shall notify the commissioner in writing within 10 days after closing or changing the location of a branch office.

including wildfires. The handbook shall be the similar or equivalent to one hour of continuing education for licensees.

emergency, as defined in Section 8558 of the Government Code, or other emergency declared by a public official, an insurer shall provide the claimant with a copy of the most recent notice described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) no later than 15 calendar days from the date on which the insurer received notice of the claim.

nonlicensed adjuster it has registered with the department pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 14022.5 and any nonlicensed adjuster exempted from this chapter pursuant to subdivision (a) of Section 14022 to read and understand the most recent notice described in paragraph (1) of subdivision (a) and the most recent handbook described in paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) no later than 15 calendar days from the date on which the nonlicensed adjuster began claims adjusting activity in California.

by the insured related to the residential property insurance claim. Other claims personnel, vendors, or professionals, including clerical staff members and call center staff members, may work on portions of the insured’s claim. Once assigned, the primary point of contact shall remain assigned to the insured’s claim until the insurer determines that the residential property claim is closed or litigation has been filed.

a span of control over the primary point of contact upon the request of the insured. This process shall be satisfied by a referral to a first-tier or second-tier manager with authority over claim handling.