Get Your Auto Insurance License In North Carolina

If you're looking to become an auto insurance agent in North Carolina, you'll need to obtain a North Carolina insurance license. The process involves several steps, including completing a pre-licensing education course, submitting an application, undergoing a fingerprint and background check, and passing the relevant state licensing exam. The specific requirements and steps to obtain your license can vary depending on the type of insurance license you're seeking. It's important to carefully review the guidelines provided by the North Carolina Department of Insurance to ensure you meet all the necessary qualifications and complete the required steps for your desired license.

Complete a pre-licensing course

To get your auto insurance license in North Carolina, you'll need to complete a pre-licensing course. This is a mandatory step before you can take the state licensing exam. The pre-licensing course will prepare you for the state exam, and you'll need to pass a final exam to complete the course.

There are different pre-licensing courses available, depending on the type of insurance license you're seeking. The courses are typically 20 hours long, and you can choose between online or in-class options. The online courses offer flexibility, allowing you to access the course material from the comfort of your home or office. On the other hand, in-class courses may provide a structured learning environment and direct interaction with instructors.

When selecting a pre-licensing course, ensure that it is approved by the state of North Carolina. The course must adhere to specific rules for you to receive prelicensing credit. For example, the final course examination must be monitored and administered by a "disinterested third party," which is defined by North Carolina as "a person not concerned with respect to possible gain or loss in the result of the exam, and does not include the current or prospective employer or a member of the applicant's immediate family."

After successfully completing the pre-licensing course, you will receive an Exam Admission Ticket, which is required to register for and take the state licensing exam. This ticket is valid for five exam attempts within a 90-day period after completing the course. If you don't pass the exam within these attempts or the 90-day period, you will need to retake the pre-licensing course before making another attempt.

Register for the state licensing exam

Registering for the North Carolina state licensing exam is a straightforward process. Once you have passed the pre-licensing course, you will need to make a reservation to take the state examination.

To do this, visit the Pearson VUE website and select "Make an Exam Reservation". Follow the on-screen prompts to complete your registration.

The Exam Admission Ticket you received after completing your pre-licensing course is required to sit for the state licensing exam. This ticket is valid for 90 days and allows you five attempts to pass the exam. If you do not pass within the 90-day period or the five attempts, you will need to retake the pre-licensing course before making another attempt.

The North Carolina insurance exam can be taken online through the state's testing provider, Pearson VUE, or in person at a testing center. Within an hour of filing your application, you should receive an email from Pearson VUE with instructions on how to schedule your exam.

The exam will be specific to the type of insurance license you are seeking. For example, if you plan to work as a health insurance associate, you will need to pass the Accident and Health or Sickness Agent exam, which consists of 55 questions and lasts one hour and 15 minutes.

All insurance exams in North Carolina are multiple-choice and cost $46 per attempt. It is important to note that you can sit for more than one exam at a time, but it is recommended to focus on one exam at a time to increase your chances of passing.

Pass the state exam

Passing the state exam is a pivotal part of becoming a licensed insurance agent in North Carolina. The exam is administered by Pearson VUE, and you can register and book your exam through their website. The test can be carried out online or in person.

The exam consists of multiple-choice questions, including both general and state-specific material. The general questions will test your federal insurance product and agent knowledge, while the state-specific questions will cover North Carolina insurance regulations and laws that you need to know to operate as an insurance agent.

Each licensing examination has multiple versions, known as "forms", which contain different questions. This means that your exam may be easier or more difficult than another candidate's, even if you are being tested on the same insurance line on the same day. A statistical procedure called "equating" is used to ensure that any differences in form difficulty are accounted for. For example, one form may require 30 correct answers to pass, while another form may only require 25. Following this, a second procedure called "scaling" is used to translate this method into a numerical figure, which is then reported to candidates who fail.

The Life, Accident & Health or Sickness, Property, and Casualty exams all consist of 55 questions. The Life Insurance exam has an additional 5 pre-test questions, bringing the total number of questions to 60.

To increase your chances of passing the state exam on your first attempt, you should consider taking a pre-licensing education course. This is a legal requirement in North Carolina. Kaplan offers a course that includes features such as online exam simulations, live online training, printable study guides, and end-of-chapter reviews.

It is recommended that you allocate around one to two weeks to prepare for your exam, as this should allow you to go through all of the material at least twice. Remember that there are zero critical thinking or common-sense questions on the exam; all questions are purely factual.

• Establish a consistent pre-test routine.
• Get plenty of sleep in the week leading up to the exam.
• Tailor your studying to the exam you are taking.
• If you plan to take the exam in person, arrive at least 30 minutes early to get used to your surroundings.

Submit fingerprints

After submitting your application, you will need to submit your fingerprints within 30 days. You will receive an email from the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) with a link to print the Fingerprint Submission Packet-Release forms.

Call your local law enforcement agency to find out their days/hours for fingerprinting service and whether they offer Livescan fingerprints for non-criminal reasons. Note that fingerprint cards will not be accepted.

Take the form packet, including the cover page, to your local law enforcement agency for digital fingerprints. You will need to bring a photo ID. You, the applicant, must complete pages 1 and 3 of the packet. The local law enforcement person taking the prints must sign page 2 of the packet. The local law enforcement agency may charge a fee for taking the fingerprint impressions.

Send the completed SBI forms (pages 1 through 3) to the North Carolina Licensing Office of Pearson VUE by fax, email, or mail. The SBI Release Form must be signed and sent to the North Carolina Licensing Office of Pearson VUE.

Apply for the North Carolina Insurance License

Once you have passed your pre-licensing course and your state licensing exam, you can apply for your North Carolina Insurance License. This is done via an electronic application, which can be found on the National Insurance Producer Registry website. There is a fee of $82, plus $50 per line of authority. There is also an NIPR processing fee of $5.60.

You will be given six months to complete the application and meet any other requirements. If you do not do this within the time frame, your application will be cancelled, and you will have to start the process again.

You will be assigned an NPN, a unique identifier used to track individuals and business entities on a national basis.

After submitting your application, you will need to wait for it to be reviewed. This usually takes around 60 days. You will then be sent an email with instructions on how to print your new insurance license.

Frequently asked questions