How to Get a Life Insurance License in Oklahoma

Written by: Kevelyn Rodriguez

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How to Get a Life Insurance License in Oklahoma

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

The Oklahoma Insurance Department (OID) requires you to complete a four-step process to become a life insurance agent in Oklahoma — 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.

How to Get Your Oklahoma Life Insurance License

  1. Complete an Oklahoma Insurance Pre-license Course (Kaplan Education Company – $149+)
  2. Take the Oklahoma Life Insurance Licensing Exam (Prometric – $41)
  3. Complete an Oklahoma Life Insurance License Application (National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) – $65 application fee + $5.60 transaction fee)
  4. Watch for Your Application Results

Life Insurance License Oklahoma

Obtaining your Oklahoma life insurance license isn’t difficult. Just follow these four 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 Oklahoma property and casualty (P&C) license as well.

Step 1: Complete an Oklahoma Insurance Pre-license Course

Before you take the Oklahoma 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.

While Oklahoma doesn’t have any formal pre-license education requirements, most insurance professionals opt to take a pre-license education course online. Others purchase books or self-study materials to prepare themselves for the exam.

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.

Recommended Course

Over 81% of our readers use Kaplan’s online courses — which come with a 93% pass rate — when preparing for their insurance license exam(s). For comprehensive study packages, StateRequirement recommends:

4.7 out of 5 starsKaplan Education Company

Step 2: Take the Oklahoma Life Insurance Licensing Exam

After you complete a prep course and your own independent studying, it’s time to take the Oklahoma life insurance exam.

Oklahoma uses Prometric as its official testing service for delivering licensure exams.

The Oklahoma life insurance exam outline contains a total of 100 scored questions that covers two sections: general and state-specific knowledge. The general section deals with basic life insurance product knowledge. The state-specific section covers insurance concepts and terms, rules, regulations, and practices specific to Oklahoma.

You’ll have 120 minutes to complete the examThe Oklahoma life insurance exam fee is $41, 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 Oklahoma life insurance exam, you can schedule a time to retake it as soon as 24 hours after your first attempt. There’s no limit to the number of attempts you can make on the same exam.

Tip

Check out our in-depth insurance exam guide for tips to help you pass on the first attempt.

The best way to understand if you are prepared for the test is to take a Life Insurance Practice Exam.

Step 3: Complete an Oklahoma Life Insurance License Application

Once you pass the life insurance exam, you can apply for your Oklahoma life insurance license. The application fee is $60 plus $5.60 transaction fee, and you must apply online via the NIPR.

You must wait three business days after passing the exam to fill out the application. This’ll allow the NIPR’s online application system to offer you the correct lines of authority for which you may apply.

The OID will issue a life insurance license to individuals who are at least 18 years old and have passed the proper licensing exam. You should submit your completed license application within 12 months of passing the exam.

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

Send any questions or supporting documents to licensing@oid.ok.gov.

Step 4: Watch for Your Application Results

After you complete the previous three steps, the OID will review your application. It reviews applications in the order it receives them, and this process usually takes one to five business days from the date you submit your application.

Once the OID 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) 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 Lookup tool.

Congratulations!

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

Next Steps After Securing Your Oklahoma Life Insurance License

Once you complete the above steps and have your Oklahoma 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.

To learn more, check out our Securities Licensing guide.

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.

Tip

To help you start preparing for the SIE exam, check out our full guide on How to Pass the SIE Exam.

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). Oklahoma no longer issues letters of clearance because all states now have the capability to access real-time license information on the NIPR’s Producer Database (PDB). Individuals can create a statement of their license status from the NAIC State Based Systems License Manager tool.

Complete Continuing Education and Renew Your License

In Oklahoma, 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/consumer protection while another two hours should cover legislative updates. The remaining 19 hours should focus on general insurance producer knowledge. To find these courses, visit the NAIC website and select “Oklahoma” for the jurisdiction and “Course or Provider” as the search type.

If you have a non-resident license with good standing in your home state, you don’t need to take CE courses in Oklahoma.

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

In Oklahoma, 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 30 days before your license expires. Your CE provider will report your successful completion of the course to the OID. The renewal fee is $60.

Learn how to renew your license with our Oklahoma insurance license renewal guide.

Oklahoma Insurance Department Contact Information

Mailing Address

400 NE 50th St.
Oklahoma City, OK 73105

Phone: (405) 521-3916

Email: licensing@oid.ok.gov

Website: http://www.ok.gov/oid

License Search: Oklahoma Insurance License Lookup

Oklahoma Life Insurance License FAQ

How much does it cost to get a life insurance license in Oklahoma?

Obtaining a life insurance license in Oklahoma requires these fees:
Insurance Pre-license Education Course Fee: $149+ via Kaplan Education Company
Exam Fee: $41 via Prometric
Application Fee: $60 + $5.60 transaction fee via the NIPR

How long does it take to process a life insurance license application in Oklahoma?

This process typically takes one to five business days. You’ll receive an email once the Oklahoma Insurance Department reviews your application.

Can I get a temporary life insurance agent license in Oklahoma?

Yes. Oklahoma may issue a temporary license to a qualifying individual for a period not to exceed 180 days without requiring an exam if the state’s Insurance Commissioner deems the temporary license necessary for the servicing of an insurance business. The applicant must meet certain qualifications, such as being the surviving spouse or legal representative of a recently disabled or deceased producer and never having held a license for insurance producer in the past. To apply for a temporary agent license, submit a written request to the OID’s Licensing and Education Division via email.

Can I get an emergency life insurance agent license in Oklahoma?

No. An emergency license isn’t available for life insurance agents in Oklahoma.

Do I need to get my securities license on top of a life insurance license in Oklahoma?

Probably. While you can sell certain basic life insurance products with just a life insurance license, a securities license removes the limits on what you can sell and puts you in a much better career position. As a securities license holder, you can provide your clients with products tied to the securities market as part of their retirement and life insurance plans. But, you’ll need FINRA accreditation to obtain your securities license.

What can I sell with a life insurance license in Oklahoma?

With an Oklahoma life insurance license, you can sell life insurance policies that pay a designated beneficiary when the insured person dies. You also can sell annuities that pay a set income at retirement.

How much can you make with a life insurance license in Oklahoma?

According to ZipRecruiter, life insurance agents earn an average of $79,730 per year.

What are the limitations of an Oklahoma life insurance license?

Unless you have multiple licenses to sell various types of insurance products (e.g., the combined life and health insurance license), having an Oklahoma life insurance license only qualifies you to sell life insurance policies as well as retirement plans and annuities. You can’t sell other types of insurance. A securities license on top of your life insurance license removes that limitation and enables you to offer securities, including stocks and bonds.

Can I cancel my life insurance license in Oklahoma?

Yes. To cancel your license, submit a completed Oklahoma License Surrender Request form to licensing@oid.ok.gov.

How hard is it to get a life insurance license in Oklahoma?

The process is quite simple! Follow the steps above and get started today!

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