How do I choose a life and health insurance pre-licensing course?

Start with whether your state requires prelicensing education for the life and health lines. Where it is required, only courses from the state's approved-education list count. Many states offer a single combined course for both lines: New York, for example, requires 40 hours for the combined life, accident and health authority but only 20 hours for either line alone. In states with no education requirement, such as Texas, candidates may prepare however they choose.

You do not need to choose one. Alabama eliminated the prelicensing course requirement on January 1, 2024, and the Alabama Department of Insurance no longer approves or regulates prelicensing schools for life and health licensing. Courses now serve only as optional exam preparation. Compare any course against the exam outline published by the University of Alabama, the state exam administrator.

Alaska has no prelicensing education requirement, so you do not need a course completion certificate before taking the licensing exam. If you want structured practice, Pearson VUE offers online practice tests for life and health for $19.95 each. Most people study insurance fundamentals and Alaska insurance law on their own before scheduling the exam.

Arizona requires no pre-licensing education for life and health licensing, so a prep course is optional exam preparation. The combined Life, Accident and Health or Sickness exam (Series 13-33) costs $59, or you can take the Life and Accident and Health exams separately at $50 each, each with a 70% passing score. The state department cannot recommend suppliers or evaluate course quality, so pick a course that covers the published exam content outline for your line of authority.

Choose a course from the state's approved-education list, because Arkansas only accepts prelicensing certificates from providers the Insurance Commissioner approves. Arkansas requires 20 hours of prelicensing education for each producer line, including 5 hours of state laws and rules and 1 hour of ethics. Courses may be classroom or online, but online study time must be tracked and verified. Your certificate of completion is valid for 2 years and must be presented at the exam, so time the course close to your exam date.

To sell life and accident & health insurance in Colorado, you must complete 50 hours of prelicensing education per line from a state-approved provider. Approved providers appear on the state's approved-education list at sircon.com/colorado, and you must provide your school's code when you reserve the Pearson VUE exam. Training is valid for one year, so you must pass the exam within that window or complete the training again.

Pick a course from Connecticut's approved pre-licensing provider list. A single line, such as Life or Accident & Health or Sickness, requires 20 hours, and the combined Life/Accident & Health course requires 40 hours, delivered in classroom, self-study, or online format. Before enrolling, ask your employer whether it approves specific courses, since some companies sponsor training.

DC does not require any pre-licensing education, so you can choose your preparation format freely: a commercial prep course, self-study, classroom, or internet study. Pearson VUE, the exam vendor, sells online life and health practice tests for $19.95. Whichever route you take, you must pass the licensing exam with a scaled score of 70.

For the combined life and health license (2-15), Florida requires a 60-hour approved course; life only (2-14) requires 30 hours, and health only (2-40) requires 40 hours. Choose a department-approved provider through the Florida Department of Financial Services Education Database, selecting the "Prelicensing" option. Course costs vary by provider, and approved providers report completion to the department within 21 days of your passing date.

Pick a provider from Georgia's approved-education list; both classroom and online formats satisfy the requirement. Georgia requires an 8-hour course for Life and an 8-hour course for Accident and Sickness, with a combined Life/A&S course also available. The provider reports your completion electronically, and the course is valid for one year, so you must pass the Pearson VUE exam within that period or retrain.

Idaho requires no pre-licensing course for the Life or Accident and Health lines, so a prep course is optional. The Life exam has 75 scored questions in 120 minutes, and the Accident and Health exam has 75 scored questions in 120 minutes, each costing $65 through Pearson VUE. The Idaho Department of Insurance publishes content outlines for each line that show what the exams cover.

Check that the provider appears on the state's approved-education list, searchable through the education provider lookup at www.statebasedsystems.com. Illinois requires 20 hours of pre-licensing education per line of authority, with 7.5 of those hours completed in a classroom setting, so confirm the course meets that structure before enrolling. Also plan your timing: pre-licensing education is valid for 12 months from completion, and you must obtain the license while it is active.

Choose a course from the Indiana Department of Insurance's approved-education list, searchable through the Sircon system, and match it to your line: the combined Life & Health course runs 40 hours, while a single-line Life or Health course is shorter. Indiana allows state-approved self-study courses to fulfill the classroom requirement, so the format is your choice. Your certificate of completion is valid for six months, so plan to pass the exam and apply for your license within that window.

Iowa's licensing steps include no course, and neither the Iowa Insurance Division nor Pearson VUE endorses any study materials or vendors, so any course you choose is voluntary. If you buy one, look for coverage of both exam parts: the general section on insurance product knowledge and the state section on Iowa laws and rules. The Life and Accident & Health exams each cost $44 and allow 2 hours.

Kansas does not require a life and health pre-licensing course, so there is nothing you must enroll in before testing. You can register for the exam directly with Pearson VUE, which charges $64 for the combined Life and Accident and Health exam or $57 for each single-line exam. If you still want a prep course, neither the Kansas Department of Insurance nor Pearson VUE endorses any particular provider, and optional courses vary widely in price.

