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

The Louisiana Department of Insurance (LDI) requires you to complete a five-step process to become a life insurance agent in Louisiana — 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 Louisiana

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

Step 1: Complete a Louisiana Insurance Pre-license Course

Before you take the Louisiana 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 Louisiana 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 Louisiana Life Insurance Licensing Exam

After you complete a prep course and your own independent studying, it’s time to take the Louisiana life insurance exam. Your pre-license education provider will report your course completion to PSI Exams. Once your pre-license education is on file with PSI, you may register for and schedule your exam.

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

The Louisiana life insurance exam outline contains a total of 100 scored questions, which cover topics like Louisiana insurance regulation, federal tax considerations for life insurance, and more. 

You’ll have 120 minutes to complete the exam. The Louisiana life insurance exam fee is $38, 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 Louisiana life insurance exam, you can schedule a retake as soon as 24 hours after your first attempt.

Step 3: Get a Fingerprint-Based Background Check

After you take the Louisiana life insurance exam, you must get a fingerprint-based background check from PSI Exams. The fee for fingerprinting services is $39.25 to cover the cost of comparing your prints against criminal history records. 

You don’t need to schedule an appointment; you can submit your fingerprints electronically at one of the PSI Louisiana sites. A list of PSI testing locations and walk-in hours is available on the PSI website. 

LDI will receive your fingerprinting results within seven to 10 days from the submission of your fingerprints. For more information on PSI’s fingerprinting services, call (855) 579-4644.

Step 4: Complete a Louisiana Life Insurance License Application

Once you pass the life insurance exam and complete the background check, you can apply for your Louisiana life insurance license. The application fee is $75 plus a $5.60 transaction fee. You must apply online via the NIPR.

The LDI will issue a life insurance license to individuals who are at least 18 years old and have passed the proper licensing exam. You also should create a user account on Louisiana’s Industry Access portal where you can manage your online filings as a licensee.

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

Send any questions or supporting documents to producerlicensing@ldi.la.gov.

Step 5: Watch for Your Application Results

After you complete the previous four steps, the LDI’s Division of Producer Licensing will review your application and background check. 

The best way to check your application status is to visit your Industry Access account. 

You can print your license from the Industry Access portal or the NIPR website. There’s no charge to create an account or print a license. You also can use LDI’s Producer Adjuster Search tool to search for and manage your license.

Congratulations!

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

Next Steps After Securing Your Louisiana Life Insurance License

Once you complete the above steps and have your Louisiana 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 Louisiana, you must take 24 hours of continuing education (CE) every two years to maintain your license in good standing. Three of those hours must focus on ethics. 

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

If you sell annuity products in Louisiana, you also must complete a one-time, four-hour training course. This requirement is separate from the CE requirements for a licensee and applies to both resident and nonresident producers. 

You can’t renew your license until you complete your continuing education hours and pay any outstanding fines.

In Louisiana, you only need to file a single license renewal to renew all eligible lines on your license. Licenses renew on the last day of your birth month with your license number determining the renewal year. 

To avoid delays in renewing your license, you must complete your required CE hours at least 90 days before your license expires. You can renew your license online by using either the Industry Access portal or the NIPR website. The renewal fee is $50.

Louisiana Department of Insurance Contact Information

Mailing Address

Louisiana Department of Insurance
P.O. Box 94214
Baton Rouge, LA 70804

Phone: (225) 342-0860

Email: producerlicensing@ldi.la.gov 

Website: https://www.ldi.la.gov/ 

License Search: Louisiana Insurance License Search