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In all honesty, I really do not know.  However, I do know that you will never succeed if you don't try. 

I'm not sure if they will give you a license or not. I know that on the application I read that you could not have ANY felonies.

I used to be a fraud investigator and something you said struck a chord with me. So you think it's not a big deal to steal? "Just a couple of hand tools"?

As an Adjuster you are required to have ethics. Does this mean you wouldn't have a problem with "taking just a few hundred dollars"? At what point do you draw the line? At what point is it not ok to steal since you think the power tools are no big deal?

ooops!

Pat,
I am with Deborah.....Take the time and drive to the Insurance Commissioners office and discuss it with them.....then you will know first hand.......and I think that the effort put forth to physically go there will speak volumes for you....

Stephanie......if you are going to quote someone, be accurrate...nowhere in Pat's post does he or she say "Just a few hand tools"........I think that your years as a fraud investigator has tainted your outlook...one indiscretion does not mean that this person has no morale or ethical fiber......his crime was against property and he was young.........

Stephanie....have you ever taken an other than honest or exact deduction on your income tax??? Intentional sped when no cop was around??? Run a red light???Got behind the wheel after a couple of drinks and drove home justifying that you were okay and only a mile from home????

Let he who is without sin cast the first stone........

Stephanie, we are adjusters, and what we do is adjust claims......that's it......

Just my .02

Pat--you go for it....

Joe L.

I was originally denied my Texas Adjuster's license just because of a Public Intoxication charge when I was 18. I thought that this was outrageous as I was allowed to hold a Peace Officer License in the State of Texas but not an Adjusting license. Off of the top of my head the reason described was "a moral turpitude violation" and also "failure to disclose" which was bogus as I had sent them a certified copy of my disposition. There was and is no reason for my denial so I appealed and was then issued my license. However I feel that, based on the below referenced material, there is no reason that the Texas Department of Insurance would ever issue a license to anyone convicted of a felony let alone any conviction of a theft.

§ 4005.101. GROUNDS FOR LICENSE DENIAL OR DISCIPLINARY
ACTION.
(b) The department may deny a license application or
discipline a license holder under this subchapter if the department
determines that the applicant or license holder, individually or
through an officer, director, or shareholder:
(5) has engaged in fraudulent or dishonest acts or
practices;
(8) has been convicted of a felony;

Only TDI can answer Pat's question. My advice would be to be honest and make the trip to TDI to discuss this with them. We have all made mistakes in our younger years and should not have to pay for them the rest of our lives. People change with maturity and time and should they be penalized for mistakes made in their younger years, no. Take many references with you and recommendations from present and past employers.

Joe Lombardo had the correct answer. When I was 16, I was stopped while driving with a friend and had consumed one beer. The Chief was a cousin of mine and did the right thing. He parked Dads truck, took me to jail, and called my parents. They also did the right thing, they left me in jail over the week end. As a result of that punishment, I never became a heavy drinker and to this day drink very, very little. Should I be ostrasized for being stupid at age 16, of course not. My punishment was digging out and clearing sewer ditches in the small town we lived in. 60 hours of this made a better person on me, of course at the time I thought my parents were horrible to do this to their son. It was a life learning experience.

Good afternoon,

I want to thank many of you for the encouragement and kind words as I start my journey to get licensed.

Let me give a little info on what got me the "conviction" -- I'm in my car (18 years old), the passenger gets out, goes in a garage to grab a small tool box, the home owner comes out and the passenger runs back to my car, the home owner said he's calling the cops, I stay put knowing that's what I should do.  Cops show up and take us both to jail, charged us with theft/larceny.  The theft never happened but the intent was there when the passenger went in the garage but I had no money for an attorney so I pled out with 5 years probation (in 1981) and got out of jail days before Christmas.  I succesfully complete my probation and went on to have a very rewarding career as a manager for 2 large companies known world wide.  I can go on and on about how I've been a very productive member of society helping those that are having problems much like I did as a teenager but that's not my point here...  Then in 2003 I GET A FULL PARDON from the Governor after much hard work and completing documents outlining my life!  I should have paid the 2,000 to get the record expunged but I haven't -- now that getting the expunction may help in my journey to get the licensed I guess I'll do it if that is what it takes.       Any comments about a pardon being enough from those that would have first hand knowledge about the process with Texas Dept of Insurance?

Now to address the point that one person made about me discounting the stealing of some hand tools -- perhaps I could have provided more info about why I commented on it being a few hand tools.  You see, I was in the wrong that day but no tools were taken yet I get convicted because a court appointed attorney tells me to just plead, get the probation and go home.  Again, I was wrong that day, but tools were not stolen.  I read the court docs many years later and they listed 2 socket sets, 3 hammers and one screwdriver set as the stolen property.  In 1981, and many brands today, these items would not equal the $500 needed to get you a felony.  Let me be clear to the one that seems to believe that I'm saying it is okay to steal small things -- IT IS WRONG TO STEAL, PERIOD.  As a maager I have teminated employees for stealing, caught shoplifters etc, IT IS WRONG TO STEAL.

I made a mistake, paid the price and over 25 years have proven I live w/i the law.  The Governor granted the pardon and some experts in the field believe that as long as I disclose the facts and provide a copy of the pardon, the license should be granted.  Again, feedback from those that know about this process is welcomed please.

Again thanks to those that are encouraging me, I appreciate all the feedback, good and bad. 

Too GOD be the glory.

In prayer, your friend.

Forgot a few things:

1) I called TDI twice and asked them about getting the license with the conviction and was given a standard answer twice -- send in the court docs, all the details and copy of the pardon.  They take these situations on case by case bases.  Is this the way to get the answer?  Will they meet with me in person?

2) If the record is expunged, do I need to disclose the criminal history?

GOD bless

For anyone who has ever heard Bill Cosby's "Parenthood" routine, he got it right.  Teenagers do indeed have "brain damage". 

Parental question:  Why did you do that, son?  What were you thinking?

Teenage response:  "I don't know."

I would hate to be judged now on what I did as a kid.  Though our nation seems to believe in judgement more than it believes in grace these days, I would follow up with the licensing procedure if and only if you really believe you are called to this work.  (This is a real bad time to get into the business for immediate gratification and income.)  It is quite likely you will be run through the ringer.  And you may or may not ultimately be granted the license.  The pardon should go a long way.  Make sure you don't hide anything in the application because the government knows more about us than we know about ourselves, and everything they know is negative. 

Then, my advice is that you use $2000 of the first money you make to get your record cleaned up.

The real crime may be all the folks out there running around fully licensed as a result of their three day adjusting course and vast six week experience handling Katrina/Rita claims.

I apologize for my first impression of your situation. I do have to warn you, so far it has been a pretty dry season. Not much work out there. I wouldn't quit a paying job right now to jump into being an IA if I were you.

Good luck!

Steph