How do I get an insurance license through my state's Department of Insurance (DOI)?

The standard path is to complete any required prelicensing education for your line of authority, pass the state licensing exam, submit fingerprints for a background check, and then file the application with the required fee. In most states you must be at least 18 years old, and applications are filed online through the National Insurance Producer Registry, Sircon, or your state's own portal. States typically take 7 to 10 days to review applications. Prelicensing hours vary sharply by state, from none at all in states like Texas to 90 hours for New York's property and casualty license.

In Alabama you obtain a producer license through NIPR, which processes applications on behalf of the Alabama Department of Insurance. You first pass the state exam administered by the University of Alabama (register at least 7 days ahead, 70% to pass), then complete a fingerprint background check through Fieldprint, then submit the online application with the $80 producer fee and proof of U.S. citizenship within 10 days. After about a week, check the state's licensee search to confirm issuance and print the license.

To get an Alaska insurance license, you must be at least 18, be a resident of and actually living in Alaska, and pass the licensing exam that Pearson VUE administers. Alaska requires no prelicensing education. After passing, apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) at nipr.com with your exam results, one fingerprint card, the $75 application fee, and the $48.25 fingerprint card evaluation fee. The exam fee is $89, and scores are valid for one year from the test date.

Arizona's Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions regulates licensing and requires no pre-licensing education. Pass the PSI exam for your line of authority (70% to pass), submit fingerprints through the state's electronic process ($8.25 to Fieldprint plus $22.44 to the Arizona Department of Public Safety), then apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry and pay the $120 license fee. The Department processes most applications within 10 days, though paper applications take about 30 days longer.

In Arkansas, the process starts with the resident licensing application, which you submit through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) before you take the exam. After applying, complete the online criminal background check; once both clear, PSI issues an Authorization to Test, usually within 2-5 days. Complete 20 hours of prelicensing education for each line of authority, pass the PSI exam with at least 70%, and print your license from NIPR within 24 hours of passing.

California insurance licenses come from the California Department of Insurance (CDI). Resident applicants first pass the qualifying exam for their line, scheduled through the testing vendor PSI Services LLC, then apply online through Sircon or the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $188 filing fee, and submit fingerprints. Before licensure, complete the 12-hour ethics and California Insurance Code course, which became the only required prelicensing course on January 1, 2026.

To get a Colorado insurance producer license, complete 50 hours of prelicensing education for each line of authority, then pass the Pearson VUE licensing exam. You can take the exam at a test center or online through OnVUE; the $41 fee covers up to two exams in one session. After passing, apply online through Sircon (sircon.com/colorado) or the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR); the resident fee is $44 per line of authority as of April 1, 2026. Your passing exam score is valid for one year, so the application must be received within that window.

In Connecticut, you first complete pre-licensing education: 20 hours for a single line such as Life or Property, or 40 hours for a combined line such as Property & Casualty. Next, schedule the Pearson VUE exam at least 24 hours ahead and pass with a 70% score, then wait 1-2 business days for results to upload to the national database. Apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) and pay the $140 application fee; most applications are processed within 7-10 business days. Connecticut does not require fingerprinting for most licenses.

In Delaware, the Department of Insurance accepts only electronic applications, submitted through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) rather than on paper. You schedule your licensing exam with the department's contractor, Pearson VUE, and submit fingerprints to the Delaware State Police using service code 27S46Z to obtain state and FBI criminal history reports. Passing exam results transmit electronically within 2 to 5 business days, and the department typically issues the license within 24 to 48 hours of a complete application. The producer application fee is $150.

To get a DC insurance producer license, pass the licensing exam administered by Pearson VUE (required scaled passing score 70, exam fee $75), then complete fingerprinting and a background check through Fieldprint ($31.50). You can apply electronically at nipr.com starting 24 hours after passing; the biennial producer license fee is $100. States typically take 7 to 10 days to review applications.

In Florida the Department of Financial Services (DFS) regulates insurance licensing. Complete your prelicensing education, submit the application online through MyProfile, get fingerprinted through IdentoGO by Idemia, and pass the Pearson VUE state exam unless you qualify for an exemption. After approval, print the license from MyProfile; an insurer must then appoint you before you can transact insurance.

