North Dakota Personal Lines Insurance License Exam — All Questions

Insurance is best described as a method of handling risk by:

• a.Avoiding all activities that could cause loss
• b.Transferring the risk of loss to an insurer in exchange for a premium✓
• c.Retaining every loss and paying out of pocket
• d.Eliminating the possibility that a loss will occur

Insurance is the transfer of risk from an individual to an insurer in exchange for a premium; the insurer agrees to pay for covered losses. Avoidance and retention are other ways to handle risk, but they are not insurance. Insurance cannot eliminate the chance a loss will happen; it shifts the financial consequences of that loss from the insured to the insurer through pooling.

For a homeowner to collect on a property insurance claim, insurable interest must exist:

• a.Only when the policy is first issued
• b.Only when the premium is paid
• c.At no particular time
• d.At the time of the loss✓

In property insurance, insurable interest, the financial stake a person has in the property, must exist at the time of the loss. A homeowner who has already sold the house before a fire has no insurable interest and cannot collect. This differs from life insurance, where insurable interest is required only at the policy's inception, not at the time of the claim.

The principle of indemnity means an insured who suffers a covered loss should be:

• a.Restored to their pre-loss financial condition, without profiting✓
• b.Paid the full policy limit every time
• c.Allowed to profit from the loss
• d.Paid nothing until a lawsuit is filed

Indemnity restores the insured to approximately the financial position held just before the loss, making them whole without allowing a profit. Personal lines property coverages are built on this principle, which is why tools like actual cash value, deductibles, and other-insurance clauses exist. Paying the full limit for every loss, regardless of the actual amount, would violate indemnity by permitting gain.

A condition that increases the chance or severity of a loss, such as a worn extension cord, is a:

• a.Peril
• b.Moral hazard
• c.Physical hazard✓
• d.Morale hazard

A physical hazard is a tangible condition that increases the likelihood or severity of a loss, such as faulty wiring or a worn cord. A peril is the actual cause of loss, such as the fire itself. A moral hazard involves dishonesty (setting a fire to collect), and a morale hazard is carelessness because insurance exists. Distinguishing hazards from perils is a foundational concept.

Because an insurance policy is written by the insurer and offered on a take-it-or-leave-it basis, any ambiguity in the wording is generally interpreted:

• a.In favor of the insurer
• b.In favor of the insured✓
• c.By a neutral government agency
• d.By splitting the difference equally

An insurance policy is a contract of adhesion, drafted entirely by the insurer with no negotiation by the applicant. Because the insured had no hand in the wording, courts resolve genuine ambiguities in favor of the insured. This rule encourages insurers to write clear policy language and protects consumers who must accept the contract as written.

Actual cash value (ACV) of personal property is calculated as:

• a.The original price the insured paid
• b.Replacement cost with no adjustment
• c.Replacement cost minus depreciation✓
• d.The total premiums paid on the policy

Actual cash value equals the current cost to replace the item minus depreciation for age, wear, and condition. It reflects what the used property is actually worth at the time of loss. Replacement cost coverage, by contrast, pays to replace the item with a new one of like kind and quality without deducting depreciation, subject to policy conditions, and is a valuable option for personal property.

Under an open-perils (all-risk) property form, a loss is covered:

• a.Unless it is caused by a specifically excluded peril✓
• b.Only if the peril is specifically named
• c.Only if the insurer approves in advance
• d.Only for perils listed on the declarations page

An open-perils form covers any cause of loss that is not specifically excluded, so the insurer must prove an exclusion applies to deny a claim. This is broader than a named-perils form, which covers only the perils listed and requires the insured to prove the loss came from a named peril. Open-perils coverage generally costs more because it is broader.

A homeowner has a $1,000 deductible and suffers a covered $6,000 loss. How much will the insurer pay?

• a.$6,000
• b.$5,000✓
• c.$1,000
• d.$0

A deductible is the portion of a covered loss the insured pays before the insurer pays. With a $1,000 deductible on a $6,000 loss, the insured absorbs $1,000 and the insurer pays the remaining $5,000. Deductibles lower premiums and discourage small claims by giving the insured a financial stake in each loss.

Which of the following is typically NOT covered under a standard homeowners property form?

• a.Fire
• b.Windstorm
• c.Theft
• d.Flood✓

Standard homeowners forms exclude flood; flood coverage must be obtained separately. Earth movement (such as earthquake) is also typically excluded and added by endorsement or a separate policy. Fire, windstorm, and theft are covered perils under standard forms. Knowing which catastrophic perils are excluded from the base policy is essential for identifying coverage gaps.

