Who requires it
Iowa Insurance Division
License & permit · Iowa
Iowa Public Adjuster Bond
Iowa public adjusters and independent adjusters must show financial responsibility before the Insurance Division issues a chapter 522C license. Iowa Code § 522C.7 requires a surety of at least $50,000 in favor of the state. The Division also accepts professional liability/errors-and-omissions insurance or an irrevocable letter of credit that meets its financial-responsibility standards. Business entities can cover affiliated employee adjusters; independent contractors generally need their own qualifying proof.
Common bond amount
$50,000+
Individual minimum $50,000; entity aggregates rise with adjuster count under 191 IAC 55.10; E&O or letter of credit may substitute when accepted by IID.
How you file
File with the Insurance Division: surety, E&O, or irrevocable letter of credit
Renewal
Continuous; 30-day termination notice; license inactive if security lapses
Who requires it
Applicants for and holders of Iowa public adjuster or independent adjuster licenses under chapter 522C, including adjuster business entities that must cover affiliated adjusters. Staff adjusters follow the Division’s employment-coverage attestation path when the employer’s proof applies.
How much is required
Section 522C.7 sets a fifty-thousand-dollar minimum surety for individual licensing. Rule 191—55.10 elaborates entity bonds with a $50,000 per-occurrence limit and aggregates of $250,000 (2–20 adjusters), $500,000 (21–40), or $1,000,000 (41 or more). Qualifying E&O policies and irrevocable letters of credit may satisfy the same responsibility standard when they meet Division criteria.
How to get and file it
Choose a surety bond, qualifying E&O policy, or irrevocable letter of credit that meets § 522C.7 and 191 IAC 55.10. Upload proof with the Division’s attestation forms for individual or business-entity applicants, and keep the instrument available for Division review. Maintain continuous financial responsibility for the license term. Give the Division at least thirty calendar days’ written notice before terminating a surety. If responsibility lapses or becomes impaired, notify the Division immediately—the license becomes inactive until replacement proof is approved.
Cost note
Fifty thousand dollars (or the higher entity total) is the required bond amount, not the premium you pay. See bond amount vs premium. Bond amount vs premium →
Requirement checklist
- Individual minimum
- $50,000 surety (or qualifying E&O / letter of credit)
- Entity totals
- $250,000 / $500,000 / $1,000,000 by number of adjusters (191 IAC 55.10)
- Authority
- Iowa Code § 522C.7
- Independent contractors
- Generally need personal proof unless covered by the entity’s qualifying instrument
Official sources
Related resources
Frequently asked questions
Can Iowa adjusters use errors-and-omissions insurance instead of a bond?
Yes. The Insurance Division accepts professional liability/E&O insurance or an irrevocable letter of credit as alternatives to a surety bond when the instrument meets its financial-responsibility standards under § 522C.7 and related rules.
What happens if my adjuster bond is cancelled?
Section 522C.7 requires immediate notice to the Division if financial responsibility terminates or becomes impaired, and the adjuster’s license becomes inactive until replacement proof is filed and accepted.
Related Iowa bond guides
Plumbing & Mechanical Contractor Bond
$5,000
Iowa does not split plumbing, HVAC, refrigeration, sheet metal, and hydronic contractor licenses into separate statewide surety products. Iowa Code § 105.19 requires every chapter 105 contractor licensee to maintain public liability insurance and a surety in the amount the Plumbing and Mechanical Systems Board sets by rule. 481 IAC 431.3 fixes that surety at a minimum of $5,000 for the licensing period. One entity bond covers all plumbing or mechanical work the legal entity performs; sole proprietors must hold the bond personally.
Motor Vehicle Dealer Bond
$75,000
Iowa motor vehicle dealers and towable recreational vehicle dealers must file a $75,000 surety bond with the Department of Transportation before the dealer license issues. Iowa Code § 322.4 sets the seventy-five-thousand-dollar amount for dealers selling vehicles that require a certificate of title. 761 IAC 425.4 applies the same $75,000 amount to towable RV dealers and allows a dual-licensed dealer at one name and principal place of business to rely on a single bond. Evidence stays on file with the motor vehicle division, and the original bond remains with the dealer’s business records.
Mortgage Lender Bond
$25,000 / $100,000 / $150,000
Iowa mortgage bankers, mortgage brokers, and closing agents must maintain chapter 535B sureties with the Division of Banking. Iowa Code § 535B.9 starts mortgage broker and banker applicants at $100,000 until the superintendent’s volume schedule applies, and it sets closing agents at $25,000. 187 IAC 18.2 implements the operative banker/broker amounts: $100,000 when prior-year residential mortgage volume is $100,000,000 or less, and $150,000 when volume exceeds $100,000,000. Filings run electronically through NMLS.
Surety basics (not repeated here)
Universal surety concepts explained once—linked here instead of repeated on every state or bond page.
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Last verified 2026-08-11. This guide is based on verified educational content and official sources.
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