How To Become An Insurance Agent In New Hampshire

New Hampshire

What Kind Of Agent Are You Going To Be?

A majority of people who are applying for their insurance license have a plan in already in place of where they are going to use it. If you don't yet have a plan on how you will be using your insurance license, this is the place to start. Here are some of the questions that you should ask yourself:

  • What type of insurance am I going to sell?
  • Am I starting my own agency, or working inside of an existing agency? 
    • It may depend on how your agency is set up to tell you what type of licenses you need to hold.
  • What types of licenses does my company require me to hold? 

Answering these questions should give you tell you the types of insurance licenses you need. If you are still unsure of which lines to pursue, you can always ask the folks in the state licensing office at 603-271-2261 or email the Insurance Department.

 Pre-Exam Education

The first step in getting an New Hampshire insurance license is passing your license exam. So why do we say the first step is pre-exam education? The answer is simple. We want you to pass your test the first time you take it. These courses or study materials are not a required step in getting your insurance license, but they are highly recommended.

Most applicants choose to take these courses online, as it fits their schedule better, but there are also in person courses available. You should choose which format in which to take your courses based on your preferred method of learning. The goal isn't just to get the courses out of the way, it's to prepare you to pass your license exam on the first attempt.

StateRequirement recommends Kaplan Education Company for all pre-license education courses.

For a list of approved pre-license education providers, reference the New Hampshire Insurance Department Pre-License PDF.

 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. In New Hampshire the Property & Casualty lines are combined into one exam. Life, Accident, and Health is a combined exam as well.

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 $49 (one exam per combined lines of authority). When you show up you must have a photo ID any other documents that the testing facility has asked you to bring.

Both the Life, Accident, and Health exam, and the Property and Casualty exam consist of one hundred fifty (150) questions. You have two hours and thirty minutes (2:30) to complete each exam. The minimum score to pass is 70% correct answers.

Be sure to study the Prometric Exam Content Outlines:

New Hampshire Property and Casualty Insurance License Exam Content Outline

New Hampshire Life, Accident, and Health Insurance License Exam Content 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.

Note: StateRequirement recommends that you study for one exam at a time, then after passing, starting on your next line. The exams are difficult enough on their own without confusing information from one line to another.

You may register to take your exams on the Prometric New Hampshire Insurance page. For much more information on the exams, read the New Hampshire Insurance Department Licensing Information Bulletin.

 License Application

Once you have completed your exams, you are now ready to apply for your license. If you have more than one line of authority that you have passed the exam for, be sure to apply for all of those lines.

The fee for an online application is $210, and NIPR will charge a $5 transaction fee for a total of $215.

You must wait 48 hours after passing the exam to fill out the application. This will allow the system to offer you the correct lines of authority to apply for.

If you wish to add a line of authority to your license at a later date, there will be a $50 amendment fee, but you will not need to pay the $210 again.

Fill out and submit your online application on the NIPR New Hampshire website.

 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.

Within 24 hours (but up to one week) after submitting your application, you may use the New Hampshire License Look-Up Tool to verify that your license has been issued. You will also use this service to print your license.

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.

New Hampshire Department Of Insurance Contact Information

Mailing Address:

New Hampshire Insurance Department
21 South Fruit Street, Suite 14
Concord, New Hampshire 03301
Phone: 603-271-2261
Fax: 603-271-1406
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://www.nh.gov/insurance

Information on this page has been gathered by a multitude of sources, and was most recently updated in August 2017.

Any Information on this site is not guaranteed or warranted to be correct, accurate, or up to date. Huge Hammer LLC and its members and affiliates are not responsible for any losses, monetary or otherwise. For more information, please contact your state's authority on insurance.

Disclosure: StateRequirement has an affiliation with Kaplan Education company, and may receive compensation based on user activity on this site. We truly believe that Kaplan offers excellent products and services, and compliments the mission of StateRequirement.