After paying a claim, an insurer's right to recover from the person who caused the loss is called:

• a.Subrogation✓
• b.Coinsurance
• c.Indemnity
• d.Salvage

Subrogation is the insurer's right, after paying a covered claim, to step into the insured's position and pursue the third party responsible for the loss. It prevents the insured from collecting twice and supports the principle of indemnity. The insured must avoid any action after a loss that would impair the insurer's ability to subrogate, such as signing away claims against the responsible party.

A landlord who rents out a single-family house and needs to insure the building and lost rental income would most appropriately use a:

• a.Homeowners HO-4 policy
• b.Dwelling policy (DP form)✓
• c.Personal auto policy
• d.Condominium HO-6 policy

A Dwelling policy (DP form) is designed for residential property, including non-owner-occupied rentals, and can cover the building and fair rental value. It does not automatically include personal liability, which can be added by endorsement. HO-4 covers a tenant's contents, HO-6 covers a condo unit owner, and neither fits a landlord who needs building and rental-income coverage.

Which Dwelling form insures the dwelling on an open-perils basis, providing the broadest property coverage?

• a.DP-1 (Basic)
• b.DP-2 (Broad)
• c.DP-3 (Special)✓
• d.DP-0 (Minimum)

The DP-3 (Special) form is the broadest Dwelling form, insuring the dwelling and other structures on an open-perils basis while covering personal property on a named-perils basis. The DP-1 (Basic) covers a short list of named perils and is narrowest, and the DP-2 (Broad) covers more named perils but is still not open-perils. There is no standard DP-0 form.

Under a Dwelling policy covering a rented home, the coverage that reimburses the owner for lost rent while the home is being repaired after a covered loss is:

• a.Coverage A – Dwelling
• b.Coverage B – Other Structures
• c.Coverage C – Personal Property
• d.Coverage D – Fair Rental Value✓

Fair Rental Value (Coverage D) reimburses the owner for the rental income lost while a covered peril makes the rented dwelling unfit to live in, limited to the time reasonably required to repair. Coverage A insures the structure, Coverage B other structures, and Coverage C personal property. Fair rental value protects the landlord's income rather than the physical property itself.

A major difference between a Dwelling policy and a Homeowners policy is that the Dwelling policy:

• a.Does not automatically include personal liability coverage✓
• b.Always includes worldwide contents coverage
• c.Can only be issued to condominium owners
• d.Never covers the dwelling structure

A Dwelling policy is primarily a property policy and does not automatically include personal liability or medical payments coverage; liability must be added by endorsement. A Homeowners policy packages property and personal liability together. This flexibility makes the Dwelling policy suitable for rentals and homes that do not qualify for Homeowners coverage, where liability may be handled differently.

The most commonly purchased Homeowners form, which covers the dwelling on an open-perils basis and personal property on a named-perils basis, is the:

• a.HO-2
• b.HO-4
• c.HO-3✓
• d.HO-8

The HO-3 (special form) is the most widely purchased Homeowners policy. It insures the dwelling and other structures on an open-perils basis while covering personal property on a named-perils basis. HO-2 covers both on named-perils, HO-4 is the renters form, and HO-8 is a modified form for older homes. The HO-5 comprehensive form extends open-perils coverage to personal property as well.

A tenant who rents an apartment and wants to insure personal belongings and obtain personal liability coverage should purchase:

• a.HO-3
• b.HO-6
• c.HO-8
• d.HO-4✓

The HO-4 form is the renters (tenants) policy. It covers the tenant's personal property and provides personal liability and loss-of-use coverage, but not the building, which is the landlord's responsibility. HO-6 is for condominium unit owners who own the interior, and HO-3 and HO-8 are owner-occupied dwelling forms that include structural coverage the renter does not need.

A condominium unit owner who needs to insure the interior of the unit and personal property should buy:

• a.HO-4
• b.HO-6✓
• c.HO-3
• d.HO-8

The HO-6 form is designed for condominium unit owners. It covers the unit owner's personal property and the portions of the building the owner is responsible for (typically interior walls, fixtures, and improvements), along with personal liability and loss of use. The condo association's master policy covers the building structure and common areas, so HO-6 fills the gap for the individual unit owner.

