How do I become an independent insurance broker?

An independent broker represents insurance buyers rather than an insurer, placing coverage with any company that will accept the business. Licensing follows the same state-by-state process as for agents: for a resident license you must be at least 18 in most states, complete any required prelicensing education, pass the state exam, and clear a background check, often with fingerprinting. Brokers earn commissions on the policies they place, and because they represent the client rather than the carrier, coverage must be bound by the insurer or one of its agents.

Alaska's producer eligibility criteria list no experience requirement, so you can start with the exam. Schedule the exam with Pearson VUE and pay the $89 fee at reservation, pass with a scaled score of 70, and apply electronically at nipr.com with the $75 producer fee, one fingerprint card, and the $48.25 fingerprint fee. Filing a paper application when electronic filing is available adds a $50 fee.

You first need an Arkansas producer license: complete 20 hours of prelicensing education for each line, apply through NIPR before the exam, clear the criminal background check, and pass the PSI exam with at least 70%. You can print your license from NIPR 24 hours after passing. Unlike captive agents, who work for one company, independent agents sell policies from several companies; after licensing, you ask each company you wish to represent for an appointment, and that company files it with the Arkansas Insurance Department within 15 calendar days and pays the appointment fee.

Connecticut does not issue a separate broker license; the Insurance Producer license is the authority to solicit, negotiate, or sell coverage. Complete the required pre-licensing hours (40 for combined Property & Casualty, for example), pass the Pearson exam, and apply through NIPR for the $140 fee. To operate independently, you need appointments from insurers, and only insurance companies can add appointments because they pay the appointment fees.

In Delaware, "insurance broker" is used interchangeably with "insurance producer" in state law, so you follow the standard producer path: be at least 18, pass the Pearson VUE exams for your lines of authority, submit state and FBI criminal history reports, and apply online through NIPR for the $150 license. Delaware stopped issuing consultant licenses in 2002; a person who gives insurance advice may obtain a producer license, though Delaware law does not permit a producer to charge fees in addition to premium.

In DC, you become licensed as a producer by passing the Pearson VUE exam for each line of authority you want, applying online at nipr.com ($100 biennial fee for a resident individual), and completing fingerprinting through Fieldprint as a resident applicant. An appointment is required only if you act as an agent of an insurer. Per the Bureau of Labor Statistics, independent agents may sell policies of several companies, and brokers represent clients rather than insurers.

Florida does not license "brokers" separately; independent producers operate as agents. One path is the unaffiliated insurance agent, defined in s. 626.015(20), Fla. Stat.: a licensed agent in an eligible class (such as 2-14, 2-15, 2-40, 2-20, or 20-44) who self-appoints and works as an independent consultant analyzing policies or advising on insurance for a fee. First qualify for one of those licenses through prelicensing education, the state exam, and appointment.

Georgia licenses agents by line of authority, so you first get licensed in the lines you plan to sell: complete the 8-hour prelicensing course for each line, pass the Pearson VUE exam, and apply at sircon.com/georgia with the $120 fee, the notarized Citizenship Affidavit, and electronic fingerprints. After the license issues, you must obtain a certificate of authority from each insurer you will represent ($16 per new appointment). Independent agents hold certificates with several companies rather than working for a single insurer.

In Idaho, an independent insurance agent or broker starts by obtaining a producer license: pass the state licensing exam for each line of authority you plan to sell ($65 per exam through Pearson VUE), submit fingerprints for a background check, and apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with an $80 fee. Independent agents sell policies from several insurers rather than working exclusively for one company, and before you can act as an agent of an insurer, that insurer must file an appointment with the Idaho Department of Insurance.

In Illinois you need a producer license first, then a broker bond if you place coverage without an agent contract. Complete 20 hours of pre-licensing education per line of authority (7.5 hours in a classroom), pass the Pearson VUE General and State exams, wait 5 days, and apply online through NIPR for the $215 resident fee. A producer who places insurance with an insurer they have no agent contract with must maintain a bond of $2,500 or 5% of the premiums brokered in the previous calendar year, whichever is greater, up to $50,000 aggregate liability.

