How do I become a commercial insurance broker?

Commercial insurance brokers are licensed producers who place business coverage such as property, liability, and workers' compensation with carriers on behalf of clients. You must hold a resident producer license with property and casualty lines of authority, which means completing any required prelicensing education, passing the state exam, submitting fingerprints where required, and applying through the state or the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). From there, brokers build carrier appointments or join a brokerage; commercial commissions typically run 10% to 15% of premium.

Selling commercial insurance starts with a property and casualty producer license, because commercial coverages fall under full property and casualty authority rather than a personal lines license. Most states, including Arizona, license insurance salespeople as producers rather than issuing a separate broker license. In Arizona you must be 18 or older, pass the PSI exam, submit fingerprints, and apply through NIPR with the $120 license fee.

To sell commercial insurance in Arkansas, you need a producer license with the Property and Casualty lines of authority. Complete the required prelicensing education, apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $20 fee, clear the background check, and pass the combined PSI Property/Casualty exam, which includes commercial lines, lasts 3.5 hours, costs $50, and requires a 70% score. After licensing, insurance companies submit appointment forms for the producers they certify via NIPR.

In California, you sell commercial insurance under a Property and Casualty Broker-Agent license, which covers commercial and personal property and casualty lines. You complete a 12-hour ethics and California Insurance Code course, pass the combined Property and Casualty exam (150 questions, 195 minutes, 60% to pass), apply online through Sircon, and submit fingerprints ($74). The license filing fee is $188 for a two-year term.

Kansas does not issue a separate commercial insurance broker license. You transact commercial property and casualty business by holding the Property and Allied Lines and Casualty and Allied Lines lines of authority, which you earn by passing the Pearson VUE exams ($57 each, or $64 combined) and applying through NIPR. For the surplus lines market, Kansas offers a Surplus Lines license ($50) that requires you to hold Property and Casualty lines.

Kentucky does not issue a separate commercial insurance broker license. To sell commercial coverage, you obtain a resident agent license with the property and casualty lines of authority: complete 20 hours of prelicensing education per line, apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), pass the property and casualty exams with a 70% score, and pay the $40 license fee plus $40 per line of authority.

To sell commercial insurance in Massachusetts, you need the Property and Casualty lines of authority on a producer license. Pass the Property Producer exam and the Casualty Producer exam through Pearson, each $37 with a passing scaled score of 70, then apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). The Division of Insurance reviews your application and issues the license upon approval.

Michigan does not license insurance brokers, and "brokerage" is not allowed in the state. To sell commercial insurance, you become a licensed producer instead: complete required pre-licensing education, pass the state exam administered by PSI, apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), and get appointed by an insurer. The Casualty line of authority covers commercial coverages such as liability, workers compensation, and commercial auto.

Minnesota licenses insurance producers rather than brokers, and selling commercial insurance requires the property and casualty lines of authority. You must complete 20 hours of prelicensing education per line, pass the PSI property and casualty exams, submit fingerprints ($66.75 for electronic processing), and apply online ($50 plus $50 per line of authority). An insurance agency or business entity license costs $200, and an appointment by an insurance company is required before transacting business.

Missouri does not issue a separate commercial insurance broker license; commercial lines are sold under a property and casualty producer license. To get one, you must be 18, pass the combined Property and Casualty exam (code 55) or the standalone Property and Casualty exams (codes 52 and 53), then apply online for the $100 producer license. The license is valid for 2 years.

Nebraska licenses insurance producers, the license type that covers broker activity, so you would pursue Property and Casualty authority. Pass the combined P&C exam for $47 or the separate Property and Casualty exams for $43 each, all with a 70% passing score, then apply for the $50 resident license at NIPR.com. Nebraska also offers a Surplus Lines license for surplus lines business, which costs $250 and requires an active resident P&C producer license.

Commercial insurance is sold under a property and casualty producer license in Nevada, so the path matches the other producer lines. No prelicensing education is required; you pass the Pearson VUE Casualty exam or the Property/Casualty Combo exam with a scaled score of 70 ($37 for a single-line exam, $47 for the combo), submit fingerprints within 90 days of applying, and apply online through Sircon within one year of passing for the $185 state fee. After licensing, you secure carrier appointments, which are the contracts that permit you to sell each insurer's products.

North Carolina stopped issuing Broker licenses on July 7, 2022, under SB 496, so you sell commercial insurance under a producer license instead. Apply online at www.nipr.com for the Property or Casualty line of authority, which covers commercial building, commercial liability, and similar risks. Each line requires a $50 registration fee plus a $44 application processing fee (effective May 6, 2024), electronic fingerprints ($38), and a passing score on the Pearson VUE exam ($45 per attempt).

Commercial insurance falls under Ohio's property and casualty lines of authority, so you follow the standard agent licensing path. Complete 20 hours of pre-licensing education per line from an Ohio approved provider, pass the PSI exam (the combined Series 11-36 exam has 150 questions and a 2.5-hour limit), submit fingerprints for an Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and FBI background check, and apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $10 fee per line.

Oklahoma does not issue a separate commercial insurance broker license. To sell commercial coverage, you need a producer license with the Property and Casualty lines of authority, which requires no prelicensing education: pass the PSI exam, wait 3 business days, and apply online for the $60 resident fee. To place risks that admitted carriers decline, you also need a Surplus Lines Broker license, which requires an active Oklahoma producer license with property and casualty lines.

In Texas, commercial insurance business is written under the General Lines Property and Casualty license, which covers both commercial and personal property and casualty lines; the separate Personal Lines license covers personal business only. To qualify, you pass the Pearson VUE exam (130 scoreable questions, $49 exam fee), complete fingerprinting through TDI's portal, and apply through Sircon or NIPR within one year of passing with a $50 application fee. Texas does not require prelicensing education for this license.

Selling commercial insurance in Virginia requires the Property and Casualty agent license, which you earn by passing the Prometric Series 11-03 exam (145 total questions, 2.5 hours), then applying through NIPR. The license list in Virginia Code Section 38.2-1824 includes no general commercial broker category. Brokers who place coverage with nonadmitted insurers need the separate surplus lines broker license, which requires an active Property and Casualty license and a $25,000 bond in favor of the Commonwealth.

Washington does not issue a separate commercial insurance broker license; commercial insurance falls under the property and casualty producer lines. You follow the standard licensing path: pass the property and casualty exams with PSI (70% to pass), apply online for your $55 producer license, and submit fingerprints. Brokers placing coverage with non-admitted insurers also need the surplus line broker license, which requires an active property and casualty producer license and passing a $38 exam.