How to Get a North Dakota Insurance License: Requirements, Exams, and Costs

North Dakota issues an insurance license through a short, defined process: pass the exam for each line of authority you want to sell, submit fingerprint cards, and file a $100 application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). The state requires no prelicensing education, so your timeline depends mostly on how you choose to prepare. The required fees for one major line are the $64 exam, fingerprint processing of $43 payable to the North Dakota Attorney General plus $29 to the exam vendor, and the application, plus a $5.60 NIPR transaction fee.

What a North Dakota insurance producer license covers

Only a licensed producer may sell insurance in North Dakota, and willfully acting without a license is a class C felony. Under North Dakota Century Code § 26.1-26-03^[1], no person may act as an insurance producer, insurance consultant, or surplus lines producer unless licensed under the chapter. The insurance producer license is the credential the state issues for all sales work, and North Dakota does not issue a separate broker license, so agents, brokers, and independent agents all qualify through the same producer license.

Business entities that sell insurance must hold their own producer license, designate a licensed individual as the principal producer responsible for compliance, and inform the commissioner within 10 working days of any change in that designation, under Chapter 26.1-26^[1].

Who can apply for a North Dakota producer license

You must be at least 18 years old, qualify as a North Dakota resident, and pass the exam for each line you want to sell. Residency follows N.D.C.C. § 26.1-26-19^[1]: an applicant qualifies as a resident by residing in the state or by maintaining a principal place of business there, so a Moorhead, Minnesota resident who keeps a producing office in North Dakota can take North Dakota exams and hold a resident license.

The PSI candidate information bulletin^[2] adds the remaining qualifications: you must be trustworthy, competent, financially responsible, and of good personal and business reputation, and you must have had no insurance license revoked or suspended in any state as of the date of application.

Neither a college degree nor industry experience is required. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics^[3] lists a high school diploma or equivalent as the typical entry-level education for insurance sales agents.

Criminal history does not automatically disqualify you, but you must disclose all convictions and pending charges except misdemeanor traffic citations, DUI or DWI, driving without a license, reckless driving, driving on a suspended or revoked license, and juvenile offenses, per the Insurance & Securities Department's application page^[4]. Under N.D.C.C. § 26.1-02.1-02.1^[4], the department must not issue a license to anyone convicted of a felony involving dishonesty or breach of trust.

North Dakota requires no prelicensing education

No prelicensing education is required for any North Dakota insurance license. The legislature repealed the state's prelicensing education statute in 2001, and the Insurance & Securities Department^[4] confirms that classroom instruction is not required and that applicants never submit proof of study to the state or the exam vendor. The NAIC's producer education chart^[5] lists North Dakota's prelicensing education requirement as "no provision."

You can prepare through a commercial course, free online classes, or straight self-study. The department does not approve or regulate course providers and cannot recommend one over another, so the choice of study method is entirely yours.

Lines of authority in North Dakota

North Dakota licenses five major lines and a set of limited lines, and you must pass a separate exam for each line you apply for. The major lines, defined in N.D.C.C. § 26.1-26-11^[1], are life (including endowment benefits, fixed and indexed annuities, and credit life), accident and health or sickness, property, casualty, and variable life and variable annuity. Surety applicants qualify by passing the casualty exam, per the North Dakota Administrative Code^[6].

Every exam requires a 70% score to pass.

Life insurance license in North Dakota

The life line covers life insurance, endowment benefits, fixed and indexed annuities, and credit life, per N.D.C.C. § 26.1-26-11^[1]. To earn it, you pass the PSI Life and Annuity exam: $64, 110 items, and 150 minutes allowed.

If you will sell annuities, plan for one extra step. The PSI candidate bulletin^[2] requires life producers, resident or nonresident, to complete 4 hours of North Dakota-approved annuity training before selling annuities; a substantially similar course completed in another state satisfies the requirement.

Accident and health insurance license in North Dakota

The health insurance license in North Dakota is the accident and health or sickness line, and it follows the standard process: the PSI Accident and Health exam costs $64, presents 110 items, and allows 150 minutes. Many candidates earn the life and health insurance license as a pair, taking both exams in the same testing window since the formats match.

Long-term care adds a training rule. Accident and health producers who sell, solicit, or negotiate long-term care insurance must first complete 8 hours of North Dakota-approved training and then 4 hours in each two-year period after that, per the PSI candidate bulletin^[2]. Nonresidents can satisfy the rule with substantially similar courses from another state.

Property insurance license in North Dakota

The property line requires the PSI Property exam: $64, 110 items, 150 minutes. Property insurance covers damage to homes, buildings, and other physical property.

Property producers who sell federal flood insurance have one additional requirement. Under North Dakota Bulletin 2007-1^[7], property-licensed resident producers selling National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) policies must complete a one-time three-credit course related to the NFIP, and the department has approved the NFIP online course for three credits.

Casualty insurance license in North Dakota

The casualty line requires the PSI Casualty exam: $64, 110 items, 150 minutes. Casualty covers liability and related coverages, and surety applicants qualify through the same exam under N.D.A.C. ch. 45-02-02-04^[6].