Iowa licenses insurance producers, a term that covers agents and brokers alike, so you apply for a producer license. You must be at least 18, pass the licensing exam for each line of authority you want (Pearson VUE administers the exams), submit your application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $50 fee, and complete fingerprinting. Independent producers then hold appointments with the insurers whose products they sell.

An independent agent sells policies from several companies rather than working exclusively for one. In Kansas, start by earning a resident producer license: Kansas requires no pre-licensing education, so you can register with the exam vendor Pearson VUE, pass the exams for your lines, get fingerprinted, and submit the NAIC Uniform Application through NIPR. To transact business, each company you represent must appoint you as its producer through NIPR.

In Louisiana, selling insurance independently requires a producer license, which authorizes you to sell, solicit, or negotiate insurance products. You pass the required exam with PSI, apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) for a $75 fee, and be fingerprinted. Each insurer you represent must then appoint you, and the initial company appointment fee for an individual producer is $45. Surplus lines brokers, who place coverage with unauthorized insurers, must already hold a property and casualty or accident and health license with at least 2 years of experience.

In Maine you start by earning a producer license: complete 16 credit hours of prelicensing education (or document 6 months of relevant experience), pass the Pearson VUE exam for your lines, and apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with the $25 resident fee. Maine requires no agency affiliation or company appointment to keep a license active, but you must be appointed by each insurer you represent before selling its policies.

Michigan does not allow "brokerage" as a licensing concept: state law describes a broker as someone who represents the consumer rather than an insurer, and a broker's acts do not bind any insurer. To operate independently, you obtain a producer license, and each insurer you represent must electronically file a notice of appointment within 15 days of the date the first insurance application is submitted or an agency contract is executed.

Minnesota licenses insurance producers, which is the license an independent agent or broker operates under. Complete 20 hours of prelicensing education per line of authority, pass the PSI exam ($45 for producer exams), submit fingerprints ($66.75 for electronic processing at a PSI test center), and file the application online ($50 plus $50 per line of authority). An independent agent may then sell policies from several insurance companies rather than working exclusively for one insurer.

Mississippi does not issue a separate broker license; independent brokers operate as licensed insurance producers. Complete 20 hours of pre-licensing education per line of authority (the Life line is exempt as of July 1, 2024), pass the Pearson VUE exam for each line, and apply at sircon.com or nipr.com with the $100 fee. As an independent producer, you can hold appointments with several insurance companies.

Montana does not issue a separate broker license, so you start with a producer license. Pass the Pearson VUE exam for each line you plan to sell with a score of 75% or better, submit fingerprints with the $30 background check fee, and apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). From there, independent agents contract with insurers directly rather than through a captive company and typically carry their own errors and omissions coverage, which varies widely in cost.

Start by obtaining a Nebraska insurance producer license: be at least 18, pass the PSI exam for your lines of authority, and apply online at NIPR.com for the $50 resident license. Nebraska requires no pre-licensing education. Independent producers contract with multiple insurers, and each insurer files your appointment online at NIPR within 15 days of executing the contract. Agency licenses are required only for partnerships, associations, or corporations acting as producers.

In Nevada, independent brokers are licensed as insurance producers. Nevada requires no prelicensing education hours for producer applicants, so the steps are: pass the Pearson VUE licensing exam ($37 for a single line, $47 for a combo), then apply online through Sircon or the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) within one year of passing, submitting fingerprints within 90 days of applying. The state application fee is $185. After licensure, independent agents secure appointments with insurers and typically buy errors and omissions liability insurance.

New Hampshire uses a single producer licensing system, and producers may act as agents, brokers, or consultants. To become a broker, pass the PSI licensing exam for the lines of authority you want, then apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $210 application fee. There is no separate broker license.

In New Mexico, an independent broker starts with a resident producer license in the lines of authority you want to sell. No prelicensing course is required: pass the PSI exam with at least 70%, complete the $67 background check, and apply online at NIPR for $30. The license itself does not authorize you to represent an insurer, so you need appointments; each insurer files an appointment with OSI within 15 days of the agency agreement or first application. You must maintain an in-state place of business accessible to the public, which may be your residence except for title producers.

