How to Get a North Carolina Insurance License

  1. Pass a state-approved pre-licensing course. Completing the 20-hour course in the relevant field and passing the final exam with a score of at least 70% provides a Certificate of Completion, also called an Exam Admission Ticket. This Ticket is required to sit for the state licensing exam. There are some fields that are exempt from taking the pre-licensing course, but everyone (including those below) must sit for the state exam.
    • Exempt from the Life Insurance pre-licensing course:
      • Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS)
      • Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
      • Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC)
      • Holder of a degree in insurance (associate or bachelor's)
      • Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU)
      • Chartered Financial Consultant (ChFC)
      • Life Underwriter Training Council Fellow (LUTCF)
      • Fellow Life Management Institute (FLMI)
    • Exempt from the Health (Accident and Health or Sickness) Insurance pre-licensing course:
      • Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS)
      • Health Insurance Associate (HIA)
      • Registered Employee Benefits Counselor (REBC)
      • Registered Health Underwriter (RHU)
      • Holder of a degree in insurance (associate or bachelor's)
  2. Register for the state licensing exam. Once you have passed the pre-licensing course, you will need to make a reservation to take the state examination. To do so, visit the Pearson VUE website and select "Make an Exam Reservation" and follow the on-screen prompts.
  3. Take and pass the state examination. You must bring your Exam Admission Ticket to sit for the state exam. The Exam Admission Ticket gives you 5 attempts to pass the state exam in a 90-day period that follows the completion of the pre-licensing course. If you use all 5 attempts without passing, or the 90-day period expires without passing, you will need to take the pre-licensure course again before you can make another attempt.
  4. Complete an electronic application. Once you pass the state examination, you must complete an electronic application by visiting the National Insurance Producer Registry website and following the instructions on that site. If required, you'll need to submit fingerprints after completing the license application.