Claims adjustment is strictly reserved for persons holding a claims adjuster certificate issued by the AMF.

An exception is provided in section 10 of the Act respecting the distribution of financial products and services This link will open in a new window (the “Distribution Act”) for employees working by phone.

Furthermore, in exceptional circumstances, the AMF may allow certain persons (authorized persons ) to act as claims adjusters even if they do not hold a certificate authorizing them to act in that capacity. An exceptional circumstance would be a major meteorological event, such as torrential rain, an ice storm or a windstorm, that causes a significant increase in the number of claims filed.

Section 10.1 of the Distribution Act This link will open in a new window enables the AMF to grant, on conditions it sets, an authorization so that claims are processed in a timely manner when exceptional circumstances occur.

For purposes of predictability, the following are the conditions that will be applied. The AMF may subsequently modify these conditions to take into account changing circumstances.

Sending a request for intervention to the AMF

To request an authorization, a claims adjustment firm (the “Firm”, which also includes independent partnerships and independent representatives, as applicable) must send the AMF a request for intervention at [email protected]. 

For its request to be eligible, the Firm must provide data evidencing that the average number of daily phone calls it has received from its insureds has at least doubled since the occurrence of the exceptional circumstance. To do this, it must complete the schedule Request for intervention – Phone call log (pdf - 687 KB)This link will open in a new windowUpdated on December 11, 2025 , indicating the average number of daily phone calls it has received in the previous five years, and attach it to its Request for intervention

The AMF is asking Firms to keep this data up to date so that it may be quickly accessed when an exceptional circumstance occurs.

AMF process for triggering an authorization

Within 24 hours of receiving an eligible request for intervention, the AMF will convene an emergency meeting of the task force (see insert) to discuss the appropriateness of triggering an authorization

In making its decision, the AMF will, in addition to the recommendations of the task force members, consider criteria such as the affected area(s), the types of claims and their severity. To grant an authorization, the AMF must have the necessary data to conclude that the capacity of claims adjusters to process claims is not sufficient to absorb the increase in claims. Each authorization remains exceptional and is subject to the conditions below.

When the AMF grants an authorization, it promptly publishes a news release on its website stipulating the authorization conditions.

How to obtain an authorization

A Firm seeking to benefit from an authorization granted by the AMF must advise the AMF in writing and send the schedule Request for intervention – Phone call log (pdf - 687 KB)This link will open in a new windowUpdated on December 11, 2025 to [email protected].

Duration of the authorization

The authorization will last a total of six months, without any possibility of an extension. This period will begin when the AMF grants the authorization and will end on the date indicated in the news release.

Task force

The task force consists of representatives from the AMF, individuals from the claims adjustment sector and representatives of financial consumer protection and advocacy groups.

The mandate of the task force is to provide the AMF with observations and recommendations, together with data supporting its analysis, when the AMF is considering whether to trigger an authorization.

End of the authorization period

When the authorization period expires, any files not completed by the authorized person (agent or broker, out-of-province claims adjuster or retired claims adjuster) and employees working by phone will have to be taken over by claims adjusters.

During the authorization period, the AMF will allow certain persons to act as claims adjusters, subject to the conditions set forth below. Pursuant to the Distribution Act, such “authorized persons” will be:

Damage insurance agents or brokers

  • A damage insurance agent or broker is a person who is holding an AMF-issued certificate authorizing them to act in that capacity at the time the authorization is triggered.
  • The agent or broker must have held a certificate and acted as an agent or broker for at least 24 (consecutive or non-consecutive) of the 36 months preceding the authorization.

Out-of-province claims adjusters

  • An out-of-province claims adjuster is a person who is authorized to act as a claims adjuster in another province or territory of Canada at the time the authorization is triggered.
  • The out-of-province claims adjuster is a person who has acted as a claims adjuster in their province or territory for at least 24 months (consecutive or non-consecutive) of the 36 months preceding the authorization.

Retired claims adjusters

  • A retired claims adjuster is a person who has previously held an AMF-issued certificate authorizing them to act as a claims adjuster.
  • The retired claims adjuster is a person who has held a claims adjuster certificate and acted in that capacity for at least 24 consecutive months in the seven years preceding the authorization.

List of authorized persons

During the authorization period, a Firm will need to keep a list of authorized persons acting on its behalf (agents or brokers, out-of-province claims adjusters and retired claims adjusters).

The list will need to contain each person’s:

  • name
  • date of birth
  • address;
  • phone number
  • client number and certificate number (in the case of an agent or broker)
  • work history

The Firm will be required to keep the information in the list up to date.

The AMF may ask to be provided with this list.

During the authorization period, the authorized persons will be required to:

  • pursue activities from a base in Canada; and
  • comply with all the regulatory requirements applicable to the pursuit of claims adjuster activities in Québec.

There is no cap on the value of claims that may be processed by authorized persons during the authorization period. 

