Getting your Michigan insurance license is the first step to becoming an insurance agent in Michigan. 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 Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services has a 5-step process on how to become an insurance agent in Michigan. We’ll walk you through step-by-step; from the license application to insurance test prep, to the Michigan insurance exam, and beyond.

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

How to Get Your Michigan Insurance License

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

Step 2. Michigan Insurance License Application

The first step to getting your license in Michigan is to apply for your license. If you have more than one line of authority that you would like to carry, be sure to apply for all of those lines.

The fee for an online application is $15 for as many lines as you would like. This application lasts for six (6) months, so you have plenty of time to study and pass exams for all of the lines you wish to receive.

Fill out your online application on the NIPR Michigan web page.

Step 3. Michigan Insurance Pre-License Education

After you’ve determined which licenses you need, you must now take your Michigan insurance pre-license education courses.

Most folks choose to take their insurance pre-license course online. These courses are created specifically to give you the skills you need to pass the test. The types of licenses you choose (also known as “lines of authority”) will determine which courses you take.

Each line of authority in Michigan requires twenty (20) hours of pre-license education. This means that if you wish to get a Property and Casualty license, you must take forty (40) hours of pre-licensing, and for Life, Accident, and Health you must also take forty (40) hours.

You will receive a certificate upon completion of the course. Keep this certificate, as you will need it when taking your exam.

Step 4. Michigan Insurance License Exam

The next step after completing all of your pre-license coursework is to take the insurance exam. You will take one exam for each line that you wish to carry. In Michigan, Property and Casualty are in a combined test. Life, Accident, and Health are also combined as one exam.

This is a proctored test, which means that you will be in a controlled environment with a person watching 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 $41. When you show up you must have a photo ID and the original pre-license education certificate.

The Life, Accident, and Health exam is one hundred fifty (150) questions long, and you have one hundred fifty (150) minutes to complete the exam. The minimum passing score is 75% (113 questions correct). Here is a copy of the Michigan Life, Accident, and Health Insurance Exam Outline.

The Property and Casualty exam is also one hundred fifty (150) questions long, and you have one hundred fifty (150) minutes to complete the exam. The minimum passing score is 74% (111 questions correct). Here is a copy of the Michigan Property and Casualty Insurance Exam Outline.

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 PSI Exams Michigan website.

Step 5. 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 within fourteen (14) days. 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.

You should receive an email informing you of your license acceptance. If fourteen (14) days pass after submitting your application and you haven’t received an email, contact the Michigan Insurance License Office at (517) 284-8800.

The State of Michigan will also mail you a hard copy of your license once you have been approved.

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 Michigan Insurance License

Once you’ve passed your exams and completed the licensing application, you are now a licensed insurance agent in Michigan. 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
• In Michigan, all insurance licenses are perpetual. Check out our guides on Michigan Insurance License Renewal and Michigan 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

Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services Contact Information

Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 30220
Lansing,  Michigan 48909-7720

Phone: (517) 284-8800

Email: difs-licensing@michigan.gov

Website: http://www.michigan.gov/difs

License Search: Michigan Insurance License Search and Lookup