Under a Homeowners policy, which coverage provides additional living expense when a covered loss makes the home temporarily uninhabitable?

• a.Coverage D – Loss of Use✓
• b.Coverage A – Dwelling
• c.Coverage E – Personal Liability
• d.Coverage F – Medical Payments to Others

Coverage D (Loss of Use) pays additional living expenses, the reasonable extra costs of maintaining a normal standard of living, when a covered loss makes the residence uninhabitable, such as hotel and increased meal costs. Coverage A insures the dwelling structure, while Coverages E and F are the Section II liability coverages. Loss of use addresses the insured's indirect costs, not the physical damage.

Coverage F (Medical Payments to Others) under a Homeowners policy pays medical expenses for an injured guest:

• a.Only if the insured is legally at fault
• b.Only for members of the insured's own household
• c.On a no-fault basis, regardless of the insured's liability✓
• d.Only after a lawsuit is filed against the insured

Medical Payments to Others (Coverage F) is a no-fault, goodwill coverage that pays reasonable medical expenses for a non-resident injured on the insured premises or by the insured's activities, whether or not the insured is legally liable. It does not cover the insured or regular household residents. Paying small medical claims quickly helps preserve goodwill and can prevent larger liability lawsuits.

Under a Homeowners policy, categories such as jewelry, watches, and firearms are subject to:

• a.Unlimited coverage up to the Coverage C limit
• b.No coverage at all
• c.Automatic replacement cost with no limit
• d.Special dollar sublimits that cap the amount payable✓

Homeowners policies apply special limits (sublimits) to certain high-value or high-theft categories such as jewelry, watches, furs, firearms, cash, and silverware. These items are covered, but only up to a stated dollar cap that is lower than the overall Coverage C limit. To fully protect valuable items, the insured can schedule them on a personal articles (scheduled property) endorsement for broader, itemized coverage.

The HO-8 modified Homeowners form is intended for:

• a.Renters who do not own the building
• b.Older homes whose replacement cost greatly exceeds market value✓
• c.Condominium unit owners
• d.Luxury homes needing the broadest possible coverage

The HO-8 modified form is designed for older or historic homes where replacing with identical materials would cost far more than the home's market value. It settles losses on a functional replacement or actual cash value basis rather than full replacement cost, keeping the policy affordable and insurable. Renters use HO-4, condo owners use HO-6, and the broadest coverage is the HO-5 comprehensive form.

In the Personal Auto Policy, coverage for bodily injury and property damage the insured causes to others is provided under:

• a.Part B – Medical Payments
• b.Part C – Uninsured Motorists
• c.Part A – Liability Coverage✓
• d.Part D – Coverage for Damage to Your Auto

Part A (Liability Coverage) responds when the insured is legally responsible for bodily injury or property damage to others from the use of a covered auto, paying damages and providing a legal defense. Part B pays medical expenses for the insured and passengers, Part C covers injuries caused by uninsured or underinsured drivers, and Part D covers physical damage to the insured's own vehicle.

Under Part D of the Personal Auto Policy, damage to the insured's own vehicle from striking a tree is covered by:

• a.Collision coverage✓
• b.Liability coverage
• c.Medical payments coverage
• d.Uninsured motorists coverage

Collision coverage pays for damage to the insured's own auto from colliding with another vehicle or object, such as a tree, or from upset (overturning), regardless of fault. Liability coverage pays for damage the insured causes to others, medical payments covers injuries to the insured and passengers, and uninsured motorists covers injuries caused by an uninsured at-fault driver, none of which apply to the insured's own vehicle damage.

Which loss to the insured's own vehicle would be covered under other-than-collision (comprehensive) coverage?

• a.Rear-ending another vehicle
• b.Rolling the car over in a ditch
• c.Sideswiping a guardrail
• d.The vehicle being stolen from a parking lot✓

Other-than-collision (comprehensive) coverage pays for losses not caused by collision or upset, including theft, fire, vandalism, hail, flood, glass breakage, and animal strikes. Rear-ending a vehicle, rolling over, and sideswiping a guardrail are all collision or upset losses covered under collision coverage. Theft of the vehicle is a classic comprehensive loss.

Auto liability limits shown as 50/100/25 mean the policy pays up to:

• a.$50,000 total for the entire policy
• b.$50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident for bodily injury, and $25,000 for property damage✓
• c.$100,000 per person for bodily injury
• d.$25,000 per person for bodily injury

Split limits are read as bodily injury per person / bodily injury per accident / property damage per accident. So 50/100/25 means up to $50,000 for one injured person, up to $100,000 total for all bodily injury in one accident, and up to $25,000 for property damage per accident. State law sets the minimum required limits, but the way split limits are read is national.

