How to Get a Vermont Insurance License: Requirements, Exams, and Fees

Getting an insurance license in Vermont comes down to one exam. The state requires no prelicensing education hours and no fingerprints, so a resident who is at least 18 years old can go from applicant to licensed producer by passing a written exam, waiting 48 hours, and submitting a $60 electronic application to the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation (DFR). Routine applications are generally issued within 48 hours. This guide walks through every step, exam, fee, and license line, from choosing what you want to sell to renewing two years later.

Who the Vermont producer license covers

Anyone who sells, solicits, or negotiates insurance in Vermont must hold a Producer license. Vermont law defines a producer, under Title 8, Section 4791, as a person who sells, solicits, or negotiates insurance, and this single Producer license replaced the older, separate agent and broker licenses, so an insurance agent and an insurance broker in Vermont hold the same credential (Vermont DFR producer license page^[1]).

The producer license is the workhorse credential, but Vermont also licenses related roles with their own exams and fees: property and casualty adjusters, workers' compensation adjusters, public adjusters, motor vehicle damage appraisers, consultants, bail bond agents, title agents, managing general agents, surplus lines brokers, and life settlement brokers (Vermont DFR license types page^[2]). Those roles are covered later in this guide.

Vermont insurance license requirements

A resident producer applicant must be at least 18 years old, be deemed competent, trustworthy, and financially responsible by the commissioner, pass a written examination, and submit an application with fees (Vermont DFR producer license page^[1]). Residents must live in Vermont, actually reside in the state, or maintain a principal place of business there (Prometric Vermont licensing bulletin^[3]).

Vermont requires no prelicensing education. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) chart of producer education and examination requirements lists Vermont's prelicensing education as "no provision," and no course hours are prescribed for any line of authority (NAIC chart PR-20^[4]). Statute puts the whole weight on the test:

A resident individual applying for an insurance producer license shall pass a written examination as set forth in subdivision 4800(3)(E) of this title unless exempt pursuant to section 4813i of this subchapter. (8 V.S.A. § 4813e^[5])

Vermont also does not require fingerprints. Under 8 V.S.A. § 4800, the commissioner may request fingerprints, processed through the centralized producer license registry or another approved third party, with the applicant paying the cost, but fingerprint submission is not a standard step in the application (8 V.S.A. § 4800; NAIC chart PR-30^[6], reviewed November 2025).

No prior industry experience is required, and no college degree is required. Nationwide, the typical entry-level education for insurance sales agents is a high school diploma or equivalent (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics^[7]).

Steps to earn your Vermont insurance license

The path runs through six steps: choose a line, study, pass the exam, wait, apply, and get appointed. Most of the calendar time is your own exam preparation, because the state imposes no coursework and the paperwork moves quickly.

1. Choose your lines of authority. Life, Accident and Health or Sickness, Property, Casualty, Personal Lines, and Variable Life and Variable Annuity are the producer lines, and the line you pick determines your exam.
2. Study for the exam. Because there is no required course, you can study on your own, use a textbook, or take an optional prep course. Prometric publishes free practice exams in LIPA, HIPA, and PIPA formats (Prometric Vermont licensing bulletin^[3]).
3. Register for the exam. Register online, by phone, or by fax or mail, and choose a test center session or an online session.
4. Pass the exam. Exams are scored on site.
5. Wait, then apply through NIPR. Residents must wait 48 hours after passing their producer examination before submitting an electronic application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), so the state system can receive the score (Vermont DFR producer license page^[1]).
6. Get appointed. Once licensed, you must be appointed by an insurer before you can sell its products.

The exam and state fees by license type are shown below.

Exam fees come from Prometric's Vermont fee schedule effective March 18, 2026, and state fees are the NIPR totals for residents, excluding NIPR transaction fees (Prometric Vermont licensing bulletin^[3]; NIPR Vermont resident licensing^[8]). Limited lines producer applicants do not sit an examination.

The Vermont insurance exam

Prometric, the state's contracted exam vendor, administers every Vermont insurance licensing exam, either at any Prometric test center in the United States or from home through ProProctor, its online exam option (Prometric Vermont licensing bulletin^[3]).

Registering for the exam

Register online at any time, by phone at 800-868-6113 (8 a.m. to 9 p.m. ET on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on weekends), or by fax or mail, which takes 3 to 5 business days to process (Prometric Vermont licensing bulletin^[3]; Prometric Vermont exam FAQs^[9]). A registration is valid for 90 calendar days after processing, and exam fees are non-transferable and non-refundable.

