How to get an insurance license in Arizona

Getting an insurance license in Arizona means passing the state licensing exam for your line of authority, submitting electronic fingerprints, and filing a $120 application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). The Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI) issues the license. Arizona law requires no pre-licensing education, so your timeline depends mostly on your own study time, and DIFI processes most license applications within 10 days.

What an Arizona insurance license lets you do

An insurance producer license authorizes you to sell, solicit, or negotiate insurance, and "producer" is the title licensing systems use for both agents and brokers, according to the NAIC's producer licensing overview^[1]. Anyone who sells insurance to the public must hold a license in each state where they do business, and separate licenses govern life and health products versus property and casualty products, per the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook^[2]. More than 2 million individuals and 236,000 business entities are licensed to provide insurance services nationwide, per the NAIC. In Arizona, DIFI regulates licensing and sets the rules this guide covers.

Median annual pay for insurance sales agents was $62,280 in May 2025, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics^[2], and employment is projected to grow 3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 43,100 openings a year. On the adjusting side, claims adjusters, examiners, and investigators earned a median of $78,000 annually in May 2025, though that group is projected to decline 6% from 2025 to 2035, with about 21,600 openings a year expected from replacement needs, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics^[3].

Arizona insurance license requirements

You must be at least 18 years old, and the state requires no pre-licensing coursework, no college degree, and no prior industry experience for a producer license. The minimum age comes from Arizona Revised Statutes (ARS) §20-167, per NIPR's Arizona resident licensing requirements^[4]. The typical entry-level education for insurance sales agents is a high school diploma or equivalent, per the Bureau of Labor Statistics^[2].

No credential shortcuts the exam. Arizona law does not make exceptions for professional insurance designations or experience, so a CLU, CPCU, or years in the industry does not waive the test, per NIPR's Arizona resident licensing requirements^[4]. A resident license also requires an Arizona residence address; the state does not accept a P.O. Box or private mailbox for a residence or business address. Your application triggers a fingerprint-based background check, covered below.

Lines of authority on an Arizona insurance license

Arizona licenses producers line by line: six producer lines require an exam (Life, Accident and Health or Sickness, Property, Casualty, Personal Lines, and Crop), three producer lines carry no exam (Variable Life and Variable Annuity, Credit, and Travel), and adjusting is a separate license class, per NIPR's Arizona resident licensing requirements^[4] and the PSI Arizona insurance candidate information bulletin^[5].

Combined exams let one sitting cover two lines: the Series 13-33 covers Life plus Accident and Health or Sickness, and the Series 13-34 covers Property plus Casualty, per the PSI candidate bulletin^[5].

Life insurance license in Arizona

A life insurance license in Arizona comes from passing the Life Insurance exam (Series 13-31, $50) and selecting the Life line of authority on your application. The line authorizes you to sell life insurance policies and annuity products. Producers who want to sell variable products must also hold the Variable Life and Variable Annuity line, which Arizona grants only if you already hold the Life line or apply for both at the same time, per NIPR's Arizona resident licensing requirements^[4].

Life producers who sell annuities must first complete 4 hours of Arizona-approved annuity training, and nonresidents can satisfy it with a substantially similar out-of-state course, per the PSI candidate bulletin^[5].

Accident and health or sickness license in Arizona

An Arizona health insurance license requires passing the Accident and Health or Sickness exam (Series 13-32, $50), or the combined Life, Accident and Health or Sickness exam (Series 13-33, $59) if you want both lines from one test. The line authorizes individual and group health coverage, disability income products, and long-term care insurance.

Accident and Health or Sickness producers who sell long-term care insurance must first complete 8 hours of Arizona-approved long-term care training, then 4 hours in each two-year period after, under ARS §20-1691.12, per the PSI candidate bulletin^[5]. Residents may apply those training hours toward continuing education.

Property insurance license in Arizona

A property insurance license in Arizona requires passing the Property exam (Series 13-42, $50), or the combined Property and Casualty exam (Series 13-34, $59) to earn both lines with one test. The line covers insurance against damage to property such as homes, vehicles, and commercial buildings.

Resident producers who sell federal flood insurance must complete a one-time 3 hours of National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) training, which can also count toward Arizona continuing education, under Arizona Regulatory Bulletin 2006-09 as republished on FEMA's state training requirements page for agents^[6]. Failure to comply can jeopardize the producer's authority to write flood insurance through the NFIP.

Casualty insurance license in Arizona

A casualty insurance license in Arizona requires passing the Casualty exam (Series 13-43, $42). Casualty insurance covers legal liability for injuries a policyholder causes to other people and damage to their property, in both personal and commercial forms, and many policies combine it with property coverage. Producers holding both Property and Casualty authority can later qualify for the Surplus Lines Broker license described below.

Personal lines insurance license in Arizona

A personal lines license in Arizona requires passing the Personal Lines exam (Series 13-44, $50). The line covers personal auto, homeowners, and renters coverage sold to individuals and families for primarily noncommercial purposes, per the NAIC State Licensing Handbook^[7]. It excludes commercial coverages, which require the full Property and Casualty lines.