Because North Dakota licenses property and casualty as separate lines, the common "property and casualty license" in other states is two licenses here: you must pass and pay for a Property exam and a Casualty exam if you want both.

Variable life and variable annuity license in North Dakota

Variable applicants must clear a securities hurdle before anything else. Under N.D.A.C. § 45-02-02-11^[6], you must first be registered for securities with the North Dakota Insurance & Securities Department, and the NIPR state requirements page^[8] requires a FINRA CRD number on the application. You must also hold, or be applying for, the life line. The exam requirement is the Life and Annuity exam.

Personal lines license in North Dakota

A personal lines license covers property and casualty insurance sold to individuals and families for primarily noncommercial purposes, as N.D.A.C. ch. 45-02-02-04^[6] defines the line: "property and casualty insurance coverage sold to individuals and families for primarily noncommercial purposes." The PSI Personal Lines exam costs $58, presents 110 items, and allows 150 minutes.

The personal lines license is narrower than the full property and casualty combination. It suits producers who will sell only personal auto, homeowners, and similar consumer policies.

Limited lines: title, travel, bail bonds, credit, crop, and legal expense

Title applicants are exempt from the exam but must qualify one of two ways: hold a license as an abstracter or an attorney, or complete 80 hours of training provided by a title insurer, with the insurer's certification accompanying the application, per the department's application page^[4]. Title insurance then follows the standard NIPR application path.

Travel insurance requires no exam, though initial resident applicants still must be fingerprinted. Under N.D.C.C. § 26.1-26-54^[1], a producer licensed in a major line is already authorized to sell travel insurance, and a property and casualty producer need not be appointed to sell it.

Bail bonds, credit, crop, and legal expense use reduced exams, per the PSI candidate bulletin^[2]: each costs $58, presents 60 items, and allows 70 minutes. Portable electronics and self-service storage require no exam at all.

Public adjuster, surplus lines, and consultant licenses

North Dakota does not license private or staff adjusters who represent insurance companies, per the department's producer FAQ^[9], so that claims work requires no state license. The state does license public adjusters, who represent policyholders. The public adjuster exam through PSI costs $58 and presents 100 items with 120 minutes allowed; the NIPR requirements page^[8] lists a $100 application and a $20,000 bond that must be emailed to ndlicensing@nd.gov. Since July 1, 2019, the consultant license no longer includes public adjuster authority, per the department's public adjuster page^[10].

Surplus lines producers must already hold an active North Dakota producer license with the property and/or casualty line, per NIPR^[8]. The surplus lines license costs $100, renews annually at $25, and has a renewal window of February 1 through April 30, per the NIPR renewal page^[11]. A consultant takes the producer exam for the lines of consultation, unless the consultant held a producer license in those lines within the preceding 12 months.

Taking the insurance exam in North Dakota

PSI Services LLC administers every North Dakota insurance exam, and you schedule online at PSI's North Dakota insurance page^[2] or by phone at (855) 340-3905. Exams run at computer testing centers and through remote proctoring. North Dakota test centers sit in Bismarck, Fargo, Grand Forks, Minot, and Williston, and you can also test at PSI centers in other states.

The passing score on every exam is 70%, which works out to 77 correct answers out of 110 on the major-line and personal lines exams, and 42 of 60 on the reduced limited-line exams, per the PSI candidate bulletin^[2]. Between 5 and 10 unscored experimental questions may be mixed in.

Practical rules to know: exam fees are not refundable or transferable and are valid for one year from payment; you must cancel at least 2 days before the appointment or forfeit the fee; you must arrive 30 minutes early with one government-issued photo ID. PSI shows your score on screen and emails it, and notifies the department of a pass within 48 hours. You can retest an unlimited number of times, and a failed candidate can call the next day and sometimes retest as soon as Friday. A passing score is valid for one year if you have not finished the application, and it stays valid for as long as you continuously hold a valid North Dakota license plus 12 months after cancellation.

Fingerprinting and the background check

Every initial resident applicant must submit a set of hard-copy fingerprint cards, and the department does not accept digital submissions such as Fieldprint, per the application page^[4]. You can be fingerprinted at PSI test centers during regular testing hours on exam day; the centers use LiveScan capture and mail the card and payment to the department.

Two fees apply. Pay $43 by check or money order payable to the North Dakota Attorney General, effective October 1, 2026, which replaced the $40 fee listed in the December 2024 candidate bulletin; credit cards are not accepted for this fee. Pay a separate $29 processing fee to PSI, which accepts credit card, check, or money order.

The fingerprint requirement does not apply to renewals, to individuals applying within 12 months after their license was canceled or expired (unless it was suspended or revoked), or to producers adding a line of authority to an existing license.

Applying for your license through NIPR

After you pass, apply electronically through the National Insurance Producer Registry^[4] at www.nipr.com using the NAIC Uniform Application. The state fee is $100, and NIPR^[12] adds a $5.60 transaction fee. NIPR advises waiting at least 48 hours after your scores are released before submitting, so the results have time to process.

