What are the requirements to become an insurance agent?

In most states, you must be at least 18 years old, complete any required background check, be current on federal and state tax obligations and any child support obligations, and meet the state's standards on criminal history, fraud, and regulatory actions. You must also complete any required prelicensing education, since topics and hours vary by state and line of authority, then schedule and pass the state licensing exam. Most states also require continuing education to renew. Typical entry-level education is a high school diploma.

Alabama insurance producer applicants must be at least 18 years old, pass the state licensing exam for the lines of authority sought, and have committed no act that is a ground for denial under Code of Alabama 27-7-4.3(b), such as a felony conviction. No prelicensing education has been required since January 1, 2024. Applicants complete a fingerprint background check through Fieldprint and apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) for an $80 producer fee, submitting proof of U.S. citizenship within 10 days or the application is rejected without a refund.

To become an insurance agent in Alaska, you must be 18, be a resident actually living in the state, be trustworthy and competent, and pass the licensing exam for each line you want to sell, such as life, health, property, or casualty (AS 21.27.020). Alaska requires no prelicensing education. After passing with a scaled score of 70, apply at nipr.com or on form 08-240 with the $75 producer fee, one fingerprint card, and the $48.25 fingerprint evaluation fee; exam scores stay valid for one year.

To become an Arizona insurance agent, you must be at least 18 years old, pass the licensing exam for your desired line of authority, and submit an application with a $120 fee through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). Arizona requires no pre-licensing education, and no professional designation or experience waives the exam. You must also submit electronic fingerprints through the Arizona Department of Public Safety's process for a criminal history background check.

Arkansas requires insurance agents (insurance producers) to complete a prelicensing education course for each line they want to sell and hold a certificate of completion, submit the resident application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $20 fee, and clear a criminal background check. After the Arkansas Insurance Department approves the application, PSI sends an email confirmation, and you must pass the licensing exam with a 70% score. Each producer exam costs $50, and you can print your license from NIPR 24 hours after passing.

• Must be at least 18 years old
• No college degree required
• Must pass a background check

To become a Colorado resident insurance producer, you must be at least 18 years old, live in the state, and be trustworthy, competent, financially responsible, and of good personal and business reputation. You must also disclose on the application any licenses previously revoked, denied, or suspended. You complete prelicensing training for your lines, pass the Pearson licensing exam, and apply online through Sircon or the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR).

To become an insurance producer in Connecticut, you must be at least 18 years old, financially responsible, and of good moral character. You must complete 20 hours of pre-licensing education per single line of authority (40 hours for combined Property & Casualty or Life/Accident & Health), pass the Pearson VUE exam with a 70% score, and apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). The individual producer application fee is $140.

To become a Delaware insurance producer you must be at least 18, pass the Pearson VUE exam for each line of authority you want, and clear a state and FBI criminal background check. No prelicensing education is required. You apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) and pay a $150 license fee, which reflects the $25 increase effective May 7, 2025.

To become a licensed insurance producer in DC, you must pass the exam for each line of authority you want, with a scaled score of 70, at $75 per exam through Pearson VUE. Candidates must show proof of a pre-licensing course of study before sitting for the exam. After passing, apply electronically at www.nipr.com within 1 year; applications are accepted starting 24 hours after you pass.

You must be at least 18, be a bona fide Florida resident, be a U.S. citizen or legal alien with work authorization, and hold no resident license in another state. You must also complete a department-approved prelicensing course (30 to 200 hours depending on the license line), pass the state exam, and be fingerprinted. The license is only valid once an insurer appoints you.

You must be at least 18 years old, a Georgia resident or have a Georgia business address, and be of good character per O.C.G.A. 33-23-21. You must complete the prelicensing course for your line (8 hours per major line), pass the Pearson VUE exam with 70% correct, and apply through Sircon with the $120 fee. The state also requires a notarized Citizenship Affidavit (GID-276-EN) and electronic fingerprints.

Idaho residents must pass the exam for each line of authority ($65 per exam), submit fingerprints for a background check ($65 electronic or $61.25 hard card), and apply online through NIPR for an $80 fee. Idaho does not require pre-licensing education. Applicants email the fingerprint receipt, the CHRI Request and Release form, and exam pass slips to the department.

