How Do I … Get an Insurance Agent License?

  • Choose the Type of Insurance You Want to Sell

    There are several types of insurance you can be licensed to sell in Georgia. These types range from credit, life, and casualty to property, accident and sickness, and travel. Do your research and learn about each one. Also, when exploring each type, keep in mind that one license might qualify you to sell more than one class of insurance. For example, a “Life, Accident and Sickness” license will enable you to sell both Life and Accident and Sickness insurance; whereas, a Life insurance license will only enable you to sell Life insurance.

  • Review the Licensing Requirements

    The requirements, qualifications, and fees for an insurance license vary by type. Below is a list of the insurance licenses available in Georgia and what’s required for each. 

    • Credit
      1. 5 hours of self study
      2. Complete the Citizenship Affidavit. Make a copy of the front  of the acceptable id. This form and the required copy of the acceptable id must be uploaded to complete your application.
      3. Apply online at NIPR or Sircon
      4. Payment of $120
      5. Fingerprints (submitted electronically for a criminal background check)
      6. Once you complete the self study and complete the Credit Agent Pre-licensing Education Certificate Form, you can move to Step 7
    • Life, Accident and Sickness
      1. Completion of 40-hour Life, Accident and Sickness prelicensing course
      2. Passing score on Life, Accident and Sickness examination
      3. Complete the Citizenship Affidavit. Make a copy of the front of the acceptable id. This form and the required copy of the acceptable id must be uploaded to complete your application.
      4. Apply online at NIPR or Sircon 
      5. Payment of $120
      6. Fingerprints (submitted electronically for a criminal background check)
      7. Note:
        • Waiver of prelicensing course and examination can be granted if you hold CLU or FLMI designation; please attach a copy of CLU or FLMI designation with your application
        • Waiver of prelicensing course and examination can be granted if you are licensed for these same lines in your previous home state; that state license must be active at the time you move to Georgia, you must attach original clearance letter from your prior home state, and you must apply for licensure within 90 days of the date of the move to Georgia
    • Personal Lines
      1. Completion of 20-hour Personal Lines prelicensing course
      2. Passing score on Personal Lines examination
      3. Complete the Citizenship Affidavit. Make a copy of the front of the acceptable id. This form and the required copy of the acceptable id must be uploaded to complete your application.
      4. Apply online at NIPR or Sircon
      5. Payment of $120
      6. Fingerprints (submitted electronically for a criminal background check)
      7. Note:
        • Waiver of prelicensing course and examination can be granted if you hold CPCU designation; please attach a copy of CPCU designation with your application
        • Waiver of prelicensing course and examination can be granted if you are licensed for these same lines in your previous home state; that state license must be active at the time you move to Georgia, you must attach original clearance letter from your prior home state, and you must apply for licensure within 90 days of the date of the move to Georgia
    • Property and Casualty
      1. Completion of 40-hour Property and Casualty prelicensing course. 
      2. Passing score on Property and Casualty examination
      3. You must select both Property and Casualty when applying. We do not license just Property or just Casualty.
      4. Complete the Citizenship Affidavit. Make a copy of the front of the acceptable id. This form and the required copy of the acceptable id must be uploaded to complete your application.
      5. Apply online at NIPR or Sircon
      6. Payment of $120
      7. Fingerprints (submitted electronically for a criminal background check)
      8. Note:
        • Waiver of prelicensing course and examination can be granted if you hold CPCU designation; please attach a copy of CPCU designation with your application
        • Waiver of prelicensing course and examination can be granted if you are licensed for these same lines in your previous home state; that state license must be active at the time you move to Georgia, you must attach original clearance letter from your prior home state, and you must apply for licensure within 90 days of the date of the move to Georgia
    • Temporary Resident

      Temporary insurance agent is an individual who sells, solicits or negotiates insurance through one specific insurer. Temporary licenses are issued on behalf of an insurer. It requires an insurance company to sponsor the individual for licensure and a supervising agent that is licensed and appointed with the sponsoring insurance company. A licensee is limited to one temporary license per lifetime.

