How do you become a life insurance, health insurance, property and casualty insurance, or personal lines insurance agent?

To become a life, health, property and casualty, or personal lines agent, you must be at least 18 years old, complete any prelicensing education your state requires for the lines you want, and pass the state licensing exam for each line of authority. Most resident applicants must also pass a background check, typically with fingerprinting. You then apply for the license through the state, with many states accepting applications through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). After licensure, most states require continuing education to renew.

Alabama no longer requires prelicensing education as of January 1, 2024, so the path is: be at least 18, pass the state exam for your line with a score of 70% or higher, complete a fingerprint background check through Fieldprint, and apply through NIPR with an $80 producer fee. The University of Alabama administers the exams; single-line exams cost $50 and combined Life & Health or Property & Casualty exams cost $75. Proof of U.S. citizenship must reach the state within 10 days of applying, or the application is rejected with no refund.

To become a licensed agent in Alaska, you must be at least 18, be a resident of and actually living in the state, and pass the licensing exam that Pearson VUE administers, then apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with one fingerprint card and the fees. Life, Health, Property, and Casualty exams each have a general portion and an Alaska state portion, while Personal Lines has its own exam. Alaska requires no prelicensing course. The passing score is 70, and exam results must be less than one year old when you file the application.

First pass the PSI exam for your line of authority: life ($50), accident and health ($50), the combined life and accident and health exam ($59), property ($50), casualty ($42), the combined property and casualty exam ($59), or personal lines ($50), each requiring 70% correct. Then submit fingerprints ($8.25 to Fieldprint plus $22.44 to the Arizona Department of Public Safety) and apply through NIPR with the $120 state fee within one year of passing.

In Arkansas, you complete 20 hours of prelicensing education for each line of authority you want: Life, Accident & Health or Sickness, Property, Casualty, or Personal Lines. Then submit the resident licensing application through NIPR before scheduling the exam, complete the online criminal background check, and pass the PSI licensing exam with at least 70%. You can print your license from NIPR 24 hours after passing.

Each agent type starts with the same steps: be at least 18, complete the 12-hour ethics and California Insurance Code course (taken only once even for multiple license types), and pass the line's exam with a 60% score. For a full life agent license, select both Life-Only and Accident and Health when scheduling and on the application to take one combined 150-question exam for one fee; selecting both Property and Casualty works the same way. Personal Lines is a separate exam and cannot be held together with Property and Casualty.

Colorado requires resident applicants to be at least 18 years old, live in the state, and be trustworthy and financially responsible. You complete prelicensing training for each line you want (Life, Accident and Health, Property, Casualty, or Personal Lines), then pass the Pearson exam for that line and apply online through Sircon or the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) within one year of passing. The resident license fee is $44 per line of authority.

Complete a Connecticut-approved pre-licensing course: 20 hours for a single line (Life; Accident & Health or Sickness; Property; Casualty; Personal Lines) or 40 hours for Life/A&H or Property & Casualty combined. Then pass the Pearson VUE exam for your line with a 70% score, wait 1-2 business days for results to upload, and apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with the $140 fee. Connecticut does not require fingerprinting or a background check for the Producer license.

Delaware licenses all of these agents through one producer license, and each line requires its own Pearson VUE exam: Life, Accident and Health, Property, Casualty, and Personal Lines. No prelicensing education is required. Residents apply electronically through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $125 fee and submit a state criminal background report from the Delaware State Police. Scheduling more than one major-line exam on the same day costs a single $90 examination fee, though Personal Lines is excluded from that combination.

DC producers earn each authority by passing the corresponding Pearson VUE exam with a scaled score of 70, then completing fingerprinting through Fieldprint and applying at nipr.com ($100 biennial fee). DC offers separate exams for life, health, property, and casualty, and there is no life and health combination exam. There is also no stand-alone personal lines exam; personal lines authority is obtained through the property and casualty exams.

