North Carolina insurance law specifically allows the Commissioner to issue a temporary license

North Carolina Insurance Licensing State Requirements

On this page, you will find all of the state-specific information for Insurance Licensing in the state of North Carolina. This information pertains to resident license applicants. For additional information for resident licensing, or for non-resident license information, please refer to the North Carolina Department of Insurance website at http://www.ncdoi.com. Information is subject to change, and we will do our very best to make the process of completing your licensing education requirements as simple as possible.

North Carolina Department of Insurance

Agent Services Division
1204 Mail Service Center 
Raleigh, NC 27699-1204
Phone: 919-807-6800
Fax:  919-715-3794
Website: http://www.ncdoi.com
Email:

How to Get Your North Carolina Insurance License

1. Complete an Insurance Prelicensing Course

North Carolina requires those seeking an insurance license to complete prelicensing before taking the state licensing exam. Prelicensing courses with Kaplan give you the best chance to pass—our pass rates are among the highest in the industry. 

Prelicensing Education Hour Requirements

• Life: 20 Hours
• Accident and Health or Sickness: 20 Hours
• Property: 20 Hours
• Casualty: 20 Hours
• Personal Lines: 20 Hours
• Medicare Supplement / Long-Term Care: 10 Hours (Applicant must be licensed for Accident and Health or Sickness)

Acceptable Methods of Education

• Classroom
• Self-study**
• Online**

**Course must adhere to specific rules for the applicant to receive prelicensing credit, including the final course examination (certification exam) being monitored and administered by a disinterested third party. North Carolina defines a “disinterested third party” as “a person not concerned with respect to possible gain or loss in the result of a pending course final examination and does not include the current employer, prospective employer and a member of the applicant’s immediate family.”

Live Class Requirements

In-Class Exam: In North Carolina, an in-class graded exam is given in the Life & Health class to test your readiness for the state exam. The test must be passed with a 70% or greater in order to receive a certificate of completion.

Online Course Requirements

• Time Tracking: North Carolina requires that your online study time is tracked. There is a maximum allowed of 8 hours in one day of instruction. In order to successfully complete the course, you must complete the required number of hours while studying in the Course Contents Units of the online course. Your online course tracker will be displayed in the upper right-hand corner of your page so that you can verify the time spent in the course is being tracked.
• Forced Progression: requires the user to successfully complete each page of the online course before being allowed to proceed to the next.

Prelicensing Education Exemptions

Individuals holding one or more of the following designations or certifications are exempt from prelicensing education requirements if they pass the exam on their first attempt. If they fail, they must successfully meet the mandatory prelicensing education requirements prior to retaking the exam:

• Life: CIC, CEBS, CFP®
• Accident and Health or Sickness: RHU, CEBS, REBC, HIA
• Property, Casualty, Personal Lines: AAI, ARM, CIC
• Someone who holds a degree in insurance (associate or bachelors) can also be waived from prelicensing. 

Note: To receive a waiver, applicants must submit a written request.

Adjuster License Requirements

All insurance adjusters in this state are required to be licensed. Check with the Department of Insurance in your resident state to see how to obtain an adjuster license.

2. Pass Your North Carolina Licensing Exam

After completing your required prelicensing course, you must pass a state licensing exam. Kaplan’s prelicensing content is based directly on the North Carolina licensing exams, so you will be prepared to pass the first time.

Certificate of Completion Requirements

• Candidate must present the original certificate, referred to as the Prelicensing Examination Admission Ticket, to the exam provider at the test site.
• Certificate is valid for 90 days from the course completion date, or a maximum of 5 exam attempts, whichever occurs first.

Exam Provider: Pearson VUE

• To obtain a North Carolina Insurance Licensing Examination Candidate Guide, go to the Pearson VUE website at http://www.pearsonvue.com/nc/insurance.
• Prior to scheduling the exam with Pearson VUE, candidates must complete the NIPR license application online by visiting nipr.com. Candidates are not able to schedule an exam until this is completed and an email is received by the student from Pearson VUE. This email will contain instructions to schedule.  

Note: You will receive a Candidate ID from Pearson VUE. This is not assigned by Kaplan Professional. 

Frequently Asked Questions About the North Carolina Licensing Exam

After completing my prelicensing, how should I prepare for exam day? 