Uninsured motorists coverage protects the insured when:

• a.An at-fault driver with no liability insurance causes the insured injury✓
• b.The insured damages their own vehicle by hitting a wall
• c.The insured injures a pedestrian
• d.The insured's vehicle is stolen

Uninsured motorists coverage protects an insured who is injured by an at-fault driver carrying no liability insurance, or who cannot be identified such as in a hit-and-run. It supplies the liability protection the negligent driver failed to carry. Damage to the insured's own vehicle is covered under Part D, and injuring others is a Part A liability matter, not uninsured motorists coverage.

Under a Personal Auto Policy, coverage generally extends to a newly acquired vehicle and to a temporary substitute auto when the insured's car is being repaired. This reflects that the policy:

• a.Covers only the one vehicle listed on the declarations, with no exceptions
• b.Covers any vehicle in the world with no conditions
• c.Provides some automatic coverage for newly acquired and temporary substitute autos✓
• d.Excludes all borrowed vehicles entirely

The Personal Auto Policy defines covered autos to include the vehicles listed on the declarations plus, within policy rules, newly acquired autos (for a limited time, sometimes requiring notice) and a temporary substitute auto used while a covered vehicle is out of service. This prevents a coverage gap when the insured changes cars or uses a loaner during repairs, though specific conditions and time limits apply.

A homeowner with a valuable diamond ring worth far more than the policy's jewelry sublimit can obtain full, itemized coverage by adding a:

• a.Higher deductible
• b.Scheduled personal property (personal articles) endorsement✓
• c.Loss-of-use endorsement
• d.Liability umbrella

A scheduled personal property endorsement (personal articles floater) lists specific high-value items such as jewelry, furs, or fine art with individual limits based on appraisals, providing broader, often open-perils coverage above the policy's sublimits and frequently with no deductible. Raising the deductible or adding loss-of-use or umbrella coverage does not solve the problem of a low internal sublimit on valuable items.

A personal umbrella policy is used to:

• a.Replace the homeowners property coverage
• b.Cover damage to the insured's own car
• c.Provide first-dollar coverage with no underlying policy
• d.Add liability limits above the insured's home and auto policies✓

A personal umbrella policy adds an extra layer of liability limits above the insured's underlying home and auto liability coverage, and it may cover some claims the underlying policies exclude, subject to a self-insured retention. It generally requires the insured to maintain specified underlying limits. It is excess liability protection, not property coverage and not a substitute for underlying insurance.

The portion of an insurance policy that lists the named insured, the covered property, the policy period, and the limits of coverage is the:

• a.Declarations✓
• b.Insuring agreement
• c.Exclusions
• d.Conditions

The declarations page states the specific facts of the policy: the named insured, a description of the covered property, the policy period, the limits of insurance, the premium, and the forms attached. The insuring agreement states what the insurer promises to cover, the exclusions state what is not covered, and the conditions set the rules and duties both parties must follow.

A binder issued by a producer serves to:

• a.Permanently replace the insurance policy
• b.Cancel the insured's coverage
• c.Provide temporary evidence of coverage until the policy is issued✓
• d.List all of the policy's exclusions

A binder is a temporary agreement, oral or written, that provides immediate evidence of coverage until the insurer issues the formal policy or declines the risk. It contains the essential terms so the insured is protected in the interim. A binder is not permanent and is replaced once the actual policy is delivered or the coverage is formally declined.

Which agency issues resident personal lines insurance producer licenses in North Dakota?

• a.North Dakota Insurance Department✓
• b.The North Dakota Bureau of Insurance Agents
• c.The National Association of Insurance Commissioners
• d.The federal Department of Insurance

Insurance in North Dakota is regulated at the state level by the North Dakota Insurance Department, which licenses and renews producers, reviews rates and forms, and enforces the state insurance code. The NAIC is a standards body, not a licensing agency, and there is no federal insurance department. Source: North Dakota Insurance Department (https://www.insurance.nd.gov).

What minimum auto liability limits must a North Dakota personal auto policy carry to meet the state's financial-responsibility law?

