How to get an insurance license in Michigan: the official requirements
The resident producer license, its lines of authority, pre-licensing education, the exam, the fingerprint or background check and how to apply, from the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services.
To sell insurance in Michigan, you get licensed by the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services. The Michigan Resident Producer (insurance agent) license. How to apply: File an Electronic Resident Licensing (ERL) application through NIPR; it stays valid for 180 days. Pre-licensing education: Pre-licensing education from a Michigan-approved provider before the exam: an approved 20-hour classroom course or an approved self-study course for each line; the certificate is valid for 12 months. Licensing exam: A Michigan licensing examination, passed within 180 days of applying or you file a new application. Fingerprints and background check: Background questions on the application, plus background checks DIFS runs on every applicant; convictions must be reported.
Michigan insurance producer license requirements
| Requirement | Michigan |
|---|---|
| License you apply for | The Michigan Resident Producer (insurance agent) license. |
| Lines of authority | Accident and health, life, property, casualty, variable annuities and personal lines, plus limited and specialty lines. |
| How to apply | File an Electronic Resident Licensing (ERL) application through NIPR; it stays valid for 180 days. |
| Eligibility | At least 18. |
| Pre-licensing education | Pre-licensing education from a Michigan-approved provider before the exam: an approved 20-hour classroom course or an approved self-study course for each line; the certificate is valid for 12 months. |
| Licensing exam | A Michigan licensing examination, passed within 180 days of applying or you file a new application. |
| Fingerprints and background check | Background questions on the application, plus background checks DIFS runs on every applicant; convictions must be reported. |
| Insurer appointment | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services. |
| State fees | $10 license application fee plus a $5 transaction fee. |
| License term | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services. |
| Continuing education | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services. |
Where the official source we read does not state something, the table says so rather than guessing. Fees shown are the regulator's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, course providers, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
How to get licensed in Michigan
- File the ERL application through NIPR and pay the fee.
- Complete the pre-licensing course for each line with a Michigan-approved provider.
- Pass the Michigan licensing exam within the certificate's 12 months and the application's 180 days.
Go further
Requirements state by state.
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Questions people ask
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How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services's current instructions govern. We re-read each state's sources every six months (next review by May 7, 2027).
- Not legal advice.
- Licensing rules can change. Verify current requirements with the issuing agency.
- Fees shown are the regulator's own. Fees charged by exam vendors, course providers, fingerprint vendors and application portals are not included.
- This page covers the resident individual license. Nonresident, business entity, limited lines, adjuster and temporary licenses have their own rules.
- Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services, Producer/Individual - Insurance, official source, read Nov 6, 2026.
- Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services, How to become licensed as a Resident Producer, official source, read Nov 6, 2026.
- Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services, Available lines of authority, official source, read Nov 6, 2026.
- Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services, Insurance Producer Application Background Questions, official source, read Nov 6, 2026.