How much does it cost to get a life insurance license?
The total cost varies by state. Exam fees generally run $40 to $150 per attempt, state application fees range from $50 in Texas to $215 in Illinois, and many states also charge for fingerprinting and a background check, such as $44.20 in Texas and $74 in California. Add a prep course if your state requires prelicensing education.
A life insurance producer license in Alaska carries three state fees: an $89 exam fee paid to Pearson VUE at reservation, a $75 license fee for the Alaska Division of Insurance, and a $48.25 fingerprint card evaluation fee. If you file a paper application when electronic filing through nipr.com is available, an additional $50 filing fee applies. The licensure steps in the state handbook include no mandatory course, so study material costs are optional.
Sources: Pearson VUE: Alaska insurance candidate handbook.
The state charges $65 to get an Arkansas life insurance license: a $15 resident producer application fee paid through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) and a $50 exam fee paid to PSI when the exam is scheduled. You also pay a criminal background check fee and the cost of a 20-hour prelicensing course, which varies by provider.
Sources: NIPR: Arkansas resident individual renewal requirements; NIPR: Arkansas resident individual licensing requirements; PSI: Arkansas insurance candidate information bulletin; Arkansas AID: 23 CAR pt 18 continuing education for producers and adjusters.
For a Colorado resident Life license, the licensing exam costs $41 and the license application fee is $44 per line of authority, under the fee schedule effective April 1, 2026. The $41 exam fee covers up to two exams taken in one session. You must also complete 50 hours of prelicensing education, and course prices vary by provider.
Sources: Pearson VUE: Colorado Insurance Licensing Candidate Handbook (July 2026, #120600); Colorado Division of Insurance, Regulation 1-2-5: Insurance Producer Prelicensing Education Requirements for Residents (3 CCR 702).
Delaware requires no prelicensing course, so the core costs are the $90 Pearson VUE licensing exam and the $125 producer license fee. You also pay for the State Criminal Background Report from the Delaware State Police. Optional preparation, such as Pearson VUE's online practice tests, is extra.
Sources: Pearson VUE: Delaware Insurance Candidate Handbook (June 2025).
In DC, a life insurance license costs $75 for the Pearson VUE examination, $100 for the biennial license fee, and $31.50 for the fingerprinting and background check through Fieldprint. The license then renews every two years for $100.
Sources: Pearson VUE: District of Columbia insurance candidate handbook; DC DISB: Insurance Bureau schedule of fees, taxes and deposits; DC DISB: Fingerprinting requirements.
A Georgia Life license costs $67 for the Pearson VUE exam and $120 for the license application ($100 license fee plus $20 processing), plus a separate fee for the required electronic fingerprints. The 8-hour Life prelicensing course is an additional cost that varies by education provider.
Sources: Pearson VUE: Georgia Insurance Licensing Candidate Handbook (Oct 2026, #121100); Georgia OCI: Get a resident insurance agent license.
The mandatory state fees for an Idaho life insurance license add up to a little over $200: $65 for the Life Producer exam, $65 (electronic) or $61.25 (hard card) for fingerprint processing, and $80 for the license application. Idaho requires no pre-licensing education course, so study materials are optional, and all fees are non-refundable.
Sources: Idaho DOI: Individual producer license; Idaho DOI: Testing and fingerprints; Idaho Department of Insurance — Testing and Fingerprints page.
For a resident Illinois life insurance license, the exam costs $92 total when the required General and State Life exams are ordered together on the same order, and the license fee is $215, with NIPR adding a $5.60 transaction fee. You must also complete 20 hours of pre-licensing education for the Life line of authority, and course prices vary by education provider.
Sources: Illinois IDOI: FAQs – Producer licensing exam changes (Pearson VUE testing); Illinois IDOI: Fee schedule; NIPR help: Apply for an initial license; Illinois IDOI: How to become a resident producer (Illinois insurance agent).
The mandatory exam cost is the $44 Life exam fee (12-IA-01), paid by credit card, debit card, or voucher at the time of reservation; it is non-refundable except under the change/cancel policy. You also pay the Iowa license fee when you submit your application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) after passing. Any study materials are optional, because neither the Iowa Insurance Division nor Pearson VUE endorses or provides particular ones.
