AUA Certified Appraiser™
14 classroom hours, a 75-question knowledge exam and a practical case assessment, each with an 80% minimum score.
AUA-CA requirements →
Nationwide professional association · Training · Certification
The Insurance Appraiser & Umpire Association
The Appraiser and Umpire Association (AUA) trains, certifies and supports insurance appraisers, umpires and claims professionals across the United States, raising the standard of fair, well-documented property insurance appraisal.
200+Members
2Certifications
4Courses
24CE credit hours offered
About AUA
A professional home for insurance appraisal
The Appraiser and Umpire Association (AUA) is a U.S. professional association, founded in 2021 and headquartered in Chicago, that provides education, continuing-education credit, ethics standards and the AUA Certified Appraiser (AUA-CA) and AUA Certified Umpire (AUA-CU) credentials for people who resolve property insurance claim disputes through appraisal.
When a policyholder and an insurer agree that a loss is covered but disagree on how much it is worth, most property policies let either side demand appraisal. Each side names an appraiser, and a neutral umpire settles what the appraisers cannot agree on. AUA exists so that the professionals in those roles are competent, impartial and accountable.
About the associationWho AUA serves
- Insurance appraisers (policyholder- and carrier-side)
- Appraisal umpires and neutral evaluators
- Public adjusters, independent and staff adjusters
- Restoration and roofing contractors
- Attorneys and other claims professionals
AUA Research Center
What is and is not allowed in insurance appraisal, state by state
Statutes, administrative rules and insurance department guidance, with court decisions linked to each subject. 19 states researched so far, updated as new laws, rules and cases arrive.
| State | State license | Contingency fees | Causation | Coverage | Last verified |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| California | — | Each side pays its appraiser; umpire shared | Limited | Not allowed | October 20, 2026 |
| Colorado | — | Contingent-cap fee not partial per se | — | — | October 20, 2026 |
| Florida | — | — | Panel decides if coverage admitted | — | October 20, 2026 |
| Georgia | — | — | Extent of covered damage treated as coverage | Not allowed | October 20, 2026 |
| Illinois | — | No financial interest (auto) | Some causation within appraisal (property) | Decided by the court (property) | October 20, 2026 |
| Indiana | — | — | — | Left to the court | October 20, 2026 |
| Iowa | Required | Contingency fees prohibited | Covered peril must be stated; case law not yet reviewed | Policy terms still apply | October 20, 2026 |
| Kansas | — | — | — | — | October 20, 2026 |
| Louisiana | Registration with the Commissioner | Contingency fees prohibited | — | Only for accepted claims; policy terms still apply | October 20, 2026 |
| Minnesota | — | — | Allowed | — | October 20, 2026 |
| Missouri | — | — | Whether a peril caused the damage treated as coverage | Not allowed | October 20, 2026 |
| Nebraska | — | — | — | — | October 20, 2026 |
| New York | — | — | — | Not allowed | October 20, 2026 |
| Ohio | — | — | — | — | October 20, 2026 |
| Oklahoma | — | Each side pays its appraiser; umpire shared | — | Amount of loss only (federal reading) | October 20, 2026 |
| South Carolina | — | — | — | — | October 20, 2026 |
| Texas | — | TWIA: costs shared equally | Allowed (within amount of loss) | Amount of loss only | October 20, 2026 |
| Washington | — | — | — | — | October 20, 2026 |
| Wisconsin | — | — | — | — | October 20, 2026 |
— = not yet reviewed for that state. Research summaries, not legal advice; every entry links to its source.
Browse by subject: State license · Contingency fees · Impartiality · Umpire selection · Causation · Coverage · Award · Deadlines
Certification
AUA-CA
AUA-CU
Industry credentials for appraisers and umpires
Two private AUA certifications show that you have completed classroom training, passed a knowledge exam and a practical assessment, and agreed to the AUA Code of Ethics.
AUA Certified Umpire™
Credential Review Committee approval, 14 classroom hours, a 100-question exam and a practical umpire assessment, each with an 85% minimum score.
AUA-CU requirements →Your path
How AUA certification works
- Join AUA as a Professional or Certified member.
- Complete the training: the two-day, 14-hour classroom program for your credential.
- Pass the exams: the knowledge exam and the practical assessment.
- Receive your certificate with a unique, verifiable certificate ID.
- Keep it current: 14 AUA-approved CE hours every two years.
Training
Courses taught by practitioners
AUA courses are led by Neal McLoughlin, EdD, with adjunct faculty drawn from active appraisers, umpires and claims professionals.
- AUA Certified Appraiser classroom program (14 hours)
- AUA Certified Umpire classroom program (14 hours)
- Iowa State Appraiser & Umpire License Course
- Ethics in Insurance Appraisal (3 CE hours)
Knowledge center
Clear answers about insurance appraisal
What is insurance appraisal?
How the appraisal clause works, step by step, from demand to signed award.
Read the guide →What does an insurance appraiser do?
The role, the skills, and how to become an insurance appraiser.
Read the guide →What does an insurance umpire do?
Neutrality, selection, the award, and how to become an umpire.
Read the guide →Iowa appraiser & umpire license
Iowa's licensing rules for appraisers and umpires under Iowa Code chapter 522F.
Read the guide →Insurance appraisal glossary
Plain-English definitions: ACV, RCV, amount of loss, umpire, award and more.
Browse terms →Frequently asked questions
Quick answers about appraisal, umpires, certification and membership.
Read the FAQ →Frequently asked questions
What is the Appraiser and Umpire Association (AUA)?
The Appraiser and Umpire Association (AUA) is a nationwide professional association for insurance appraisers and umpires. Founded in 2021 and based in Chicago, AUA provides training, continuing education, a code of ethics, and two private certifications: AUA Certified Appraiser (AUA-CA) and AUA Certified Umpire (AUA-CU).
How do I become a certified insurance appraiser?
Join AUA as a member, complete the 14-hour AUA-CA classroom program, pass the 75-question knowledge exam and the practical assessment with at least 80%, and agree to the AUA Code of Ethics. AUA then issues your certificate with a unique ID.
How do I become a certified insurance umpire?
Join AUA, submit evidence of relevant experience and/or an endorsement from an opposing appraiser for review by the AUA Credential Review Committee, complete the 14-hour AUA-CU classroom program, and pass the 100-question exam and practical umpire assessment with at least 85%.
Is AUA certification a state license?
No. AUA certification is a private professional credential. Some states, such as Iowa, separately license insurance appraisers and umpires, and you must meet those state requirements where they apply.
Who can join AUA?
Insurance appraisers, umpires, public adjusters, independent and staff adjusters, contractors, attorneys and other claims professionals across the United States. Student, professional, certified, corporate and sponsor memberships are available.