Choose a course that satisfies the 40 hours Kentucky requires for the combined life-and-health track, or 20 hours for a single line. Both classroom and self-study formats are accepted, and the provider must be approved by the Department of Insurance and report your completion electronically. The certificate must be signed and dated to be valid, and it is good for one year from the date of completion.

Louisiana does not require prelicensing education for a life and health producer license, so any course you take is optional exam preparation rather than a mandate. You must still pass the state exam, which PSI administers at its testing locations, with a score of at least 70%. When comparing courses, check that the content matches the exam outline in PSI's candidate information bulletin and that the study format fits your schedule.

Pick a provider from the Maine Bureau of Insurance's approved-education list; neither the Bureau nor Pearson VUE recommends or endorses any manual or course. Match the course to the exam content outlines in the candidate handbook, since the combined Life, Accident & Health exam draws its 136 scoreable questions from those topics in a 3 hour 30 minute, $80 test.

Maryland does not require a life and health prelicensing course, so there is no state-approved list to choose from. Effective October 1, 2024, exam applicants no longer need a Commissioner-approved program of study, and the Maryland Insurance Administration and Prometric no longer publish approved courses or providers. Prep is optional and self-directed; candidates can study Prometric's combined Life and Accident and Health exam content outline.

You do not need a course at all: Massachusetts has no pre-licensing education requirement for the Life or Accident and Health exams, so any course is optional exam preparation. Useful study materials are the Pearson VUE content outlines, which detail the 50 scored general knowledge questions and 30 scored Massachusetts-specific questions on each exam, and Pearson's official online practice tests at $19.95 each.

Pick a Michigan-approved provider and decide your scope first: 20 hours covers Life alone or Accident and Health alone, while 40 hours covers both lines together. Classroom and self-study formats are both acceptable. Your Course Completion Certificate is valid 12 months, and you must pass the exam within that window; do not bring the certificate to the test site, because your provider transmits completion data to DIFS electronically.

Life and health prelicensing in Minnesota is 20 hours per line of authority, so plan on one 20-hour course for Life and one for Accident & Health. Choose a provider from the Minnesota Department of Commerce's pre-approved education list on Sircon; the course must cover Minnesota law and rules along with life and accident and health topics. You may be exempt if you hold a qualifying insurance degree or a designation such as CLU, FLMI, or LUTCF for Life, or RHU, REBC, or HIA for Health.

For a Life-only license, no prelicensing course is required since House Bill 819 took effect July 1, 2024, though the Life exam is still required. For Accident & Health, you must complete 20 hours of state-approved education. Choose from the state's approved-education list at sircon.com/mississippi; Mississippi allows classroom, online, or self-study formats.

You do not need one. Missouri requires no pre-licensing course for life and health producers, so you can prepare on your own and take the Pearson VUE exam directly. The combined Life, Accident and Health exam (code 54) costs $40 and takes 3 hours. Private prep courses are optional and vary in price.

Montana requires no prelicensing course for a life or health license, so any course you choose is optional exam preparation rather than a state requirement. Neither the State Auditor's Office nor Pearson VUE endorses any particular manual or course, and the state issues no study material of its own. Pearson VUE sells official online practice tests in life and health for $19.95 each, which can supplement whatever study method you prefer.

Nebraska does not require a pre-licensing course for the life and health exams, so you can study with any materials you choose. Useful free resources include the state's exam outlines and the PSI practice exams for life and health. Registration is online with PSI; the combined exam costs $47 and single-line exams cost $43, with a 70% passing score on all exams.

New Hampshire has required no prelicensing course since July 11, 2008, so a life and health course is optional study preparation rather than a licensing step. The New Hampshire Insurance Department does not provide study materials, does not evaluate the quality of any course, and cannot recommend a supplier. What matters is passing the licensing exam, and the state publishes a candidate bulletin that describes what each exam covers.

Pick a course from the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance's approved-education list that covers your line: 20 hours for Life and 20 hours for Accident & Health, or 40 hours combined. Both self-study and interactive online formats are allowed. The completion certificate never expires, and you must present it at the PSI exam center.

New Mexico requires no prelicensing course for the Life or Accident and Health lines, so you can study on your own or use any commercial course; prices vary by provider. The exam fee is $75, and you must score at least 70% to pass. After passing, complete the fingerprint background check and apply online through NIPR.

Choose a course from a provider approved by the New York Department of Financial Services (DFS); search the approved-education list on the DFS portal. The combined life, accident and health course must total at least 40 hours, or 20 hours for life only or accident and health only. Candidates holding a CLU or CLUA designation (agents) or CLU, ChFC, or MSFS (brokers) may waive the education requirement and take only the laws and regulations exam.