Exam Application

Candidates must visit www.nipr.com to complete the license application and pay ALL associated fees. For a detailed chart of the North Carolina resident licensing fees for Initial & Reinstatement License Applications candidates can go to www.pearsonvue.com/nc/insurance and click on North Carolina Insurance Resident Licensing Fees.

Candidates cannot make the exam reservation until they receive an email from Pearson VUE with their “reserved” NPN (National Producer Number) and their examination information. Information contained in the email authorization will be collected in the examination reservation process. Candidates that do NOT have this information will not be allowed to register for an examination.

NOTE: The NPN is also used as the North Carolina Insurance Candidate Identification Number. Candidates who are required to take Pre-Licensing Education (PLE) are still required to provide the PLE School Code and education completion date that is provided on the Examination Admission Ticket. This can be found in the back of the Candidate Guide.

The Examination Admission Ticket may be emailed with an electronic signature. The Provider may be required to provide evidence that the document is encrypted such that it cannot be altered or duplicated. Tickets cannot be faxed to students.

The Examination Admission Ticket is valid for ninety (90) days from the date of course completion or five (5) examination attempts over the ninety (90) day period, whichever comes first. Students who do not pass an examination within ninety (90) days of the date of course completion or within 5 examination attempts over the ninety (90) day period, shall complete another pre-licensing education course at an approved school to be eligible to retake the examination.

Candidates should report to the test center thirty (30) minutes before the examination and check in with the test center administrator. 

Exam Day Required Materials

All candidates are required to bring the following:

• Two forms of acceptable identification. The name on the identification must exactly match the name on the registration. Please refer to Acceptable Forms of Candidate Identification for additional details.
• Prelicensing Examination Admission Ticket. Life, Accident and Health or Sickness, Property, Casualty, Personal Lines, or Medicare Supplement/Long-Term Care candidates must have their certificate validated by an approved prelicensing school. Those taking the adjuster examination should be sure that the adjuster section of the Examination Admission Ticket is completed.

Name Matching Guidelines

Candidates who present an identification with a name that differs from the name under which they are registered to test will not be admitted to test. Name changes and address changes are not allowed at the test center unless it is strictly a typo. All other changes must be done prior to examination appointments. Contact Pearson VUE immediately to correct the spelling of your name or update your personal information if you notice any errors. It is very important that this information is correct, as it will appear as it was entered on the documentation provided to you after you have completed the exam, as well as on any reports to your licensing agency.

Acceptable Forms of Candidate Identification

Candidates must present two (2) forms of current signature identification. The name on the identification must exactly match the name on the registration. The primary identification must be government issued and photo-bearing with a signature and the secondary identification must contain a valid signature. Identification must be in English.

Primary ID (photograph and signature, not expired)

• Government-issued Driver’s License
• U.S. Dept. of State Driver’s License
• U.S. Learner’s Permit (plastic card only with photo and signature)
• National/state/country ID
• Passport
• Passport Card
• Military ID
• Military ID for spouses and dependents
• Alien Registration Card (Green Card, Permanent Resident Visa)

Secondary ID (signature, not expired)

• Debit (ATM) card or Credit Card
• Any form of ID on the Primary ID list

If the ID presented has an embedded signature that is not visible (microchip), or is difficult or impossible to read, the candidate must present another form of identification from the Primary ID or Secondary ID list that contains a visible signature. Pearson VUE does not recognize grace periods. For example, if a candidate’s driver’s license expired yesterday and the state allows a 30-day grace period for renewing the ID, the ID is considered to be expired.

What is the exam like? 

Test Center Policies

The following policies are observed at each test center. Candidates who violate any of these policies will not be permitted to finish the examination and will be dismissed from the test center, forfeiting the examination fee.