Sources: Pearson VUE: Iowa insurance candidate handbook (incl. content outlines, July 2025 / effective Jan 2026).
State fees to get a Kansas life insurance producer license are $57 for the Life Producer exam, $30 for the application, and $60 for the fingerprint background check. The application fee is set annually by the insurance commissioner under K.S.A. 40-4905, so the amount can change each calendar year. Study materials cost extra, but no pre-licensing course is required.
Sources: Kansas KDOI: Producer examinations; K.S.A. 40-4905: License application, fingerprinting and background check; Kansas KDOI: Producer licensing (resident and nonresident).
A Kentucky resident life insurance license carries a $40 license fee, a $40 fee for the life line of authority, and a $50 exam fee. You also pay a nonrefundable fee for the criminal background report through AOC FastCheck, plus the cost of a 20-hour prelicensing course, which varies by provider. Fees paid with the application are not refundable.
Sources: NIPR: Kentucky Resident Individual Renewal Requirements; Kentucky DOI: Licensing Frequently Asked Questions.
In Louisiana, the Life licensing exam costs $36 with PSI, or $58 for the combined Life, Health and Accident or Sickness exam. Exam fees are not refundable or transferable. You must also file the license application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) and complete fingerprinting through IdentoGo to be licensed.
Sources: PSI: Louisiana Department of Insurance candidate information bulletin.
In Maine, the Life producer exam costs $55, the resident producer application and license fee is $25, and NIPR adds a $5.60 transaction fee. You must also present a certificate showing 16 credit hours of prelicensing education (or at least 6 months of relevant experience as an insurer or producer employee). Education course prices vary by provider.
Sources: Pearson VUE — Maine Personal Lines Insurance Content Outline (publication 122006) / Maine Insurance Licensing Candidate Handbook (publication 122000); Maine BOI: Producer frequently asked questions; NIPR help: Apply for an initial license; Maine Rule 02-031 C.M.R. ch. 542, § 4 (Minimum Educational Requirements), as published by Cornell Legal Information Institute.
The Maryland life insurance producer exam costs $65, and you must also pay a license application fee when you apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) at www.nipr.com after passing. Exam fees are not refundable or transferable, so taking the exam unnecessarily costs you the full $65. Veterans may be reimbursed up to $2,000 per exam under the GI Bill, though application fees are not reimbursable.
Sources: Prometric: Maryland Insurance Licensing Information Bulletin (effective as of October 1, 2026).
The required Pearson exam fee for the Life producer license is $37, paid at the time of reservation by credit card, debit card, or voucher, and it is non-refundable and non-transferable except under the change and cancel policy. After passing, you apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) and pay the state application fee. Pearson also sells optional online practice tests, and exam prep course prices vary by provider.
Sources: Pearson VUE: Massachusetts insurance candidate handbook.
The Minnesota life license fees are a $45 PSI exam fee, $66.75 for electronic fingerprinting at a PSI test center (or a $35.00 manual processing check), a $50 application fee plus $50 for the life line of authority, and the technology fee. You must also complete a 20-hour prelicensing course, priced separately by the provider. Exam results stay valid for 3 years, so you can spread the costs over time.
Sources: PSI: Minnesota Insurance Candidate Information Bulletin; Minnesota Department of Commerce: Resident Producers; Minn. Stat. 60K.55: Producer license fees.
Required fees for a Mississippi life license total $150: a $50 Pearson VUE examination fee per attempt and a $100 license fee. Since July 1, 2024, House Bill 819 exempts Life-only applicants from the 20-hour prelicensing course requirement, so there is no state-mandated course cost for that line.
Sources: NIPR: Mississippi resident individual renewal requirements; Pearson VUE: Mississippi insurance candidate handbook (PDF, July 2025); Mississippi MID: Licensing forms and fees; Mississippi MID: Licensing hub.
Montana charges no application fee for a resident insurance producer license, which is the license used to sell life insurance. You must pay the Pearson VUE examination fee of $65 per exam and a $30 fingerprint fee payable to Montana Criminal Records. Because Montana requires no prelicensing course, study materials are optional and their cost varies by provider.