North Carolina repealed its pre-licensing education requirement effective October 1, 2025, so you do not need a life and health course before taking the state exams. If you still want one, the North Carolina Department of Insurance publishes a list of approved pre-licensing education providers on its website, and anyone may complete the education voluntarily.

North Dakota requires no prelicensing education for the life and health exams, and the state neither approves nor regulates course providers. Life and accident and health applicants may prepare by self-study or classroom instruction, and no verification of study is required. Before buying a course, confirm it covers the content outline in the PSI Candidate Information Bulletin, since the Department cannot recommend providers.

Choose a course from a provider on the Ohio Department of Insurance's approved list; each line of authority requires 20 hours, so plan separately for the Life line and the Accident & Health line. Classroom, distance learning, and self-study formats are all acceptable. If you hold an associate's or bachelor's degree in insurance, or a designation such as CLU for the life line, you can request a pre-license education waiver (Form INS3276), which is valid for 180 calendar days.

Oklahoma does not require a life and health prelicensing course; you only need to pass the exam, which costs $38 and requires 70% correct. The exams are based on the Kaplan study guides sold by the department ($35 physical, $20 PDF, $30 eBook), and several providers on the state's published course-provider list offer their own prep courses. Self-study is a permitted path.

Oregon requires 20 hours of prelicensing training for the life line and 20 hours for the health line. Choose an Oregon-approved course that covers basic principles, producer duties, and Oregon insurance law; classroom, live online, and verifiable online self-study formats all qualify. Prices vary by school and format. Your Certificate of Completion is valid for one year, so pass the exam and apply for the license before it expires.

Rhode Island requires no prelicensing course hours, so any course you choose is optional preparation rather than a licensing requirement. Match the course to the content outlines in the Rhode Island insurance candidate handbook published by the Department of Business Regulation. The Life and Accident & Health exams each have 80 scoreable questions split into general and state sections, with a passing score of 70.

South Carolina requires no prelicensing course for the life and health exams, so your choice is optional preparation rather than a state requirement. You can prepare with Pearson VUE's candidate handbook and content outlines, which list every tested topic, including the South Carolina-specific sections. Because the state has no approved-course requirement, compare formats such as classroom, live online, and self-study, and pick one that fits your schedule.

A life and health pre-licensing course is optional in South Dakota, because the state requires no pre-licensing education for a producer license. The Division of Insurance does not specify an official study material, and candidates may use materials of their choice. Testing outlines and exam information are available on the Division's exam page.

Choose a provider from the state's approved-education list, searchable through State Based Systems, and confirm the course covers each line you plan to sell. Tennessee requires 20 hours of pre-licensing education for Life and 20 hours for Accident and Health. There is no combined Life and Health exam in Tennessee, so you must pass a separate exam for each line.

Texas does not require pre-licensing education for the General Lines Life, Accident and Health license, so a course is optional exam preparation, and costs vary by provider. Match the course to the exam content: 130 scoreable questions covering general insurance knowledge plus Texas state law. Holders of the Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) designation are exempt from the exam entirely.

Utah requires no pre-licensing course for the life and health license, so any study program is optional preparation you choose yourself. The Utah Insurance Department does not review or approve study materials, but it lists study-material vendors on its exam page. The combined Life, Accident and Health exam (Prometric series 17-03) has 150 questions and a 2.5-hour time limit.

Vermont requires no prelicensing education for the Life and Accident & Health exam, so any course you take is optional preparation. If you use one, choose a course built around Prometric's Series 14-29 outline, the combined Life, Accident and Health exam of 150 scored questions plus 5 unscored items in a 2.5-hour session. A course that mirrors that outline, including life policies, annuities, medical plans, and Vermont regulations, matches what the exam tests.

You do not need a pre-licensing course in Washington. Since July 23, 2023, pre-licensing education is optional exam preparation, so a life and disability course is a study aid rather than a requirement. If you want one, the Office of the Insurance Commissioner maintains a list of approved exam-prep providers that offer life and disability coursework.

A life and health license requires approved pre-licensing education at 20 hours per line of authority. Search approved providers through Sircon and plan to finish before your exam, since the certificate expires 6 months from the course completion date. You must present a paper copy of the certificate at the test center, and electronic versions are not accepted.

Choose a course from Wisconsin's approved-education list, because the state accepts prelicensing credit only from Wisconsin-approved providers. For life or accident and health, the course must provide at least 20 hours: 8 hours covering principles of insurance, general Wisconsin insurance laws, and ethics, plus 12 hours of line-specific policies, terms, and law. Asynchronous online courses require a proctored course exam and a proctored affidavit, and you must bring the completion certificate to the test center or you cannot take the exam.

Wyoming requires no prelicensing education for the life and accident and health lines, so a course is optional preparation rather than a mandate. The Wyoming Department of Insurance does not endorse providers and only lists those known to carry study materials. Pick materials that match the exam for the lines of authority you plan to take, since passing the Wyoming Insurance Licensing Exam is the required step.