How do I become an independent life insurance agent?

First, get licensed in your resident state: complete any required prelicensing education, pass the state life insurance exam, submit the license application, and complete any required fingerprint background check. After licensure, secure carrier appointments, the contracts that give an agent permission to sell an insurer's products. Independent agents apply directly with carriers or partner with an agency that connects them to multiple companies, and they must complete continuing education to keep the license.

An independent agent sells policies from several insurers rather than working for one company, as the Bureau of Labor Statistics describes. In Alabama, pass the Life exam, which allows 2.5 hours and requires 87 correct answers (70%) for a $50 fee, registering with the University of Alabama at least 7 days in advance. Then get fingerprinted, apply through NIPR for the $80 producer license, and submit proof of U.S. citizenship within 10 days. Independent agents then obtain appointments with the insurers whose products they sell.

To become an independent life insurance agent in Alaska, meet the resident eligibility rules under AS 21.27.020: be 18, reside in the state, and be trustworthy and competent. Pass the life insurance exam through Pearson VUE, which pairs a general portion with an Alaska law portion, then apply at nipr.com with the $75 producer fee, a fingerprint card, and the $48.25 fingerprint evaluation fee. Alaska no longer requires insurers to file appointments, so after licensing you contract directly with the insurers you represent.

First earn an Arkansas Life line producer license: complete a 20-hour prelicensing course, apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) before the exam, clear the background check, and pass the Life exam with at least 70%. After the license is issued, you work independently by asking each insurer you want to represent for an appointment. The insurer then has 15 calendar days to file the appointment with the state and pays the appointment fee itself, and appointments run on a one-year basis.

First complete the one-time 12-hour course on ethics and the California Insurance Code, then pass the Life exam (60% to pass) scheduled through PSI. Next, apply online through Sircon or the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), pay the $188 filing fee for a two-year license, and submit fingerprints ($74) through the state's live scan vendor. You can select both the Life-Only and Accident and Health license types to become a full Life Agent with one combined exam and one fee. To sell as an independent, you must then hold appointments with the insurers whose products you market.

In Connecticut, complete 20 hours of approved Life pre-licensing education, pass the Pearson VUE Life Producer exam ($65 fee, 70% passing score), wait 1-2 days for results to upload, then apply for the $140 resident Producer license through NIPR. To act as an agent of an insurer, you must hold an appointment, and only insurance companies can add appointments because they pay the appointment fees. Losing your last appointment does not cancel the license, but you cannot act as an agent until appointed again.

Pass the Delaware Life Producer exam through Pearson VUE ($90), complete the State Criminal Background Report from the Delaware State Police, and apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with the $125 producer fee. No prelicensing education is required. The department's fee schedule also lists a $75 company appointment fee.

First get licensed: pass the Pearson VUE life insurance exam ($75 fee, scaled passing score of 70), submit fingerprints through Fieldprint ($31.50), and apply at nipr.com, where the biennial producer license fee is $100. Then obtain an appointment from an insurer, since you cannot act as an agent of an insurer without one. Independent agents may sell policies of several companies rather than working exclusively for one.

You need Florida's 2-14 resident Life (Including Annuities & Variable Contracts) Agent license: complete a 30-hour prelicensing course within 4 years of applying, pass the Pearson VUE state exam ($44), apply through MyProfile ($50 application fee plus $5 license ID fee), and submit fingerprints ($52.50). The license requires an appointment to be valid. A licensed agent may instead self-appoint as an unaffiliated insurance agent under s. 626.015(20), F.S., and practice as an independent consultant who analyzes policies or gives insurance advice for a fee.

First obtain a Georgia Life agent license: complete an 8-hour Life prelicensing course, pass the Pearson VUE exam, and apply through Sircon with the $120 fee, the Citizenship Affidavit (GID-276-EN), and electronic fingerprints. After licensure, obtain a certificate of authority from each insurer you will represent. Independent agents hold appointments with several companies, while captive agents work for a single insurer.

