Before you get an insurance license, it’s essential to understand the different types of insurance licenses available:
1. Life Insurance License: Getting your life insurance license allows you to legally sell life insurance policies and annuities.
2. Health Insurance License: Getting your health insurance license allows you to legally sell health insurance (includes ACA, Medicare, and private plans).
3. Life and Health Insurance License: Legally allows you to sell life and health insurance, and annuities.
3. Property and Casualty Insurance License: Allows you to legally sell insurance policies for things like automobiles, homes, and businesses.
Although specific requirements can vary by state, the general steps to getting an insurance license are very similar. Here’s a broad overview of what you can expect, but you can use the dropdown menu for more specific directions in your state:
Get An Insurance License – Step 1: Figure Out Your State’s Licensing Requirements
To start, each state has its own Department of Insurance, which creates regulations on licensing requirements. These requirements can usually be found on the department’s website, but we make it easy and have every state’s specific requirements on our website. Therefore, is important to research the specific requirements for the line (type) of insurance you want to sell.
Get An Insurance License – Step 2: Complete Pre-Licensing Education
Many states require you to complete a pre-licensing education course before you can apply for your license. Although some states do not have a pre-licensing requirement, we strongly recommend purchasing a course to aid you in your studying. These courses cover important concepts and state-specific laws related to the line of insurance you want to sell. Typically, these courses will take anywhere from 20-40 hours to finish, depending on each state’s specific requirements. Watch this video to review some practice questions for the life or life/health insurance exam specifically. Check out our Top 10 Study Tips page to learn the best way to study for your exam!
Get An Insurance License – Step 3: Pass the Licensing Exam
After completing the pre-licensing education, you must pass a state licensing exam, usually with a 70%. The three main vendors for the exam are Pearson Vue, PSI, and Prometric, so you want to learn which company your state uses to administer their exam. The exams typically test your knowledge of insurance principles, state laws, and ethical practices. They are mostly all multiple-choice questions.
Get An Insurance – Step 4: Submit Your Application
After you pass the exam, you’ll need to submit an application to your state’s Department of Insurance, typically through their website or NIPR. The application process usually involves a background check and fingerprinting, so make sure you do some research if you are applying with a criminal record. You’ll also need to pay a licensing fee, which varies state by state. You can find each state’s fee on our Licensing Guide.
Step 5: Maintaining Your License
Lastly, you need meet continuing education (CE) requirements to keep your license active, typically every 2 years. CE requirements vary by state.
Use our Licensing Guide to learn how to obtain your license in the state you live in!