      The initial license is issued for 6 months from the date of issuance. The license can be extended (renewed) in 3 month intervals – for a maximum period of 15 months from the original issue date. At no time, can the license exceed 15 months.

      Temporary licenses are for resident applicants only and for agents only.

      Eligible lines of authority for temporary agent licenses are: Life, Accident and Sickness, Property, Casualty, Personal Lines. Temporary agents can only hold the same lines of authority as the supervising agent. 

      1. Complete the Download this pdf file. Sponsoring Insurer/Agent Certification Form which is required to be uploaded for your application to be processed
      2. Complete the Citizenship Affidavit. Make a copy of the front of the acceptable id. This form and the required copy of the acceptable id must be uploaded to complete your application.
      3. Payment of $80 fee
      4. Apply online at Sircon
      5. Fingerprints (submitted electronically for a criminal background check)
    • Travel, Travel Baggage, Title
      1. No prelicensing course or examination are required (Steps 3 through 6 do not apply to this license)
      2. Complete the Citizenship Affidavit. Make a copy of the front of the acceptable id. This form and the required copy of the acceptable id must be uploaded to complete your application.
      3. Apply online at NIPR or Sircon
      4. Payment of $120
      5. Fingerprints (submitted electronically for a criminal background check)
    • Variable Products
      1. Completion of 8-hour Variable Product prelicensing course (through sponsoring company)
      2. Passing score on Variable Products examination
      3. Complete the Citizenship Affidavit. Make a copy of the front of the acceptable id. This form and the required copy of the acceptable id must be uploaded to complete your application.
      4. Apply online at Sircon
      5. Payment of $120
      6. Fingerprints (submitted electronically for a criminal background check)
      7. Note:
        • Waiver of pre-licensing course and examination can be granted if you are licensed for these same lines in your previous home state; that state license must be active at the time you move to Georgia, you must attach original clearance letter from your prior home state, and you must apply for licensure within 90 days of the date of the move to Georgia

  • Complete Your Prelicensing Education Requirement

    1. Find a state-approved, prelicensing education course – If you’re required to complete a state-approved, prelicensing education course, you can find a list of providers by using this online tool. If you have any questions or have trouble finding the course you need, please contact our offices at 800-274-8969 or 800-274-0488.
    2. Self study – If you’re pursuing a credit insurance license, you’ll need to complete 5 hours of self-study. Self-study and correspondence courses must include a final exam which is proctored by a disinterested third party. When you successfully complete the course, the school should provide you with a self-study certificate to verify that you've fulfilled your prelicensing education requirement.

  • Make a Reservation to Take Your Exam

    • Before registering for your exam, have the following ready:
      • Legal name, address, Social Security number, and daytime telephone number. This information must be entered correctly to avoid issues with your scores being uploaded to your license application when you apply. Errors will cause a delay in processing your exam scores to our licensing application system.
      • If applicable, the school code or name of the school where you completed your pre-licensing training; this information is found on the prelicensing education certificate you received when you completed the course
      • The name of the examination(s) 
      • The preferred examination date and test center location; find a full list of available test sites by using this online tool
      • A way to pay the exam fee ($63) electronically
        • The examination fee ($63) can be paid by credit card, debit card, or voucher
          • To pay by voucher, you must purchase one in advance via Pearson VUE’s website; when scheduling a test, simply indicate “voucher” as your payment method and provide the voucher number. Please note that all vouchers are pre-paid and they are non-refundable and non-returnable.

  • Gather What You Need to Take Your Exam

    On the day of your exam, you must bring two forms of identification deemed acceptable to the test center (see criteria below). If you don’t, you will not be allowed to take the examination and will forfeit the examination fee.

