How to Get a Life Insurance License in Georgia

Getting your Georgia life insurance license is the first step toward becoming a life insurance agent in the state.

The Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner requires you to complete a six-step process to become a life insurance agent in Georgia — from taking the life insurance exam to applying for a license.

These steps will take a few weeks to complete so we recommend you bookmark this page so you can use it as a reference throughout the process.

Life Insurance License Georgia

Obtaining your Georgia life insurance license isn’t difficult. Just follow these six steps to start your journey toward becoming a life insurance agent. Once you earn this license, check out our guide on how to get your Georgia property and casualty (P&C) license as well.

Step 1: Complete a Georgia Insurance Pre-license Course

Before you take the Georgia life insurance licensing exam, it’s important to make time to acquire the knowledge you’ll need to pass this exam on your first attempt. Completing a pre-license education course will equip you with the necessary information and tools you’ll need to prepare for your exam.

Georgia requires 20 hours of pre-license education for life insurance. A pre-license education course provides very specific industry knowledge that will be tested during the exam. There is very little information on the test that could be considered “common sense.” Pre-license education courses are self-paced and include study materials like practice exams and flashcards.

Beyond helping you effectively prepare for and pass the life insurance licensing exam on your first try, taking a pre-license education course also will give you a solid understanding of your duties as a life insurance agent.

Step 2: Take the Georgia Life Insurance Licensing Exam

After you complete a prep course and your own independent studying, it’s time to take the Georgia life insurance exam.

Georgia uses Pearson VUE as its official testing service for delivering licensure exams.

The Georgia life insurance exam outline contains a total of 80 scored questions that includes five sections: 

1. Types of Policies 
2. Policy Riders, Provisions, Options, and Exclusions
3. Completing the Application, Underwriting, and Delivering the Policy
4. Taxes, Retirement, and Other Insurance Concepts
5. State Laws, Rules, and Regulations

You’ll have 120 minutes to complete the exam. The Georgia life insurance exam fee is $63, which you must pay at the time of reservation by credit card, debit card, or voucher. The exam is a proctored test, meaning an official proctor will closely monitor you in a controlled environment.

If you happen to fail the Georgia life insurance exam, you must wait 24 hours before scheduling a time to retake the test. If you receive a failing score on your second attempt, you must wait two weeks before you can take the exam again.

Step 3: Complete a Citizenship Affidavit

The State of Georgia also requires you to submit a notarized Citizenship Affidavit Form (GID-276-EN) to vouch for your U.S. citizenship. You must include your notarized Citizenship Affidavit Form in your license application. Your application can’t be processed for approval without this form and its attachments.

Step 4: Complete a Georgia Life Insurance License Application

Once you pass the life insurance exam and complete your citizenship affidavit, you can apply for your Georgia life insurance license. The application fee is $100, plus a $20 processing fee. You must apply online via Sircon or the NIPR. Attach your completed citizenship affidavit form and a copy of a valid identification document to your online application via Sircon or the NIPR.

The Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner will issue a life insurance license to individuals who are at least 18 years old and have passed the proper licensing exam. You should submit your completed license application within 12 months of passing the exam.

To apply for a life insurance license in Georgia, make sure you comply with the insurance licensing requirements as defined under the Georgia Insurance Code.

Send any questions or supporting documents to pvgainsurance@pearson.com. 

Note: In Georgia, Pearson VUE is the primary contact for all inquiries about insurance agents and agency licensing as well as continuing education.

Step 5: Get a Fingerprint-Based Background Check

In Georgia, you must apply for an insurance license before registering for and getting a fingerprint-based background check from Fieldprint. The fee for fingerprinting services is $51.50 to cover the cost of comparing your prints against criminal history records.

After registering at Fieldprint’s website, you’ll receive a registration approval email from the company. You need to take that registration approval message with you to the fingerprinting site for inspection before Fieldprint will take your fingerprints. Fieldprint will electronically scan your fingerprints, which avoids the need for inked fingerprint cards.

Step 6: Watch for Your Application Results

After you complete the previous five steps, the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner will review your application and background check. If there’s an issue with your application, a representative will contact you via email. If your application is approved, you’ll receive your license via email through Sircon’s automated system or you can check NIPR’s “Check Your Application or Transaction Status” tool.

Processing times may vary, but the average turnaround time is 14 business days. You can print your license from either the Sircon or the NIPR website.

Congratulations!

You’re now ready to get started as a life insurance agent in Georgia.

Steps After Securing Your Georgia Life Insurance License

Once you complete the above steps and have your Georgia life insurance license, there are a few steps you’ll need to take in order to a) excel as an insurance agent, and b) maintain your life insurance license.

Let’s take a brief look at these below.

Obtain All Relevant Securities Licenses

If you’re planning on selling advanced life insurance products, you’ll likely need to pass the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam and obtain the relevant securities licenses (e.g., Series 6, 7, and 63).

For more information on this step, you can have a look at our in-depth Securities Licensing overview.

Choose a Means of Selling

You’ll have to decide whether you’d prefer working as a captive agent employed by one company, or running your own business as an independent agent.

If you’re just starting out, you’ll likely benefit from working as a captive agent, but this will ultimately depend on your personal aspirations and opportunities.

Develop Your Marketing Approach

To succeed as an insurance agent, you’ll need to adopt a marketing approach that’s effective for you.

We recommend finding and sticking to a niche, as well organizing all client appointments for the start of your week. This is because this can improve your overall client conversions.

Fulfill Your Certificate of Authority Requirements

To conduct insurance business in Georgia, you will need to obtain a Certificate of Authority (CA) Appointment directly with an insurance company. 

The CA Appointment will cover “all classes of insurance held in common by the agent and the insurer.” CA Appointments for new licensees are only valid when a permanent license is issued by the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner. 

Insurance companies renew their CA Appointments annually. CA Appointments also can automatically terminate upon the expiration or cancellation of the license as well as at the written request of the insurer or agent.

Keep Your License Valid

In Georgia, you must take 24 hours of continuing education (CE) every two years to renew your license. Three of those 24 hours must focus on ethics.

If you have a non-resident license with good standing in your home state, you don’t need to take CE courses in Georgia. To find out if you need to take Georgia courses, contact the Pearson VUE CE team:

Agents: ce@pearson.com or (888) 274-1212

Providers: ce_providers@pearson.com or (800) 475-8304

In Georgia, you can’t renew your license until you complete your CE hours and pay any outstanding fines. To avoid delays in renewing your license, you must complete the required CE hours at least 90 days before your license expires. The renewal fee is $200.

Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner Contact Information

Mailing/Physical Address:

Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner
2 Martin Luther King Jr. Dr.
West Tower, Suite 702
Atlanta, GA 30334

Note: In Georgia, Pearson VUE is the primary contact for all inquiries about insurance agents and agency licensing as well as continuing education.

Phone: Pearson VUE Georgia: (800) 274-8969 

Email: pvgainsurance@pearson.com 

Website: https://oci.georgia.gov/ 

License Search: Georgia Insurance License Lookup