How to get your Life & Health insurance license.

The five steps

1. 1

   Complete pre-licensing education (where your state requires it)

   Most states require 20 to 40 hours of state-approved pre-licensing education before you can sit the exam. Texas requires none. Florida requires 60 hours. You finish the course, the provider reports your completion to the state, and you get a certificate that's valid for a limited window.

2. 2

   Submit your license application

   Apply through NIPR (nipr.com) or your state insurance department's portal. The producer application asks for your background, including any criminal or financial disclosures. Application fees run roughly $30 to $190 depending on the state.

3. 3

   Get fingerprinted and pass the background check

   Most states require electronic fingerprinting through a vendor (IdentoGO, Fieldprint, or the testing vendor). Budget $40 to $75 and schedule it early — results can take several days to clear.

4. 4

   Pass the state Life & Health exam

   Schedule through your state's testing vendor (Pearson VUE, PSI, or Prometric). The combined Life and Health exam is usually about 150 questions with a 70% passing score (California is 60%). You get your pass/fail result at the testing center the same day.

5. 5

   Get appointed by an insurer

   A license lets you hold appointments; an appointment lets you actually sell a specific carrier's products. Most new producers get appointed through an agency or IMO. You can hold appointments with many carriers at once.

What's on the exam

Most states adopt the NAIC Life & Health content outline, sometimes with minor adjustments to the state-law section. The approximate weighting:

General Insurance Concepts

~10%

Life Insurance Basics

~10%

Life Insurance Policies & Riders

~15%

Annuities

~10%

Federal Tax of Life Insurance & Annuities

~5%

Health Insurance Basics

~10%

Health Insurance Policy Provisions, Clauses & Riders

~10%

Social Insurance (Medicare, Medicaid, OASDI)

~5%

Health Insurance Underwriting

~5%

Ethics

~5%

State Insurance Law & Regulation

~15%

What it costs

• Pre-licensing education (where required): $50–$200
• License application: $30–$190
• Fingerprinting / background check: $40–$75
• Exam fee: $40–$75 per attempt

Plan for $200–$350 in mandatory fees before any study materials. A retake means paying the exam fee again, so the cheapest path is passing on the first attempt.

Requirements vary by state

Pre-licensing hours, testing vendor, fees, and the passing score all change at the state line. Pick your state for the exact figures and a free practice exam:

• California
• Texas
• Florida
• New York
• Pennsylvania
• Illinois
• Ohio
• Georgia
• North Carolina
• Michigan
• New Jersey
• Virginia
• Washington
• Arizona
• Massachusetts

Frequently asked questions

How hard is the Life & Health insurance exam?

First-time pass rates run 60 to 70 percent nationally. The national content is mostly memorization — definitions, policy provisions, and tax figures. The state-law section is where most candidates lose points, because a generic national study guide can't cover it well.

How long does it take to study?

Three to six weeks at about 10 hours per week is typical. Candidates who already work in financial services move faster. The biggest time sink is the volume of memorization, not the difficulty of any single concept.

How much does it cost to get licensed?

Roughly $200 to $350 in mandatory state fees: application ($30-$190), exam ($40-$75 per attempt), and fingerprinting ($40-$75). Pre-licensing education adds $50-$200 where it's required. That's before any practice-question bank.

Do I need to take Life and Health together?

Most states offer a combined Life, Accident & Health license that you can earn in one exam, and that's what most producers get. A few states license Life and Health separately. Check your state page for specifics.

Is the license worth getting?

If you plan to sell, yes. Independent L&H producers earn a median base around $52k plus commissions, and Medicare brokers who license in 10+ states routinely clear six figures. The license itself takes 4 to 8 weeks to earn.

How long is the license good for?

Typically two years, renewed with continuing education (CE) credits — usually 24 hours per renewal cycle, including an ethics component. Requirements vary by state.