Getting your Kansas insurance license is the first step to becoming an insurance agent in Kansas. 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 Kansas Insurance Department has a 7-step process on how to become an insurance agent in Kansas. We’ll walk you through step-by-step; from the license application to insurance test prep, to the Kansas insurance exam, and beyond.

This guide has everything you need to know to get your KS insurance license quickly and easily.

How to Get Your Kansas Insurance License

Getting your insurance license in Kansas 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: Kansas Insurance Adjuster License.

Step 2. Kansas Insurance License Application

The first step in getting your insurance license in Kansas is to apply for your license. The fee for an online application is $30, and NIPR will charge a $5 transaction fee for a total of $35.

There is also a $60 fee for a background check and fingerprinting that will be paid along with your application. If you decide to add a line of authority to your license later, there is no extra fee.

Fill out and submit your online application on the Kansas Producer Desktop Tool.

Step 3. Fingerprinting and Background Check

When you apply for a life insurance license in Kansas, you also must get fingerprinted and submit to a criminal history background check from Pearson VUE.

Pearson VUE will offer digital fingerprinting to all resident candidates at the following test centers: Overland Park, Topeka, and Wichita. The service, however, is not available at the testing site in Hays. Make a fingerprint reservation at Pearson VUE or call them at (888) 204-6255.

To begin the process, you must electronically submit a Waiver Agreement and FBI Privacy Act Statement (Fingerprint Waiver Form) via Pearson VUE to the Kansas Insurance Department. Fingerprint Waiver Forms submitted to the Department in paper form are not accepted anymore. The fingerprint-based background check fee is $60, which you should already have paid along with your application fee.

Your fingerprints will then be sent electronically to the Kansas Bureau of Investigation (KBI).

The Kansas Insurance Department won’t process your fingerprinting and criminal background check until you submit your license application and pay the fees.

Step 4: Apply for a Kansas Tax Clearance

The Kansas Department of Revenue requires life insurance license applicants to submit a tax clearance to the Kansas Insurance Department when they submit their license application. 

Apply for a certificate of tax clearance by visiting the Kansas Department of Revenue page. Click the tab to “Submit Request,” then fill out the request form.

Once you submit the form, you will receive a confirmation email containing a link that lets you check the status of your tax clearance within 24 hours after submission. 

If tax clearance is approved, download and save a copy of the tax clearance for your records. You must email your certificate of tax clearance to the Kansas Insurance Department at KID.Licensing@ks.gov with “Tax Clearance” in the subject line.

The Kansas Insurance Department won’t process your license application until it receives your tax clearance. A tax clearance is valid for the period stated on the certificate of clearance you receive.

For additional information on tax clearances, visit the Kansas Department of Revenue’s Tax Clearance Request Information page.

Step 5. Kansas Insurance Pre-Exam Education

After you’ve determined which licenses you need, it’s time to begin studying for the Kansas insurance exams.

Kansas 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.

Step 6. Kansas 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. Life, Accident, & Health (LA&H) and Property & Casualty (P&C) lines are combined lines in Kansas, so you will take two exams if you wish to attain all of these lines of authority: Property, Casualty, Life, Accident, Health.

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:

• Life & Accident & Health: $64
• Property & Casualty: $64
• Life: $57
• Accident and Health: $57
• Property: $57
• Casualty: $57

When you arrive you must have a photo ID any other documents that the testing facility has asked you to bring.

The Life, Accident, and Health test consists of one hundred forty (140) questions. Pearson VUE offers a copy of the Kansas Life, Accident, and Health Exam Outline.

The Property and Casualty test consists of one hundred forty (140) questions. Pearson VUE offers a copy of the Kansas Property and Casualty Exam Outline.

To explain the scoring of these exams, we will quote the Pearson VUE Kansas Insurance Licensing Candidate Handbook:

Check out our Insurance Exam Guide. It’s extremely in-depth, and will hopefully help you pass the first time.

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.

You may register to take your exams and find more information on the Pearson VUE Kansas Insurance page.

Step 7. 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 initiated by the application 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.

The application review normally takes from three to five (3-5) business days to complete. Once the review is complete your license will be issued and you will receive an email from the Department of Insurance with the confirmation.

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 Kansas Insurance License

Once you’ve passed your exams and completed the licensing application, you are now a licensed insurance agent in Kansas. 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. The 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 Kansas Insurance License Renewal and Kansas Insurance Continuing Education for more details
• Learn how to market yourself as an insurance agent: Have a look at our Insurance Agent Marketing article
• Interested in learning how successful life insurance agents operate? Check out our How Do Life Insurance Companies Make Money article

Kansas Insurance Department Contact Information

Mailing Address:
1300 SW Arrowhead Rd.
Topeka, Kansas 66604

Phone: (785) 296-7862

Fax: (785) 368-7019

Email: licensing@ksinsurance.org

Website: http://www.ksinsurance.org

License Search: Kansas Insurance License Search and Lookup