To become an insurance agent in North Carolina, you will need to get your license. Our step-by-step guide offers detailed instructions for obtaining and maintaining your license. We’ve also included information on renewal and reciprocity so you’ll have everything you need to start an exciting new career in insurance. Keep reading to learn details on the following steps.
- Meet the basic insurance license requirements
- Take a state-approved pre-licensing course
- Submit a license application
- Register for and pass the state exam
- Complete fingerprinting and background check
- Stay compliant and renew your license
Let’s get started!
#1: Meet the Basic Requirements for the North Carolina Insurance License
You must meet the following requirements to get your insurance license in North Carolina:
- A natural person at least 18 years of age
- A resident of the state of North Carolina
#2: Take an Approved North Carolina Insurance Pre-Licensing Course
The state requires you to complete an approved pre-licensing course before you can register and take the state insurance exam. Our North Carolina Insurance Pre-Licensing Courses satisfy the mandatory pre-licensing requirement and will effectively prepare you to pass the state exam. Make sure you take the pre-licensing course for your preferred license type/lines of authority.
Every All-Lines course has been rigorously prepared and is regularly updated. Our online classroom allows you to print reference materials, take practice tests, and even create your own quizzes to help with subjects you are struggling with. Once you’re consistently making 90% on your practice tests and passing all the quizzes with flying colors…it’s exam time!
#3: Submit an Application for Your North Carolina Producer License
In North Carolina, you must submit your initial insurance license application before you can register to take the state exam. Submit your online application through NIPR. You will receive an email with a link to register to take your exam
#4: Register for and Pass the North Carolina Insurance State Exam
Use the PearsonVue link you received via email after submitting your application to register for your exam. Make sure you register for the exam that matches your license course and preferred line of authority. Detailed information on the exam and testing procedures is available in the North Carolina insurance candidate handbook.
#5: Get a Fingerprint Background Check
Insurance license candidates in North Carolina must get fingerprinted for a background check prior to obtaining a license. Follow the instructions here to get electronically fingerprinted.
#6: Complete North Carolina’s Continuing Education and License Renewal Requirements
North Carolina insurance producers are required to complete 24 hours of continuing education (CE) every two years. You cannot receive credit for any course more than once in a reporting period. Excess CE credits can be applied to the next compliance cycle but excess ethics or flood credits will carry over to the next compliance period as general credits.
- Three hours must be an Ethics course
- Individuals holding a Property, Personal Lines, or adjuster license are required to complete three hours of flood insurance training/CE every four years.
CE credits are due on the last day of your birth month and are dependent on whether your birth year is even or odd. For example, if you were born in an odd-numbered year, your license will expire at the end of your birth month in odd-numbered years. If you were born in an even-numbered year, your license will expire at the end of your birth month in even-numbered years. See details on compliance cycles on this NDOI Schedule.
Additional Information for North Carolina Insurance Agents
Insurance license lookup: https://sbs.naic.org/solar-external-lookup/
North Carolina insurance licensing fees
- All-Lines Pre-Licensing Course: $179 per line of authority
- Application Fee: $44
- Registration Fee: $50 per line of authority
- Exam Fee: $46
- Fingerprinting: $38
North Carolina Insurance License Reciprocity
Insurance agent and producer license reciprocity refers to a mutual agreement between states that says an agent holding a license in his or her home state can successfully apply for a license in another state without having to take that state’s exam or pre-licensing course.
As an insurance agent, you can apply for a reciprocal license in any other state as long as the license you are applying for covers the same lines of authority. So if you hold a Personal Lines license, for example, you will not qualify for a Property and Casualty Lines reciprocal license.
Your home state license needs to be in good standing, and you will need to apply for the license, pay the fees, and register the licenses with NIPR. However, holding multiple licenses will allow you to sell insurance policies across state lines, increasing your customer base and your income.
North Carolina Department of Banking and Insurance Contact Information
Website: https://www.ncdoi.gov/licensees/insurance-producer-and-adjuster-licensing
Mailing Address:
North Carolina Department of Insurance
Attn: Agent Services
1204 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1204
Phone: 919-807-6800
Email: ASD@ncdoi.gov
