How to Get a Life Insurance License: The Steps, in Order
The path from zero to a licensed life insurance agent: pre-licensing, the state exam, background check and application — and where people lose time.
Every state licenses life insurance agents separately, but the path has the same shape everywhere: learn the material, pass the state exam, clear a background check, and apply to the state. The details — course hours, fees, fingerprint vendors — are set by each state's department of insurance and change from time to time, so treat this as the map and your state's department as the source of truth.
1. Confirm which license you need
Most new agents need a life line of authority, often paired with accident and health. Some states combine lines (Florida's 2-14 exam, for example, covers life including annuities and variable contracts). Read the exam title on your state's candidate handbook before you buy a course — studying for the wrong line is the most expensive mistake on this list.
2. Complete pre-licensing education if your state requires it
Some states require a set number of approved course hours before you can sit the exam; others make the course optional. If it is required, keep the completion certificate — the testing provider or the state will ask for it.
3. Schedule the state exam
State exams are delivered by a testing provider — Pearson VUE for Texas, Florida and Georgia, PSI for New York. You book a seat online, pay the exam fee and pick a test center or, where offered, a proctored online session. Schedule early: a fixed date is what turns reading into a study plan.
4. Pass the exam
All four exams we cover are scored against a 70% pass mark on the scored questions. A handful of extra pretest questions are mixed in and not scored — you will not know which ones they are, so answer everything.
5. Background check and license application
After passing, most states require fingerprints and a background check, then an application — commonly filed through NIPR or the state's own portal — with a license fee. Your result is usually valid for a limited period, so do not let it sit.
6. Get appointed
A license lets you sell; an appointment lets you sell for a specific insurer. Carriers or agencies file the appointment once you are contracted with them.
State guides
Frequently asked
How long does it take to get a life insurance license?
It depends mostly on how fast you prepare for the exam and on your state's processing time after you pass. The exam itself is 120 minutes in Texas, Florida, Georgia and New York.
Do I need a pre-licensing course?
Some states require one and some do not. Check the candidate handbook or your state's department of insurance before booking the exam.