How to get an insurance license in North Carolina: the official requirements
The resident insurance producer license, its lines of authority, pre-licensing education, the exam, the fingerprint or background check and how to apply, from the North Carolina Department of Insurance.
To sell insurance in North Carolina, you get licensed by the North Carolina Department of Insurance. The North Carolina resident insurance producer license, by line of authority. How to apply: Apply online through NIPR and pay all fees before you reserve the exam. Pre-licensing education: No pre-licensing course is needed before the state exam for producer applications filed on or after October 1, 2025: the 20-hour requirement was repealed. Approved courses remain listed for anyone who wants one. Licensing exam: A state examination, given by Pearson VUE and reserved after you apply. Fingerprints and background check: A complete set of fingerprints, submitted within 30 days of applying, through the link in the email NIPR sends after you apply.
North Carolina insurance producer license requirements
| Requirement | North Carolina |
|---|---|
| License you apply for | The North Carolina resident insurance producer license, by line of authority. |
| Lines of authority | Life, accident and health or sickness, property, casualty and personal lines, among others. |
| How to apply | Apply online through NIPR and pay all fees before you reserve the exam. |
| Eligibility | At least 18. |
| Pre-licensing education | No pre-licensing course is needed before the state exam for producer applications filed on or after October 1, 2025: the 20-hour requirement was repealed. Approved courses remain listed for anyone who wants one. |
| Licensing exam | A state examination, given by Pearson VUE and reserved after you apply. |
| Fingerprints and background check | A complete set of fingerprints, submitted within 30 days of applying, through the link in the email NIPR sends after you apply. |
| Insurer appointment | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the North Carolina Department of Insurance. |
| State fees | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the North Carolina Department of Insurance. |
| License term | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the North Carolina Department of Insurance. |
| Continuing education | Not stated in the official source we read. Check with the North Carolina Department of Insurance. |
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 North Carolina
- Apply online through NIPR and pay all associated fees.
- Within 30 days, submit fingerprints through the link in NIPR's email.
- Reserve and pass the state exam with Pearson VUE.
Go further
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Questions people ask
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How this page is built
Each fact on this page comes from the North Carolina Department of Insurance (sources named below), read on the dates shown, with the exact wording we relied on kept on file. Requirements and fees change; the North Carolina Department of Insurance'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.
- North Carolina Department of Insurance, Agent Services Division, Repeal of N.C. General Statutes 58-33-30(d)(2)(3) (October 9, 2025), official source, read Nov 6, 2026.
- North Carolina Insurance Licensing Candidate Handbook (#123400, October 2025), hosted by the Department, official source, read Nov 6, 2026.
- North Carolina Department of Insurance, Resident Fingerprint Requirements, official source, read Nov 6, 2026.