What does a licensed insurance agent do?

A licensed insurance agent, formally called a producer, sells, solicits, or negotiates insurance on behalf of the companies they represent. Property and casualty agents sell auto, home, and commercial coverage; life agents sell life policies and annuities; health agents sell medical, dental, and disability coverage. Agents must hold a license in every state where they do business, and most states require continuing education to keep it. Selling variable products such as variable annuities also requires a securities registration in addition to the insurance license.

A licensed insurance agent sells insurance policies to individuals and businesses, advises clients on coverage, and is paid through commissions, salary, or bonuses. Agents must be licensed in each state where they work, with separate licenses for life and health insurance versus property and casualty insurance. Depending on the license, an agent may sell life insurance, annuities, health coverage, disability coverage, long-term care, or property and casualty products.

A licensed insurance agent solicits, negotiates, and effects contracts of insurance within the lines of authority listed on their license. California Insurance Code 1631 prohibits a person from transacting insurance in any licensed capacity without a valid license from the commissioner. A life agent may transact insurance on human lives, endowment and annuity benefits, death or dismemberment by accident, and disability income, while a property or casualty broker-agent handles the corresponding property and liability coverages.

A licensed insurance agent sells insurance products, most commonly property and casualty, life, health, and long-term care coverage. Agents must be licensed in every state where they sell, with separate licenses for life and health and for property and casualty. Commission is the most common form of pay, especially for experienced agents, and independent agents may be paid by commission only.

A licensed insurance agent transacts insurance: under section 624.10, Florida Statutes, that includes solicitation or inducement, preliminary negotiations, effectuating a contract of insurance, and handling matters that arise after the contract takes effect. What an agent sells depends on the license: a life agent sells life insurance and annuities, a general lines agent insures autos, homes, and other property, and a title agent issues and countersigns title insurance policies. An agent must be appointed by an insurer to act under the license.

A licensed insurance agent sells insurance policies to consumers and businesses and must be licensed in each state where they work. Captive agents work for one insurance company, while independent agents sell for several companies. Agents selling life and health products need a separate license from those selling property and casualty products, and agents selling variable products must also register with FINRA.

A licensed insurance agent, called a producer in Idaho law, sells, solicits, and negotiates insurance products on behalf of insurers. Talking to customers about insurance, giving advice on the benefits of policies, and negotiating coverage all require a license. Agents may work for one company or sell policies of several companies.

A licensed insurance agent, called an insurance producer in Illinois, sells or solicits insurance policies on behalf of insurance companies for families and businesses. Independent agents represent multiple insurance companies and can offer clients several quotes. Compensation is commission-based: for example, a new auto policy might pay a roughly 12% new-business commission plus a renewal commission each year the policy stays in force.

A licensed insurance agent sells, solicits, or negotiates insurance policies for compensation. Captive agents work exclusively for one company, while independent agents may sell policies of several companies. After licensure, agents secure carrier appointments, the legal contracts with insurers that permit the agent to sell their products, and typically purchase errors and omissions liability insurance. Nationally, 63% of agents work in insurance agencies and brokerages and 12% are self-employed.

A licensed insurance agent sells insurance policies to consumers and businesses under the lines of authority on their Kentucky license, such as life, health, property, casualty, and personal lines. Agents may work for a single insurer (captive agents) or several insurers (independent agents), while brokers represent clients rather than insurers. Before placing applications with an insurer, an agent must be appointed by that insurer and the appointment must be approved by the commissioner.

A licensed insurance agent represents insurance companies and sells, solicits, or negotiates their policies for consumers. In Michigan, an agent must hold a producer license and be appointed by each insurer they represent before acting as that insurer's agent. Michigan law treats producers as fiduciaries, responsible for promptly remitting premiums and proceeds they collect to the insurer.

A licensed insurance agent sells, solicits, or negotiates insurance with consumers, and the license type determines what can be sold: life and health products require one license, and property and casualty products require another. Agents may be captive, working for a single company, or independent, representing several companies. In Nebraska, an active license is required before selling, soliciting, or negotiating any insurance business.

A licensed insurance agent sells insurance policies to individuals and businesses. Agents typically specialize in life and health products or property and casualty products, and separate licenses are generally required for each. Some agents work exclusively for one company, while independent agents represent several companies. The work involves explaining coverage, quoting policies, and maintaining client relationships. The median annual wage was $62,280 in May 2025.

A licensed insurance agent sells, solicits, and negotiates insurance on behalf of the insurance companies that appoint them. In New York, an agent must have at least one company appointment on file to sell insurance; without one, the license is considered inactive. Agents commonly hold separate licenses for life and health insurance and for property and casualty insurance, and those selling variable products must also be registered with FINRA.

A licensed insurance agent sells insurance products. In North Carolina, an agent may not sell insurance until appointed by one or more insurance companies, and may sell only the products of the companies for which the agent is appointed and duly licensed. A company appointment is required to use the license for most producer lines, such as Property, Casualty, Life, and Accident and Health.

A licensed insurance agent sells insurance policies to individuals and businesses. Agents must hold a state license for the lines they sell, and separate licenses are required to sell life and health insurance versus property and casualty insurance. Most agents work for insurance agencies and brokerages and earn commissions on the policies they sell. The median annual wage for insurance sales agents was $62,280 in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

A licensed insurance agent sells insurance policies to consumers and businesses. Agents must be licensed in the states where they work, and separate licenses are required to sell life and health insurance versus property and casualty insurance. Captive agents work exclusively for one company, while independent agents sell policies from several companies. Some agents who sell securities products such as variable annuities must also register with the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA).

A licensed insurance agent, called a producer in Rhode Island law, sells, solicits, and negotiates insurance and earns commissions from insurers rather than being paid directly by clients. The state requires all resident producers selling, soliciting, or negotiating insurance to carry errors and omissions (E&O) insurance. Independent agents represent multiple insurance companies and can offer clients several quotes, while captive agents represent a single company.

A licensed insurance agent sells insurance products on behalf of insurers. In Texas, an agent may not transact business for an insurer until that carrier files an appointment with the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI). The insurer, not the agent, files the appointment through Sircon or the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) before the agent begins representing the company.

A licensed insurance agent sells, solicits, and negotiates insurance policies on behalf of insurers. In Virginia, no one may perform those activities without a Bureau of Insurance license, and an agent must hold an appointment at the time of sale for an insurer to pay a commission. Captive agents work for one insurer, while independent agents sell for several; brokers represent clients rather than insurers.

A licensed insurance agent, called a producer in Washington law, is licensed to sell, solicit, or negotiate insurance. Adjusters, by contrast, investigate or negotiate settlement offers for insurance claims. A producer who transacts business as a direct representative of an insurer must also be appointed by that insurer after becoming licensed.

A licensed insurance agent, called a producer in West Virginia law, sells, solicits, or negotiates insurance on behalf of an insurance company, including advising a client to buy a specific policy. A producer license is issued by line of authority, such as Life, Accident & Sickness, Property, Casualty, or Personal Lines. Independent agents may represent multiple insurers, and state law requires each producer to be appointed by a licensed insurer.