Start by passing the ID Life Producer exam through Pearson VUE ($65, 120 minutes, 75 scored questions). Idaho requires no pre-licensing education, so you can prepare from the state's free content outline. Then submit fingerprints and apply online through NIPR for an $80 fee. Selling variable products requires a FINRA CRD number instead of an exam.

Get licensed first: complete 20 hours of Life pre-licensing education (7.5 hours must be classroom or webinar), then pass the Life General and State exams through Pearson VUE, paying $92 for the pair when ordered together, with both exams passed within 90 days of each other. After passing, wait 5 days and apply online through NIPR for the $215 resident license fee. Independent agents who place business with an insurer they have no agent contract with must also maintain a bond of $2,500 or 5% of premiums brokered the previous year, up to $50,000 in aggregate liability.

Pass the Iowa Life exam (12-IA-01), a 2-hour Pearson VUE exam with a $44 fee and 77 scoreable questions, taken at a test center or online through OnVUE proctoring. Then submit your application and license fee online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) within 90 days of passing; results reach NIPR within 3 to 4 business days of the exam. After licensure, independent agents hold appointments with the insurers whose products they sell.

You become an independent life insurance agent by earning a Louisiana producer license with the Life line of authority: pass the PSI Series 101 exam ($36 fee), apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), and complete fingerprinting through IdentoGo. Louisiana requires no prelicensing education for the Life exam, so no course stands between you and the exam.

To become an independent life insurance agent in Maine, pass the Pearson VUE Life Producer exam (12-ME-41), which has 75 scoreable questions, runs 1 hour 45 minutes, and costs $55, with a passing scaled score of 70. Then submit a license application and fee to the Maine Bureau of Insurance, which reviews it before issuing the license.

Complete a state-approved 20-hour Life pre-licensing course, taken as classroom or self-study, then pass the $41 PSI Life Producer exam (100 items, 2 hours, 72% to pass), and file your application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $10.00 state fee plus a $5.00 transaction fee. Michigan does not allow consumer-side brokerage, so an independent producer still sells through insurer appointments, and the insurer must file each appointment within 15 days of the first application submitted.

You first obtain a Minnesota life insurance producer license: complete 20 hours of prelicensing education for the life line, pass the PSI exam with at least 70%, submit fingerprints, and apply online through Sircon or the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). Independent agents represent multiple insurance companies rather than working exclusively for one. An appointment by an insurance company is required before you can transact business, per Minnesota Statute 60K.49.

Mississippi removed the prelicensing course requirement for Life-only applicants on July 1, 2024, so you can go straight to the Life producer exam, which requires a 65% passing score. After passing, apply for the $100 producer license at sircon.com/mississippi or nipr.com. To operate independently, you will need appointments: insurers must appoint you before you may solicit or sell, and independent agents typically hold appointments with several companies.

Montana requires no prelicensing education, so the path is exam, application, and fingerprinting. Pass the life insurance exam through Pearson VUE (86 scoreable questions, a passing score of 75% or better, and a $65 fee), apply for a resident producer license through NIPR (no state application fee), and submit fingerprints with the $30 background check fee to Montana Criminal Records. Insurer appointments for producers carry no fee, resident or nonresident.

In Nevada, independent life insurance agents follow the same licensing path as any life producer: pass the Pearson VUE Life exam, submit fingerprints, and apply for the $185 resident producer license with a Life line of authority. The independence comes after licensing, when you contract with several insurers instead of one company. Passing the exam does not license you; you may not sell life insurance until the state issues the license and an insurer appoints you.

To sell life insurance in New Hampshire, pass the Life producer exam (series 12-61, $59) with PSI, then apply online through NIPR with the $210 license fee. Each insurance carrier you represent must appoint you within 15 days of initiating business with you. If you sell annuities, you must also complete a one-time 4-credit annuity training course approved by the department before selling those products.

To become an independent life insurance agent in New Jersey, complete 20 hours of approved prelicensing education for life, pass the PSI exam with at least 70%, complete Live Scan fingerprinting ($66.05), and apply through NIPR ($170 in state fees). After licensure, independent agents secure appointments with insurance carriers, the contracts that permit selling their products, and typically purchase errors and omissions liability coverage.