Claims adjuster license in Arizona

Arizona licenses claims adjusters separately from producers: you pass the Adjuster exam (Series 13-36) and apply for the Adjuster license class. Nonresidents who are not licensed as resident adjusters in their home state must pass the Arizona adjuster exam, per the PSI candidate bulletin^[5].

Arizona also offers a Staff Adjuster line with no exam, but it is narrow. Initial applications are accepted only through June 30, 2027, and only from Arizona residents who held an active Designated Home State adjuster license in another state before January 1, 2026, were in good standing there, and originally qualified by exam, per NIPR's Arizona resident licensing requirements^[4].

Limited and specialty lines in Arizona

Beyond the major lines, Arizona licenses several limited and specialty credentials with their own rules, per the PSI candidate bulletin^[5] and NIPR's Arizona resident licensing requirements^[4]. Crop is the only limited producer line that still requires an exam (Series 13-46). Credit and Travel require no exam at all. Bail Bond Agent requires the Series 13-35 exam plus at least one year of Arizona residency.

Surplus Lines Broker requires the Series 13-41 exam plus an active producer license with Property and/or Casualty authority, and its application fee is $1,000 when two or more years remain on the producer license, or $500 with less time remaining. Life Settlement Broker applications cost $500 with two or more years remaining on the producer license and $250 with less, with no exam. Navigators and Certified Application Counselors pay no fee but must provide HHS training certification, per NIPR's Arizona nonresident licensing requirements^[8].

Taking the Arizona insurance exam

PSI Services LLC administers every Arizona insurance licensing exam, and the passing score is 70% correct. PSI became Arizona's examination administrator effective September 1, 2025, and DIFI directs candidates to it, per DIFI's insurance professionals licensing page^[9] and the PSI Arizona candidate information bulletin^[5]. Register online at test-takers.psiexams.com/anzins or call 877-215-7924.

You can test from home with live remote proctoring or at Arizona test centers in Phoenix, Tucson, Tempe, Flagstaff, Yuma, Parker, Show Low, Surprise, Queen Creek, and Somerton, per the PSI candidate bulletin^[5]. Each exam includes 5 to 10 unscored experimental questions, results appear on screen at the end and arrive by email, and fail reports include diagnostics by exam type.

Retake rules are strict. Under ARS §20-284(H), you get a maximum of 4 attempts to pass an exam for a line of authority within a 12-month period, and a fourth failure means waiting one year before trying again. An individual who fails a combined exam covering more than one line is considered to have failed each individual line. You can retake as soon as the day after an unsuccessful attempt.

Exam fees are not refundable or transferable and are valid for one year from payment, and exam scores are valid for 12 months, per the PSI candidate bulletin^[5] and NIPR's Arizona state information page^[10]. You can cancel or reschedule without forfeiting the fee if PSI receives notice 2 days before the appointment, a missed appointment forfeits the fee, and you must arrive 30 minutes early with one government-issued photo ID.

Preparing for the Arizona insurance exam

Because Arizona mandates no coursework, your preparation is self-directed, and the two resources the process itself points to are the content outlines at the back of the PSI candidate bulletin, which are the basis for the exams, and PSI's practice exams, which you can take an unlimited number of times, paying each time, per the PSI candidate bulletin^[5].

Fingerprints and the background check

Resident applicants must submit fingerprints electronically, paying $8.25 to the vendor Fieldprint and $22.44 to the Arizona Department of Public Safety (DPS). You register through the DPS Public Services Portal at psp.azdps.gov, complete the Fieldprint appointment after submitting your NIPR application, and enter the DPS registration number (it starts with the letter A) on the application, per the PSI candidate bulletin^[5]. Fingerprints are not required when adding a line of authority to an existing Arizona license, and they are required for nonresidents relocating to Arizona.

If you answer yes to any background question on the application, you must upload supporting documents, including a signed statement, court documents, and, where applicable, an 18 USC §1033/1034 Short Form written consent, through NIPR's Attachment Warehouse, per NIPR's Arizona resident licensing requirements^[4]. DIFI can deny a license for any cause listed in ARS §20-295, and applications are public record except for birth date and Social Security number.

Applying for your Arizona insurance license through NIPR

File the application through NIPR's online LicenseHub after waiting at least 48 hours from your exam scores posting, and pay the $120 state fee plus NIPR's $5.60 transaction fee. Per NIPR's initial license application guide^[11], you sign in as an individual, identify yourself with your National Producer Number (NPN), license number, or the last 4 digits of your SSN, then select the license class and lines of authority. You may apply for only one license class per application, so multiple classes require multiple applications. Payment is by credit card or electronic check, and fees are not refunded.

