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How to get an insurance license in North Carolina. P&C: 0 pre-licensing hours. L&H: 0 hours. Government fees: $444 for both lines. 2 years renewal cycle. Verified 2026-03-22. Data verified 2026-03-22. Source: LicenseMap (getlicensemap.com).
Insurance Agent
Most information on this page has been verified.
87% of data points are verified against official sources. 3 fields based on preliminary research. We recommend confirming details with your state's licensing authority. See sources below · Report incorrect data
Not required
P&C Education
Not required
L&H Education
2 years
Renewal Cycle
$444
Gov. Fees (Both)
Insurance Producer
North Carolina licenses insurance producers with individual lines of authority: Property, Casualty, Life, Accident and Health or Sickness, and Personal Lines. Effective October 1, 2025, North Carolina ELIMINATED the pre-licensing education requirement entirely (per HB 737 / SL 2025-45). Candidates can now go directly to the state exam. Each line requires a separate state exam. North Carolina charges fees per line of authority — $50 per line on top of an $82 base application fee. Exams are administered by Pearson VUE.
Other Available Lines of Authority
No pre-licensing education required
Eliminated effective October 1, 2025 per HB 737 (SL 2025-45). Exam prep courses are optional.
North Carolina Property and Casualty Insurance Examinations
Administered by Pearson VUE
55
Questions
70% (scaled score of 70)
Passing Score
75 minutes (1 hour 15 minutes) per exam
Time Limit
$45 per exam
Exam Fee
North Carolina issues Property and Casualty as SEPARATE exams. Each exam has 55 questions with a 1 hour 15 minute time limit. The Property exam costs $45 and the Casualty exam costs $45 ($90 total for both). A scaled passing score of 70 is required. Each exam has multiple versions (forms). Pretest questions are mixed in with scored questions and are unidentified. At least 39 of 55 scored questions must be answered correctly to pass.
No pre-licensing education required
Eliminated effective October 1, 2025 per HB 737 (SL 2025-45). Exam prep courses are optional.
North Carolina Life and Accident and Health or Sickness Insurance Examinations
Administered by Pearson VUE
55
Questions
70% (scaled score of 70)
Passing Score
75 minutes (1 hour 15 minutes) per exam
Time Limit
$45 per exam
Exam Fee
North Carolina issues Life and Accident & Health as SEPARATE exams. Each exam has 55 questions with a 1 hour 15 minute time limit. $45 per exam ($90 total for both Life and A&H). At least 39 of 55 scored questions must be answered correctly (70%). Candidate Guide available free at Pearson VUE or call 866-265-6329.
Minimum Age
18 years old
Education
No specific education requirement. Pre-licensing education was eliminated effective October 1, 2025 per HB 737 (SL 2025-45).
Residency
Must apply as resident producer if domiciled in North Carolina. Non-residents apply through NIPR.
Background Check
All applicants for a Resident Insurance Producer's License must give the Commissioner a complete set of their fingerprints. The fingerprint fee is $38.
Fingerprinting
Not required
Citizenship
US citizen or authorized to work in the US
| Fee | Amount |
|---|---|
Application Fee Base fee of $82 (includes $38 fingerprint fee for first-time applicants) plus $50 per line of authority. Property + Casualty = $82 + $100 = $182. Plus $5.60 NIPR transaction fee. | $50 |
P&C Exam Fee $45 per exam x 2 (Property exam + Casualty exam). North Carolina has separate exams for Property and Casualty. | $90 |
L&H Exam Fee $45 per exam x 2 (Life exam + Accident & Health exam). Separate exams for Life and A&H. | $90 |
Fingerprinting Fee Included in the $82 base application fee for first-time applicants. Required again every other renewal period. | $38 |
Total Gov. Fees (Single Line) Base application ($82) + one line ($50) + one exam ($45) = $177 for a single-exam line. For Property+Casualty (2 exams): $82 + $100 + $90 = $272. | $177-$222 |
Total Gov. Fees (Both Lines) Base application ($82) + 4 lines ($50 x 4 = $200) + 4 exams ($45 x 4 = $180) + NIPR fee ($5.60) = ~$468. Or if already fingerprinted: base ($44) + lines + exams. | $444 |
Pre-Licensing Course Cost: $100-$400(per line)
Pre-licensing education is NOT required (eliminated Oct 1, 2025 per HB 737). Study courses are optional and vary in price by provider. NOT a government fee.
