Getting your Florida life insurance license is the first step towards becoming a life insurance agent in the state.

The Florida Division of Insurance Agent and Agency Services (IAAS) requires you to complete a five-step process to become a life insurance agent in Florida — 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 Florida

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

Step 1: Complete a Florida Insurance Pre-license Course

Before you take the Florida 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.

Florida requires 40 hours of pre-license education for life insurance, including courses on annuities and variable contracts. Three of the required 40 hours must focus on ethics.

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: Get a Fingerprint-Based Background Check

After you complete your pre-license education course, you must get a fingerprint-based background check from IdentoGO. The fee for fingerprinting services is $48.05 plus the local Florida county sales tax to cover the costs of a fingerprint-based, criminal history record check.

You must register for LiveScan and go to the nearest IdentoGo location to electronically submit your fingerprints. 

Once you submit your fingerprints via IdentoGo, that system will electronically send them to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The FDLE will then electronically submit the results of your fingerprint-based, criminal history check to the Florida Department of Financial Services.

Once your application is complete, the Florida Division of IAAS will notify you of your license or registration status by email through your Florida MyProfile account.

Step 3: Complete a Florida Life Insurance License Application

Once you complete the fingerprint-based background check, you can apply for your Florida life insurance license. The application fee is $50 plus a $5 license ID fee for a total of $55. You must apply via your Florida MyProfile account. 

After receiving your license, this is the system where you’ll take most other actions regarding your license. 

The Florida Division of IAAS will issue a life insurance license to individuals who are at least 18 years old and have passed the proper licensing exam. 

To apply for a life insurance license in Florida, make sure you comply with the insurance licensing requirements as defined under the State of Florida Statutes, the Florida Administrative Code, and Florida’s prelicensing rules. 

Send any questions or supporting documents to AgentLicensing@MyFloridaCFO.com.

Step 4: Take the Florida Life Insurance Licensing Exam

After you have applied for your life insurance license via your Florida MyProfile account, it’s time to take the Florida life insurance exam.

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

The Florida life insurance exam outline contains a total of 85 scored questions that covers two sections: general and state-specific knowledge. The general section deals with basic life insurance product knowledge. The state-specific section covers insurance concepts and terms, rules, regulations, and practices specific to Florida.

You’ll have 120 minutes to complete the exam. The Florida life insurance exam fee is $44, 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 Florida life insurance exam, you must reapply by visiting Pearson VUE and pay another exam fee. Florida has a limit of five attempts for the same exam type during a 12-month period.

Step 5: Watch for Your Application Results

After you complete the previous four steps, the Florida Department of Financial Services will review your application and background check. 

Once it completes that review, you’ll receive a notification in your Florida MyProfile account. If you need to provide any additional information to the state, you’ll receive a notification of this in that account as well.

You also may use your Florida MyProfile account as a Florida insurance license search and lookup tool as well as to print your license.

Congratulations!

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

Next Steps After Securing Your Florida Life Insurance License

Once you complete the above steps and have your Florida life insurance license, here’s what you should pursue next.

Get Your FINRA Securities Licenses

Overview

Individuals planning to market and sell market-based life insurance products also must obtain the proper securities licenses. As a securities license holder, you can offer securities as part of your services. That’ll make you a credible authority in addressing all of your clients’ financial needs.

SIE Exam

To obtain these licenses, you’ll first need to take and pass the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam. Professionals in the securities industry are required to take the SIE and a series of examinations administered by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA). 

The SIE exam ensures every life insurance professional has a basic understanding of securities. While taking the SIE exam isn’t a requirement for all insurance professionals, those who don’t obtain at least one securities license limit their ability to work with clients. With a securities license, you can give your clients the option to invest in securities-related products as part of their life insurance plans.

Obtaining a license to sell securities also requires sponsorship from a firm, company, or organization regulated by FINRA. The sponsor will pay the testing fees required for your SIE exams and submit your personal information to FINRA’s Central Registration Depository (CRD). The Series 6 and Series 7 licenses require a FINRA exam sponsorship before you can take the exam. The exam for a Series 63 license doesn’t require any sponsoring entity. 

Once you get your securities license(s), FINRA will list you as a “registered representative.” By achieving the securities licensee designation, you’ll become a highly sought-after professional and set yourself up for a successful career in the insurance industry.

Series 6, 7, and 63 Licenses

Some of the most common securities licenses for insurance agents include the Series 6, 7, and 63 licenses because they allow licensees to sell almost every type of individual security.

The Series 6 (Investment Company and Variable Contracts Products Representative) Securities License is the primary license sought by insurance sales professionals and financial advisors, allowing them to sell grouped securities related to insurance products. 

Series 6 works together with Series 63 because they are the two partner licenses required to sell insurance policies tied to investments. The North American Securities Administrators Association (NASAA) oversees regulation of the Series 63 (Uniform Securities Agent State Law) license.

The Series 7 license allows you to buy and sell securities (e.g., stocks, bonds, and mutual funds) as part of an investment plan for your clients. To get a Series 7 license, you will first need to register as a new candidate with FINRA and pass the Series 7 exam. The Series 7 exam is commonly known as the General Securities Representative Qualification Exam, but is sometimes referred to as the “Series 7 Top-Off Exam.”

Get a Job in the Insurance Field

Once you earn your license, you can start applying for jobs in the insurance field. With a life insurance license, you can provide advice and recommend insurance products to clients, sell life insurance policies that pay a beneficiary upon an insured person’s death, and sell annuities that pay a set income at retirement.

When applying for an insurance-related job, potential employers will request your license number and National Producer Number (NPN).

Complete Continuing Education and Renew Your License

In Florida, you must take 24 hours of continuing education (CE) every two years to maintain your license in good standing. Of those 24 hours, five must cover Florida law and ethics. 

If you have a non-resident license with good standing in your home state, you don’t need to take CE courses in Florida. To find out if you need to take Florida CE courses, go to the Florida Department of Financial Services’ Bureau of Licensing Education Search Tool.

Your Florida MyProfile account also will display this 24-hour CE requirement. You can’t renew your license until you complete your CE hours and pay any outstanding fines.

While Florida doesn’t require you to renew an insurance license, you need to keep your license current by completing the required CE credits. The CE course provider will report your course completion to the Florida Division of IAAS within 21 days of completion. 

To check your CE requirement and status, go to your Florida MyProfile account, log in, and click on “CE Status.” Contact the Florida Division of IAAS at AgentLicensing@myfloridacfo.com if you have any questions.

Florida Department of Financial Services’ Division of Insurance Agent and Agency Services Contact Information

Mailing Address

Florida Department of Financial Services
Division of Insurance Agent and Agency Services
Bureau of Licensing
200 East Gaines Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-0319

Phone: 850-413-3137

Email: AgentLicensing@MyFloridaCFO.com 

Website: https://www.myfloridacfo.com/Division/Agents/Licensure/default.htm 

License Search: Florida Insurance Licensee Search