With over 15 different types of insurance licenses, North Carolina residents should visit the North Carolina Department of Insurance website (ncdoi.com) to determine which type of license best suits their area of interest and expertise.
The one caveat is that candidates must be at least 18 years old and live in North Carolina to apply for a resident license. Applicants living outside of the state must apply for a non-resident insurance license.
Pre-Licensing Education Requirements
The education requirements vary depending on the type of license. Candidates seeking a life accident and health, property/casualty, personal lines or sickness license must sit through 20 hours of pre-licensing classes. Other licenses such as Medicare supplement long-term care only require 10 hours while auto physical damage or surplus lines licenses have no prior education requirements (check the website for specific requirements per license type).
Since applicants applying for auto physical damage, adjuster, surplus lines or title insurance are not required to take pre-licensing classes test takers must prepare for the exam on their own. Pearson View, North Carolina's exam administrator, offers exam content outlines which give applicants valuable information as to the types of questions that will be on the exam. It is highly recommended that candidates download and review the exam content outline.
Non-resident applicants are not required to take the pre-licensing classes nor pass the state exam as long as they hold a current valid insurance license in good standing of the same type in their home state. For example, a New York licensed property/casualty broker can obtain a property/casualty North Carolina non resident license. However, a New York life agent cannot obtain a North Carolina property/casualty license. The license must be of the same type.
Approved Pre-Licensing Education Providers
For a list of the state approved pre-licensing education providers, download the North Carolina Insurance Candidate Examination Guide. The guide not only provides a listing approved providers; it includes pertinent information for anyone looking to obtain a North Carolina insurance license.
Insurance Education Exemptions
Candidates with the following designations are exempt from the pre-licensing education requirements if seeking the license in the same field for which the designation applies:
- Registered Health Underwriter (RHU)
- Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS)
- Health Insurance Associate (HIA)
- Registered Employee Benefits consultant (REBC)
- Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC)
- Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
- Accredited Advisor Insurance (AAI)
- Associate Risk Management (ARM)
- Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU)
If, however, the applicant fails the state exam, she must take the necessary pre-licensing education requirements before being able to take the exam again.
Scheduling and Taking the Exam
All insurance licensing exams are administered through Pearson Vue (pearsonview.com) and can be scheduled online. Exams are given at 6 different testing locations (Wilmington, Raleigh, Statesville, Huntersville, Asheville and Greenville), at varying frequencies. For example, the Raleigh location offers insurance exams daily Tuesday through Saturday while Greenville only offers the exam one day a week.
Find the location and schedule that works best before setting the date for the exam. After taking the exam, the test scores are sent directly to the North Carolina Department of Insurance. Although exam fees are subject to change, as of August, 2010, it costs $106.50 to take the initial licensing exam and $56.50 for subsequent tests.
Complete the Insurance License Application
After passing the state exam, all candidates must complete and submit the North Carolina Electronic Resident License application which is available on the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR.com) website. Once issued, insurance licenses are perpetual and do not expire (unless they are canceled, revoked or surrendered). Agents must, however, fulfill the continuing education requirements mandated for the type of license held; generally 24 class hours every two years.
Related Reading:
The Difference Between an Insurance Agent and Broker
Felicia A. Williams - Felicia A. Williams is a full time freelance writer with over 20 years of business writing experience.
