Insurance licensing exams, explained: lines, states, fees and steps
Last checked October 18, 2026 · Sources: NAIC Uniform Licensing Standards; state insurance departments and their test vendors (Pearson VUE, PSI) via our state pages; course prices from providers’ own pages; NIPR.
Insurance licensing exams are run state by state. Each state’s insurance department picks its testing company (often Pearson VUE, PSI or Prometric), sets fees and decides whether you need a pre-licensing course. You test for one or more of the NAIC’s six major lines, such as Life, Accident and Health, Property or Casualty; most exams need 70% to pass, though California uses 60%.
The lines of authority
The NAIC’s Producer Licensing Model Act defines six major lines: Life; Accident and Health or Sickness; Property; Casualty; Variable Life and Variable Annuity; and Personal Lines. Its standards require states to offer a separate test for each major line and set a baseline of 20 hours of pre-licensing per line, though states depart from that in both directions. Most new agents start with life and health, property and casualty, or both.
Life, annuities, and accident and health coverage.
→Home, auto, business and liability; personal lines too.
→How the five biggest states compare
| State | Vendor | Pre-licensing | Exam fee | To pass | License fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Texas | Pearson VUE | None listed | $49 | 70 (scaled) | $50 |
| Florida | Pearson VUE | 60 hrs (2-15), 200 hrs (2-20) | $44 | 70% | $50 + $5 |
| California | PSI | 12-hour Ethics and Code | Check PSI | 60% | $188 |
| New York | PSI | 20 to 90 hrs by line | $40 | 70% | $80 |
| Illinois | Pearson VUE | 20 hrs per line | About $92 per exam, two per line | 70 | $215 |
From our state pages, each sourced to the state and its test vendor, checked October 2026.
$49 exams, no course listed, apply within 1 year.
→60 or 200 hours, $44 exam, 5 attempts a year.
→12-hour course since 2026, 60% to pass.
→Up to 90 hours, $40 PSI exam.
→Two exams per line, $215 license.
→How to get an insurance license
Life and health, property and casualty, or both.
Some states require a course before the exam, some before licensing, and some not at all.
Download your state's candidate handbook from its vendor, book, and pass.
NAIC standards call for fingerprinting resident applicants for major lines; most states take applications through NIPR or Sircon.
An insurer appoints you to sell its products, and you keep up continuing education to renew.
Everything on insurance licensing
Confirmed testing companies and how states differ.
→Exam, license, fingerprint and course fees by state.
→Handbook, line of authority, scheduling, applying.
→Test-center rules and how results work.
→Six weeks, fitted to your state's hours.
→Handbooks, outlines and official pages.
→Kaplan, ExamFX and Pearson practice tests.
→Kaplan vs ExamFX.
→Five tiers from $139.
→50 states and a Readiness Exam guarantee.
→From a free handbook to $139 for Kaplan Basic Life & Health.
→ExamFX's guarantee at an 80% Readiness Exam score, and more.
→Our criteria and sources.
→State departments, vendors and NIPR.
→Reddit, Quora and outdated claims.
→Study strategy and tips
- Start with your state’s candidate handbook; it lists the exact topics and weights for your exam.
- Don’t neglect the state portion; it covers your state’s own laws, and Illinois even tests it as a separate exam.
- Use official practice: Pearson VUE sells practice tests at $19.95 per line in states it serves.
- Test soon after your course; some states limit how long a course certificate or passing score stays valid.
Where candidates talk about insurance exams
New agents share study tips and exam stories on Reddit and Quora. Rules differ so much by state that advice from another state can mislead, and California’s 2026 change made many older posts wrong. Our community guide covers what to watch for. Weighing a related path? See our securities licensing guide for the SIE and Series 6 and 7.
Common questions about insurance licensing exams
Do I need a pre-licensing course?
It depends on your state. Rhode Island’s insurance division says pre-licensing education isn’t required, and Texas’s Pearson VUE handbook lists none. Florida, New York and Illinois require course hours before the exam, California requires a 12-hour ethics and code course before licensing, and course sellers report that Pennsylvania requires hours too. Check your state’s insurance department.
What score do I need to pass?
Usually 70%, though California’s producer exams pass at 60% and Texas reports a scaled score where 70 passes.
Who runs the insurance exam?
Your state’s insurance department chooses: Pearson VUE in Texas, Florida and Illinois, and PSI in California and New York, for example.
How much does an insurance license cost?
Exam fees in the five biggest states run from $40 to about $92 per exam, and license fees from $50 to $215, plus fingerprints and any required course.
We first checked these sources on October 12, 2026 and rechecked them on October 18, 2026. MockTestPrep is independent and is not affiliated with the NAIC, NIPR or any state.