Each line has its own education requirement: 30 hours for life (2-14), 40 hours for health (2-40), 60 hours for combined life and health (2-15), 200 hours for general lines property and casualty (2-20), and 60 hours for personal lines (20-44). Complete the department-approved course within four years of applying, pass the Pearson VUE state exam, submit the application through MyProfile, and get fingerprinted through IdentoGO. Experience or a qualifying insurance degree can substitute for coursework on some lines, though both paths still require the exam.

Complete an 8-hour prelicensing course for each line: Life, Accident and Sickness, Property, Casualty, or Personal Lines. Then pass the corresponding Pearson VUE exam with a 70% score, apply at sircon.com/georgia, pay the $120 fee, submit a notarized Citizenship Affidavit, and complete electronic fingerprints. Georgia licenses Property and Casualty together, so you must select both when you apply; the state does not license just one.

First decide your lines of authority: Life; Accident, Health and Sickness; Property; Casualty; or Personal Lines. You then pass each line's exam with Pearson VUE at $65 per exam, and Idaho requires no pre-licensing education. Next, submit fingerprints for a background check and apply online through NIPR with an $80 fee. Finally, email your exam pass slips and fingerprint receipt to the Department of Insurance.

For Life, Accident and Health, Property, Casualty, or Personal Lines, complete 20 hours of pre-licensing education per line, including 7.5 classroom hours. Pass that line's General and State exams through Pearson VUE within 90 days of each other, wait 5 days, then apply online through NIPR and pay the $215 resident license fee. Candidates must be at least 18 years old.

Complete a state-approved pre-licensing course (40 hours for the combined Life and Health line or full Property and Casualty, and fewer for the single lines), pass the Pearson VUE exam with a scaled score of 70, and apply online through Sircon or NIPR with a $40 fee. Exams cost $69 for these lines, and your certificate of completion is valid for six months, so you must pass the exam and apply within that window. You must also be at least 18 and have no disqualifying acts on your record.

Pass the Pearson VUE exam for each line you want to sell: Life (12-IA-01), Accident and Health (12-IA-02), Property (12-IA-03), Casualty (12-IA-04), or Personal Lines (12-IA-155). Each exam is $44, runs 2 hours, and no pre-licensing education is required. Then apply through NIPR with the $50 license fee and complete fingerprinting, applying within 90 days of passing.

In Kansas, you follow one licensing path for all of these lines: be at least 18, get fingerprinted, pass the Pearson VUE exam for your line, and apply online through NIPR with a Certificate of Tax Clearance. Life and Accident and Health can be taken as separate $57 exams or one combined $64 exam; Property and Casualty work the same way. Personal Lines is a single $57 exam for candidates who do not want a full Property and Casualty license.

Complete a prelicensing course of 20 hours per line of authority, which totals 40 hours when you pursue life and health or property and casualty together. Pass the Kentucky exam for each line with a score of 70% or higher, submit your application at www.nipr.com, and obtain a criminal background report through the AOC FastCheck portal. Once licensed, each insurer you represent must appoint you within 15 days of your contract or first application.

To become a producer in Louisiana, pass the PSI licensing exam for your line: Life ($36), Health and Accident or Sickness ($36), the combined Life/Health exam ($58), Property and Casualty ($58), or Personal Lines ($36). No prelicensing education is required for these lines. After passing, file the license application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) and complete fingerprinting through the state's new vendor, IdentoGo.

Resident candidates pass the Pearson VUE exam for the lines requested, then submit a license application and fee to the Maine Bureau of Insurance. Combined exams cost $80 and run 3 hours 30 minutes: Life, Accident & Health has 136 scoreable questions and Property & Casualty has 140. Single-line exams cost $55 and run 1 hour 45 minutes to 2 hours, and the passing scaled score is 70.

Maryland licenses producers in Life, Health, Property, Casualty, Variable Life and Annuity Products, and Personal Lines. You must be at least 18, pass the Prometric exam for each line requested (70% passing score), and apply with the $54 fee through NIPR. Maryland has not required a prelicensing course since October 1, 2024. To act for an insurer, you must also hold an appointment from it. Licenses renew every two years, with 24 hours of continuing education, including 3 hours of ethics, required before renewal.

