How to Get a Life Insurance License in Maryland

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

The Maryland Insurance Administration requires you to complete a four-step process to become a life insurance agent in Maryland — 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 Maryland

Obtaining your Maryland life insurance license isn’t difficult. Just follow these four 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 Maryland property and casualty (P&C) license as well.

Step 1: Complete a Maryland Insurance Pre-license Course

Before you take the Maryland 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.

Maryland requires life insurance applicants to complete 20 hours of prelicensing education. 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 Maryland Life Insurance Licensing Exam

After you complete a prep course and your own independent studying, it’s time to take the Maryland life insurance exam. You should take the exam within six months from the date you receive your pre-license education certificate.

Maryland uses Prometric as its official testing service for delivering licensure exams.

The Maryland life insurance exam outline contains a total of 80 scored questions. Effective Oct. 21, 2021, Maryland changed its insurance exam format to a one-part examination. The one-part exam contains everything you need to know about life insurance — from Maryland insurance regulations to federal tax considerations for life insurance and annuities.

You’ll have 105 minutes to complete the exam. The Maryland life insurance exam fee is $60, 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 Maryland life insurance exam, you must wait four days before retaking the exam. Your exam results will remain valid for six months. If you don’t apply for the appropriate license within six months, your exam results will expire and you must take the prelicensing course again in order to retake the exam.

Step 3: Complete a Maryland Life Insurance License Application

Once you pass the life insurance exam, you can apply for your Maryland life insurance license. The application fee is $54 plus a $5.60 transaction fee. You must complete the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) Uniform Application through the NIPR.

The Maryland Insurance Administration 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 six months of passing the exam.

To apply for a life insurance license in Maryland, make sure you comply with the insurance licensing requirements as defined under Maryland Laws and Regulations.

Send any questions or supporting documents to producerlicensing.mia@maryland.gov.

Step 4: Watch for Your Application Results

After you complete the previous three steps, the Maryland Insurance Administration will review your application and background check. It reviews applications in the order it receives them, and this process usually takes three to five business days from the date you submit your application.

You can print your license from the NIPR website. There’s no charge to create an account or print a license. If you need to search and verify your license, you can use the NAIC State Based Systems Maryland Lookup tool.

Congratulations!

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

Steps After Securing Your Maryland Life Insurance License

Once you complete the above steps and have your Maryland 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.

Keep Your License Valid

In Maryland, you must take 24 hours of continuing education (CE) every two years in order to renew your license, three of which must focus on ethics or consumer protection.

The Maryland Insurance Administration will send a renewal notice to the email address you provided with your license application.

To avoid delays in renewing your license, you must complete your CE requirements at least 90 days before your license expiration date.

You’ll be able to renew your license through the NIPR; the fee for this is $69 with a late fee of $100 being imposed.

Maryland Insurance Administration Contact Information

Mailing Address

Maryland Insurance Administration
200 St. Paul Place, Suite 2700
Baltimore, MD 21202

Phone: (410) 468-2347

Email: producerlicensing.mia@maryland.gov

Website: https://insurance.maryland.gov/Pages/default.aspx 

License Search: Maryland Insurance License Lookup