A Firm that assigns a claim file to an authorized person must associate it with a claims adjuster at the same time. The claims adjuster must be able to take over the file at any moment in order to ensure processing continuity.

The claims adjuster will owe no duty of supervision to the authorized person to whom a file is assigned during the authorization period. Furthermore, if more than one file is assigned to the same authorized person, each file may be associated with a different claims adjuster.

The Firm will be responsible for choosing which files it assigns to an authorized person (the files do not have to be related to the exceptional circumstance).

Insight

The Firm on whose behalf an authorized person is acting as a mandatary during the authorization period takes full responsibility for the acts performed by the authorized person. It will need to hold liability insurance consistent with the requirements in section 29 of the Regulation respecting firms, independent representatives and independent partnerships and covering the acts performed by the authorized persons during the authorization period.

The Firm will be required to ensure compliance with the requirements applicable to authorized persons and may be subject to inspection by the AMF in this regard.

End of the insight

An employee working by phone is one referred to in subparagraph 3 of the second paragraph of section 10 of the Distribution Act This link will open in a new window who processes claims solely by means of information technologies.

During the authorization period, employees working by phone may process claims up to $30,000.

Employees working by phone during the authorization will be subject to the conditions set out insection 10 of the Distribution Act This link will open in a new window .

Insight

Refer to the Claims adjustment – Non certified persons page for more information.

End of the insight

During the authorization period, the AMF will allow certain persons to act as claims adjusters, subject to the conditions set forth below. Pursuant to the Distribution Act, such “authorized persons” will be:

Damage insurance agents or brokers

  • A damage insurance agent or broker is a person who is holding an AMF-issued certificate authorizing them to act in that capacity at the time the authorization is triggered.
  • The agent or broker must have held a certificate and acted as an agent or broker for at least 24 (consecutive or non-consecutive) of the 36 months preceding the authorization.

Out-of-province claims adjusters

  • An out-of-province claims adjuster is a person who is authorized to act as a claims adjuster in another province or territory of Canada at the time the authorization is triggered.
  • The out-of-province claims adjuster is a person who has acted as a claims adjuster in their province or territory for at least 24 months (consecutive or non-consecutive) of the 36 months preceding the authorization.

Retired claims adjusters

  • A retired claims adjuster is a person who has previously held an AMF-issued certificate authorizing them to act as a claims adjuster.
  • The retired claims adjuster is a person who has held a claims adjuster certificate and acted in that capacity for at least 24 consecutive months in the seven years preceding the authorization.

List of authorized persons

During the authorization period, a Firm will need to keep a list of authorized persons acting on its behalf (agents or brokers, out-of-province claims adjusters and retired claims adjusters).

The list will need to contain each person’s:

  • name
  • date of birth
  • address;
  • phone number
  • client number and certificate number (in the case of an agent or broker)
  • work history

The Firm will be required to keep the information in the list up to date.

The AMF may ask to be provided with this list.

During the authorization period, the authorized persons will be required to:

  • pursue activities from a base in Canada; and
  • comply with all the regulatory requirements applicable to the pursuit of claims adjuster activities in Québec.

There is no cap on the value of claims that may be processed by authorized persons during the authorization period. 

A Firm that assigns a claim file to an authorized person must associate it with a claims adjuster at the same time. The claims adjuster must be able to take over the file at any moment in order to ensure processing continuity.

The claims adjuster will owe no duty of supervision to the authorized person to whom a file is assigned during the authorization period. Furthermore, if more than one file is assigned to the same authorized person, each file may be associated with a different claims adjuster.

The Firm will be responsible for choosing which files it assigns to an authorized person (the files do not have to be related to the exceptional circumstance).

Insight

The Firm on whose behalf an authorized person is acting as a mandatary during the authorization period takes full responsibility for the acts performed by the authorized person. It will need to hold liability insurance consistent with the requirements in section 29 of the Regulation respecting firms, independent representatives and independent partnerships and covering the acts performed by the authorized persons during the authorization period.

The Firm will be required to ensure compliance with the requirements applicable to authorized persons and may be subject to inspection by the AMF in this regard.

End of the insight

An employee working by phone is one referred to in subparagraph 3 of the second paragraph of section 10 of the Distribution Act This link will open in a new window who processes claims solely by means of information technologies.

During the authorization period, employees working by phone may process claims up to $30,000.

Employees working by phone during the authorization will be subject to the conditions set out insection 10 of the Distribution Act This link will open in a new window .

Insight

Refer to the Claims adjustment – Non certified persons page for more information.

End of the insight

Submitting an activity report

Any Firm that has benefited from an authorization must send the AMF an activity report within six months from the end of the authorization.

The activity report must include the number of claims processed by authorized persons and by employees working by phone, the claim processing times, and the amount of indemnities paid.

Firms are asked to use the template provided by the AMF.

Report on authorizations

The AMF will publish an anonymized report, based on the activity reports, after each authorization. This will help ensure the continuous improvement of the authorization conditions.