Complete the required prelicensing education for your line, pass the Pearson VUE licensing exam with a score of 70% or higher, then apply online at sircon.com/georgia. The Georgia Insurance Department also requires a notarized Citizenship Affidavit (form GID-276-EN), electronic fingerprints for a criminal background check, and a $100 license fee plus a $20 processing fee. The $67 exam fee is paid to Pearson VUE at the time of reservation.

The Idaho Department of Insurance issues producer licenses through an online process: pass the Pearson VUE exam for each line of authority you want ($65 per exam), complete fingerprinting for a background check, then apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) at nipr.com and pay the $80 fee. Email your fingerprint receipt, background-check release form, and exam pass confirmations to the department. All fees are non-refundable.

To get an Illinois producer license, complete 20 hours of pre-licensing education per line of authority, with 7.5 of those hours in a classroom (Motor Vehicle is the exception at 12.5 hours). Pass the General and State exams for your line through Pearson VUE, both within a 90-day window. Then wait 5 days and apply online through NIPR; the resident license fee is $215, and the fee is prorated to the last day of your birth month expiration date.

Indiana resident licensing has three steps: complete pre-licensing education, pass the Pearson VUE exam with a scaled score of 70, and apply online at Sircon or NIPR with a nonrefundable $40 fee. The combined Life and Health and full Property and Casualty lines each require 40 hours of coursework, and state-approved self-study is allowed. You must be at least 18, an Indiana resident, and a U.S. citizen or legal alien with work authorization. Bring your course completion certificate to the test center, and pass the exam and apply within its six-month validity.

In Iowa, the Department of Insurance is the Iowa Insurance Division, and licensing runs through two outside systems. Pass the Pearson VUE exam for your line of authority (each exam costs $44; reserve at pearsonvue.com or 877-540-5825), then submit your application and license fee online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) within 90 days of passing. You can test at a Pearson VUE center or online through OnVUE proctoring.

To get a Kansas insurance producer license, you must be at least 18, obtain a Certificate of Tax Clearance from the Kansas Department of Revenue, be fingerprinted for a state and national background check, and submit the NAIC Uniform Application online through NIPR. You must also pass the Pearson VUE exam for each line of authority you want. Exam scores are valid for 2 years, and Kansas requires no pre-licensing education.

Complete a prelicensing course (20 hours per line of authority), submit an electronic application at www.nipr.com, and order a criminal background report through the Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) FastCheck portal. Wait one day after applying, then create a Kentucky eServices Individual License Account and upload your signed and dated prelicensing certificate and AOC report as PDFs. The Department of Insurance takes up to 5 business days to review documents, after which you schedule the licensing exam through eServices.

To get licensed in Louisiana, pass the exam for your line of authority and submit an application to the Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), paying the $75 fee at submission. Louisiana requires no prelicensing education, except that bail bond applicants must first complete a three-month apprenticeship and public adjuster applicants need LDI pre-approval. After the application is filed, be fingerprinted at an IdentoGo location; LDI generally receives the results within 7 to 10 days.

Maine's insurance regulator is the Bureau of Insurance. Pass the Pearson VUE licensing exam for your line first, then submit the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) uniform application through NIPR, electronically or on paper. The resident producer application and license fee is $25, and the license email generally arrives within 24 to 72 hours after approval.

In Maryland the Department of Insurance is the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA). Pass the exam for your line administered by Prometric, the state's exam vendor, then apply with the $54 fee and the NAIC Uniform Individual Application online through NIPR or by mail to MIA in Baltimore. Complete applications are verified in 1-7 business days, and final determinations are processed in 7-10 business days. You must then hold an appointment from an insurer to act for one.

In Massachusetts, the path runs through the Division of Insurance: schedule and pass the required exam at a Pearson test center, then apply for the producer license through NIPR and pay the $225 state fee. You track application status through State Based Systems (SBS). Passing the exam does not guarantee a license; the Division reviews every application before issuing one.

In Michigan the regulator is the Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS), not a Department of Insurance. You complete pre-licensing education from a DIFS-approved provider, pass the licensing exam administered by PSI, then file an application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). The resident producer application costs $10.00 plus a $5.00 transaction fee, and the exam fee is $41.

In Minnesota the insurance regulator is the Department of Commerce, not a Department of Insurance. You apply by completing 20 hours of approved prelicensing education per line of authority, passing the exam through PSI (the state's contracted exam vendor), submitting fingerprints, and filing the application online on Sircon or through NIPR's LicenseHub.

