Insurance License Requirements by State (2026)

Every U.S. state licenses insurance agents — formally called producers — through its own Department of Insurance, and the requirements vary widely: some states make you complete pre-license education before you can sit for the exam, others require none, and the exam is run by a different company depending on the state. Most producer licenses are issued by line of authority (Life, Accident & Health, Property, Casualty, or Personal Lines), so the exact hours can differ within a single state. This page compares the resident producer license requirements for all 50 states plus the District of Columbia, with each state linked to its official Department of Insurance so you can confirm the current rules at the source.

Pre-license hours shown are the education required before the resident producer exam; because insurance is licensed by line of authority (Life, Accident & Health, Property, Casualty, Personal Lines), the exact requirement can vary within a state. Fees and CE are approximate and exclude third-party course tuition.

How to become an insurance agent: the 5 general steps

The exact rules differ by state and by line of authority, but the path to a resident insurance producer license follows the same five steps almost everywhere:

1. 1
   Meet the basic eligibility rules

   Most states require you to be at least 18 and a resident of the state where you apply. Nearly all run a criminal-background or fingerprint check, and many require U.S. citizenship or lawful work authorization.

2. 2
   Complete pre-license education (if your state requires it)

   Insurance is licensed by line of authority — Life, Accident & Health, Property, Casualty, and Personal Lines — and many states require an approved pre-license course for each line (often around 20 hours). Some states require none at all (Texas, Iowa, Utah, Washington). California now requires only a 12-hour ethics & Insurance Code course after AB 943.

3. 3
   Pass the licensing exam

   Register with your state's exam provider — PSI, Pearson VUE, or Prometric depending on the state — and pass the exam for each line of authority you want. The test covers general insurance concepts plus your state's insurance law.

4. 4
   Apply for your license

   Submit your application, fees, and background check — most states use the NAIC's National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) — to your state Department of Insurance. Once approved, you hold a resident producer license for the lines you passed.

5. 5
   Renew with continuing education

   Producer licenses renew on a cycle (usually every two years) and require continuing education — commonly 24 hours including a few ethics hours — to stay active. The exact hours and cycle vary by state.

Frequently asked questions

Sources & methodology

Every figure in the table was researched against the issuing state’s official Department or Division of Insurance website, its governing statute, or the official exam vendor’s (PSI / Pearson VUE / Prometric) state page. Each state’s row links to its official regulator so you can confirm the current requirements at the source. Where a specific figure could not be confirmed against an official source at this update, the cell reads “Verify” and links to the regulator rather than showing an unverified number — we do not publish figures we could not source. Requirements and fees change frequently; this comparison is a starting point, not legal or licensing advice.

Preparing for the exam? Try a free PrepPass insurance practice test — free Life & Health, Property & Casualty, and Personal Lines practice questions with a state-specific bank for all 50 states.