You must be at least 18 years old, complete 20 hours of pre-licensing education per line of authority (7.5 of those hours in a classroom or webinar setting), and pass the Pearson VUE licensing exams with a score of 70. Illinois does not require fingerprinting or a background check for producer applicants; you apply online through NIPR, answer background questions, and pay the $215 resident license fee. Motor Vehicle is the only exception, requiring 12.5 hours with 5 classroom hours.

You must be at least 18, maintain your principal residence or business in Indiana, complete any required pre-licensing education, pass the exam, and submit a $40 nonrefundable application fee. Required hours by line: Life 20; Health 20; Life & Health 40; Property & Casualty 40; Personal Lines 20; Title 10. You must also be a U.S. citizen or legal alien with work authorization and have no disqualifying acts.

You must be at least 18 years old, pass the licensing exam for each line of authority, pay the $50 license fee, and submit fingerprints for a state and federal criminal history check. Iowa has no pre-licensing education requirement, so you can sit for the exam without completing state-mandated coursework. Applications are submitted through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) online system.

To become a Kansas resident insurance producer, 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 criminal background check, and pass the licensing exam for each line of authority you want. You submit the NAIC Uniform Application online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), paying a $30 application fee and a $60 fingerprint fee. Kansas requires no pre-licensing education.

To become a resident insurance agent in Kentucky, you must be at least 18 years old, complete a prelicensing course (20 hours per line of authority, or 40 hours when you combine life and health or property and casualty), and pass the exam for each line with a score of 70%. You must also submit an application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) and request a criminal background report from the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts (AOC) through its FastCheck portal.

To become an insurance agent (producer) in Louisiana, you must be at least 18 years old, competent and trustworthy, and reside in or maintain a principal place of business in the state. You pass a licensing exam for the lines that require one, submit a $75 application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), and be fingerprinted through IdentoGo. Louisiana requires no prelicensing education, except bail bond applicants must complete a three-month apprenticeship first.

Maine requires 16 credit hours of prelicensing education for each line of authority you request, or a certificate showing 6 months of relevant full-time experience, and a passing scaled score of 70 on the Pearson VUE exam. You then apply through NIPR with a $25 resident fee and answer the background questions. A person with a felony conviction involving dishonesty must obtain written 1033 consent from the Maine Bureau of Insurance before applying.

To become a licensed insurance producer in Maryland, you must be at least 18 years old, pass the Prometric exam for each line of authority you request, pay the $54 fee, and submit the NAIC Uniform Individual Application through NIPR or by mail. Maryland has required no prelicensing education or experience since October 1, 2024, and it does not fingerprint producer applicants; background screening happens through the application's background questions.

To qualify for a Massachusetts resident insurance producer license, you must be at least 18, be a U.S. citizen or have authorization to work in the U.S., have committed no act that is a ground for denial under state law, and pass the exam for each line of authority you want. Massachusetts requires no prelicensing education. You then pay a $225 license fee, plus a $75 lead paint surcharge if you apply for Property, Casualty, or Personal Lines.

You must be at least 18 years old, complete state-approved pre-licensing education from a DIFS-approved provider (20 hours for a single line, 40 for combined Property and Casualty or Life and Health), and pass the $41 PSI licensing exam. You then file an Electronic Resident Licensing application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $10.00 state fee plus a $5.00 transaction fee. No fingerprinting is required, but a "yes" to a background question requires supporting documents.

You must complete 20 hours of state-approved prelicensing education for each line of authority you want to sell, and the course must be completed before you sit for the exam. You then pass the licensing exam through PSI with a score of 70%, submit fingerprints for a criminal history record check, and file your producer license application online through Sircon or the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). The license fee is $50 plus $50 per line of authority, plus a technology fee.

To become an insurance agent in Mississippi, you must be at least 18 years old, complete an approved prelicensing course, pass the state exam, and submit a producer application with the $100 license fee at sircon.com or nipr.com. Effective July 1, 2024, House Bill 819 exempts Life-only applicants from the prelicensing course, though the exam is still required. Accident and Health, Property, Casualty, and Personal Lines each require 20 hours of prelicensing education.

To become a resident insurance producer in Missouri, you must be at least 18 years old, pass the licensing exam for each line of authority you want to sell, and submit an application with the $100 fee. Missouri does not require pre-licensing education. Exams are given in person at Pearson VUE test centers, and you apply online through the state or the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) 24-48 hours after passing.

