How to get an insurance license in Washington: requirements, costs, and steps

To get an insurance license in Washington, you pass a licensing exam for each line of authority you want, apply online with the state, and submit fingerprints for a background check. The Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) issues the licenses, PSI Services LLC runs the exams, and the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) handles online applications. The mandatory costs for a single line are a $38 exam, a $55 license application, a $5.60 NIPR transaction fee, and $52 for fingerprinting. Washington has not required pre-licensing education since July 23, 2023, and most people move from first study session to issued license within a few weeks.

When Washington requires a producer license

Anyone who sells, solicits, or negotiates insurance in Washington must hold a producer license. "Producer" is the statutory term for what the industry calls an agent, and the Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC) issues licenses with lines of authority that define what you can sell. Selling without a license exposes you to fines and enforcement actions, so the license comes first.

Washington's full lines are life, disability (health), property, casualty, and personal lines. Its limited lines are credit, surety, and travel. The Washington OIC producer license page^[1] lists the lines and the steps for each license type.

Two restrictions matter when you pick lines. Travel insurance requires the travel line specifically on your Washington license; holding life, disability, property, or casualty lines does not cover it. And you cannot add the surety limited line if you already hold, or are applying for, the casualty line, per the NIPR Washington resident licensing page^[2].

What licensed insurance agents earn

Insurance sales agents earn above the median for all U.S. occupations, and pay scales with commissions and renewals rather than with credentials alone. The federal wage data below covers the occupation nationwide, since no series isolates Washington agents.

Compensation structure matters as much as the license type. New agents often spend their first years building a renewal book, so budget for a ramp-up period before commissions compound.

Requirements to get a Washington insurance license

You must be at least 18 years old, be trustworthy and competent, pass the exam for each line of authority you want, and clear a fingerprint background check. Those are the baseline requirements the PSI candidate information bulletin^[3] lists for Washington residents, and no college degree is required.

A criminal record does not automatically disqualify you. The Washington OIC get-licensed page^[4] states that qualifying for a license with a misdemeanor, felony, or other criminal offense on your record is determined case-by-case. Disclose everything accurately on the application, because a conviction usually hurts less than a non-disclosure, and upload supporting documentation for any "yes" answer to a background question.

Pre-licensing education in Washington

Washington does not require pre-licensing education. Effective July 23, 2023, a state law (HB 1061) eliminated the pre-licensing course requirement for resident producer applicants, and the Washington OIC pre-licensing education page^[5] now describes any course as optional exam preparation. You can study on your own and go straight to the exam.

You will still find stale information on third-party pages, including old descriptions of mandatory course hours and course-validity windows. Those rules ended with the 2023 law change. If you want structured prep anyway, the OIC publishes a list of approved education providers whose courses cover the exam content outlines.

Life insurance license in Washington

A life insurance license in Washington is a producer license with the life line of authority, earned by passing the PSI Life Producer exam and applying online. The exam costs $38, has 100 questions, and allows 150 minutes, per the PSI candidate information bulletin^[3]. It qualifies you to sell life insurance and annuity products.

Selling annuities adds a training step. Under the Washington OIC annuity suitability training rule^[6] (WAC 284-17-265, updated January 1, 2024), you must complete a one-time, four-hour annuity suitability course before selling annuities and give the insurer proof of completion. For variable life and variable annuity products, you must supply a FINRA Central Registration Depository (CRD) number and hold the life line of authority, or apply for both at the same time.

Disability (health) insurance license in Washington

To sell health insurance in Washington, you need the disability line of authority, because the state uses "disability" as its term for health. The Washington OIC producer license page^[1] states that Health, Disability, and Accident/sickness all mean the same line. The Disability Producer exam costs $38, has 100 questions, and allows 150 minutes, and you can instead take the combined Life and Disability exam for $55 with 150 questions in 195 minutes, per the PSI candidate information bulletin^[3].

Long-term care adds its own training. Before selling long-term care insurance, you must complete an approved 8-hour initial course, then maintain it with a 4-hour refresher every 24 months, according to the Washington OIC long-term care training page^[7]. To sell a Washington supplemental long-term care policy that pays after WA Cares benefits are exhausted, you also take a one-time, one-credit course.

Property insurance license in Washington

The property line covers insurance for homes, businesses, and other property, and you earn it by passing the PSI Property Producer exam. The exam costs $38, has 100 questions, and allows 150 minutes, per the PSI candidate information bulletin^[3]. You can take the combined Property and Casualty exam instead, at $55 for 150 questions in 195 minutes, which covers both lines.

Selling federal flood insurance requires the property and casualty lines plus a one-time training course. Per the Washington OIC flood insurance training page^[8], you must complete a one-time flood course of at least 3 credit hours that meets National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) guidelines before selling federal flood policies.