Sources: Pearson VUE: Montana insurance candidate handbook (June 2025); Montana CSI: Fingerprints for insurance licensing purposes.
A Nebraska life insurance license carries two state charges: $43 for the PSI Life exam and a $50 resident application fee at NIPR.com. The Life exam requires a 70% score to pass. After passing, PSI uploads results to the state within 2-3 business days, and you must apply for the license within one year.
Sources: PSI: Nebraska Insurance Licensing Examination Candidate Information Bulletin; Nebraska DOI: Licensing Fee Schedule (7/17/2026).
A Nevada life insurance license requires a $37 Pearson VUE exam fee for the Life exam and a $185 state application fee. If you apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), add a $5.60 transaction fee, and fingerprinting for the background check costs extra. Nevada requires no prelicensing education hours, so there is no mandatory course fee.
Sources: Pearson VUE: Nevada Insurance Candidate Handbook (October 2024); Nevada Division of Insurance – Producer Licensing (Individuals) page and DOI Licensing FAQs for Applicants and Licensees; NIPR Help: Apply for an Initial License.
New Hampshire requires no prelicensing course, so the main costs are the exam and the license fee. The Life exam (PSI series 12-61) costs $59, and the combined Life, Accident and Health exam (12-63) costs $72, paid each attempt. The producer license application fee is $210, and exam fees are non-refundable and non-transferable.
Sources: PSI: New Hampshire insurance candidate information bulletin; New Hampshire NHID: Licensing fees.
The fixed costs are $38 for the PSI licensing exam, $66.05 for the required Live Scan fingerprinting, and $170 in state fees for the standard electronic application ($150 license fee plus $20 processing; a paper application costs $190). The 20-hour prelicensing course is purchased separately from an approved education provider, and prices vary by provider.
Sources: PSI: New Jersey insurance candidate information bulletin; New Jersey DOBI: Insurance producer licensing fees; New Jersey DOBI: Insurance licensing and education hub; N.J.A.C. 11:17-2.13: Fees; New Jersey DOBI: Producer licensing FAQs.
A New Mexico life insurance license requires three fees: $75 for the PSI licensing exam, $67 for the fingerprint background check, and $30 for the application filed through NIPR. The state does not require a pre-licensing course or an official study manual, so any course you take is an optional extra cost.
Sources: PSI: New Mexico Insurance Candidate Information Bulletin; New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance — Individual Licensing Instructions (PDF); New Mexico OSI: License Fees 2026.
A North Dakota life insurance license involves several separate fees. The Life and Annuity exam through PSI is $64, the license application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) is $100, the fingerprint fee payable to the North Dakota Attorney General is $43, PSI's fingerprint processing fee is $29, and NIPR adds a $5.60 transaction fee.
Sources: North Dakota NDID / PSI: Insurance licensing examination candidate information bulletin (Dec 27, 2024); North Dakota NDID: Apply for a resident producer license; NIPR help: Apply for an initial license.
A life insurance license in Ohio requires three mandatory fees: a $49 examination fee paid to PSI, a fingerprint-based background check of up to $72.25, and a $10 application fee for the Life line of authority. You must also complete a 20-hour pre-licensing course from an Ohio approved provider, and course prices vary by provider. Fingerprinting costs $22.00 for the state check, $25.25 for the FBI check, plus a vendor service fee.
Sources: Ohio ODI: Exam reservation and scheduling; Ohio ODI: Criminal background check (fingerprints); Ohio ODI: License fees and application fee chart; Ohio ODI: Pre-licensing education.
In Oregon, the prelicense training for the life line runs 20 hours, and the course price varies by school. The PSI exam fee is $45 for a single line, and the fingerprint and background check costs $61.25 for new resident applicants. You also pay an initial application fee online at NIPR.com, plus a processing fee.
Sources: Oregon DFR: Producer licensing; Oregon DFR: Fees and forms.
The mandatory fees are $59 for the Pearson VUE licensing exam and $25 for the license application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). You also pay NIPR transaction fees and a fingerprinting fee, for which the state publishes no dollar amount. South Carolina requires no prelicensing course, so there is no mandatory course cost.