Answer "Yes" to any background question and you must attach a written statement plus court documents; court website printouts are not acceptable, per the PSI candidate bulletin^[2]. Documents go through the NIPR Attachments Warehouse, email, or mail. The application asks for your employment history for the last five years.

Adding a line to an existing active license uses the same NIPR application with no fee and no new fingerprints. You may first transact business in a new line on the date the department approves the application.

Carrier appointments and your first day selling

You cannot sell for an insurer until that company appoints you. Under N.D.C.C. § 26.1-26-13.1^[1], a producer may not act as an insurer's agent unless appointed, and the insurer must file notice of appointment within 30 days of the later of the contract signing or the first application, electronically through NIPR.

The company appointment fee is $25, effective August 1, 2025, up from $10 before July 1, 2025, per the department's fee schedule^[13]. Appointments renew annually by April 30; the renewal invoice and appointment list become available through NIPR beginning March 1, terminations to avoid renewal fees must be filed by February 15, and appointments unpaid by 4 p.m. CST on April 30 are terminated with no grace period, per the department's appointments page^[14].

Your National Producer Number (NPN) doubles as your license number in North Dakota. The department does not mail licenses after initial issuance or renewal; you print a copy through the NAIC's State Based Systems, and you must keep a current email address on file with NIPR to receive renewal notices, per the resident producer page^[15].

Renewal and continuing education

Your license expires on the last day of your birth month and renews every two years, per the resident producer page^[15]. The renewal window opens 90 days before expiration, the fee is $25, and there is no grace period after the due date, per the application page^[4].

Continuing education (CE) runs 24 credit hours every two years, including 3 ethics credits, for resident producers licensed in the major lines: life, variable life and variable annuities, accident and health or sickness, casualty, property, personal lines, and crop, per the department's CE page^[16]. Producers licensed only in credit, surety, travel, title, bail bonds, or legal expense have no CE requirement but must still renew on schedule.

Carryover is limited: only courses completed within 365 days before your expiration date qualify, at most 12 credits carry to the next period, and ethics hours carry as regular hours only, per the CE FAQ^[17]. Providers have 15 days from course completion to file credits, so finish coursework more than 15 days before expiration. NIPR verifies CE compliance before accepting your renewal, and a compliant status can take up to 72 hours to appear in NIPR's system, per the NIPR renewal page^[11].

If your license lapses

A license that is not renewed before its expiration date is canceled, along with its appointments. For up to one year after expiration, you can reinstate by submitting an application and paying the $100 fee through www.nipr.com while remaining CE compliant, per the PSI candidate bulletin^[2]. After one year, you must start over with a full initial application. To voluntarily cancel a license or remove a line, file the Voluntary Cancellation Request or Removal of Line(s) of Authority (SFN 53881) form, and reinstatement of a canceled license always means a new $100 application, per the resident producer page^[15].

Moving to North Dakota or applying as a nonresident

If you move to North Dakota, apply within 90 days of establishing legal residence, and N.D.C.C. § 26.1-26-25^[1] exempts you from the exam and education requirements for lines you previously held, if you were licensed in your prior state or your application arrives within 90 days of that license's cancellation and the prior state certifies your good standing. The commissioner can verify standing through the NAIC producer database. A resident license is void if you hold or apply for a resident license in another state.

Nonresident licenses follow reciprocity. The commissioner issues a nonresident license to anyone currently licensed and in good standing in their home state whose home state grants North Dakota residents the same basis, per N.D.C.C. § 26.1-26-20^[1]. Report an address or name change within 30 days of a move; no fee or new application is required, per § 26.1-26-33^[1].

What insurance agents earn

Insurance sales agents earned a median annual wage of $62,280 in May 2025, or $29.94 per hour, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics^[3]. The lowest-earning 10% made less than $37,330, and the highest 10% made more than $138,140.

The occupation held 572,600 jobs in 2025, with employment projected to grow 3% from 2025 to 2035 and about 43,100 openings expected each year, per the BLS^[3]. Agents must be licensed in every state where they work. Most agents are paid by commission on the policies they sell, and the three common paths are captive agent (one company), independent agent (several companies), and broker (representing the client).

Next steps

Start by choosing your line of authority, because every requirement that follows depends on it. Then:

1. Schedule your PSI exam online or at (855) 340-3905, and prepare by self-study or any course you like.
2. Plan your fingerprinting, either at a PSI test center on exam day or at another location that produces hard-copy cards, and bring the $43 check or money order payable to the North Dakota Attorney General plus the $29 PSI fee.
3. Pass the exam, wait at least 48 hours, and file the $100 application at www.nipr.com.
4. Line up your carrier appointment, since you cannot sell until an insurer files it.

Direct licensing questions to the North Dakota Insurance & Securities Department, 600 East Boulevard Avenue, Fifth Floor Dept. 401, Bismarck, ND 58505-0320; phone (701) 328-2440; email ndlicensing@nd.gov. Veterans can seek exam fee reimbursement through the Veteran Licensing Exam Fee Reimbursement program^[15] the department advertises.