Getting your Idaho property and casualty license is the first step toward becoming a P&C insurance agent in Idaho.

The Idaho Department of Insurance (DOI) requires you to complete a five-step process to obtain your property & casualty license – from taking the P&C insurance exam to applying for a P&C 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.

Property and Casualty Insurance License Idaho

Obtaining your Idaho P&C license is easy. Just follow these five simple steps to start your journey toward becoming a property and casualty insurance agent. Once you earn this license, check out our guide on how to get your Idaho life insurance license as well.

Step 1: Complete an Idaho Pre-License Education Course

Before you take the Idaho P&C 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. Pre-license education courses are self-paced and include study materials like practice exams and flashcards. Others purchase books or self-study materials to prepare themselves for the exam.

A pre-license education course provides very specific industry knowledge that insurance professionals will encounter during the exam. There are very few questions on this test that you can answer with “common sense” information.

You can complete insurance licensing courses on your own schedule and at your own pace when you choose online courses. Taking a pre-license education course will also give you a solid understanding of your duties as a P&C insurance agent.

Step 2: Take the Idaho Licensing Exam

After you complete a pre-licensing education course and/or your own independent study, it’s time to take the Idaho P&C license exam.

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

The Idaho P&C insurance exam:

• Includes a total of 158 questions — 78 for the property exam and 80 for the casualty exam. Both exams cover two sections: general and state-specific knowledge. The general sections deal with basic property or casualty insurance product knowledge. The state-specific sections cover P&C insurance concepts and terms, rules, regulations, and practices specific to Idaho.
• Gives you 240 minutes to complete the test (120 minutes for the property exam and another 120 minutes for the casualty exam). The exam is a proctored test, meaning an official proctor will closely monitor you in a controlled environment.
• Costs $60, a fee you must pay at the time of reservation by credit card, debit card, or voucher.

Passing the Idaho P&C license exam can prove challenging, but taking an exam prep course and following a good study program can help prepare you to pass on your first attempt. If you happen to fail the Idaho P&C insurance exam, you can schedule a retake the next day and can retest as soon as possible depending on space availability.

Step 3: Get a Fingerprint-Based Background Check

After you take the Idaho P&C license exam, you must get a fingerprint-based background check from PSI Exams. You must submit a completed Requested Release – CHRI Form and your fingerprinting receipt to the Idaho DOI. The fee for fingerprinting services is $70 to cover the cost of comparing your fingerprints against criminal history records.

You can email your completed form and fingerprinting receipt to agent@doi.idaho.gov or fax them to (208) 334-4398. Your fingerprints must be submitted on FBI applicant cards (FD-258).

You can walk in for this service because PSI testing centers offer fingerprinting on a first-come-first-serve basis. You can’t schedule an appointment. For designated times and locations, see PSI’s Fingerprinting Instructions. Your fingerprint results will remain valid for six months.

Step 4: Complete an Idaho License Application

Once you pass the P&C insurance exam and complete a fingerprint-based background check, you can apply for your P&C insurance license.

In Idaho, you must apply online via Sircon or the NIPR. The application fee is $80 and the transaction fee is $5.60 (both Sircon and NIPR).

The Idaho DOI will issue a P&C 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 P&C insurance license in Idaho, you must comply with the insurance licensing requirements as defined under the Idaho Insurance Code.

If you have any questions or need to forward supporting documents related to your license application, send them to the Idaho DOI via its online 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 DOI 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 usually takes five to 10 business days to complete. After the Idaho DOI receives your fingerprinting results, it’ll take one to two more business days for it to issue your license. Once the Idaho DOI 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 DOI’s License Generator page. There’s no fee to create an account or print a license. You can manage and search for your license by using the Idaho DOI’s License Search tool.

Congratulations!

You’re now ready to get started as a P&C insurance agent in Idaho.

Next Steps After Securing Your Idaho Property and Casualty Insurance License

Once you complete the above steps and have your Idaho P&C insurance license, here’s what you should pursue next.

Get a Job in the Insurance Field

Once you hold a P&C license, you can consider several different insurance-related careers. The P&C license gives you authorization within your state to sell P&C insurance policies and related products that’ll provide financial protection to your clients against loss or damage.

You can find P&C 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). You can request a letter of certification, which proves you have a P&C license in Idaho, by visiting the Sircon website. You’ll need to submit this letter along with your job applications.

Complete Continuing Education and Renew Your License

In Idaho, you must take 24 hours of continuing education (CE) courses every two years to renew your P&C license. Idaho CE requirements state that three of those hours must focus on ethics or consumer protection.

If you are a non-resident license holder that meets the CE requirements in your home state, you don’t need to take CE courses in Idaho.

You must complete your CE courses at least three weeks before your license expires. The renewal fee is $80. 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.

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

For more detailed information, check out how to renew your license with our Idaho insurance license renewal guide.

Idaho Department of Insurance Contact Information

Mailing Address:

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