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

The Idaho Department of Insurance requires you to complete a five-step process to become a life insurance agent in Idaho — 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 Idaho

Obtaining your Idaho 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 Idaho property and casualty (P&C) license as well.

Step 1: Complete an Idaho Insurance Pre-license Course

Before you take the Idaho 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.

While Idaho doesn’t have any formal pre-license education requirements, most insurance professionals opt to take a pre-license education course online. Others purchase books or self-study materials to prepare themselves for the exam.

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 Idaho Life Insurance Licensing Exam

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

Idaho uses PSI Exams as its official testing service for delivering licensure exams.

The Idaho life insurance exam outline contains a total of 85 scored questions that cover 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 Idaho.

You’ll have 130 minutes to complete the exam. The Idaho 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 one of the two sections of the Idaho life insurance exam, you’ll only need to retake the section you failed. You must pass the failed section within 180 days of passing one section of the exam. While there’s no limit on the number of attempts you can make, you’ll have to retake the full exam if you don’t pass the portion you failed within 180 days of your first attempt.

Step 3: Get a Fingerprint-Based Background Check

After you take the Idaho life insurance exam, you must get a fingerprint-based background check from PSI Exams. The fee for fingerprinting services is $70 to cover the cost of comparing your fingerprints against criminal history records. 

You can walk in for this service because PSI Exams offers fingerprinting on a first-come, first-served basis. You can’t schedule an appointment. For designated times and locations, see PSI’s Fingerprinting Instructions.

You must send a completed Request and Release – CHRI form along with your fingerprinting receipt to the Idaho Department of Insurance. You also can fax your documents to 208-334-4398 or email them to agent@doi.idaho.gov along with fingerprinting pass slips. 

Your fingerprint results will remain valid for six months.

Step 4: Complete an Idaho Life Insurance License Application

Once you pass the life insurance exam and complete the background check, you can apply for your Idaho life insurance license. The application fee is $80, and you must apply online via Sircon or the NIPR.

The Idaho Department of Insurance 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 180 days of passing the exam.

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

Send any questions or supporting documents to the Idaho Department of Insurance contact form for producer licensing or agent@doi.idaho.gov.

Step 5: Watch for Your Application Results

After you complete the previous four steps, the Idaho Department of Insurance will review your application and background check. It’ll issue your license based on the return of your fingerprinting results. The fingerprint-based background check normally takes five to 10 business days to complete. After the Idaho Department of Insurance receives your fingerprinting results, it’ll take one to two more business days for it to issue your license. Once the Idaho Department of Insurance issues your license, you’ll receive an email from the state verifying your license.

You can print your license from Sircon, the NIPR, or the Idaho Department of Insurance’s License Generator page. There’s no charge to create an account or print a license. You can manage and search for your license by using the Idaho Department of Insurance’s License Search tool.

Congratulations!

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

Next Steps After Securing Your Idaho Life Insurance License

Once you complete the above steps and have your Idaho 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.

Find life insurance job postings on our Insurance Jobs Board.

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 Idaho, you must take 24 hours of continuing education (CE) every two years to maintain your license in good standing. Of those 24 hours, three must focus on ethics or Idaho insurance laws. If you hold a life line of authority and sell annuities, you also must complete a one-time, four-hour CE training course approved by the Idaho Department of Insurance. 

If you have a non-resident license with good standing in your home state, you don’t need to take CE courses in Idaho.

If you don’t complete your CE requirements on time, you’ll incur a late CE administrative penalty of $100 during the first 30 days of delinquency. You can’t renew your license until you complete your CE hours and pay any outstanding fines.

In Idaho, you also must renew and manage your life insurance license every two years. To avoid delays in renewing your license, you must complete CE hours at least 60 days before your license expires. The renewal fee is $80. 

Submit your completed Individual Renewal Form by email to agent@doi.idaho.gov or mail it to:

Idaho Department of Insurance
700 West State Street, 3rd Floor
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0043

Idaho Department of Insurance Contact Information

Mailing Address

Idaho Department of Insurance
700 West State Street, 3rd Floor
P.O. Box 83720
Boise, ID 83720-0043

Phone: (208) 334-4339

Email: Contact Form for Producer Licensing or agent@doi.idaho.gov

Website: https://doi.idaho.gov/ 

License Search: Idaho Insurance License Search