DIFI processes most license applications within 10 days, and paper applications may require an additional 30 days. The outer limits are up to 60 days to determine administrative completeness plus up to an additional 60 days for substantive review, under Arizona Administrative Code R20-4-107 (effective April 6, 2025), per DIFI's application status FAQ and the PSI candidate bulletin^[5]. Applicants have 60 days to cure a deficiency or the application is withdrawn and the fees forfeited. All application materials and fees must reach DIFI within one year after you pass the exam, under ARS §20-284(A), and license fees cannot be refunded or prorated under ARS §20-167.

After your Arizona license is issued

A first Arizona insurance license runs three to four years and expires on the last day of your birth month, and every renewal after that runs a full four years from the previous expiration date, per the PSI candidate bulletin^[5]. You receive a National Producer Number (NPN), the identifier the Producer Database uses to track your licenses across states, per the NAIC's producer licensing overview^[1]. Your license data appears in NIPR's systems 24 to 48 hours after issuance, per NIPR's license printing help page^[12].

Insurers file producer appointments with the state when they authorize you to sell their products. Under the model standard in the NAIC State Licensing Handbook^[7], a producer can hold a license without holding an active appointment, and appointments should not be a condition of licensure.

Checking your application status and producer record

You can track a pending application using the transaction, payment, or order number from your NIPR receipt, and individual producers can download one free Producer Report each year, per NIPR's license verification page^[13]. Producer Database (PDB) reports include demographic, licensing, appointment, and regulatory action data from all participating jurisdictions, and the data is covered by the Fair Credit Reporting Act, so access requires a permissible purpose.

Nonresident licenses and moving to Arizona

Nonresident producers licensed in their home state apply through NIPR without taking Arizona exams for producer lines. Per NIPR's Arizona nonresident licensing requirements^[8], you must be at least 18, your name and birth date must match your resident-state record on the Producer Database, and you cannot apply while holding an active Arizona resident license (or one in its late-renewal period). A producer whose license was surrendered cannot reapply for one year from the surrender date.

A producer who relocates to Arizona can avoid Arizona exams by applying within 90 days after inactivating the former resident license, submitting a clearance letter that specifies the cancellation date, the lines held, and good standing, per the PSI candidate bulletin^[5]. The clearance letter is not required if DIFI can verify the prior license on the Producer Database, and not all license lines are eligible for transfer.

Nonresident adjusters follow different rules. An applicant who is not licensed as a resident adjuster in their home state must pass the Arizona adjuster exam, and the application requires 5 years of employment history with no gaps, per NIPR's Arizona nonresident adjuster requirements^[14]. The Adjuster line and the Adjuster Limited to Resident Authority line are mutually exclusive, depending on whether you hold an active resident-state adjuster license.

Renewing your Arizona insurance license and continuing education

Your renewal window opens 90 days before the license expires and closes on the expiration date, the renewal fee is $120 per license class, and you renew through NIPR's LicenseHub, per NIPR's Arizona renewal requirements^[15]. A late renewal is available for up to one year after expiration by adding a $100 late fee to the $120 renewal fee, for a $220 total, per DIFI's producer license renewal page^[16], consistent with A.R.S. §20-289(E). You must stop transacting insurance the moment the license expires.

Major-line producers must complete 48 hours of Arizona-approved continuing education (CE) per license term, a requirement recorded for Arizona in the NAIC State Licensing Handbook^[7]. CE applies to the Life, Accident and Health or Sickness, Property, Casualty, Personal Lines, and Variable Life and Variable Annuity lines, and not to the Car Rental, Crop, or Travel lines or to adjuster and bail bond licenses, per NIPR's Arizona renewal requirements^[15]. Renewing the Variable Life and Variable Annuity line requires renewing the Life line at the same time, and CE transcript updates can take up to 72 hours after the state compliance date.

Keeping your license record current

Arizona licensees must report address, email, and name changes and business-entity principal changes within 30 days (ARS §20-286(C)); administrative actions within 30 days after final disposition (ARS §20-301(A)); and criminal prosecutions within 30 days after pretrial hearing, indictment, or judgment (ARS §20-301(B)), per NIPR's Arizona resident licensing requirements^[4].

Doing business under an assumed name requires Form L-193, the Certificate of Assumed Business Name, and registering the trade name with the Arizona Secretary of State is recommended but not required. To add a line of authority later, amend through NIPR for the $120 state amendment fee plus the $5.60 transaction fee, per NIPR's add a line of authority page^[17]. To give up a license entirely, file the Voluntary Surrender of Insurance License form, per NIPR's Arizona state information page^[10]. Once more than a year has passed after expiration, you must reapply as a new applicant.

Next steps

Choose the line of authority that matches the products you plan to sell, then register for the exam at test-takers.psiexams.com/anzins or 877-215-7924 and study the content outlines in the PSI candidate bulletin. After you pass, wait 48 hours, file your application at nipr.com, complete your fingerprint appointment through the DPS portal, and watch the Producer Database for your license to post. For questions, contact DIFI's Insurance Licensing Section at 100 North 15th Avenue, Suite 261, Phoenix, AZ 85007-2630, by phone at (602) 364-3100, or by email at insurancelicensing@difi.az.gov, per NIPR's Arizona state information page^[10].