To obtain a producer license from the Mississippi Insurance Department, pass the required prelicensing course (20 hours per line of authority), make an exam reservation at www.pearsonvue.com and pay the $50 examination fee, take and pass the exam, then apply online at www.sircon.com/mississippi or www.nipr.com with the $100 license fee. Producers must be at least 18. A licensed producer must also be appointed by an insurance company before soliciting or selling any policies.

To get a Missouri insurance producer license, you must be 18 years old, pass the licensing exam for your line, and submit an application with a $100 fee to the Missouri Department of Commerce and Insurance (DCI). Missouri requires no prelicensing education. You schedule exams through Pearson VUE, then apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) 24-48 hours after passing.

Montana resident applicants follow four steps: pass the Pearson VUE licensing exam with a score of 75% or better, apply for the license online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), submit the Applicant Rights and Consent to Fingerprint Form, and send fingerprints with a $30.00 fee to the Montana Criminal Records Division. The Commissioner of Securities and Insurance (CSI) then reviews the application, and states typically take 7 to 10 days to review. You must be at least 18 years old, and you must have passed the exam within one year before applying.

The Nebraska Department of Insurance oversees licensing, but the steps run through two partners: pass the exam administered by PSI, then apply at NIPR.com. There is no pre-licensing education requirement, and after passing you can apply once PSI uploads your results in 2-3 days; processing then takes 3-5 days. The Producer Licensing Division can be reached at (402) 471-4913 or DOI.Licensing@nebraska.gov.

You take the licensing exam first, then apply online. Pearson VUE administers Nevada's insurance exams, and you reserve a seat at pearsonvue.com/nv/insurance or by phone at 800-274-2609, paying $37 for a single-line exam or $47 for a combo exam. Within 90 days of applying you must submit fingerprints for a criminal history background report, and you submit the license application through Sircon at www.sircon.com/Nevada within one year of passing, paying the $185 state fee.

In New Hampshire, license applications go through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), not directly through the Insurance Department. After passing the PSI exam, apply online at nipr.com using the uniform application and pay the $210 producer license fee. The department's licensing office can be reached at (603) 271-0203 for questions.

In New Jersey, the Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI) licenses insurance producers in four steps: complete prelicensing education, pass the licensing exam, submit Live Scan fingerprints, and file an application online or on paper. New resident applications go through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), and DOBI requires the education, exam, and fingerprinting to be finished before you apply online. The biennial major-line license fee is $150, plus a $20 processing fee for an electronic application.

New Mexico's insurance regulator is the Office of Superintendent of Insurance (OSI). Pass the licensing exam for each line of authority through the state's testing vendor, PSI, with a minimum score of 70%; complete the national background check through IdentoGO using OSI service code 2BH27J; then apply online through NIPR. The producer application fee is $30, and online applications are processed in the order received.

In New York, the insurance regulator is the Department of Financial Services (DFS). Residents apply online through the DFS portal after completing approved prelicensing education and passing the PSI exam, while non-residents apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). The license fee is $80 for residents when the term exceeds one year, and DFS does not mail paper licenses, so you print yours through the Producer/Licensee Search tool.

The North Carolina Department of Insurance (NCDOI) oversees licensing, but applications are submitted through NIPR at www.nipr.com rather than directly to the department. Apply online, pay the fees, submit electronic fingerprints if your license type requires them, and then pass the Pearson VUE exam for each line of authority. Applications that need regulatory review are referred to NCDOI's Agent Services Division.

In North Dakota the process runs through the Insurance & Securities Department and its contracted partners. Pass the exam for your line through PSI, submit hard-copy fingerprint cards with the $43 background-check fee payable to the Attorney General plus the $29 PSI processing fee, then apply at nipr.com with the $100 fee. The department does not mail licenses; you print a copy through the NAIC State Based Systems (SBS).

In Ohio, you do not apply directly to the Department of Insurance. After passing your exam and completing the background check, you submit your application electronically through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), paying the $10 fee per line of authority by card or electronic check. Paper applications are available only by contacting the department's License Division, and they take considerably longer to process.

Prepare for the exam by any means you choose, since Oklahoma requires no prelicensing education. Schedule the exam with PSI at 833-333-4754, pass with at least 70%, then apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) system after the 3-business-day wait for results to transmit. The department reviews the application in 5-7 business days, and you print the license online after it issues.

In Oregon, the insurance regulator is the Division of Financial Regulation, and it no longer accepts paper applications, so you apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) at nipr.com. Before applying, complete 20 hours of prelicense education per line of authority, pass the PSI exam, and submit fingerprints. The NIPR application carries a $100 state fee plus NIPR's transaction fee.