To become a resident insurance producer in Montana, you must be at least 18 years old, be a Montana resident, and pass the licensing exam for the lines you want, with a score of 75% or better. You must also submit fingerprints for a state and federal background check. Montana requires no prelicensing education for producers, only the exam. You apply through NIPR; the resident producer application carries a $0 state fee, the exam fee is $65, and the fingerprint check is $30 payable to Montana Criminal Records.

To become a resident insurance producer in Nebraska, you must be at least 18, maintain a principal place of residence in the state, and pass the licensing exam for your line of authority. Nebraska requires no pre-licensing education, so you may register for the PSI exam as soon as you feel ready. After passing, wait 2-3 business days for PSI to upload your results, then apply at NIPR.com for the $50 fee.

To become a resident insurance producer in Nevada, you must be at least 18 years old, pass the licensing exam for each line of authority, and submit fingerprints for a criminal history background check. Nevada requires zero prelicensing education hours under NRS 683A.251. You apply online through Sircon or the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) for a $185 state fee, and the application must show a complete employment history with no unexplained gaps.

New Hampshire requires resident insurance producers to be at least 18 years old, pass the written licensing exam for the desired lines of authority (administered by PSI), and apply online through NIPR with a $210 fee. No prelicensing course is required, and no fingerprinting is required for licensure.

To become an insurance agent in New Jersey, you must be at least 18 years old, complete 20 hours of approved prelicensing education per major line, pass the PSI licensing exam with at least 70%, pass a background check with Live Scan fingerprinting ($66.05), and apply online through NIPR ($170 in state fees for major lines). Applicants must be trustworthy, competent, financially responsible, and of good reputation, and must not hold an active resident license in another state.

New Mexico requires you to be at least 18 years old, pass the state licensing exam for each line of authority with a score of at least 70%, submit fingerprints for a state and federal background check, and file an application online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). New Mexico requires no prelicensing education. The individual producer application fee is $30, and the background check fee is $67.

You must be at least 18 years old, complete a Department-approved prelicensing course, and pass the PSI licensing exam. The course must total at least 90 hours for property/casualty, 40 hours for life/accident & health or personal lines, and 20 hours for life only or accident & health only. You must apply within 2 years of passing the exam; residents apply online through the Department's NY LINX portal. The exam fee is $40, and the New York resident license fee is $80 for a term over one year.

You must be at least 18 years old and submit your application online at www.nipr.com with the required fees, including a $38 fingerprint fee for an initial producer license. You then pass the Pearson VUE exam for each line of authority requested (passing score 70, $45 per attempt) and complete all requirements within 6 months of the application date, or the fees are forfeited. Before selling, you must also be appointed by one or more insurance companies.

To become a licensed insurance agent in North Dakota, you must be at least 18 years old, live in the state or keep your principal place of business there, pass the exam for each line you want to sell, pay the fees, complete a fingerprint-based criminal history check, and have had no insurance license revoked or suspended in any state. You then apply electronically through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $100 fee.

You must be at least 18 years old, be a US citizen or prove legal authorization to work in the United States, and complete 20 hours of pre-licensing education per line from an Ohio-approved provider. You must pass the PSI exam for each line, submit to BCI and FBI fingerprint checks, and apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $10 fee per line of authority. A criminal record is not an automatic bar for most license types; the department reviews each case individually.

To become an insurance agent in Oklahoma you must be at least 18 years old, be a United States citizen or hold a valid visa or I-94 card, and pass the licensing exam with 70% correct. Oklahoma requires no pre-licensing education. A felony conviction for dishonesty or breach of trust bars you from the business unless the Insurance Commissioner grants a 1033 waiver. After passing, apply online; the resident producer license fee is $60.

To qualify for an Oregon resident insurance producer license, you must be at least 18 years old and be a resident of, or maintain a place of business in, Oregon. You must complete 20 hours of prelicensing education per line of authority, pass the required exam, provide fingerprints for a criminal records check, and apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR).

To become a resident insurance producer in Pennsylvania you must be at least 18 years old, maintain a primary residence or business location in the state, be able to read and write English, and meet the state's standards for professional competence, general fitness, and integrity of character. You must pass the exam for your line of authority with a score of at least 70% and submit fingerprints at an IdentoGO enrollment center. Pre-licensing education is no longer required, effective April 29, 2025.

