Tennessee Producer Licensing
The state portion of the Tennessee life and health exam starts with how a person becomes and stays a licensed insurance producer in Tennessee. This chapter covers the state regulator and its authority, the license and lines of authority needed to sell life and health products, how appointments connect a producer to an insurer, and the continuing education and renewal rules that keep a license active. These state rules sit on top of the shared national concepts and are the most heavily weighted part of the Tennessee supplement.
The Tennessee Insurance Regulator and Its Authority
Insurance in Tennessee is regulated by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI), headed by the Commissioner of Commerce and Insurance. The regulator has authority to issue, deny, suspend, and revoke producer licenses, adopt rules, investigate complaints, and enforce the state insurance code. A common exam point is knowing that this state agency — not a federal body and not the NAIC — is the licensing and enforcement authority in Tennessee.
License and Lines of Authority
Under the Producer Licensing Model Act adopted in Tennessee, a single insurance producer license carries specific lines of authority. To sell life and health coverage a producer adds the life line and the accident and health (accident and sickness) line. Applicants generally must meet minimum age and application requirements, pass the state licensing examination, and complete a background/fingerprint check before the license is issued. Producers should confirm current prelicensing and fee requirements with TDCI.
Appointments, Continuing Education, and Renewal
A license lets a person act as a producer, but to represent a specific insurer that company must appoint the producer and file the appointment with TDCI; a producer may hold many appointments. Licenses are renewed periodically (commonly on a two-year cycle), and resident life and health producers must complete approved continuing education — typically around 24 hours per two-year term including an ethics component — and pay the renewal fee. Letting CE or renewal lapse can cause the license to expire, triggering reinstatement rules and possible penalties.
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State-specific details
State exam facts
- State regulator
- Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance
- Exam vendor
- Pearson VUE
- Prelicensing education
- None (state-mandated prelicensing was removed effective March 21, 2023)
- Passing score
- 70%
Who regulates life & health insurance licensing in Tennessee?
The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) licenses producers and contracts with Pearson VUE to develop and administer the licensing examinations.
Does Tennessee require prelicensing education for the life & health exam?
No. Tennessee removed its state-mandated prelicensing education requirement for insurance producers effective March 21, 2023, though a prep course is still recommended.
How is the Tennessee life & health exam administered?
The exam is delivered by Pearson VUE, and a 70% passing score is required.
Sources: https://www.tn.gov/commerce/insurance.html, https://www.pearsonvue.com/us/en/tn/insurance.html
In the Tennessee Life & Health Insurance Producer Exam guide: A KEY CONCEPT box, a Common Traps list and a Check Yourself set closing each of the 9 national chapters. Practice here stays free.