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) issues licenses through PSI, its exam vendor. You schedule and pass the licensing exam with a minimum score of 70%, apply online through the Department's channels (Sircon or NIPR) with a $55 fee for a resident individual producer, and complete fingerprinting at an IdentoGO center as a new resident applicant. You can track progress with the Department's Producer Application Status Lookup Tool, and most complete applications are issued within 7-10 business days.

Rhode Island's licensing authority is the Department of Business Regulation (DBR) Insurance Division, and applications go through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) rather than by paper. You reserve the required exam at Pearson VUE at least 24 hours in advance, wait 3-5 days after passing for results to post to NIPR, then submit the electronic application with the fee ($120 for a resident producer license).

The South Carolina Department of Insurance licenses producers through a set sequence: pass the licensing exam for your line of authority, apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), then submit fingerprints after the department emails you scheduling directions. Pearson VUE administers the exams at $59 each, and the resident producer license fee is $25. The department's individual licensing office in Columbia can be reached at 803-737-6095.

First, pass the licensing exam for each line of authority you want to sell, scheduled through Pearson VUE. Then submit the resident producer application online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) and pay the $25 licensing fee plus a service fee. The Division of Insurance reviews the application and issues the license.

In Tennessee, the Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) licenses insurance producers. You must be at least 18, complete 20 hours of pre-licensing education for your line of authority through an approved provider, and pass the Pearson VUE exam with a score of 70% or higher. Complete fingerprinting through IdentoGO at least 2 business days before applying, wait 48 hours after the exam, then submit the application and $50 fee online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR).

In Texas, the Department of Insurance is TDI, and it issues agent licenses through a five-step process: reserve and pay for the Pearson VUE exam, reserve fingerprinting, take the exam, get fingerprinted at IdentoGO, then apply for the license through Sircon or the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) within one year of passing. The application fee is $50 per license type, and TDI processes most applications within one business day.

In Utah, register with Prometric and pass the exam for your line, then apply online through SIRCON or the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) at the Prometric test-center kiosk, and complete live-scan fingerprinting at the test center. The Utah Insurance Department processes electronic applications within 5-10 business days once the application, fees, and fingerprints are complete. No pre-licensing course is required.

In Vermont, the licensing agency is the Department of Financial Regulation (DFR). Pass the written exam through its vendor Prometric, wait 48 hours, then apply electronically through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR); state fees total $60 for an insurance producer license. Nonresidents must apply through NIPR. The producer license term runs April 1 to March 31 of odd-numbered years.

Virginia's insurance regulator is the State Corporation Commission (SCC) Bureau of Insurance rather than a Department of Insurance. To get licensed, you must be at least 18 years old, pass the Prometric exam for your line of authority, get fingerprinted at a Fieldprint location using live scan technology, and then apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) or a NIPR-authorized partner. The application fee is $15 per line of authority.

In Washington, the insurance regulator is the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC), not a Department of Insurance. For an individual resident license, you first schedule and pass your exam with PSI, then apply for your license online through the OIC or the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), and finally get fingerprinted through IdentoGO after your application has been submitted.

In West Virginia, the insurance regulator is the Offices of the Insurance Commissioner (WVOIC). Complete 20 hours of approved pre-licensing education for each line of authority you want, then pass the Pearson VUE exam ($84). After passing, get fingerprinted through Identogo using WVOIC service code 228NS5 ($47.25), then apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $50 fee. You must be a West Virginia resident and bring a paper course completion certificate to the test center.

To get a Wisconsin insurance license, complete 20 hours of prelicensing education per line of authority with a Wisconsin-approved provider, get fingerprinted through Fieldprint ($34.75, code FPWIOCIINSURANCE), and pass the PSI licensing exam ($75; $50 for public adjuster). Wait 48-72 hours for your score to record with the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), then apply at nipr.com. Applications are typically processed within 24 to 48 hours, and exam scores are valid for 180 days.

First, pass the Wyoming Insurance Licensing Exam for your lines of authority, taken through Pearson VUE. Second, apply online through Sircon and pay the fee, which is $100 for residents as of October 2026. Third, submit fingerprints for a background check ($39); the Wyoming Department of Insurance (DOI) mails the fingerprinting packet after it receives your application, so you must not send fingerprints before applying.