Exam day rules

Arrive at least 30 minutes before your appointment with a government-issued photo ID bearing your signature; an expired ID counts as a no-show and forfeits the registration fee (Prometric Vermont exam FAQs^[9]). To reschedule or cancel without forfeiting the exam fee, contact Prometric at least 24 hours before your scheduled exam date, under the policy in the bulletin effective March 18, 2026 (Prometric Vermont licensing bulletin^[3]).

If you fail

Prometric's registration system takes 24 to 48 hours to update with your results, so wait that long before re-registering for the same exam (Prometric Vermont exam FAQs^[9]). Each new attempt requires a new registration and fee.

Life insurance license in Vermont

A Life license authorizes you to sell life insurance and annuities, and you earn it by passing the Prometric Producer's Life exam, Series 14-25, which costs $52 (Prometric Vermont licensing bulletin^[3]). Many candidates instead take the combined Producer's Life, Accident and Health exam, Series 14-29, which costs $67.60 and qualifies you for both lines at once. The combined exam has 150 scored questions plus 5 unscored items and a 2.5-hour time limit; its largest sections include life insurance policies (9%), life insurance basics (9%), medical plans (9%), and annuities (8%) (Series 14-29 exam outline^[10]). The outline is built on Vermont law, including the required life policy provisions in 8 V.S.A. 3731.

Health insurance license in Vermont

The health line in Vermont is called Accident and Health or Sickness, and you earn it by passing the Series 14-27 exam for $52, or through the combined exam that also earns the Life line (Prometric Vermont licensing bulletin^[3]). To become a health insurance agent who sells long-term care (LTC) products, you must first complete a one-time 8-hour LTC course with at least 2 hours of Vermont-specific content, including Vermont Medicaid, and then at least 4 hours of ongoing training every 24 months ending March 31 of odd-numbered years; approved LTC training can count toward your continuing education (Vermont DFR producer license page^[1]). To sell Marketplace and Medicare-related products, you must also complete annual registration and training through the federal Marketplace Learning Management System, and you need an approved health-related line of authority in your resident state to access Marketplace systems (CMS registration and training page^[11]).

Property insurance license in Vermont

Property is its own line of authority in Vermont, earned with the Series 14-41 exam for $52 (Prometric Vermont licensing bulletin^[3]). Most property candidates instead sit the combined Producer's Property and Casualty exam, Series 14-31, which costs $67.60, has 150 scored questions plus 5 unscored items, and allows 2.5 hours (Series 14-31 exam outline^[12]). Auto insurance is the heaviest section at 21% of that exam and homeowners follows at 17%, and the outline also covers the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) and Vermont's motor vehicle financial responsibility laws.

Casualty insurance license in Vermont

Casualty is a separate line earned through the Series 14-42 exam for $52, or through the same combined Property and Casualty exam (Prometric Vermont licensing bulletin^[3]). Holding Property and Casualty together matters beyond sales: a Surplus Lines Broker applicant must hold both lines, and property and casualty adjuster and public adjuster applicants must select the two lines together because they may not be held separately (NIPR Vermont resident licensing^[8]; Vermont DFR fee chart^[13]). Together, the two lines are what the industry usually calls a property and casualty (P&C) license.

Personal lines license in Vermont

A Personal Lines license covers insurance sold to individuals and families, such as homeowners and personal auto coverage, and you earn it with the Series 14-39 exam for $52 (Prometric Vermont licensing bulletin^[3]). The difference from the property and casualty license is scope: personal lines stops at consumer coverages, while the P&C exam adds commercial lines such as commercial package and businessowners policies.

Variable life and variable annuity line in Vermont

Vermont does not test Variable Life and Variable Annuity products. You add the line by supplying a Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) Central Registration Depository (CRD) number with your application, and you must hold or apply for the Life line at the same time; nonresidents must hold both the Life and the Variable lines in their home state (NIPR Vermont resident licensing^[8]; NIPR Vermont nonresident licensing^[14]). Because variable products are securities, agents who sell them also need FINRA licensing, such as the Series 6 or Series 7 exam (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics^[7]).

Limited lines licenses in Vermont

Limited lines producer licenses cover narrow product lines, and no examination is required for them. Vermont's limited lines include Credit, Rental, and other lines such as Crop, Surety, and Travel (Vermont DFR limited lines page^[15]), and the application carries the same $60 state fee as a full producer license through NIPR (NIPR Vermont resident licensing^[8]). Title Agent is a separate $60 license examined through the Series 14-38 exam, and applicants who have passed a state bar examination are exempt from that exam; Bail Bond Agent is another $60 license, examined through Series 14-35 (Prometric Vermont licensing bulletin^[3]).

