North Carolina · State licensing
Pass the North Carolina Life & Health insurance license exam.
North Carolina requires 20 pre-licensing hours per line and uses Pearson VUE for testing. State-specific content runs about 30% of the exam.
Quick answer: The North Carolina Life & Health insurance license exam is administered by Pearson VUE as a 150-question combined exam with a 180-minute limit, and you need 70% to pass. North Carolina requires 40 hours of pre-licensing education before you can sit. The exam fee is $45 per attempt.
Quick facts
- Testing vendor
- Pearson VUE
- Passing score
- 70%
- Pre-licensing hours
- 40h combined
- Application fee
- $50
- Exam fee
- $45 per attempt
- Combined exam length
- 150 Q · 180 min
Source: www.ncdoi.gov. Confirm before you register. State schedules change.
Get on the North Carolina waitlist.
We're building the North Carolina-specific question bank now. Waitlist members get 14-day early access and the cheat-sheet PDF.
What's on the North Carolina L&H exam.
The North Carolina L&H exam is administered by Pearson VUE after you finish a state-approved 40-hour pre-licensing course. The combined exam runs 150 questions with a 180-minute time limit. Passing requires 70%.
Content roughly follows the NAIC L&H outline: general concepts, life products, annuities, federal tax treatment, health products, social insurance, ethics, and a state-specific law section. The state law portion is where most candidates lose points, it's the section a generic national bank cannot cover well.
What it costs to get licensed in North Carolina.
Plan for roughly $135–$170 in mandatory North Carolina state and vendor fees before any study materials, plus the cost of the required 40-hour pre-licensing course.
- License application
- $50
- Exam fee
- $45 per attempt
- Fingerprinting / background check
- ~$40–$75
- Pre-licensing education
- 40 hours required
A retake means paying the $45 exam fee again, so a first-time pass is the cheapest path. See the full cost breakdown by state and how hard the exam is.
North Carolina exam FAQ.
- Who administers the NC L&H exam?
- Pearson VUE for the NC Department of Insurance.
- What's the NC passing score?
- 70%.
- How many pre-licensing hours for NC?
- 20 hours per line of authority, completed within 12 months of the exam.
- What's the NC exam fee?
- $45 per attempt through Pearson VUE. Fees and hours change frequently. Confirm the latest figures on your state insurance department's site before you register.
Licensing in other states too?
Each state has its own vendor, hours, and fee schedule.
- California
- Texas
- Florida
- New York
- Pennsylvania
- Illinois
- Ohio
- Georgia
- Michigan
- New Jersey
- Virginia
- Washington
- Arizona
- Massachusetts
- Alabama
- Alaska
- Arkansas
- Colorado
- Connecticut
- Delaware
- Hawaii
- Idaho
- Indiana
- Iowa
- Kansas
- Kentucky
- Louisiana
- Maine
- Maryland
- Minnesota
- Mississippi
- Missouri
- Montana
- Nebraska
- Nevada
- New Hampshire
- New Mexico
- North Dakota
- Oklahoma
- Oregon
- Rhode Island
- South Carolina
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Utah
- Vermont
- West Virginia
- Wisconsin
- Wyoming