    • ID Criteria: the name on the identification must exactly match the name on the registration. The primary identification must be government-issued, and photo-bearing with a signature and the secondary identification must contain a valid signature. Identification must be in English. 
      • Primary ID (photograph and signature, not expired)
        • Government-issued Driver’s License
        • U.S. Dept. of State Drivers License
        • U.S. Learner’s Permit (plastic card only with photo and signature)
        • National/State/Country Identification Card
        • Passport
        • Passport card
        • Military ID
        • Military ID for spouses and dependents
        • Alien Registration Card (Green Card, Permanent Resident Visa)
      • Secondary ID (signature, not expired)
        • U.S. Social Security Card
        • Debit (ATM) or Credit card
        • Any form of ID on the Primary list
    • If the ID you present has an embedded signature that is not visible (microchip), difficult or impossible to read, you must present another form of identification from the Primary ID or Secondary ID list that contains a visible signature.
    • Pearson VUE does not recognize grace periods. For example, your driver’s license expired yesterday and the state allows a 30-day grace period for renewing the ID, the ID is considered to be expired.
    • Recommended materials to bring:
      • Prelicensing education certificate
      • A valid Georgia life insurance license or a passing Georgia life examination score report (Variable Product candidates only)

  • Take Your Exam and Receive Your Results (Pass or Fail)

    • On exam day, report to the test center 30 minutes before the examination and check in with the test center administrator; be prepared to furnish two types of valid ID detailed in Step 5
    • Before taking the exam, you’ll have an opportunity to take a tutorial on the computer to get familiar with the way the exam is administered. Once you feel comfortable, you can start the exam. 
    • The time allotted for your specific exam (1 or 2 hours depending on the type of license you’re applying for) begins the moment you look at the first question. 
    • If you haven’t completed the exam within the allotted time, the examination unit will automatically turn off. 
    • You will leave the test center with your official score in hand. If it’s “pass,” you can move onto Step 7. If it’s “fail,” you need to go back to Step 4. 

  • Complete the Citizenship Affidavit

    Download this pdf file. Complete the affidavit , make a copy of the secure and verifiable identification document from the list provided and have the form properly notorized.

    This completed affidavit and copy of the identification documents should be uploaded when you apply at NIPR or Sircon.

    These are instructions for uploading documents to your application at the Download this pdf file. NIPR Warehouse or Download this pdf file. Sircon portal .

    Your application cannot be processed for approval until this form and attachments are uploaded with your application at the NIPR Warehouse or Sircon portal.

  • Apply for Your License

    All applications can be submitted online.

    • Access NIPR or Sircon
      • In NIPR:
        • Select "Apply for a New License" 
        • Follow the step-by-step instructions
      • In Sircon:
        • From the list of options, select "Apply for a License" which will take you to the License Applications page
        • Select "New Insurance License"
        • Follow the step-by-step instructions

     

  • Complete Fingerprinting Registration

    Follow the steps to register for your fingerprinting appointment. A registration for an appointment will not be approved until after you have applied for your license. 

    Download this doc file. Fingerprinting Instructions

    Website to register for fingerprinting appointment - ga.state.identogo.com/ata       

    Service Code for OCI - Insurance Licensing - 2TGJ6B

  • Next Steps

    • Once you've submitted all the required materials, documentation and information, we will review your application
    • If there is an issue with your application, we will contact you via email.
      • If you have not provided the required documents, you are required to attach those documents to your application in NIPR or Sircon. Emailed or mailed documents will not be attached to your application.
    • If your application is approved, we will email your license to you via Sircon's automated system 
    • Processing times may vary, but the average turnaround time is 14 business days
    • Agent licenses must be renewed every two years
    • If your request is denied, you will receive a Notice of Denial stating the grounds upon which your application for licensure was refused; in this case, you have the option to file a written petition to appeal the decision within twenty (20) days of the issuance of the Notice of Denial

Pearson VUE is your primary contact for all inquiries about Agents & Agency Licensing and Continuing Education.

For assistance, please call Pearson VUE at 800-274-8969. 

Primary
(800) 274-8969
[email protected]

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