How do I get licensed, bonded, and insured?

Most states follow the same sequence: complete any required prelicensing education, pass the state licensing exam, submit an application through the state or the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), and pass a fingerprint background check. Staying licensed means completing continuing education, most often 24 hours every two years with 3 hours of ethics. Bonds attach to specific license types, such as public adjuster licenses, and agencies commonly require errors-and-omissions coverage before you sell.

Start with the license: complete the 20-hour prelicensing course for your line, apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), clear the criminal background check, and pass the PSI exam. Most Arkansas producer licenses do not require a bond. A bond applies only to specific license classes, such as surplus lines producer, which requires a $50,000 surety bond along with 3 years of property and casualty licensure.

To get licensed in Connecticut, complete the pre-licensing education for your line, pass the Pearson VUE exam, and apply through NIPR. Connecticut does not require a bond even for the Surplus Lines Broker license, and a bond is not among the state's producer application requirements. For "insured," producers typically carry errors and omissions (E&O) coverage, which insurers commonly require through the appointment process rather than by state law.

To work as a producer in Idaho, you pass each line's licensing exam with Pearson VUE, submit fingerprints for a background check, and apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with an $80 fee. Producers do not have to post a bond in Idaho; only public adjusters must maintain a $20,000 surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit. Errors and omissions coverage is not a state licensing requirement, though carriers commonly require it before they appoint you.

Kansas does not require producer license applicants to be bonded. Getting the license means passing the exam for your line of authority, completing fingerprinting and the background check, and submitting the NAIC Uniform Application through NIPR with a state tax clearance. Only title insurance agencies that handle escrow, settlement, or closing must file a surety bond or irrevocable letter of credit, between $25,000 and $100,000 depending on county population.

You get licensed by completing prelicensing education, applying through NIPR, requesting an AOC criminal background report, and passing your exam with a 70% score. Kentucky also requires every agent to be financially responsible and to maintain one of the following: an insurer-provided errors-and-omissions policy of at least $20,000 per occurrence and $100,000 aggregate per year, a $20,000 cash surety bond, or an insurer assumption-of-liability agreement of $20,000 per single occurrence.

In Minnesota, you get licensed by completing 20 hours of approved prelicensing education per line of authority, passing the PSI exam, submitting fingerprints ($66.75 electronically at a PSI test center), and applying online on Sircon. Only public adjusters must post a bond, a $10,000 surety bond filed with the Department of Commerce. Producers do not face a state bond requirement, though errors and omissions coverage is a common practice once an appointment is secured.

In Mississippi, you get licensed by completing any required prelicensing education, passing the Pearson VUE licensing exam, and applying with the $100 producer license fee at www.sircon.com or www.nipr.com. Producers do not post a bond; the $50,000 surety bond or letter of credit applies to public adjusters. Before you can solicit business, an insurance company must also appoint you.

To get licensed in Montana, pass the licensing exam with a score of 75% or better, submit fingerprints for a background check, and apply online through NIPR. A bond is required only for certain license types; public adjusters must file a $5,000 surety bond with the state. For business coverage such as errors and omissions insurance, premiums vary widely, so compare options before you buy.

Pass the licensing exam for your line of authority through PSI with a score of at least 70%, complete the $67 fingerprint background check, and apply online at www.nipr.com with the $30 producer fee. A bond is not part of producer licensing: only public and independent adjusters must file a $10,000 surety bond with the Office of Superintendent of Insurance, either before or immediately after applying. A license alone does not authorize you to represent an insurer; an insurer must appoint you, filing within 15 days of the agency agreement or the first application you submit.

Oregon's producer licensing steps are prelicense education, exam, fingerprints, and application; the requirements list no bond for producers. You must complete 20 hours of training per line of authority, pass the PSI exam, get fingerprinted, and apply online through NIPR ($100 state fee plus a transaction fee). An errors and omissions policy is required only of insurance consultants, who must show coverage of at least $500,000 per occurrence.

You get licensed by completing prelicensing education, passing the state exam, and applying through NIPR. Most Wisconsin insurance agents do not need a bond or their own insurance. A $20,000 minimum surety bond applies to public adjusters, and life settlement broker applicants must submit an endorsement showing professional liability insurance of at least $1 million in total annual aggregate coverage.