Pass a separate $37 Pearson producer exam for each line you want to sell: Life, Accident and Health, Property, Casualty, and Personal Lines each have their own exam, and there are no combined versions. Passing takes a scaled score of 70 set by the Massachusetts Division of Insurance with Pearson. After passing, apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), and the Division issues the license on approval of your application.

In Michigan, you must be at least 18 years old, complete pre-licensing education from a state-approved provider, pass the PSI exam for your lines of authority, and apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) for a $10.00 state fee plus a $5.00 transaction fee. The education requirement is 20 hours for Life alone, 20 hours for Accident and Health alone, 40 hours for Life and Health combined, 40 hours for Property and Casualty combined (20 hours for either line alone), and 20 hours of Property and Casualty coursework for Personal Lines.

To become a life, health, property and casualty, or personal lines agent in Minnesota, you must be at least 18, complete 20 hours of prelicensing education per line of authority from a state-approved provider, and pass the PSI licensing exam ($45 per exam, 70% to pass). You then submit fingerprints ($66.75 for electronic processing at a PSI test center) and apply online through Sircon or NIPR's LicenseHub ($50 plus $50 per line of authority). An appointment by an insurance company is required before you can transact business.

First, meet the minimum age of 18 and complete 20 hours of state-approved prelicensing education per line of authority. As of July 1, 2024, House Bill 819 exempts applicants seeking the Life line only from the prelicensing requirement. Next, pass the Pearson VUE exam for each line you want, then apply for the $100 license at www.sircon.com/mississippi or www.nipr.com. You must be appointed by an insurance company before you can solicit or sell.

To become a life, health, property and casualty, or personal lines agent in Missouri, you must be 18, pass the Pearson VUE exam for each line, and apply for the $100 producer license online. Single-line exams cost $32 and combined exams cost $40, with a scaled passing score of 70. Missouri requires no prelicensing education, and exam scores are valid for one year.

In Montana, you become a producer by passing the Pearson VUE exam for each line you want, applying through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), and submitting fingerprints for a state and federal background check. Each line has its own exam: Life has 86 scoreable questions, Accident and Health (Disability) 92, Property 82, and Casualty 87, all with a passing score of 75. Montana does not offer a separate personal lines license, so producers take the Property and Casualty exams. No prelicensing course is required.

Nebraska requires no pre-licensing education. You register with PSI and pass the exam for your line ($43 for a single-line exam such as Life, Accident & Health, or Personal Lines; $47 for combined exams), then wait 2-3 business days for results to upload to the state. After that, apply at NIPR.com, pay the $50 resident license fee, and allow 3-5 business days for processing before printing your license. You must be at least 18 and maintain a principal place of residence in Nebraska.

All of these lines follow the same path. Nevada requires no prelicensing education hours for producer applicants, so you study the Pearson VUE content outlines, pass the exam for your line with a scaled score of 70, submit fingerprints within 90 days of applying, and apply online through Sircon within one year of passing. The state application fee is $185, you must be at least 18 years old, and the exam fee is $37 for a single line or $47 for a combo exam.

To become an insurance producer in New Hampshire, pass the PSI licensing exam for each line of authority you want, then apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $210 fee. New Hampshire requires no prelicensing course and no fingerprints. Relevant exams include Life (12-61) at $59, Accident and Health (12-62) at $59, and Property and Casualty (12-64) at $72. Applicants must be at least 18 years old.

To become a life, health, property and casualty, or personal lines insurance agent in New Jersey, you must be at least 18 years old, complete 20 hours of prelicensing education for each line, pass the PSI licensing exam with a score of at least 70%, and submit Live Scan fingerprints. You then apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR); the standard electronic application costs $170 for major lines. State law requires the license before you can sell insurance.

Pass the exam for the line you want with PSI, get fingerprinted for the state and federal background check, then apply online through NIPR. New Mexico requires no prelicensing course. You can take combined exams, such as Life, Accident and Health or Sickness, or Property and Casualty, in one sitting with a 70% minimum score. You cannot hold the Personal Lines license at the same time as Property and Casualty, because Personal Lines falls under those lines.

There are 3 steps you need to take to become an insurance agent in New York.