Casualty insurance license in Washington

The casualty line covers liability insurance, including auto liability and commercial liability, and you earn it by passing the PSI Casualty Producer exam. The exam costs $38, has 100 questions, and allows 150 minutes, per the PSI candidate information bulletin^[3]. Many candidates take the combined Property and Casualty exam instead, which covers both full lines in one sitting and is the standard property and casualty license path.

One restriction applies: you cannot hold the surety limited line if you hold or are applying for the casualty line, per the NIPR Washington resident licensing page^[2].

Personal lines insurance license in Washington

A personal lines license lets you sell property and casualty products, such as home and auto coverage, to individuals rather than businesses. The Personal Lines Producer exam costs $38, has 100 questions, and allows 135 minutes, per the PSI candidate information bulletin^[3].

The line comes with a restriction: you cannot get personal lines if you already hold, or are applying for, the property and casualty lines, per the NIPR Washington resident licensing page^[2]. Personal lines is for agents who plan to stay in the personal market.

Limited lines licenses in Washington

Washington's limited lines are credit, surety, and travel, and the license fee is $20 rather than the full-lines rate, per the Washington OIC fee schedule^[9]. The Credit and Surety exams each cost $38 and have 50 questions in 75 minutes, per the PSI candidate information bulletin^[3]. Travel requires no exam at all, but the travel line must be listed on your license before you sell travel insurance.

The Washington insurance exam

PSI Services LLC administers every Washington insurance licensing exam, and you must score at least 70% to pass, per the Washington OIC exam scheduling page^[10]. That 70% is a single overall passing score under the current exam content, effective April 1, 2026, not a per-section requirement. Your score appears on screen when you finish, and PSI emails a score report you keep for your application.

The fee schedule below reflects the current PSI candidate information bulletin^[11], effective April 1, 2026.

A few exam rules from the bulletin shape your planning. About 10% of questions may be unscored pretest items that still count against your time. If you fail, you cannot retest the same day, but you can retest as soon as the second day after your attempt, and there is no limit on retakes. Exam fees are not refundable or transferable, and cancellations are penalty-free only if received 2 days before the scheduled date. Your score is valid for 180 days, and if you do not submit your application, fingerprints, and any conviction documentation within 180 days of passing, you must retake the exam, per the NIPR Washington state information page^[12].

Scheduling your exam with PSI

You schedule exams directly with PSI, by phone at 855-205-5825 or online through its Washington portal. There are 10 PSI test centers in Washington, in Arlington, Bellevue, Ellensburg, Everett, Olympia, Richland, Spokane, Tacoma, Vancouver, and Yakima, and you can also test at PSI centers in other states. Bring one primary form of identification, such as a driver's license or passport, that is valid and unexpired. Qualifying military veterans may be reimbursed for exam fees through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs at 888-442-4551.

PSI also offers remote testing for candidates who prefer to test at home, and the remote option has its own equipment rules.

Remote proctoring also tightened on August 3, 2026: PSI now uses your phone as an extra camera during the exam, per the PSI candidate information bulletin^[3].

Applying for your Washington insurance license

You apply online after passing your exam, either through the OIC website or through NIPR. Wait at least 48 hours after your scores are released before submitting, so the results have time to process into the system, per the NIPR application help page^[13]. As of October 2026, the full-lines license fee is $55 and limited lines cost $20, per the Washington OIC fee schedule^[9], and NIPR adds its own transaction fee of $5.60.

The steps are simple:

1. Schedule and pass your exam.
2. Apply online with the OIC or through NIPR and pay the fee.
3. Schedule your fingerprint appointment after the application goes through.

For resident applications, you can apply for only one license class at a time, so multiple classes mean multiple applications. Pay by Visa, Mastercard, American Express, or electronic check; fees are not refunded. Answer every background question honestly and upload supporting documents to NIPR's Attachments Warehouse for any "yes" answer.

Fingerprinting and background check

Resident applicants must submit electronic fingerprints for a background check, and the fee is $52.00 as of October 1, 2026, up from $49.00, per the Washington OIC fingerprint requirements page^[14]. That fee combines the background check cost with IDEMIA IdentoGO's rolling fee.

Order matters here. You cannot schedule the fingerprint appointment until the OIC has received your application, because you need the OIC or NIPR transaction number from your application confirmation. After submitting the application, allow 36 to 48 hours before scheduling, per the NIPR Washington resident licensing page^[2]. When you submit fingerprints, select "Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner" as the recipient. There are more than 30 IdentoGO locations in Washington, and IdentoGO transmits the prints electronically at 888-771-5097.

The OIC cannot issue your license until it receives the background check results. Fingerprints you submitted to the OIC for an insurance application within the past 12 months count, but fingerprints submitted for employment or another state agency do not.

