Becoming An Insurance Broker: The Pennsylvania Guide

If you're looking to become an insurance broker in Pennsylvania, you'll need to obtain a license from the state. The process involves several steps, including completing pre-licensing education, registering and passing an exam, getting fingerprinted, and applying for your license. Here's an overview to guide you through the process and help you get started on your career path as an insurance broker in Pennsylvania.

Complete pre-licensing education

To become an insurance broker in Pennsylvania, you must complete pre-licensing education requirements. This education will help prepare you for the broker exam and your future career. The requirement is for 24 hours of pre-licensing education courses, with a minimum of 3 hours dedicated to ethics. The courses you will take will depend on the type of insurance license you want to earn. The types of insurance covered in the education include accident and health, casualty and allied lines, life, motor vehicle physical damage appraiser, personal lines, and title, among others.

You can find out more about the courses, who provides them, and where you can take them at Sircon, the state's authorized course locator. To do this, click on "Look up education courses/credits", select "approved courses inquiry", choose Pennsylvania as your state, and click "submit". Next, change the education type to "prelicensing education", select your preferred instruction method or leave this blank, and click "submit" again. When you click on the provider's name, you will be able to access their contact information and a link to the courses they provide.

After you finish your courses, you will receive a certificate of completion from your education provider. Make sure to keep this safe, as you will need to bring it with you when you take your licensing exam.

Once you have completed the pre-licensing education requirements, you can register for the insurance examination for the type of license you have chosen. The exam provider is PSI, and you can register at https://candidate.psiexams.com or by calling 800.733.9267. The fees for the exam vary depending on the topic, but most are $43. In preparation for the exam, you should study and practice. The PSI Learning Academy has information and practice exams available online.

Register and pay for the exam

To register and pay for your insurance broker exam in Pennsylvania, you must first complete the pre-licensing education requirements. This involves enrolling for classes at an approved education provider using Sircon, the state's authorized course locator. As of November 2010, you must complete 24 hours of coursework for both the property and casualty class and the life, accident, and health class. You will receive a certificate of completion for each course, which you must keep as you will need it when taking your licensing exam.

After you have completed the pre-licensing education requirements, you can register for the insurance examination for the type of license you have chosen. In Pennsylvania, PSI is the exam provider. You can register at https://candidate.psiexams.com or by calling 800.733.9267. The fees for the exam vary depending on the topic, but most are $43.

When registering, you will also need to pay the exam fee. As of November 2010, fees for producer (broker) exams are either $44 or $55 depending on the exam. There is also a $20 fingerprint processing fee that must be paid at this time.

It is important to note that you cannot take the exam without a reservation. In preparation for the exam, you should study and practice. The PSI Learning Academy has information and practice exams available online.

Pass the exam

To pass the exam, you must first complete the pre-licensing education requirements. This involves 24 hours of pre-licensing education courses, with a minimum of 3 hours dedicated to ethics. The courses you take will depend on the type of insurance license you want to obtain. The types of insurance covered in the education include accident and health, casualty and allied lines, life, motor vehicle physical damage appraiser, personal lines, title, and more.

You can find out more about the courses, who provides them, and where to take them at Sircon. You can also learn more about the five best pre-license education courses in 2024 from StateRequirement.

After completing your pre-licensing education, you can then register for your exam and pay the associated fee. The exam provider in Pennsylvania is PSI, and the fees for the exam vary depending on the topic, but most are $43. You can prepare for the exam by studying and practising with the PSI Learning Academy's online information and practice exams.

On the day of the exam, you must arrive at the exam centre 30 minutes before the scheduled start time. You will need to bring your prelicensing education certificate of completion and a government ID with a photo and signature, such as a driver's license, passport, military ID, or state-issued ID card. Your photograph will also be taken at the testing site.

The exam will be multiple-choice, and you will need to obtain at least 70% overall to pass. There is no limit on the number of attempts you can have at the exam if you fail.

Apply for your license

Once you've passed the licensing exam, you can start the application process for the qualifying license. This typically involves filling out an application, providing proof of meeting all the pre-licensing requirements, and submitting proof of passing the licensing exam. You will also need to pay an application or processing fee.

In Pennsylvania, applications are submitted online through Sircon or the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR), and can be completed from your own computer or at the testing center after passing your insurance exam. For most insurance producer licenses, it costs $55 to submit a license application, though Resident Surplus Lines Producers must pay an application fee of $200.

If you've passed the licensing exams for multiple lines of authority, you'll need to submit an application (and pay a filing fee) for each of them. On top of all the fees mentioned above, you'll also be charged a small online service fee of around $12.50.

After satisfying all the requirements and submitting your license application to the Pennsylvania Insurance Department, you'll need to wait for your application to be processed. If everything has been filled out correctly, your license should be issued within a few weeks. This is the typical amount of time it takes for a license application and background check to be reviewed.

The issuance of your insurance license can take longer if there are any items from your background check that need to be looked over. In this case, the state will likely get in touch to provide some context. The state will send you an email regarding the status of your license once it's been issued, so keep an eye out for that.

While waiting to hear back, you can check the status of your application on the Pennsylvania Insurance Department's website.

Get fingerprinted

To become an insurance broker in Pennsylvania, you will need to get fingerprinted as part of the process of applying for your license. This is a mandatory requirement and will cost $22.60. You can get fingerprinted at the testing centre after passing your exam, or you can apply online using your own device.

If you choose to get fingerprinted at the testing centre, you will need to pay the fingerprinting fee at the same time as the license application fee of $55. You will also need to submit your fingerprints electronically at a kiosk located at the testing centre.

If you choose to apply for your license online, you will still need to get a fingerprint scan. To do this, you must register online via the IdentoGO website at https://uenroll.identogo.com, or you can call 844.321.2101. You will be provided with a registration number, which you should take with you when you go to the IdentoGO site for fingerprinting.

It is worth noting that the fingerprinting fee is subject to change. As of November 2010, the fingerprint processing fee was $20. Therefore, it is advisable to check the current fee when you are ready to apply for your license.

In addition to getting fingerprinted, there are several other steps you must complete to become a licensed insurance broker in Pennsylvania. These include completing pre-licensing education, registering for and passing the exam, and applying for your license. Make sure you are familiar with all the requirements to ensure a smooth application process.

Frequently asked questions