Getting your North Dakota insurance license is the first step to becoming an insurance agent in North Dakota. 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 North Dakota Department of Insurance has a 6-step process on how to become an insurance agent in North Dakota. We’ll walk you through step-by-step; from the license application to insurance test prep, to the North Dakota insurance exam, and beyond.

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

How to Get Your North Dakota Insurance License

Getting your insurance license in North Dakota 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: North Dakota Insurance Adjuster License.

Step 2. North Dakota Insurance Pre-Exam Education

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

North Dakota 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. North Dakota Insurance License Exam

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 line of insurance you wish to carry.

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 $64. When you show up you must have a photo ID any other documents that the testing facility has asked you to bring.

North Dakota is unique in that all of its exams are broken into two parts (Part 1 is Product and Part 2 is Laws & Regulations). We recommend that you take the full exam, and only use this feature if you need to retake only one part of the test.

The Property exam and the Casualty exam are both one hundred (110) questions. You have one hundred fifty (150) minutes to complete each exam.

The Life & Annuity exam and the Accident & Health exam are one hundred (110) questions. For these two exams, you have one hundred fifty (150) minutes to complete all of the questions.

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 North Dakota Exams website. You may also check the North Dakota Insurance License Examination Candidate Information Bulletin.

Step 4. Fingerprinting And Background Check

The State of North Dakota 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 (701) 328-2440 or email the Insurance Department.

While fingerprinting can be done at PSI Test Centers, fingerprinting can also be done at other locations, as well as Law Enforcement Centers. If you get fingerprinted at a non-PSI site, you will be responsible for sending the appropriate payment and fingerprinting card to the state.

A Criminal History Record Check Request form will need to be completed and submitted with payment.

The fee for the fingerprinting is $41.25, plus a $29 transaction fee, for a total cost of $70.25. When completed, they will send the results directly to the Insurance Department.

Step 5. North Dakota License Application

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

The fee for an online application is $100, plus a $5.60 NIPR fee, for a total of $105.60.

Fill out your online application on the NIPR North Dakota page.

Step 6. 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 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.

After submitting your application, it will take about two (2) weeks for the state to review your background information. After this review, they will send you an email confirming your license has been issued. The email will also provide you with your new license number.

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 North Dakota Insurance License

Once you’ve passed your exams and completed the licensing application, you are now a licensed insurance agent in North Dakota. 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
• Every two years, you’ll need to renew your insurance license. Check out our guides on North Dakota Insurance License Renewal and North Dakota 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

North Dakota Department of Insurance Contact Information

Mailing Address:
North Dakota Insurance Department
600 East Boulevard Avenue
Bismarck, North Dakota 58505-0320

Phone: (701) 328-2440

Fax: (701) 328-4880

Email: insurance@nd.go

Website: https://www.nd.gov/ndins

License Search: North Dakota Insurance License Search and Lookup