Selling Life Insurance: Can You Also Be A Licensed Adjuster?

If you're considering a career in insurance, you'll need to get a license to sell insurance policies. The requirements for obtaining a license vary across different US states, but generally, you'll need to pass an exam, undergo a background check, and pay a fee. In most cases, you'll also need to complete pre-licensing courses and submit fingerprints electronically. It's worth noting that certain insurance licenses allow you to sell multiple classes of insurance, such as life and accident insurance, with just one license. Additionally, some companies may pay for your exam if you agree to work for them, and some states offer temporary licenses that are valid for a limited period before you need to obtain a regular license.

Life insurance sales require a license

To sell life insurance, you will need to obtain a life insurance license. This may be combined with an accident and health license, or they may be separate, depending on the state. In some states, such as Texas, a general lines – life, accident, and health license will allow you to sell life and health insurance, including annuities, with just one license. In other states, such as California, these have been separated into two distinct licenses.

To obtain a life insurance license, you will typically need to complete a pre-licensing course and pass a state licensing exam. The length and content of the course will vary depending on the state and the type of license you are seeking. For example, in California, you must complete 20 hours of pre-licensing education for a life, accident, and health license, plus 12 hours on ethics and the California insurance code. In Texas, there are no education requirements, but you may want to take a pre-license course to prepare for the exam. In Georgia, you must take a state-approved course and receive a certificate of completion.

The licensing exam is typically administered by a third-party testing company, such as Pearson VUE. The format and content of the exam will vary depending on the state and the type of license you are seeking. For example, in California, the licensing exam consists of 150 questions, while in Florida, the life and health exam consists of 150 questions, and the property and casualty exam consists of 160 questions. In Georgia, the exam consists of 80 questions.

In addition to completing a pre-licensing course and passing the licensing exam, you may also need to meet other requirements, such as submitting fingerprints for a criminal background check and completing a citizenship affidavit. The specific requirements will vary depending on the state and the type of license you are seeking.

Adjuster licenses are separate

In the state of Texas, for example, you can obtain a "General lines – life, accident, and health" license to sell life and health insurance. To become an adjuster, you would need to obtain an "All lines adjuster" license, which is the most common license for adjusters and covers catastrophe, property and casualty, workers' compensation, and other types of insurance.

Similarly, in Georgia, residents must complete specific requirements before taking the state's insurance license exam. For each category of insurance they want to sell, they need a different license. Georgia Adjusters and Public Adjusters, for instance, are required to take a 40-hour Property and Casualty course and pass the specific Adjuster exam they want to be licensed for.

Other states, like California, have their own unique requirements. In California, a Life Agent license used to be sufficient to sell life insurance products. However, due to changes in the California Insurance Code, this license is now divided into a Life license and an Accident and Health or Sickness Agent license, each with its own prelicensing and continuing education requirements.

To summarize, if you want to sell life insurance and also work as a licensed adjuster, you will need to obtain the necessary licenses separately, as per the specific requirements of your state. These licenses will enable you to conduct sales and provide policy options to clients, ensuring compliance with legal and financial regulations.

You need to pass an exam

To sell life insurance and be a licensed adjuster, you will need to pass an exam. The specific exam you need to take will depend on the state in which you intend to practice, as well as the type of insurance you wish to sell.

In Texas, for example, there is the General Lines – life, accident, and health license. This license allows you to sell life and health insurance, as well as annuities, and only requires one exam. Alternatively, you could pursue the General Lines – property and casualty license, which covers home, auto, commercial, liability, and other types of personal and limited lines property and casualty insurance, again with just one exam. If you wish to become an adjuster, the most common license is the All Lines Adjuster license, which covers catastrophe, property and casualty, workers' compensation, and other types of insurance.

In California, you need to complete 20 hours of pre-licensing education for either a property and casualty insurance license or a life, accident, and health license, plus 12 hours on ethics and the California insurance code. After completing the pre-licensing education, you must take the licensing exam within one year.

In Florida, you must take a pre-license education course that corresponds to the type of license you are seeking. For a property and casualty insurance license, this course requires 200 hours of instruction, while a life and health license requires 60 hours. After completing the course, you can apply for a license with the state and take the state licensing exam.

In Georgia, residents must take and pass a state-approved course and receive a certificate of completion before they are permitted to take the Georgia insurance license exam. For each category of insurance they wish to sell, they must complete a separate 20-hour pre-licensing course. For example, to sell life insurance, you would need to complete the 20-hour Life course, while to sell property and casualty insurance, you would need to complete the 20-hour Property and Casualty course.

While the specifics of the exams and requirements vary by state, the common theme is that you must pass an exam to become licensed to sell life insurance and be a licensed adjuster.

There are different types of licenses

General Lines – Life, Accident, and Health

This license allows you to sell life and health insurance, including annuities. With this license, you can offer your clients a range of options to protect themselves and their loved ones in case of unforeseen events. This license is ideal for agents who want to specialize in life and health insurance products.

General Lines – Property and Casualty

The property and casualty license is another common type of license. It enables you to sell various types of insurance, such as home, auto, commercial, liability, and other personal and limited lines property and casualty insurance. This license is perfect for agents who want to focus on these specific areas of insurance and provide their clients with comprehensive coverage options.

All Lines Adjuster

The All Lines Adjuster license is the most common license for adjusters. It covers a wide range of insurance types, including catastrophe, property and casualty, workers' compensation, and more. Adjusters with this license can handle a variety of claims and work directly for an insurance company or as independent adjusters.

State-Specific Licenses

The requirements and types of licenses can vary from state to state. For example, in Georgia, residents must complete a state-approved course and receive a certificate of completion before taking the Georgia insurance license exam. Each category of insurance, such as Life, Accident & Sickness (Health), Property, Casualty, and Personal Lines, requires a separate license in Georgia. On the other hand, Texas offers the General Lines – Life, Accident, and Health license, which allows selling life and health insurance with just one license.

Broker Licenses

In addition to agent licenses, there are also broker licenses. Insurance brokers work for the customer and shop for policies from different insurance providers. Much like agents, brokers also need licenses to source and sell insurance policies. The National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) can provide guidance on the specific requirements for each state.

Licenses are state-specific

The requirements for insurance licenses vary from state to state. For example, in Texas, the three most common licenses are:

• General lines – life, accident, and health: This license allows you to sell life and health insurance, including annuities, with just one license.
• General lines – property and casualty: This license lets you sell home, auto, commercial, liability, and other types of personal and limited lines property and casualty insurance with a single license.
• All lines adjuster: This is the most common license for adjusters, covering catastrophe, property and casualty, workers’ compensation, and other types of insurance.

In Georgia, residents who want to become insurance agents must meet specific requirements before taking the state exam. They must first complete a state-approved course and receive a certificate of completion for each category, or line, of insurance they wish to be licensed under.

In California, a Life Agent license used to be sufficient to sell life insurance products. However, after the passing of AB 720 (Chapter 270, De Leon, Statutes of 2007), the California Insurance Code was amended to divide the Life Agent license into a Life license and an Accident and Health or Sickness Agent license. This change established prelicensing and continuing education requirements for these license types.

Florida requires license applicants to take a pre-license education course specific to the type of license they intend to pursue, with hours of instruction ranging from 60 for a life and health license to 200 for a property and casualty insurance license.

Each state has its own unique requirements, fees, and processes for obtaining an insurance license, so it is important to refer to the relevant state's official sources for the most accurate and up-to-date information.

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