Florida's Insurance Agent Licensing: Life And Health Exclusivity

Florida offers three types of Life and Health Insurance licenses: 2-15 Health & Life (Including Annuities & Variable Contracts) Agent License, 2-14 Life (Including Annuities & Variable Contracts) Agent License, and 2-40 Health Agent License. To obtain any of these licenses, applicants must be Florida residents, be at least 18 years old, and have a Social Security Number. They must also complete a pre-licensing course, pass the state license exam, register for electronic fingerprinting, and submit their application to the Florida Department of Financial Services.

Life insurance license requirements

Florida has three types of Life and Health Insurance licenses: 2-15 Health & Life (Including Annuities & Variable Contracts) Agent License, 2-14 Life (Including Annuities & Variable Contracts) Agent License, and 2-40 Health Agent License. Here are the steps to obtain one of these licenses:

Step 1: Complete a Pre-Licensing Course

All applicants must complete a pre-licensing course and pass the final exam with a score of 70% or better. The 60-hour Health and Life (Including Annuities and Variable Contracts) Agent Pre-Licensing Course costs $139 for the BASIC COURSE and $189 for the ESSENTIAL Course, including a 3-month (90-day) enrollment term. Three of the required 40 hours must focus on ethics.

Step 2: Pass the State License Exam

The state license exam costs $44 for each attempt and has a limit of five attempts in a one-year period. A passing score is valid for one year, and the exam contains 15 "pretest" questions that do not affect your final score. It is recommended to take the state exam 5-10 days after completing your course.

Step 3: Register for Electronic Fingerprinting

Florida requires electronic fingerprints to run a criminal background check. The cost of fingerprinting is $48.55, and the results will be submitted electronically to the Florida Department of Financial Services.

Step 4: Submit Application

Submit a license application to the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) and include a fee of $55. The application cannot be submitted until the pre-licensing education has been completed.

Step 5: Print Your License

Once all the steps are completed, the DFS Bureau of Licensing will send your license approval by email. You can then print your license from your MyProfile page.

The total cost to obtain a Florida Insurance License ranges from $147.55 to $236.55, plus course tuition.

Health insurance license requirements

Florida offers three types of Life and Health Insurance licenses:

• 2-15 Health & Life (Including Annuities & Variable Contracts) Agent License
• 2-14 Life (Including Annuities & Variable Contracts) Agent License
• 2-40 Health Agent License

To obtain any of these licenses, applicants must:

• Be a resident of Florida
• Be at least 18 years old
• Have a Social Security Number

The process to obtain a license is as follows:

Step 1: Complete a Pre-Licensing Course

Complete a 60-hour Health and Life (Including Annuities and Variable Contracts) Agent Pre-Licensing Course. The tuition for this course ranges from $139 to $189, and it includes a 3-month (90-day) enrollment term. Applicants must pass the end-of-course exam with a score of 70% or better. The course completion certificate is valid for four years from the date of issuance.

Step 2: Pass the State License Exam

The state license exam can be scheduled at any time by calling 1-888-274-2020 or visiting PearsonVUE.com. The exam fee is $44 for each attempt, and a score of 70% or higher is required to pass. A passing score is valid for one year from the passing date. Applicants are limited to five examination attempts during a one-year period.

Step 3: Register for Electronic Fingerprinting

Florida requires electronic fingerprints to run a criminal background check. To make a reservation, visit MorphoTrust online or call 800-528-1358. The cost of fingerprinting is $48.55, and the results will be submitted electronically to the Florida Department of Financial Services.

Step 4: Submit Application

Submit a license application to the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) via the MyProfile page. The application fee is $55, payable to the DFS.

Step 5: Print Your License

Once the above steps are completed, the DFS Bureau of Licensing will send license approval by email. The license can then be printed from the MyProfile page.

The total cost to obtain a Florida Insurance License ranges from $147.55 to $196.55, plus course tuition.

Application process

The application process for a Florida Life and Health Insurance License involves five steps:

Step 1: Complete a Pre-Licensing Course

The first step is to complete a pre-licensing course, which provides essential knowledge and tools to prepare for the state licensing exam. The Florida Health & Life (Including Annuities & Variable Contracts) Study Manual is published by the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA) in collaboration with the Florida Department of Financial Services. The pre-licensing course covers specific industry knowledge that will be tested during the exam. It includes study materials such as practice exams and flashcards.

The pre-licensing course requires 60 hours of approved insurance education for the 2-15 Health & Life Agent License and 40 hours for the 2-14 Life Only and 2-40 Health Only Agent Licenses. Three of the required 40 hours must focus on ethics. The tuition fee for the BASIC COURSE is $139, while the ESSENTIAL Course costs $189, both including a 3-month (90-day) enrollment term.

Step 2: Pass the State License Exam

The second step is to pass the Florida Life Insurance Licensing Exam, which can be scheduled at any time, even before completing the pre-licensing course. It is recommended to take the exam 5-10 days after finishing the course. The exam can be scheduled by calling 1-888-274-2020 or visiting PearsonVUE.com. The state exam fee is $44 per attempt, and a passing score of 70% is required. The passing score is valid for one year, and candidates are limited to five attempts within that year.

The exam consists of 85 scored questions, covering general and state-specific knowledge. The general section deals with basic life insurance product knowledge, while the state-specific section covers insurance concepts, terms, rules, regulations, and practices specific to Florida. Candidates have 120 minutes to complete the exam.