To become an independent life agent, pass the Life Insurance Producer exam with at least 70%, complete the national background check ($67), and apply online through NIPR ($30 fee). A license alone does not authorize you to represent an insurer; each insurer must appoint you, and it must file the appointment within 15 days of the agency agreement or the first application submitted on its behalf.

First obtain a Life line of authority: apply at www.nipr.com, pay the $50 registration and $44 application processing fees, and pass the Pearson VUE Life exam, which has 55 questions plus 5 pretest questions, runs 1 hour 15 minutes, and costs $45 per attempt. No prelicensing education is required. An agent may not sell insurance until appointed by one or more insurance companies, and can sell only the products of the companies for which appointed and licensed.

North Dakota licenses life insurance agents the same way whether you plan to work independently or for one company. You pass the Life and Annuity exam ($64, 70% to pass), complete fingerprinting, and apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $100 fee. To transact for an insurer, that insurer must appoint you, and it must file the appointment within 30 days of the contract or first application.

You need an Oregon life insurance producer license: complete 20 hours of prelicensing education for the life line, pass the PSI life exam ($45), provide fingerprints ($61.25), and apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). To work independently, note that a producer may represent as many insurers as appoint them under one license, but Oregon law prohibits acting as an agent of an insurer unless appointed by it.

First obtain a Tennessee life insurance producer license: complete 20 hours of pre-licensing education, pass the Pearson VUE life exam with a score of at least 70%, complete fingerprinting, and apply online with a $50 fee. To work independently, you then contract with insurers or join an agency. Each appointing insurer must file its appointment notice with the state within 15 days of the contract date.

Start by earning the Texas Life Agent license: pass the licensing exam, complete fingerprinting, and apply within one year of passing, paying the $50 application fee. As an independent agent, you then contract with the insurers you want to represent. Each insurer must file an appointment with the Texas Department of Insurance before you may transact business for it, and each additional company appointment carries a $10 fee.

Obtain a Vermont Producer license with the Life line of authority: pass the Prometric Life exam ($52) or the combined Life, Accident and Health exam ($67.60), then apply through NIPR with $60 in state fees. Vermont is an appointment state, so an insurer must appoint you within 15 days of executing an agency contract or submitting your first application. Independent agents sell for several companies, unlike captive agents who work for one.

First pass the Prometric Life and Annuities exam (Series 11-05, 90 scored plus 15 pretest questions in 2 hours), complete Fieldprint fingerprinting, and apply for your Virginia license through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) at $15 per line. An independent agent sells for several insurers rather than one company, so you then obtain an appointment from each insurer: Virginia requires an active appointment at the time of sale before an insurer may pay commissions.

Washington has no separate license for independent agents; you need a producer license with the life line of authority. Pass the PSI life producer exam ($38, 100 questions, 70% to pass), apply online for the $55 license, and, as a resident, submit fingerprints ($52). After you are licensed, the insurers you represent appoint or affiliate you. If you also want to sell health coverage, note that Washington calls the health line "disability," and the combined life and disability exam costs $55.

To become an independent life insurance agent in Wisconsin, complete 20 hours of prelicensing education: 8 hours of insurance principles, Wisconsin law, and ethics, plus 12 hours covering life policies, terms, and line-specific law. Pass the Wisconsin Life exam (series 22-01, $75 fee) with at least 70% correct, submit fingerprints, and apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) after waiting 48-72 hours for scores to record. An independent agent contracts with one or more insurers, which must appoint you within 15 days of the contract or the first application.

To sell life insurance in Wyoming, pass the Wyoming Insurance Licensing Exam for the Life line of authority through Pearson VUE, apply online through Sircon, pay the $100 resident fee, and submit fingerprints after the department receives your application. Once licensed, you can work as an independent agent representing multiple insurers rather than one company. If you will sell annuities, Wyoming also requires a one-time 4-credit annuity training course from a department-approved provider.