Applying for your Vermont insurance license

Apply electronically through NIPR after the 48-hour post-exam wait, and pay the state fees of $30 for the application plus $30 for the initial license, a $60 total, which NIPR charges for the electronic application excluding its transaction fees (8 V.S.A. § 4800(2)(A); NIPR Vermont resident licensing^[8]). NIPR verifies exam results before it allows submission, background-question documentation must be filed within 30 days of the application, and a post office box is not accepted as a residence address (NIPR Vermont resident licensing^[8]). Exam scores stay valid for 2 years, so you have that window to apply after passing (NIPR Vermont state information^[16]).

A paper route also exists: the NAIC Uniform Individual Application, the original score report, and the same fees paid by check (Vermont DFR producer license page^[1]). Processing is fast either way: the DFR generally issues routine applications within 48 hours, while NIPR advises allowing up to 10 business days (Vermont DFR producer license page^[1]; NIPR Vermont resident licensing^[8]). Your total outlay is the exam fee shown in the table above plus the $60 in state fees.

Carrier appointments in Vermont

Vermont is an appointment state, which means an insurer must appoint you as its agent for each line you will sell, and it must do so within 15 days of executing an agency contract or submitting your first insurance application, whichever comes sooner (Vermont DFR producer license page^[1]). Producer appointments renew automatically each year on June 1, insurers pay the renewal invoices by June 30, and an insurer that wants to end an appointment must file the termination electronically through NIPR or Sircon before the June 1 renewal (Vermont DFR company appointments page^[17]). License status, including appointments, is public record and can be checked online.

Renewing your Vermont insurance license and continuing education

Producer licenses run two years, from April 1 to March 31 of odd-numbered years, and you renew through NIPR during the renewal window, which opens 90 days before expiration on January 1 and closes March 31 (Vermont DFR producer license page^[1]; NIPR Vermont state information^[16]). The renewal fee is $30, fees are not prorated, and a license issued during the renewal window expires that March 31 and requires an immediate renewal application (NIPR Vermont resident renewal^[18]).

Continuing education requirements

Vermont requires 24 hours of approved continuing education (CE) during each two-year review period, and at least 3 of those hours must relate to ethics (8 V.S.A. § 4800a^[19]; Vermont DFR Regulation I-2000-02^[20]). Excess credits do not carry over, no more than 6 of the 24 hours may be insurance agency management, and the commissioner may extend the completion period by up to 6 months for good cause (Vermont DFR Regulation I-2000-02^[20]). Property and casualty producers must also complete a one-time 3-hour NFIP course, which applies to all P&C producers whether or not they sell flood insurance, and only after the first renewal (Vermont DFR Regulation I-2000-02^[20]). Newly licensed producers do not owe CE until their first renewal cycle, and nonresidents are exempt if their home state has a CE requirement they have satisfied (NIPR Vermont resident renewal^[18]; 8 V.S.A. § 4800a^[19]).

Late renewals and lapses

If CE is complete before expiration, you have a 14-day grace period after the expiration date to submit the renewal, and reinstatement is available for up to 2 years after expiration (NIPR Vermont resident renewal^[18]). If CE is not complete before expiration, you are not eligible to renew and must submit a new application, and after 2 years you must apply as a new licensee, examination included (NIPR Vermont resident renewal^[18]). Partial renewals are allowed, and any line you do not select is deactivated; renewing the Variable line requires holding the Life line and providing a FINRA CRD number (NIPR Vermont resident renewal^[18]).

Nonresident licenses and reciprocity in Vermont

Vermont grants a nonresident producer license to anyone currently licensed and in good standing in their home state, as long as the home state awards nonresident licenses to Vermont residents on the same basis, and the commissioner may verify status through the NAIC producer database (8 V.S.A. § 4813h^[21]). A nonresident files the application electronically through NIPR (Vermont DFR producer license page^[1]).

New Vermont residents can skip the exam if they were previously licensed for the same lines in another state. The exemption applies to applicants who are currently licensed, or whose application arrives within 90 days of the prior license's cancellation with the prior state certifying good standing (Prometric Vermont licensing bulletin^[3]):

An individual who applies for an insurance producer license in this state who was previously licensed for the same lines of authority in another state shall not be required to complete any pre-licensing education or examination.