Study for the Property and Casualty exams (pre-licensing education no longer required as of October 1, 2025, but recommended)
Obtain the free Insurance Licensing Examination Candidate Guide from Pearson VUE (pearsonvue.com or call 866-265-6329)
Schedule and pass the Property exam (55 questions, 70% passing score, 1 hour 15 minutes, $45)
Schedule and pass the Casualty exam (55 questions, 70% passing score, 1 hour 15 minutes, $45)
Complete fingerprinting ($38, included in application base fee)
Apply online through NIPR for Property and Casualty lines of authority
Pay the $82 base application fee + $50 per line of authority ($100 for both P&C) + $5.60 NIPR transaction fee
Study for the Life and Accident & Health exams (pre-licensing education no longer required as of October 1, 2025, but recommended)
Schedule and pass the Life exam through Pearson VUE (55 questions, 70%, 1 hr 15 min, $45)
Schedule and pass the Accident & Health exam (55 questions, 70%, 1 hr 15 min, $45)
Complete fingerprinting if not already on file
Apply online through NIPR for Life and Accident & Health lines
Pay the $82 base application fee + $50 per line ($100 for both L&A&H) + $5.60 NIPR fee
Important: A license alone does not allow you to sell insurance
After obtaining your license, you must be appointed by at least one insurance company to sell their products. The carrier files the appointment with NC DOI.
Appointment fee: Paid by carrier
North Carolina participates in NIPR for non-resident licensing. Nonresident producers do not have CE requirements for North Carolina. The NC DOI confirms active license status in the producer's resident state through the National Producer Database (PDB).
Additional requirements: Must hold active license in good standing in home state. No CE requirement for non-residents.
Renewal Cycle
2 years
Renewal Fee
$109
CE Required
24 hours per cycle
Ethics Hours
3 hours (included in CE total)
Licensed producers must complete 24 hours of CE every 2 years, including 3 hours of Ethics. Renewal date is every 2 years on the last day of the birth month. Fingerprinting is required again every other renewal period ($38 fee). Nonresident producers are exempt from NC CE requirements.
Regulatory Board
Unique to North Carolina: North Carolina stands out with its per-line-of-authority pricing ($50 per line plus $82 base), which makes obtaining all four major lines expensive ($282 base + $180 in exams = $462+). The state also requires fingerprinting every other renewal period, which is unusual. Each exam is only 55 questions (shorter than most states) but must be taken separately — no combined P&C or L&H exams available. The 70% passing score means only 39 of 55 questions must be answered correctly.
Explore requirements for other professional licenses in North Carolina.
How this state compares to 50 others for this profession
Timeline
#1 of 51
Salary
#36 of 51
Processing
#1 of 51
Based on May 2024 Bureau of Labor Statistics OEWS data for Insurance Sales Agents (SOC 41-3021)
Entry Level
$39,620
25th percentile
Median
$57,110
-5% vs. national avg ($60,370)Experienced
$78,860
75th percentile
Wage Distribution (Annual)
19,540 employed in this state
Note: Insurance agent compensation is heavily commission-based. BLS OEWS data may not fully reflect total earnings including commissions and bonuses.
Source: BLS OEWS – Insurance Sales Agents (May 2024)
National employment projections for 2024-2034
Projected Growth
+4.7%
Average GrowthNew Jobs
+26,200
over 10 years
Annual Openings
41,200
per year (avg.)
555,200 currently employed nationwide (2024)
Source: BLS Employment Projections 2024-2034 (September 2025)
Insurance Career Ladder+31% salary growth potential
You are here
Insurance Agent
$57,110
Pre-licensing education + state exam
You are here
Insurance Agent
Pre-licensing education + state exam
$57,110
Adjuster licensing + claims experience
$74,830
Salary data from BLS OEWS May 2024 for this state. Career paths represent common advancement routes — actual progression may vary. Bureau of Labor Statistics — Occupational Outlook Handbook
Government fees and exam costs to obtain your initial license
Note: These are government licensing fees only. Education/training program costs (tuition, books, etc.) are not included as they vary widely by institution.
Source: North Carolina Department of Insurance (NC DOI) — Licensing Requirements
Estimated total: 4–10 weeks
Timeline estimated from licensing requirements on this page.
Source: North Carolina Department of Insurance (NC DOI) — Licensing Requirements
1–4 weeks
Estimated processing time
Source: North Carolina Department of Insurance (NC DOI) — Licensing Requirements
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