• No personal items are allowed in the testing room. Personal items include but are not limited to cellular phones, hand-held computers or other electronic devices, pagers, watches, wallets, purses, firearms or other weapons, hats, bags, coats, books, and/or notes, pens, or pencils.
• Candidates are permitted to use a simple function calculator.
• Candidates must store all personal items in a secure area as indicated by the administrator, or return items to their vehicle. All electronic devices must be turned off before storing them in a locker. The test center is not responsible for lost, stolen, or misplaced personal items.
• Studying is not allowed in the test center. Visitors, children, family, or friends are not allowed in the test center.
• Dictionaries, books, papers (including scratch paper), and reference materials are not permitted in the examination room (unless permitted by the exam sponsor), and candidates are strongly urged not to bring such materials to the test center. Upon entering and being seated in the testing room, the test administrator will provide the candidate with materials to make notes or calculations and any other items specified by the exam sponsor. The candidate may not write on these items before the exam begins or remove these items from the testing room.
• Eating, drinking, chewing gum, smoking, and/or making noise that creates a disturbance for other candidates is prohibited during the exam.
• Break policies are established by the exam sponsor. Most sponsors allow unscheduled breaks. To request an unscheduled break, the candidate must raise his or her hand to get the administrator’s attention. The exam clock will not stop while the candidate is taking a break.
• Candidates must leave the testing room for all breaks. However, candidates are not permitted to leave the floor or building for any reason during this time, unless specified by the administrator and the exam sponsor. If a candidate is discovered to have left the floor or building, he or she will not be permitted to proceed with the examination and may forfeit the exam fees.
• While taking a break, candidates are permitted to access personal items that are being stored during the exam only if necessary—for example, personal medication that must be taken at a specific time. However, a candidate must receive permission from the administrator prior to accessing personal items that have been stored. Candidates are not allowed access to other items, including but not limited to cellular phones, exam notes, and study guides, unless the exam sponsor specifically permits this.
• Any candidate discovered causing a disturbance of any kind or engaging in any kind of misconduct—giving or receiving help; using notes, books, or other aids; taking part in an act of impersonation; or removing examination materials or notes from the examination room—will be summarily dismissed from the examination and will be reported to the state licensing agency. Decisions regarding disciplinary measures are the responsibility of the state licensing agency
  

Exam Format

The insurance examinations developed by Pearson VUE contain four-option, multiple-choice questions. 

The examination will contain “pretest” questions. Pretest questions are questions on which statistical information is being collected for use in constructing future examinations. Responses to pretest questions do not affect a candidate’s score. Pretest questions are mixed in with the scored questions and are not identified.

How is the exam scored?

You must answer at least 70% of the questions correctly, or 105 of the 150, in order to pass. Each candidate will leave the test center with an official score report in hand. 

Candidates who fail a major lines or adjuster examination receive diagnostic reports on the failing score report that provide the candidates with a list of the areas on the content outline in which the candidate performed unsatisfactorily. (Candidates do not have to pass all components to pass the examination. The total number of questions answered correctly determines whether or not the candidate passes the licensing examination.)

How long is the exam? 

3. Get Fingerprinted

Print the Fingerprint Submission Packet-Releases forms from the NIPR email link after you submit your license application.

• Call Local law enforcement to obtain days/hours for fingerprinting service; be sure to find out if the local law enforcement office will do Livescan fingerprints for non-criminal reasons. (Fingerprints cards will not be accepted.)
• Take form packet including cover page to local law enforcement agency for digital fingerprints.
  • Applicant must have a photo ID.
  • Applicant completes pages 1 and 3 of the packet.
  • Local Law enforcement person taking the prints must sign page 2 of the packet.
  • The local law enforcement agency may require a fee to take the fingerprint impressions.
• Send the completed SBI forms pages 1 through 3 to the North Carolina Licensing Office of Pearson VUE via:
  • Fax to: 888-959-3010 or;
  • Scan documents and send via email to: ; or
  • Mail to: NCDOI/Pearson VUE PO Box 14209 Raleigh, NC 27620

Note: The SBI Release Form MUST be signed and sent to the North Carolina Licensing Office of Pearson VUE.

4. Apply for North Carolina Insurance License

Once you pass the state licensing exam, you must complete an electronic application at www.nipr.com. If required, fingerprints must be submitted after completing the license application.

You will be assigned an NPN. This unique identifier is assigned through the licensing application process and is used to track individuals and business entities on a national basis. The NPN is used by many states to replace a producer license number.

5. Plan to Complete Required Insurance Continuing Education (CE) Credits

Every insurance producer must adhere to their home state’s CE requirements. Stay on top of your CE and ahead of the competition with 365 days of unlimited course access when you enroll in a CE library with Kaplan. 

Learn how to renew North Carolina insurance license by clicking here.

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