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

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

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

Step 1: Complete a North Carolina Insurance Pre-license Course

Before you take the North Carolina 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.

In North Carolina, you must take a 20-hour, pre-license course on life insurance. After completing the course, you’ll need to present a valid photo ID and an original certificate of completion from the approved prelicensing education provider when you arrive to take your exam. Your pre-license course certificate will remain valid for 12 months.

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: Complete a North Carolina Life Insurance License Application

Once you complete your prelicensing education course, you can apply for your North Carolina life insurance license. The fee for an online application submitted via the NIPR is $50 per line of authority plus a $44 application fee, the $38 fingerprinting fee, and a $5.60 NIPR transaction fee for a total cost of $137.60.

The NCDOI will issue a life insurance license to individuals who are at least 18 years old and have passed the proper licensing exam. 

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

Send any questions or supporting documents to ASD@ncdoi.gov.

Step 3: Get a Fingerprint-Based Background Check

After you apply for your North Carolina life insurance license, you must get a fingerprint-based background check packet from the NIPR. Schedule your fingerprinting appointment with any of the approved vendors in this list of North Carolina Electronic Fingerprint Submission Locations. Please read the instructions on this document carefully because some of the locations may not provide your fingerprinting results directly to the NCDOI, which means you’ll have to do so manually. The fee for fingerprinting is $38, which you should have already paid to the NIPR when you submitted your application.

At your fingerprinting appointment, you’ll receive a receipt. Don’t throw it away! Keep the original receipt for your records.

After completing your fingerprint-based background check, you must pass your licensing exam within one year. If you fail to do so, you’ll need to retake the exam.

Step 4: Take the North Carolina Life Insurance Licensing Exam

After you submit your application and complete your fingerprint-based background check, it’s time to take the North Carolina life insurance exam.

North Carolina uses Pearson VUE as its official testing service for delivering licensure exams.

The North Carolina life insurance exam outline contains a total of 55 scored questions that cover five sections: 

• Types of Individual Life Insurance
• Annuities
• Policy Provisions, Options, and Other Features
• Other Life Topics
• North Carolina Statutes and Regulations Pertinent to Life

You’ll have 75 minutes to complete the exam. The North Carolina life insurance exam fee is $45, 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 North Carolina life insurance exam, you can schedule a time to retake it as soon as 24 hours after your first attempt. A North Carolina Examination Admission Ticket is valid for 90 days or five examination attempts during that 90-day period — whichever comes first.

Step 5: Watch for Your Application Results

After you complete the previous four steps, the NCDOI will review your application and background check. It reviews applications in the order it receives them, and this process usually takes two to three business days.

Once the NCDOI finishes reviewing your application, it’ll email you with its decision or ask you to provide more information.

You can print your license from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC) State Based Systems (SBS) website. There’s no charge to create an account or print a license. If you don’t remember your license number, you can find it by using the NAIC SBS Lookup tool.

Congratulations!

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

Next Steps After Securing Your North Carolina Life Insurance License

Once you complete the above steps and have your North Carolina 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). You can request a letter of certification, which proves you have a life insurance license in North Carolina, by contacting NCDOI representative Tamla Dunson at tamla.dunson@ncdoi.gov or (919) 807-6164. You may need to submit this letter along with your job applications.

Complete Continuing Education and Renew Your License

In North Carolina, you must complete 24 hours of continuing education (CE) every two years to maintain your license in good standing. Three of those hours must focus on ethics. To find these courses, visit the Sircon website and click on the “Approved Courses Inquiry” option. 

If you have a non-resident license with good standing in your home state, you don’t need to take CE courses in North Carolina. To find out if you need to take North Carolina courses, visit the Sircon website and click on the “Continuing Education Transcript Inquiry” option.

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

In North Carolina, you also must renew and manage your life insurance license every two years. To avoid delays in renewing your license, you must complete the required CE hours at least 60 days before your license expires. Your CE provider will report your successful completion of the course to the NCDOI. The renewal fee is $84.

North Carolina Department of Insurance Contact Information

Mailing Address

North Carolina Department of Insurance
1201 Mail Service Center
Raleigh, NC 27699-1201

Phone: (919) 807-6800

Email: ASD@ncdoi.gov

Website: http://www.ncdoi.com/

License Search: North Carolina Insurance License Lookup