Step 1: Complete the Required Pre-Licensing Course
Before you can sit for the state licensing exam, you first must complete the required pre-licensing course(s) for the type of insurance you want to sell. These include:
- Life Insurance Only: 20 hours
- Accident & Health Insurance Only: 20 hours
- Life, Accident & Health Insurance (Combined): 40 hours
- Property & Casualty (P&C) Insurance: 90 hours
- Personal Lines Insurance: 40 hours

Step 2: Schedule and Pass the New York State Insurance Exam.
After you complete the required education, your next step is to schedule and take the state licensing exam with PSI.
- You can schedule your exam with PSI online or by the phone.
- Be sure to schedule the correct exam, as there is a separate exam for each license type (for example, Life, Accident & Health, Property & Casualty, Personal Lines)
- Pay the exam fee to PSI ($40 per attempt)
- Pass the exam with a score of 70% or higher
- You must apply for a license within 2 years of passing the state licensing exam.

Step 3: Apply for your NY Insurance License
After you pass the state exam, you can then apply for your insurance license.
- You can apply online through the NY DFS online portal (called NY LINX).
- Include your Certificate of Completion from the pre-licensing course you completed.
- Pay the $80 application fee ($40 per year with a two-year renewal cycle)

Be at least 18 and apply online at www.nipr.com, requesting each line you want. You pay a $50 registration fee per line of authority plus one $44 processing fee per application, and you must pass the Pearson VUE exam for every line requested, such as Life, Accident and Health, Property, or Casualty. Personal Lines is included in Property and Casualty, so you cannot add it if you already hold either of those lines.

For each line you want to sell, pass the corresponding PSI exam, complete fingerprinting, and apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with the $100 fee. North Dakota requires no prelicensing education. The Life and Annuity, Accident and Health, Property, and Casualty exams each cost $64, and the Personal Lines exam costs $58; all allow 150 minutes and require a 70% passing score.

To become a life, accident and health, property and casualty, or personal lines agent in Ohio, complete 20 hours of approved pre-licensing education for each line and pass the corresponding exam through PSI with a score of 70% or higher. Combined exams are available: Life, Accident & Health has 150 questions in 2.5 hours, and Property & Casualty has 150 questions in 2.5 hours, while each single-line exam has 100 questions in 2 hours. After passing, submit fingerprints and apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) at $10 per line.

You must meet the eligibility rules, pass the licensing exam, and apply online. Candidates must be at least 18 years old and be US citizens or hold a valid visa or I-94 card. Resident producers test for each line of authority, including Life, Accident & Health or Sickness, Property, Casualty, and Property Casualty - Personal Lines, with combined exams such as Life, Accident & Health or Property & Casualty available. Each producer exam costs $38, requires a 70% passing score, and after passing you wait 3 business days before applying online and paying the $60 resident fee.

To become an Oregon resident insurance producer, you must be at least 18 years old, complete 20 hours of prelicense education for each line of authority (life, health, property, casualty, or personal lines), and pass the corresponding PSI exam with a score of at least 70%. You must also submit fingerprints for a criminal records check (a $61.25 fee) and apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). All lines of authority in Oregon sit on one license, so you can pass all exams and apply for all lines at once.

Each line requires passing the matching PSI exam with a minimum score of 70%: Life (16-01), Accident and Health (16-02), or the combined Life, Accident and Health exam (16-03); Property (16-04), Casualty (16-05), or the combined Property and Casualty exam (16-06); or Personal Lines (16-16). Single-line exams cost $45 and combination exams cost $55. After passing, apply online through Sircon or NIPR, pay the $55 resident individual fee, and complete fingerprinting as a new resident applicant.

You must be at least 18, pass the required Pearson VUE exam, and apply electronically through NIPR; Rhode Island requires no prelicensing course hours. Each line has its own exam, and first-time property and casualty candidates must register for both the Property and Casualty exams. Scheduling two exams back-to-back in one session costs a single $80 exam fee. The resident producer license fee is $120 for a two-year term.

