Photograph by Andrea Piacquadio on Pexels.
Are you unhappy with your current job? Do you want a career where you can engage with people daily and help them solve their problems? Earning an insurance agent license will allow you to do so by assisting people with their insurance needs. It is a fulfilling career, but where do you start? How does a person acquire an insurance agent license?
Insurance Agent License Requirements
Each state has different rules for earning an insurance agent license, but there exist shared requirements among many states. You must be 18 years old or above to secure a life and health insurance license. It seems obvious, but yes, you also must pass a licensing exam to prove you know the products you are selling and can accurately assist the public. Before taking the exam, most states require you to complete a specific number of pre-licensing education hours to educate you on life and health insurance and prepare you to pass the insurance test. The coursework includes subjects on insurance basics, state and federal laws, ethics, and how to protect customers. If you have trouble studying for exams, consider using flashcards to help you remember terms and definitions. Over the years, researchers have determined that studying with flashcards positively impacts the brain to remember and retain information. Do you not have the time or materials to create physical flashcards? Free computer applications exist for making flashcards to help you study.
Once you have passed your exam, you must submit a license application to your state insurance department along with payment toward fees. Over time, you might have to continue your insurance education to maintain your license. How often and how much time is required depends on your state’s laws.
Usually, states administer background checks on applicants. The process may involve fingerprinting as well. For instance, the Texas Department of Insurance gives detailed instructions on how applicants must submit their fingerprints. Beyond not having any felony or fraud charge, one must also not owe any state or federal income taxes. Some states also demand prospective agents not to have overdue child support to obtain a license.
Licensing Outside Your State
As an insurance agent, you want to interact with as many people as possible to build a good client base. Certainly, you do not want to limit yourself to only a select group of people. Your life and health license only applies to your state. Yet, it is possible to own a non-residential license so you can turn out-of-state prospects into customers. Each state’s insurance licensing department will instruct you on any additional exams you must pass and fees to pay before working in their jurisdiction. Before you start imagining taking 50 different insurance exams, hold on. Most states provide mutual agreements for individuals already licensed in other states. This agreement allows you to avoid taking an additional licensing exam, but you still must pay a license application fee for your non-residential license. Additionally, many states still require a person to undergo a background check and submit fingerprints for out-of-state applicants. Pre-licensing course training may also be mandatory despite the reciprocal agreement.
Earning Your Insurance Agent License
Empower Brokerage can help you take the next step to earning your life and health insurance agent license. About every six weeks, Empower Brokerage offers recruits a two-day course that helps them pass their state licensing exam. Some states accept this weekend training as the fulfillment of the required pre-licensing education hours. Empower Brokerage offers this extensive course at no cost. Many attendees describe the course instructor as very knowledgeable and claim the training helped prepare them to pass the licensing exam on their first attempt. If you want to sign up for our licensing class, please fill out and submit the registration form. For additional questions, please contact Empower Brokerage at (888) 539-1633.
Agents
We hope that this information on getting an insurance agent license is useful to you.
Empower Brokerage is dedicated to helping you make informed decisions about your health and finances. Whether it’s through webinar training, one-on-one calls, seminars, or marketing plans, we want you to be successful!
Give us a call at 888-539-1633 or leave a comment below if you have any questions.
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Joey Hinojosa graduated with a bachelor’s degree in broadcast journalism and a master’s degree in mass communications. He began working at Empower Brokerage in early 2022 and enjoys being creative in his writing, photography, videography, and other projects.