North Carolina stopped issuing Broker licenses on July 7, 2022, under Senate Bill 496, so an independent producer applies for an insurance producer license instead. You apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), pay a $50 registration fee per line of authority plus a $44 application processing fee, and pass the Pearson VUE exam for each line you want to sell. To sell insurance, you must also hold appointments from one or more insurance companies, which are processed electronically through NIPR.

North Dakota licenses insurance sales work through the insurance producer license, which covers brokers and agents alike. Pass the exam for each line of authority through PSI, submit fingerprint cards, and apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with the $100 fee; no prelicensing education is required. To act as an agent of an insurer, you must be appointed by that insurer, which files notice of appointment within 30 days of the contract or first application.

Oregon does not permit brokering, so you operate as an independently appointed insurance producer. You must complete 20 hours of prelicense education per line of authority, pass the PSI exam, submit fingerprints, and apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) at www.nipr.com. One producer license lets you represent as many insurers as appoint you, and insurers process appointments through NIPR.

Independents in Pennsylvania hold the same producer license as everyone else: pass the PSI exam for your lines of authority, apply online through Sircon or NIPR (the resident application fee is $55), and complete fingerprinting at an IdentoGO center. Once licensed, you sign appointments with each insurer you want to represent, and each insurer reports the appointment to the Department. Independent agents sell policies for several companies, while captive agents work exclusively for one.

In Rhode Island, you become an independent broker like any insurance producer, then contract with multiple insurers instead of one. You must be at least 18, pass the Pearson VUE licensing exams for your lines ($80 each, passing score 70), provide a certified background check (BCI), and apply through NIPR with the $120 resident fee. Rhode Island requires no prelicensing education hours. After licensing, you must carry errors and omissions (E&O) insurance under R.I. Gen. Laws § 27-2.4-23 and secure carrier appointments, the contracts that let you sell each insurer's products.

In South Carolina you sell standard lines as a licensed insurance producer. Pass the exam for your line of authority, apply online through NIPR with the $25 fee, and, as a resident, submit fingerprints after applying. To work independently, you then contract with insurers; each appointing company files the appointment electronically through NIPR, with fees of $40 for a local appointment or $100 for a general appointment.

South Dakota licenses insurance producers rather than issuing a separate broker credential, so an independent broker follows the standard producer path. You must be at least 18 years old, pass the written exam for each line of authority you want to sell, and apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $25 licensing fee plus a service fee. No pre-licensing education is required, and each insurer that appoints you pays a $10 resident appointment fee.

Utah does not issue a separate broker credential; you operate independently as a licensed producer. Pass the Prometric exam for the line you want, apply online through SIRCON or the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), and be fingerprinted. The license alone does not allow transactions: you need an appointment with an insurer or a designation with a licensed agency that holds insurer appointments. To operate your own firm, the agency license also requires a designated responsible licensed person.

Vermont no longer issues separate broker licenses; brokers and agents are licensed under a single Insurance Producer license (Title 8, §4791). You must be at least 18, pass the written licensing exam administered by Prometric, and submit an application with a $30 application fee plus a $30 license fee through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), waiting 48 hours after passing the exam. Vermont is an appointment state, so an insurer must appoint you within 15 days of an agency contract or first insurance application.

Virginia licenses agents by line of authority (life and annuities, health, property and casualty, personal lines, title), and its license list includes no separate independent-broker category for standard lines; independent agents simply hold an agent license and contract with several insurers. You pass the Prometric exam for your line (no prelicensing course is required except for Title), get fingerprinted at a Fieldprint location, and apply through NIPR at $15 per line of authority. An insurer must appoint you at the time of sale for it to pay you a commission.

In West Virginia, an independent agent starts with a resident producer license: 20 hours of pre-licensing education per line of authority, the Pearson exam, fingerprints through IdentoGo (service code 228NS5), and the $50 application through NIPR. No insurer sponsorship is required on the application. To then deal with licensed insurers, an individual producer must be appointed, and the insurer pays a $25 initial appointment fee.

In Wyoming, brokers are licensed as insurance producers, the same as agents. Pass the Wyoming Insurance Licensing Exam for the lines of authority you want through Pearson VUE, then apply online through Sircon and pay the $100 resident fee. You must also submit fingerprints for a background check ($39). Wyoming requires no prelicensing course hours.