How To Become An Insurance Agent In Nevada

Step 1. Which Types of Insurance Licenses Do You Need?

Depending on what type of insurance agent you want to be or what types of policies you need to sell, you will need to choose what type or types of insurance licenses you need to get.

These are examples of the types of insurance policies you can sell with each type of license:

• Property & Casualty Insurance License – Car Insurance, Home Insurance, Business Insurance, etc…
• Life & Health Insurance License – Life Insurance, Annuities, Health Insurance, etc…

Most insurance agents choose to get both of these licenses, but if you will only sell one type of policy then you just need to choose which license fits your needs.

Step 2. Insurance Pre-Exam Education

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

Nevada 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 3. Nevada Insurance License Exams

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 combined line of insurance you wish to carry. Property and Casualty are combined as one exam. The same is true for Life, Accident, and 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 at the exams is:

• Life & Accident & Health: $49
• Property & Casualty: $49
• Life: $39
• Accident and Health: $49
• Property: $39
• Casualty: $39

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

Each test is split into two sections: General Knowledge and State Specific. Be sure to study the content outlines provided by Pearson Vue:

Nevada Life, Accident, and Health Insurance License Exam Content Outline

Nevada Property and Casualty Insurance License Exam Content Outline

To explain scoring, we will quote the Pearson Vue Nevada Insurance Licensing Candidate Handbook:

Scaled Score and Percent Score

The passing score of an examination was set by the State of Nevada Insurance (in conjunction with Pearson VUE) after a comprehensive study was completed for each examination. Currently, the State of Nevada Insurance uses a scaled cut of 80 for all examinations except for the Bail Bonds exam. Raw scores are converted into scaled scores that can range from 0 to 100. The scaled score that is reported to candidates is neither the number of questions they answered correctly nor the percentage of questions you answered correctly. With a passing score of 80, any score below 80 indicates how close the candidate came to passing, rather than the actual number or percentage of questions the candidates answered correctly. Nevada Administrative Code 697.125 requires that an applicant for a license as a bail bondsman, bail solicitor or property bondsman achieve a score of at least 67 percent to pass the licensing examination. For Bail Bond exams, it is the percentage of questions answered correctly on the examination. Candidates need to answer 67% of questions correctly in order to pass the examination. As such, a percent correct score is printed on the candidate score report for the Bail Bonds exam and a scaled score is printed on the candidate score report for all other Nevada Insurance exams.

Pearson Vue

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 Nevada Insurance page.

Step 4. Fingerprinting And Background Check

The State of Nevada requires that all insurance license applications provide fingerprints prior to licensing. Giving your fingerprints will initiate a background check. If you have any prior misdemeanors or felonies, this may affect the outcome of your licensing efforts. For more information on this topic, call the Department of Insurance at (775) 687-0700.

Fingerprinting is easiest completed through Pearson Vue. These can usually be taken on the same day as your exam.

The fee for fingerprint services is $60, plus a processing fee. Your fingerprints will be submitted automatically to the Insurance Department.

Step 5. License Application

After you have passed your exams, the next step is to apply for your license. If you have more than one line of authority that you tested for, be sure to apply for all of those lines.

The fee for an online application is $185. If you wish to add another line of authority at a later date, there is a $50 license amendment fee.

When completing the application, be sure to upload any documentation that the state doesn’t already have. This may include the pre-license completion certificate, exam score certificate, fingerprint documentation, etc.

Apply for your license online with the Sircon Nevada Insurance website.

Step 6. Application Review

Once you have submitted your application and passed your exams, 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 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 biggest hold-up with the process is waiting for the fingerprints to return from the FBI. The process could take between two to six (2-6) weeks. When the license is issued, you should receive an email from Sircon with verification that the process is complete.