Step 3: Register for Electronic Fingerprinting

The third step is to register for electronic fingerprinting, which is required by Florida to conduct a criminal background check. Candidates can make a reservation with MorphoTrust online or by calling 800-528-1358. The cost of fingerprinting is $48.55, and the results will be submitted electronically to the Florida Department of Financial Services.

Step 4: Submit Application

The fourth step is to submit a license application to the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) via the MyProfile online portal. On the application, candidates will provide personal information and include a fee of $55 payable to the DFS. The application cannot be submitted until the pre-licensing education has been completed.

Step 5: Print Your License

Finally, after completing all the above steps, candidates will receive license approval by email from the DFS Bureau of Licensing. They can then print their license from their MyProfile page.

The total cost of obtaining a Florida Life and Health Insurance License, including the course tuition and application fees, ranges from $147.55 for the 2-14 Life Only and 2-40 Health Only Agent Licenses to $147.55 plus course tuition for the 2-15 Health & Life Agent License.

Exam process

To obtain a life and health insurance license in Florida, you must complete a five-step process, which includes taking the insurance exam. Here is a detailed breakdown of the exam process:

Step 1: Complete a Pre-Licensing Course

Before taking the Florida insurance exam, you must complete a pre-licensing course that is certified by the Florida Department of Financial Services. This course will equip you with the knowledge and tools needed to pass the exam. The course covers various insurance concepts, definitions, insurance laws, and agent regulations listed on the Florida Examination Content Outline.

The pre-licensing course requirements vary depending on the type of license you are seeking. For the 2-15 Health & Life (Including Annuities & Variable Contracts) Agent License, you must complete a 60-hour approved insurance course. As of July 1, 2023, the Florida Department of Financial Services reduced the pre-licensing credit hours for the 2-14 Life and Variable Annuity course from 40 hours to 30 hours.

Step 2: Register for the State Exam

Once you have completed your pre-licensing course, you can register for the state licensing exam. You can schedule your Florida insurance exam at any time, even before completing the pre-licensing course. It is recommended to take the state exam 5-10 days after finishing your course.

You can schedule your exam by calling 1-888-274-2020 or visiting PearsonVUE.com. The state exam fee is $44 for each attempt.

Step 3: Take the State Exam

The Florida insurance exams are multiple-choice and require a score of 70% or higher to pass. The exams are administered on a computer at the testing center. You will be provided with a dry-erase sheet of paper and an erasable marker to make notes.

The number of questions and the time limit for the exam depend on the type of license you are seeking:

• The 2-15 Health & Life Agent License exam has 165 questions (150 scored, 15 "pretest" or unscored) and a time limit of 2 hours and 45 minutes. You must answer 105 questions correctly to pass.
• The 2-14 Florida Life Agent License exam has 100 questions (85 scored, 15 "pretest") and a time limit of 2 hours. You must answer 60 questions correctly to pass.
• The 2-40 Florida Health Agent License exam has 100 questions (85 scored, 15 "pretest") and a time limit of 2 hours. You must answer 60 questions correctly to pass.

Step 4: Review Your Exam Results

If you do not pass the exam on your first attempt, don't panic. You can review your exam results by calling PearsonVue at 1-888-274-2020 to schedule a date and time. Exam reviews are available within 90 days of your original examination date, and there is no cost for the review.

Step 5: Retake the Exam if Necessary

If you need to retake the exam, you must wait at least 24 hours before scheduling it again. Typically, you can take the test again within 3-5 days. The cost to retake the exam is $44, and you can register online or by calling PearsonVue.

It is important to note that you are limited to five examination attempts during a one-year period for the same exam type.

License types

There are three types of Florida Life and Health Insurance licenses:

• 2-15 Florida Health & Life (Including Annuities & Variable Contracts) Agent License: This license is for individuals who want to sell health and life insurance products, including annuities and variable contracts, in Florida. It allows you to sell fixed and variable annuities and all forms of life, health, and accident insurance policies representing insurers in Florida. To qualify for this license, you must complete a 60-hour pre-licensing course and submit an application with the associated fees to the Florida Department of Financial Services.
• 2-14 Florida Life (Including Annuities & Variable Contracts) Agent License: This license is for individuals who want to sell life insurance products, including annuities and variable contracts, in Florida. To qualify for this license, you must complete a 40-hour pre-licensing course and submit an application with the associated fees to the Florida Department of Financial Services.
• 2-40 Florida Health Agent License: This license is for individuals who want to sell health insurance products in Florida. To qualify for this license, you must complete a 40-hour pre-licensing course and submit an application with the associated fees to the Florida Department of Financial Services.

Regardless of the license type, there are some common requirements that applicants must meet. These include:

• Being a resident of Florida
• Being at least 18 years old
• Having a Social Security Number
• Completing a pre-licensing course
• Passing a state license exam
• Submitting to electronic fingerprinting for a background check
• Submitting an application with the required fees

The total cost of obtaining a Florida Insurance License varies depending on the license type and the course tuition. For example, the 2-15 Health & Life Insurance License costs $147.55 plus course tuition, while the 2-14 Life Only Insurance License and 2-40 Health Only Insurance License have the same fees but may have different course tuition costs.

Frequently asked questions