Getting your Hawaii insurance license is the first step to becoming an insurance agent in the state. Whether you’re interested in selling property and casualty insurance, life insurance, health insurance, or any combination of those lines of authority, this article has the information you need to get started.
The Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs – Insurance Division has a 6-step process on how to become an insurance agent in Hawaii. We’ll walk you through step-by-step; from the license application to insurance test prep, to the Hawaii insurance exam, and beyond.
This guide has everything you need to know to get your HI insurance license quickly and easily.
Recommended: Interested in getting started? We recommend using Kaplan’s online study packages, which come with a 93% pass rate.
Hawaii Insurance License
Getting your insurance license in Hawaii is easy! Just follow our step-by-step guide. Be sure to bookmark this page so that you can visit it again throughout this process.
Step 1. Which Insurance Licenses Do You Need?
The first step to getting your insurance license is choosing which licenses you need. The most common licenses new insurance agents get are the property & casualty license (P&C), life and health insurance license (L&H).
The types of insurance products and policies you’ll be selling will determine which licenses you need. Here are some examples of the types of policies you can market with each license:
- Property and Casualty Insurance License – Auto Insurance, Home Insurance, Business Insurance, etc…
- Life and Health Insurance License – Life Insurance, Annuities, Medicare, Health Insurance, etc…
Most insurance agents and producers choose to get both P&C and L&H licenses, but if you plan on specializing in only one category then you don’t need every license.
Insurance adjusters require a separate license. You can find more information on becoming an insurance adjuster here: Hawaii Insurance Adjuster License.
Note
If you plan on specializing as a life insurance agent, then you may also need to hold a certain FINRA securities license.
Step 2. Hawaii Insurance Pre-Exam Education
After you’ve determined which licenses you need, it’s time to begin studying for the Hawaii insurance exams.
Hawaii does not require you to take a certain amount of pre-license credits before testing. This means that studying for your exam is 100% up to you.
Most folks choose to take an insurance pre-license course online. These courses are created specifically to give you the skills you need to pass the test. Others purchase books or other self-study tools to prepare themselves.
It’s wise to take a week or so to dedicate to your study of this exam. If you don’t feel as though you’re a strong test taker, take a little longer, but don’t let it drag out for long. We want you to pass your test the first time you take it, and we know that you can do it.
Recommended Course
Over 81% of our readers use Kaplan’s online courses — which come with a 93% pass rate — when preparing for their insurance license exam(s). For comprehensive study packages, StateRequirement recommends:
Step 3. Hawaii Insurance License Exam
The next step after completing all of your pre-license coursework or self-study is to take the insurance exam. You will take one exam for each line of insurance you wish to carry.
Pearson VUE offers what is called “back-to-back” exams in Hawaii. This means that you can take the Property and the Casualty exams on the same day, and only pay for one of them. This is also the case with the Life and Accident and Health exams.
This is a proctored test, which means that you will be in a controlled environment with a person watching over you. For people who haven’t tested in a situation like this should be aware of this fact, and work on taming their nerves prior to sitting for the exam.
The fee for each attempt of the exams is $75. When you show up you must have a photo ID any other documents that the testing facility has asked you to bring.
All of the exams are comprised of around ninety (80) questions (some a few more, some a few less), and are split into two sections: General Knowledge, and State Specific.
Pearson VUE also allows “partial pass” in Hawaii. This means that if you pass one section of an exam, but not the other, you will not have to retake the already passed section when testing again.
To explain the scoring of the exams, we will quote the Pearson VUE Hawaii Insurance Licensing Candidate Handbook:
The passing score of an examination was set by the Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (in conjunction with Pearson VUE) after a comprehensive study was completed for each examination. Raw scores are converted into scaled scores. To avoid misuse of score information, numeric scores are only reported to failing candidates. The scaled score that is reported to you is neither the number of questions you answered correctly nor the percentage of questions you answered correctly. With a passing score of 70, any score below 70 indicates how close the candidate came to passing, rather than the actual number or percentage of questions the candidates answered correctly.
Check out our Insurance Exam Guide. It’s extremely in-depth, and will hopefully help you pass the first time.
Looking for a guide to passing the insurance exam in Hawaii? Check out our Hawaii Insurance License Exam article.
Insurance license tests are intentionally difficult, but not impossible by any means. You should study to the point of comfortability with the information before you attempt the test. Failing the exam isn’t the end of the world, but keep in mind that you will need to pay the fee each time you attempt the test.
Tip
StateRequirement recommends that you study for one exam at a time, then after passing, starting on your next line. The exams are difficult enough on their own without confusing information from one line to another. Check out our review of the Kaplan Insurance Course.
You may register to take your exams and find more information on the Pearson VUE Hawaii Insurance Exam page.