• a.$15,000 per person / $30,000 per accident bodily injury and $5,000 property damage
• b.$50,000 per person / $100,000 per accident bodily injury and $50,000 property damage
• c.$25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 property damage✓
• d.$20,000 per person / $40,000 per accident bodily injury and $15,000 property damage

North Dakota sets minimum motor-vehicle liability limits of 25/50/25 — $25,000 bodily injury per person, $50,000 bodily injury per accident, and $25,000 property damage. These are floors; producers should offer higher limits to better protect the insured's assets. Source: N.D. Cent. Code ch. 39-16.1; verify current figures with the North Dakota Insurance Department (https://www.insurance.nd.gov).

How does North Dakota generally handle auto injury claims?

• a.It is a pure tort state with no first-party medical coverage required
• b.It bars all injury claims and routes them through a state fund
• c.It is a no-fault state: a driver's own policy pays personal-injury / basic-economic-loss benefits regardless of who caused the crash, subject to a threshold before suing✓
• d.It requires liability coverage but prohibits any first-party medical benefits

North Dakota is a no-fault state: each driver's own policy pays first-party injury benefits (PIP / basic economic loss) regardless of fault, and an injured person may sue the other driver only after meeting a statutory threshold. Confirm current no-fault rules with the North Dakota Insurance Department (https://www.insurance.nd.gov).

Besides liability coverage, what first-party coverage must a North Dakota personal auto policy include?

• a.Only comprehensive coverage
• b.Nothing beyond liability
• c.No-fault personal injury protection (PIP) basic no-fault benefits, because North Dakota is a no-fault state✓
• d.Flood coverage for the vehicle

As a no-fault state, North Dakota requires personal auto policies to include PIP (basic no-fault) benefits that pay the insured's own medical and wage-loss costs regardless of fault, in addition to liability coverage. Confirm the current minimum PIP benefit amount with the North Dakota Insurance Department (https://www.insurance.nd.gov).

After a producer is licensed in North Dakota, what generally must occur before he or she can transact business for a specific insurer?

• a.Nothing further — the license alone authorizes sales for any insurer
• b.The insurer must appoint the producer, with the appointment on file with the North Dakota Insurance Department✓
• c.The producer must post a personal surety bond with the state treasurer
• d.The producer must first sell to five clients on a temporary permit

A license lets a person act as a producer, but to represent a particular company that insurer must appoint the producer, with the appointment filed with the North Dakota Insurance Department. A producer may hold appointments from several insurers at once. This follows the NAIC producer-licensing model North Dakota uses.

Which statement about continuing education (CE) for resident personal lines producers in North Dakota is correct?

• a.Resident producers must complete state-approved CE, including ethics, each renewal cycle to keep the license active; confirm exact hours with the North Dakota Insurance Department✓
• b.CE is optional and only recommended for new producers
• c.CE is required once, in the first year, and never again
• d.Passing the licensing exam permanently exempts a producer from all CE

Like other states, North Dakota requires resident producers to complete approved continuing education each renewal cycle, typically including an ethics component, before renewing. Because specific hour totals change, verify the current CE requirement directly with the North Dakota Insurance Department (https://www.insurance.nd.gov).

How are cancellation and nonrenewal of a personal auto or homeowners policy regulated in North Dakota?

• a.An insurer may cancel any personal policy at any time for any reason with no notice
• b.Only the policyholder may ever cancel; insurers can never cancel mid-term
• c.There are no notice rules; cancellation is governed solely by the contract
• d.State law limits the reasons an insurer may cancel or nonrenew and requires advance written notice to the insured; confirm the exact notice period with the North Dakota Insurance Department✓

North Dakota restricts mid-term cancellation of personal auto and homeowners policies to specified reasons (such as nonpayment or material misrepresentation) and requires advance written notice of cancellation or nonrenewal. The exact number of days varies by reason and line — verify the current North Dakota notice periods with the North Dakota Insurance Department.

Which best describes the body that writes and enforces North Dakota's insurance regulations affecting personal lines policies?

• a.The North Dakota Insurance Department, a state agency that supervises insurers and licenses producers✓
• b.A private trade association of insurers with no government authority
• c.The federal Department of Insurance in Washington, D.C.
• d.The county clerk's office where the policy is issued

Insurance in North Dakota is regulated at the state level by the North Dakota Insurance Department. There is no federal department of insurance; each state supervises its own market, licenses producers, and enforces cancellation, rating, and coverage rules. Source: North Dakota Insurance Department (https://www.insurance.nd.gov).