Washington § 48.17.420 - Appointed agent may adjust — When license or certification is required — Nonresident adjusters or crop adjusters.

(1) An insurance producer or title insurance agent may from time to time act as an adjuster on behalf of and as authorized by an insurer for which an insurance producer or title insurance agent has been appointed as an agent and investigate and report upon claims without being required to be licensed as an adjuster. An insurance producer or title insurance agent must not act as a crop adjuster or investigate or report upon claims arising under crop insurance without first obtaining a crop adjuster license or, if a salaried employee of an insurer or of a managing general agent, without first being certified by a crop adjuster proficiency program approved by the risk management agency of the United States department of agriculture.

(2) Except for losses arising under crop insurance, a license by this state is not required of a nonresident independent adjuster, for the adjustment in this state of a single loss, or of losses arising out of a catastrophe common to all such losses from which the governor proclaims a state of emergency, if the nonresident independent adjuster registers with the commissioner as an emergency adjuster and includes:

(a) The nonresident independent adjuster's name;

(b) The nonresident independent adjuster's contact information;

(c) The nonresident independent adjuster's home state and license number;

(d) The single loss or specific proclamation from the governor that details the emergency; and

(e) The insurers the nonresident independent adjuster is representing.

(3) An emergency adjuster:

(a) Must not operate longer than one hundred eighty days, unless extended by the commissioner;

(b) Is subject to all the disciplinary provisions and penalties of this title and Title 284 WAC; and

(c) Is subject to the jurisdiction of the courts of the state of Washington concerning civil liability for all acts in any way related to the emergency adjuster's actions in Washington state.

(4) For losses arising under crop insurance, a license by this state is not required of a nonresident crop adjuster, for the adjustment in this state of a single loss, or of losses arising out of a catastrophe common to all such losses, if the nonresident crop adjuster is:

(a) Licensed as a crop adjuster in another state;

(b) Certified by the risk management agency of the United States department of agriculture; or

(c) A salaried employee of an insurer or of a managing general agent who is certified by a crop adjuster proficiency program approved by the risk management agency of the United States department of agriculture.

Effective date—2010 c 67: See note following RCW 48.14.010.