Step 4. Fingerprinting And Background Check
The State of Hawaii requires that all insurance license applications provide fingerprints prior to licensing. Giving your fingerprints will initiate a background check. If you have any prior misdemeanors or felonies, this may affect the outcome of your licensing efforts. For more information on this topic, call the Hawaii Department of Insurance at (808) 586-2790 or email the Insurance Department.
You must schedule your fingerprinting appointment with Fieldprint Hawaii. Tell them that you are getting your fingerprints for a Hawaii insurance license. The fingerprint is HI-DCCA-INS.
The fee for fingerprinting is $63. When completed, they will send the results directly to the Insurance Department.
Step 5. Hawaii Insurance License Application
Once you have completed your exams and fingerprinting, you are now ready to apply for your license. If you have more than one line of authority that you have passed the exam for, be sure to apply for all of those lines.
The fee for an online application depends on your date of birth and when the Hawaii Department of Insurance receives your complete application. Refer to the 2022 Hawaii Fee Schedule for Producer.
If you have questions about how long your first license period will be, call the Hawaii Department of Insurance at (808) 586-2790 or email the Insurance Department.
Fill out and submit your online application on the NIPR Hawaii website.
Note
You may need to wait up to three (3) business days after passing the exams to apply for the license depending on when NIPR receives the results of your exam.
Step 6. Application Review
Once you have submitted your application and have filled all the other requirements, your license application will be reviewed by the state. Your background check will also be reviewed.
If everything is to acceptable standards your license should be issued quickly. If there are any items from your background check that need to be reviewed, it may slow down the process of issuance. If this is the case, the state may contact you to provide context to the issues that they have run into.
After submitting the application, and the background check information comes back, your license should be issued between one to three (1-3) business days. After the license is issued, the insurance department will mail you a hard copy of the license.
If you want to look up your license number prior to receiving it in the mail, you may do so with the Hawaii Insurance License Search Tool.
Congratulations!
You’ve done the work, put in the time and effort, and now hold the key to your own success! We’re proud of you. Take five (5) minutes and celebrate.
After Getting Your Hawaii Insurance License
Once you’ve passed your exams and completed the licensing application, you are now a licensed insurance producer in Hawaii. A common question we hear is, “I have my insurance license, now what?” Here are a few things you can do or need to know:
- Get a job in the insurance field. Check out StateRequirement’s Insurance Jobs board
- If you’re going to sell advanced life insurance products, you’ll need to have the proper securities licenses. Series 6, Series 7, and Series 63 are the most common among insurance agents, but you’ll need to begin with the SIE (Securities Industry Essentials) exam. Find out which licenses you need with our Securities Licensing Guide
- Every two years, you’ll need to renew your insurance license. Check out our guides on Hawaii Insurance License Renewal and Hawaii Insurance Continuing Education for more details
Hawaii Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs Contact Information
Mailing Address:
Hawaii Insurance Division
P.O. Box 3614
Honolulu, Hawaii 96811
Phone: (808) 586-2790
Fax: (808) 586-2806
Email: insurance@dcca.hawaii.gov
Website: http://cca.hawaii.gov/ins
License Search: Hawaii Insurance License Search and Lookup
Hawaii Insurance License FAQ
How long is the insurance license period in Hawaii?
In Hawaii, insurance licenses typically last for two years. After this period, you’ll need to renew your license before its expiration date if you want to continue your practice without any interruptions. We break down the renewal process in greater detail here: Hawaii Insurance License Renewal.
How long does it take to get an insurance license in Hawaii?
2-8 weeks. The bulk of the time is spent studying for your Hawaii insurance exam. Some people study for as little as one week and feel comfortable taking the exam. We recommend you take whatever amount of time you need to feel comfortable with the material. Check out our guide: How to Pass the Insurance Exam.
How much does the Hawaii insurance license cost?
You can expect the total cost of getting license in Hawaii, which includes your insurance course, application, and exam, to be about $375. Please note that this figure can increase if you don’t pass the exam the first time, as each subsequent attempt costs $75.
How do I get a life insurance license in Hawaii?
To secure a life insurance license in Hawaii, one must complete a state-approved pre-licensing education course, pass the life insurance examination, and then submit an application with any relevant federal submission fees. The licensing process is the same for all insurance agent and producer licenses.
How do I get a property and casualty license in Hawaii?
For a property and casualty license in California, individuals need to finish the required pre-licensing education, clear the property and casualty insurance exam, and then apply with the applicable licensing fee to the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs, Business Registration Division.
Do I need business insurance in Hawaii?
If you are operating an insurance company based in Hawaii, you probably need Hawaii business insurance to protect the assets of your business entity as well as ensure legal and safe operation. For example, if your business intends to hire employees it will almost certainly need workers’ compensation insurance.