A producer who moves to or from Vermont files a change of address with certification from the new resident state within 30 days, with no fee and no new application (8 V.S.A. § 4813h^[21]). One nonresident exception to reciprocity: all workers' compensation adjusters, including nonresidents, must pass the Vermont WC adjuster examination, and Vermont may not be selected as an adjuster designated home state (NIPR Vermont nonresident adjuster licensing^[22]).

Insurance adjuster licenses in Vermont

Vermont licenses adjusters separately from producers, and every adjuster applicant must pass a written exam and meet an experience requirement: at least two years handling loss claims, special training of sufficient duration and scope, or immediate personal supervision by a Vermont licensee who has held the license for 3 or more years (8 V.S.A. § 4803^[23]; Vermont DFR PC adjuster page^[24]). Adjusters keep records of investigations, adjustments, appraisals, and compensation for at least 3 years (8 V.S.A. § 4803^[23]).

Property and casualty adjuster license

Pass the Adjuster's Property and Casualty exam, Series 14-33 for $67.60, and apply with the Property and Casualty lines, which must be selected together (Prometric Vermont licensing bulletin^[3]; NIPR Vermont resident licensing^[8]). The paper application carries a $30 application fee and a $120 license fee, and the license runs from April 1 to March 31 of even-numbered years, with no CE requirement (Vermont DFR PC adjuster page^[24]). Staff and salaried adjusters must be licensed, with one exception for officials and employees of Vermont domestic insurance companies (Vermont DFR Bulletin 172^[25]). Adjusters sent into Vermont for a catastrophe or an unusual, extraordinary loss do not need a license (8 V.S.A. § 4803^[23]).

Workers' compensation adjuster license

The Workers' Compensation exam is Series 14-34 for $52, and every WC adjuster applicant must pass the Vermont exam (Prometric Vermont licensing bulletin^[3]; NIPR Vermont nonresident adjuster licensing^[22]). A property and casualty adjuster license does not authorize adjusting workers' compensation claims, which requires the separate WC license (Vermont DFR PC adjuster page^[24]). WC adjusters must complete 8 credit hours of CE by March 31, 2026, to be eligible to renew (Vermont DFR continuing education page^[26]).

Public adjuster license

Public adjusters represent policyholders rather than insurers, and the requirements mirror the PC adjuster license: the same exam, the experience requirement, and a $30 application fee plus a $200 license fee (Vermont DFR public adjuster page^[27]). The license expires March 31 of even-numbered years, and public adjusters may not designate a home state (Vermont DFR public adjuster page^[27]; NIPR Vermont nonresident adjuster licensing^[22]). Motor vehicle damage appraisers take a separate path, the Series 14-37 exam, with a $150 NIPR state fee (Prometric Vermont licensing bulletin^[3]; NIPR Vermont resident licensing^[8]).

What insurance agents earn

Insurance sales agents earned a median wage of $62,280 per year, or $29.94 per hour, in May 2025, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook^[7]). The lowest 10% earned less than $37,330, and the highest 10% earned more than $138,140. The occupation counted 572,600 jobs in 2025 and is projected to grow 3% from 2025 to 2035, with about 43,100 openings each year (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook^[7]). Commissions are the most common form of pay, especially for experienced agents. Captive agents work for one insurer, while independent agents represent several companies and can shop coverage across carriers; about 63% of agents work in agencies and brokerages (BLS Occupational Outlook Handbook^[7]).

Buying car insurance as an unlicensed driver in Vermont

Yes, in some situations a person can buy car insurance without holding a driver's license, though this is a consumer insurance question, separate from producer licensing. Searches for insurance without a license usually come from vehicle owners who do not drive, such as a caregiver insuring a car a spouse drives, or a driver with a suspended license who needs coverage to reinstate it. Insurers approach these policies differently, and coverage terms matter: an accident caused by an unlicensed driver can be denied, and driving without a valid license carries fines and other penalties under Vermont law.

Next steps

Pick your lines of authority first, because that choice sets your exam. Then download the content outline for your exam from the Prometric Vermont licensing bulletin^[3], work through the free practice exams, and register online or by phone at 800-868-6113. After you pass, submit your NIPR application and line up your first carrier appointment. If you need help along the way, the DFR producer licensing team can be reached at 89 Main Street, Montpelier, VT 05620-3101, at 802-828-3303, or at dfr.producerlicensing@vermont.gov (Vermont DFR producer license page^[1]).