How do I take a personal lines insurance pre-licensing course?

Personal lines prelicensing requirements vary by state, from no education at all (Texas) to 40 hours in New York, 8 hours in Georgia, or only a 12-hour ethics and state insurance code course in California. To take one, choose a provider from your state's approved-education list, complete the required hours for the personal lines line of authority, and the provider reports your completion so you can sit for the state exam.

Alaska does not require a pre-licensing course for a Personal Lines license, so there is no state-mandated course to take. You may still study with a commercial prep provider, but the state requirement is only that you pass the Pearson VUE Personal Lines exam before applying through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $75 fee.

Delaware does not require a prelicensing course for the personal lines license. The Delaware Department of Insurance does not require any specific program of prelicensing education before the Pearson VUE exam, so exam prep courses are optional and offered by private education providers at varying prices. If you want one, enroll directly with a provider that offers a Delaware personal lines exam prep course before you schedule your exam.

DC does not require a pre-licensing course, so there is no mandated coursework for any line. There is also no stand-alone personal lines exam in DC; residents earn personal lines authority by passing the Pearson VUE Property and/or Casualty exams (scaled passing score of 70, $75 each). Candidates who want a course can contact DISB, and the handbook also points to the DC Code and DC Municipal Regulations for study.

Idaho does not require a pre-licensing course for the personal lines exam. To prepare, study the content outline the Idaho Department of Insurance publishes for the Personal Lines line of authority, and consult the department's approved study-material provider list if you want a structured course. You can then register for the ID Personal Lines Producer exam through Pearson VUE.

Maine requires you to present either a certificate showing 16 credit hours of prelicensing education or a certificate showing at least 6 months of relevant full-time experience with an insurer or producer before you can sit for the Personal Lines exam. Prelicensing courses are available from private providers in classroom, webinar, and self-study formats, and you can apply for multiple lines of authority at once once you qualify.

Montana requires no prelicensing course for any producer line, so there is no personal lines pre-licensing class to take. The state does not offer a personal lines line of authority; you sell personal lines products under a Property or Casualty license, which requires passing the Pearson VUE exam. To prepare, download the Candidate Handbook and content outlines from Pearson VUE, which also sells practice tests for $19.95.

New Hampshire does not require a prelicensing course for personal lines or any other line, a rule in effect since July 11, 2008. The department does not specify an official study manual, and PSI's candidate bulletin says candidates are free to use materials of their own choosing to prepare. The department lists study-material providers but does not endorse or evaluate them.

North Dakota requires no prelicensing course for a personal lines license, so there is no state-mandated class to take. You may prepare by self-study or any commercial course, and you must verify nothing with the Department or the testing center. After preparing, schedule the $58 personal lines exam with PSI and apply through NIPR once you pass.

Rhode Island requires no pre-licensing course for any producer line, including personal lines, so there is no required course to take. Preparation is optional. The free official study guide is the personal lines content outline in the Pearson VUE Rhode Island candidate handbook, which lists every tested topic, and Pearson VUE sells a practice test for $19.95.

South Dakota requires no pre-licensing education for a personal lines producer license, so there is no required course to take. The Division of Insurance does not specify official study materials, and exam candidates may use materials of their choice, with testing outlines available on the Division's exam page. You must pass the personal lines exam, administered by Pearson VUE, to qualify for the license.

Vermont does not require a pre-licensing course for a personal lines producer license, so you can study on your own and go straight to the exam. Register for the Personal Lines exam (Series 14-39, $52) with Prometric, the state's exam vendor. Many applicants still take an optional exam-prep course, since the exam covers homeowners, personal auto, and flood insurance topics.

Wyoming does not require any prelicensing course hours for resident producers, so you do not need to take a course before the licensing exam. The Wyoming Department of Insurance does not endorse providers; it publishes a list of companies known to offer prelicensing study materials on its producer licensing page, and you can study with any of them at your own pace.