Pass the Pearson VUE exam for your line of authority, apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) for the $25 resident producer license, and submit fingerprints after applying. South Carolina offers a combined Life, Accident and Health exam and a combined Property, Casualty, Surety and Marine exam that qualify you for multiple lines with a single score; Personal Lines has its own exam. Passing results are valid for 12 months.

You must be at least 18 years old, pass the state exam for each line of authority, and apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $25 fee plus a service fee. South Dakota offers life, accident and health or sickness, property, casualty, personal lines, variable, and limited lines. No pre-licensing education is required for any of these lines.

Tennessee issues producer licenses for Life, Accident and Health, Property, Casualty, Variable Life and Variable Annuity, Title, and Personal Lines. You must be at least 18, complete 20 hours of pre-licensing education for each line, and pass a separate Pearson VUE exam for each line with a score of 70% or higher. A single-line exam costs $55, and a combination exam such as Property and Casualty costs $80. After passing, complete fingerprinting through IdentoGO, wait 48 hours, and apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $50 fee.

All four paths follow the same sequence in Texas: pass the Pearson VUE exam for your license type, complete electronic fingerprinting through TDI's online portal, then apply through Sircon or NIPR within one year of passing. The application fee is $50, and applicants must be at least 18 years old. The exams differ in length: General Lines Life, Accident and Health and General Lines Property and Casualty each have 130 scoreable questions, Personal Lines has 100, and the Life Agent exam has 80. Texas does not require prelicensing education, though many candidates take a prep course.

You must be at least 18, be a Utah resident, pass the Prometric exam for your line, and pass a background check. Life (17-01), Accident and Health (17-02), Property (17-22), Casualty (17-23), and Personal Lines (17-20) each run 100 questions in 2 hours; the combined Life and A&H exam (17-03) and combined Property and Casualty exam (17-04) each run 150 questions in 2.5 hours. After passing, apply online through SIRCON or the National Insurance Producer Registry and get fingerprinted at a Prometric test center.

In Vermont, you must be at least 18, be deemed competent, trustworthy, and financially responsible by the commissioner, and pass the written exam for each line of authority through Prometric. No prelicensing education is required. After passing, wait 48 hours and apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with $60 in state fees. Vermont is an appointment state, so an insurer must appoint you within 15 days of an agency contract or your first application, whichever comes sooner.

First, be at least 18 years old and choose your line: Life and Annuities, Health, Property and Casualty, or Personal Lines. Virginia requires no prelicensing education for these lines. Next, register with Prometric, pass your exam with a score of 70% or higher, get fingerprinted at a Fieldprint site, and apply through NIPR or an authorized partner. Note that a Property and Casualty license includes Personal Lines authority, so you may not hold both.

Washington issues producer licenses with these full lines: life, disability (the state's term for health), property, casualty, or personal lines. You schedule and pass the licensing exam with PSI (70% passing score), apply for your license online, and submit fingerprints for a background check. Pre-licensing education has not been required since July 23, 2023, though you may still take a voluntary exam prep course. The state license fee is $55 for full lines.

Complete 20 hours of approved pre-licensing education per line of authority (Life, Accident & Sickness, Property, Casualty, and Personal Lines); combined lines, such as Property and Casualty together, require completing each line's hours. Pass the Pearson VUE exam (passing score 70, fee $84), get fingerprinted through Identogo with service code 228NS5, and apply through NIPR for a $50 fee. You must be a West Virginia resident who satisfies the Commissioner as to trustworthiness and competency.

Each path starts with 20 hours of prelicensing education per line: 8 hours covering insurance principles, general Wisconsin insurance law, and ethics (taken once within a 12-month period), plus 12 hours of line-specific material for each line you seek. You then pass the PSI exam for each line, complete fingerprinting, and apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). Wisconsin residents pay a $75 initial license fee per line of authority plus a $10 application fee.

For any of these lines, you must be 18 or older, pass the Wyoming Insurance Licensing Exam for the lines you want through Pearson VUE, apply online through Sircon, and pay the $100 resident fee as of October 2026, plus $39 for fingerprinting. Wyoming requires no prelicensing course. The Personal Lines line is not needed if you hold Property and Casualty lines, and Variable Life and Variable Annuities also requires FINRA registration before you apply.