To become an insurance agent in Rhode Island, you must be at least 18 years old, pass the Pearson VUE licensing exam for your line of authority, provide a certified background check (BCI) as a resident, and hold a valid business email address. No prelicensing course hours are required, and the resident license fee is $120 for a two-year term. All resident producers selling, soliciting, or negotiating insurance must also carry errors and omissions insurance.

To become a resident insurance producer in South Carolina, you must be at least 18 years old, pass the Pearson VUE licensing exam for your line of authority, apply online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), and pay the $25 license fee. Resident applicants must also submit fingerprints, which the state uses for South Carolina and FBI criminal checks. South Carolina requires no prelicensing education.

To become an insurance producer (agent) in South Dakota, you must be at least 18 years old, pass the written examination for each line of authority you want to sell, and pay the licensing fees. No pre-licensing education is required. After passing the exam, submit the resident producer application online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with the $25 application fee plus a service fee.

You must be at least 18 years old and a Tennessee resident (or qualify as a nonresident), complete 20 hours of pre-licensing education for each line of authority you want, and pass the Pearson VUE exam with a score of at least 70%. You also need a fingerprint-based background check and an electronic application with a $50 filing fee through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR).

You must be at least 18 years old, pass the Texas licensing exam for your line of authority, complete an IdentoGO fingerprint background check, and apply within one year of passing, paying a $50 application fee per license type. Fingerprints are checked against Texas Department of Public Safety and FBI criminal history records. Holders of designations such as CLU or CPCU, and nonresidents licensed in good standing in reciprocal states, may be exempt from the exam.

Utah requires resident producer applicants to be at least 18 years old, have a Social Security Number, be a Utah resident, pass the applicable Prometric exam, be fingerprinted at a Prometric test center, and meet the character requirements under Utah Code 31A-23a-107. The state requires no pre-licensing education or training course before the exam. After passing, you apply online through SIRCON or NIPR within 90 days.

To become an insurance producer in Vermont, you must be at least 18, be deemed competent, trustworthy, and financially responsible by the commissioner, pass a written exam for your line of authority, and submit an application with fees. Vermont requires no pre-licensing education hours and no routine fingerprints, though the commissioner may request fingerprints for a background check. The electronic application through NIPR carries $60 in state fees.

You must be at least 18, pass the licensing exam for your line, complete fingerprinting, and apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). The application fee is $15 per line of authority, the exam fee is $35 as of the December 2024 Prometric bulletin, and fingerprinting through Fieldprint costs $37.95. Virginia requires no prelicensing education except for the Title license, which requires 16 hours of instruction.

A Washington resident producer applicant must pass the licensing exam for each line of authority wanted, with a score of at least 70%. Next, apply for the license online with the Office of the Insurance Commissioner, then submit fingerprints for a background check. A first-time full-lines producer license costs $55, single-line exams cost $38, and fingerprinting is $52 as of October 1, 2026. Pre-licensing education has not been required since July 23, 2023.

To become an insurance agent in West Virginia, you must meet the Commissioner's eligibility standards, including state residency, and pass the Pearson VUE licensing exam. Before testing, complete 20 hours of approved pre-licensing education per line of authority and bring the paper Course Completion Certificate to the test center (it is valid for 6 months). After passing, get fingerprinted through Identogo and apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a $50 fee.

To become a licensed insurance agent in Wisconsin, complete 20 hours of prelicensing education per line of authority with a state-approved provider, then pass the state exam with at least 70% correct. You must also submit fingerprints through Fieldprint ($34.75, valid 180 days) and apply online through NIPR, paying a $75 initial license fee per line plus a $10 application fee. Applications are typically processed within 24 to 48 hours, though deferred applications take longer.

You must be at least 18 years old, pass the Wyoming Insurance Licensing Exam for the lines of authority you want, apply online through Sircon, and submit fingerprints for a criminal background check after the department receives your application. Wyoming imposes no mandatory prelicensing education hours for resident producers. The resident application fee is $100 and fingerprinting costs $39. No crime automatically disqualifies you, but you must disclose all records, even sealed or expunged ones.