IL| The Illinois Department of Insurance Bulletin 2026-02 warns that Illinois public adjusters may not use third-party lead generators (such as roofers, contractors, or standalone lead-gen firms) to solicit clients unless those third parties and their employees are themselves licensed as Illinois public adjusters, and it explains that any compensation or “thing of value” tied to these leads triggers the licensing requirement; violations can result in license discipline, void and unenforceable public adjuster contracts, potential criminal exposure for misappropriation of claim proceeds, and new recordkeeping and complaint-investigation expectations around how each contract was solicited and by whom.
Key Points:
- Any third party that, for compensation or any value, directly or indirectly solicits business or generates leads for a public adjuster must hold an Illinois public adjuster license, regardless of whether they adjust claims themselves.
- Contracts even partially solicited through unlicensed lead generators are void and invalid, cannot be enforced for payment, and accepting claim proceeds under such contracts may be treated as misappropriation, a Class 4 felony.
- Public adjusters must keep transaction records identifying any third-party lead generators (names and license numbers), and the Department will question consumers and adjusters about how solicitations occurred as part of its complaint process.