Sources: South Carolina Department of Insurance (SCDOI) and Pearson VUE SC Insurance Candidate Handbook; South Carolina Department of Insurance — License Renewal page, corroborated by NIPR SC Resident Renewal fee schedule and S.C. Code § 38-43-80.
A South Dakota resident life insurance producer license costs $25 to apply, plus a service fee paid when you submit the online application. Scheduling the licensing exam through Pearson VUE costs $25 for residents. Once appointed, an insurer appointment adds $10 for a resident producer.
Sources: SDCL 58-2-29: Division of Insurance fee schedule.
The required state fees are $55 for the Pearson VUE life exam and $50 for the license application filed through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). A fingerprint-based background check is also required, with a separate fingerprinting fee. Tennessee requires 20 hours of pre-licensing education for the life line of authority, and course prices vary by provider.
Sources: Pearson VUE — Tennessee Insurance Licensing Candidate Handbook (October 2026 edition, #124300); Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0780-01-56: Licensing Requirements for Insurance Producers.
The Life Agent licensing exam costs $39 per the October 2024 candidate handbook, and the license application costs $50, plus a separate fee for the required fingerprint background check. If you apply before passing the exam, you must submit a new application and pay the $50 fee again. Texas does not require prelicensing education, so an exam prep course is optional, and prep course prices vary by provider.
Sources: Pearson VUE: Texas insurance licensing candidate handbook (October 2024); Texas TDI: life agent license management (renewal).
A Vermont Life insurance license involves three fees: a $52 exam fee for the Producer's Life exam (Series 14-25, per the Prometric fee schedule effective March 18, 2026), plus a $30 application fee and a $30 initial license fee set by Vermont statute 8 V.S.A. 4800(2)(A). Exam fees are non-transferable and non-refundable.
Sources: Prometric: Vermont insurance licensing information bulletin; Vermont DFR: Producer license.
A Virginia Life and Annuities license requires three fees: the $35 Prometric exam fee, a $37.95 Fieldprint fingerprinting fee, and a $15 application fee per line of authority. No prelicensing course is required, so a study course is optional and adds its own cost. The exam fee is nonrefundable, and fingerprints must be no older than 90 days when the application is submitted.
Sources: Prometric: Virginia Bureau of Insurance Licensing Information Bulletin (effective December 13, 2024); Virginia State Corporation Commission - Bureau of Insurance, Apply for an Individual Virginia Insurance License; NIPR: Virginia resident individual licensing requirements.
A Washington life insurance license costs about $150 in state fees. The Life producer exam is $38, the license application fee is $55, and fingerprinting is $52 as of October 1, 2026. If you apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), its $5.60 transaction fee is charged on top of the state fees.
Sources: Washington OIC: Producer and adjuster licensing fees; PSI Services LLC — Washington OIC Insurance Candidate Information Bulletin; Washington OIC: Fingerprint requirements; NIPR help: Apply for an initial license.
A West Virginia Life license requires 20 hours of approved pre-licensing education, then an $84 Pearson VUE exam fee, a $47.25 fingerprinting fee paid to Identogo, and a $50 license application fee through NIPR. Course fees vary by provider, so the total depends mainly on the education you choose.
Sources: West Virginia OIC: How to Apply for a Resident Producer License; West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner fee schedule and Pearson VUE West Virginia Insurance Candidate Handbook (September 2026); West Virginia OIC: Licensing and Education Fees (fee schedule, updated 8/19/2026).
As of October 2026, a Wisconsin resident pays a $75 initial license fee for the Life line of authority plus a $10 application fee. Before applying, you also pay $34.75 for fingerprinting through Fieldprint and $75 to PSI for the Life exam (series 22-01). Prelicensing course prices vary by provider and are a separate cost.
Sources: Wisconsin OCI: Insurance License Types and Fees; Wisconsin OCI: Fingerprinting Requirements.
For Wyoming residents, the license application fee is $100 and the fingerprint-based background check costs $39. You also pay the testing vendor, Pearson VUE, a separate fee for the exam itself. Wyoming requires no prelicensing education, so there is no mandatory course cost, though many candidates buy study materials voluntarily.
Sources: Wyoming DOI: producer licensing requirements, fees and FAQs.