Insurance licensing exams: how they work and how states differ
Insurance producer licensing is run by each state’s insurance department, which picks its testing company, sets fees and decides whether pre-licensing education is required. States typically contract Pearson, Prometric or PSI to deliver the exam; one licensing-information site reports only Alabama and Kentucky run their own. You test for one or more lines of authority, such as Life, Accident and Health, or Property and Casualty.
Testing companies from Pearson’s own state pages and state insurance departments. Pre-licensing hours and fees in the state examples are as reported by pre-licensing course sellers, which sell the courses they describe; confirm with your state. Checked October 12, 2026.
How it generally works
- Pick a line of authority: for example Life, Accident and Health, Property, Casualty, or Personal Lines. Each has its own exam or a combined one.
- Complete any pre-licensing education your state requires. Some states, such as Rhode Island, don’t require it.
- Pass the state exam with your state’s testing company, at a center or, in some states, online.
- Apply for the license within your state’s deadline; Texas, for example, requires an application within one year of passing.
- Keep it current with continuing education and renewals.
The national framework behind state insurance licensing exams
States follow a common model from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Its Producer Licensing Model Act defines six major lines of authority: Life; Accident and Health or Sickness; Property; Casualty; Variable Life and Variable Annuity; and Personal Lines. The NAIC’s Uniform Licensing Standards ask states to offer a separate test for each major line, set a baseline of 20 hours of pre-licensing per line, and fingerprint resident applicants. In practice states depart from the baseline in both directions, from no required course to 200 hours.
Testing company: confirmed examples
| State | Testing company | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Georgia | Pearson | Pearson’s Georgia page |
| Kansas | Pearson | Pearson’s Kansas page |
| Massachusetts | Pearson | Pearson: selected by the Division of Insurance |
| Mississippi | Pearson | Mississippi Insurance Department |
| Rhode Island | Pearson | Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation |
| South Carolina | Pearson | Pearson’s South Carolina page |
| Texas | Pearson | Pearson’s Texas page |
From Pearson’s own state pages or the state insurance department. Check your state’s department for others.
State guides
Detailed guides for the largest states. Note that California dropped its 20-hours-per-line pre-licensing requirement on January 1, 2026; many guides haven’t caught up.
Pearson VUE, IdentoGO fingerprints, apply within one year of passing.
→Pearson VUE; 60 hours for 2-15, 200 for 2-20 General Lines, as reported.
→PSI; at least 90 hours for P&C and 40 for personal lines, per DFS.
→PSI; only the 12-hour ethics and code course since 2026.
→Pearson VUE; 20 hours per line with 7.5 in class; five-day wait to apply.
→Pre-licensing hours: reported examples
| State | Pre-licensing hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | None listed in the Pearson VUE handbook | $49 exam, scaled 70 to pass |
| Florida | 60 (2-15), 200 (2-20 General Lines) | $44 exam, 70% |
| California | 12-hour Ethics and Code course only, since January 1, 2026 | PSI; 60% to pass |
| New York | Life 20, A&H 20, Life and A&H 40, P&C 90, Personal Lines 40 | Exam fee reported at $40 |
| Illinois | 20 per line, 7.5 of them live | General + State exam per line |
| Pennsylvania | 24 hours per line | Reported 70% pass mark |
| Rhode Island | None required | Per the state department |
Texas, Florida, California, New York and Illinois from our state pages (sourced to the state and its vendor, or approved schools citing official handbooks, as labeled there); Pennsylvania as reported by course sellers; Rhode Island per the state department.
Common questions
Does one exam cover all insurance?
No. Life, health, property and casualty are separate lines of authority, each with its own exam or a combined one, so you may need to take more than one.
Are there official practice tests?
Pearson sells online life, health, property and casualty practice tests for $19.95 each. Each testing company also publishes a candidate handbook with the exam content outline for your state.
What score do you need to pass an insurance exam?
Usually 70%, though California’s producer exams pass at 60%, and Texas reports a scaled score where 70 passes.
Who runs my state's insurance exam?
Your state insurance department chooses it: Pearson VUE in Texas, Florida and Illinois, for example, and PSI in California and New York.
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, Pearson VUE, PSI or any state.