How long it takes to get licensed

The OIC publishes no official processing time, and in practice the wait depends on your background check. A clean application is usually reviewed within a few days, while anything that needs follow-up can stretch to a few weeks. Counting study time, the exam, the application, and fingerprinting, most people complete the whole process in roughly 2 to 4 weeks.

Once the OIC issues your license, you print it yourself from the OIC's online licensing portal rather than waiting for mail.

Non-resident Washington insurance license

Non-resident producers apply online through the NIPR Licensing Center and skip both the exam and the fingerprint step, because Washington grants reciprocity to licensees in good standing in their home state. The state fee matches the resident rate. Available lines for non-residents include life, disability, variable life and variable annuity, property, casualty, personal lines, credit, surety, and travel, per the NIPR Washington non-resident licensing page^[15].

Note that amendments are not allowed through NIPR; individuals submit amendments directly to the OIC.

Moving to Washington from another state

A producer who moves to Washington must apply within 90 days of establishing legal residence to become a resident licensee, and must submit a letter of clearance from the previous state, under RCW 48.17.175 as described in the PSI candidate information bulletin^[3]. The letter of clearance can be faxed or scanned and attached to the application.

The exam requirement can also be waived for incoming residents. If you were licensed for the same lines in another state, you skip the exam if you are currently licensed there, or if you apply within 90 days of your former license being cancelled and the prior state certifies you were in good standing.

Adjuster licenses in Washington

Washington issues three adjuster licenses, crop, independent, and public, and each costs $50, per the Washington OIC adjuster licensing page^[16]. Adjusters investigate or negotiate settlement offers for insurance claims, which is a different job from selling coverage.

Before taking the independent adjuster exam, you must meet one of three criteria listed on the Washington OIC adjuster pre-licensing experience page^[17]:

The experience exemption comes directly from statute: under RCW 48.17.110(2)(b)^[18], adjuster applicants, except crop adjusters, who spent one year as a full-time salaried employee of an insurer or managing general agent adjusting, investigating, or reporting claims are exempt from the examination requirement. A portion of that year must fall within the year preceding your application, and the OIC applies the exemption case-by-case based on written verification.

Public adjusters file a $5,000 bond in the licensee's name. Crop adjusters need either a passing adjuster exam score or a current Crop Adjuster Proficiency Program (CAPP) certification card, and CAPP certification is required to adjust federal crop claims. Non-resident emergency adjusters must complete an emergency adjuster registration before working claims during a governor-declared emergency, and the registration is valid for 180 days from the disaster proclamation date.

Renewing your Washington insurance license

Individual licenses expire on the last day of your birth month plus one year, then every two years, and you renew online from 90 days before expiration through 60 days after, per the Washington OIC renewal page^[19]. Renew after your expiration date and you pay late fees. The OIC emails reminders at 90, 60, and 30 days before expiration.

Source: Washington OIC producer and adjuster licensing fees^[9]

Reinstatement runs from day 61 to one year after expiration. If your license has been inactive for more than a year, you must apply for a new license instead.

Continuing education requirements

Resident producers with life, disability, property, casualty, or personal lines must complete 24 credit hours of continuing education (CE) each renewal cycle, including 3 hours of ethics, under WAC 284-17-220^[20] and the Washington OIC continuing education page^[21]. Resident adjusters follow the same 24-hour rule.

The CE rules have edges worth knowing. Courses must be approved but need not match your lines of authority. Excess credits do not carry over between cycles, and a certificate of completion is valid for 24 months. Keep your certificates for three years, and expect providers up to 10 days to report completions to the OIC. Non-residents do not meet Washington's CE requirement to renew, except for long-term care, flood, and annuity training, which may be completed in the home state.

What "drivers license insurance" means in Washington

"Drivers license insurance" refers to the auto liability coverage Washington requires of drivers, not to any credential for insurance professionals. Under the Washington Department of Licensing mandatory insurance rules^[22], it is illegal to drive in the state without liability insurance, and driving uninsured can bring a fine of $550 or more. The minimum liability limits are $25,000 for bodily injury or death of one person per accident, $50,000 for two people, and $10,000 for injury to or destruction of others' property. Registered-vehicle owners can self-insure with 26 or more vehicles, or post a certificate of deposit or liability bond of at least $60,000.

A driver's license is not what qualifies you to sell car insurance. To sell auto coverage, you need a producer license with the property and casualty lines, or the personal lines license for the individual market.

Your next steps

Start with the PSI candidate information bulletin^[3], which lists the content outline, fees, and testing rules for every Washington exam. Then decide your lines of authority, study the outline for each exam, and schedule with PSI. After you pass, apply online within 180 days, wait 48 hours for scores to process and 36 to 48 hours more before booking fingerprints, and print your license from the OIC portal once it is issued. Mark your birth month on the calendar now, because that is when your renewal and 24 CE hours will come due.