How Do I Get an Insurance License in North Carolina?

Depending on what type of insurance agent you want to be or what types of policies you need to sell, you will need to choose what type or types of insurance licenses you need to get. After you’ve determined which licenses you need, you must now take your North Carolina insurance pre-license education courses. Once you have completed your pre-licensing education, you are now ready to apply for your license. If you have more than one line of authority that you have passed the exam for, be sure to apply for all of those lines. North Carolina requires that all insurance license applicants provide fingerprints prior to licensing. Giving your fingerprints will initiate a background check. If you have any prior misdemeanors or felonies, this may affect the outcome of your licensing efforts. The next step after submitting your application and having your fingerprints taken is to pass the insurance exam. You will take one exam for each line of insurance you wish to carry. Once you have submitted your application and have filled all the other requirements, your license application will be reviewed by the state. Your background check will also be reviewed. For more information, call the North Carolina Department of Insurance at (919) 807-6800 or email the License Department.

How Do I Get a State Adjuster License in North Carolina?

Once you have completed all your coursework and your application, you are now ready to take and pass the North Carolina Insurance Adjuster License exam. Depending on the lines of authority you wish to carry, you may need to take more than one exam. Once you have submitted your application and passed the examination, your license application will be reviewed by the state. This process generally takes two to six (2-6) weeks. Depending on the results of your background check, the Department of Insurance may request more information or documentation.

How do I renew my insurance license in North Carolina?

The state of North Carolina requires that all resident individual licensees complete twenty-four (24) credit hours of continuing education every two-year compliance period. Three (3) of those hours must be on the subject of ethics. If you hold a property insurance line you must complete three (3) hours in the subject of flood insurance during your first compliance period and then again every four (4) years. In North Carolina, the expiration will be on the last day of your birth month, biennially – meaning that all resident insurance licenses expire every two years. All licenses must be renewed prior to their expiration date or they expire. Additionally, continuing education is required to renew your license in the state of North Carolina. These continuing education requirements must be completed prior to submitting your renewal application. There is a fee of $84 to renew your resident license. <a href="https://agentsync.io">AgentSync</a> can also help with the renewal process.

How do I renew my non-resident insurance license in North Carolina?

North Carolina will recertify Non-Resident licenses by reviewing their license status in their respective home state. If a Non-Resident licensee’s license(s) are in good standing in said state, then their North Carolina Non-Resident Agent license(s) will be extended. As with residential renewals, there is a fee of $84 to renew your resident license. <a href="https://agentsync.io">AgentSync</a> can also help with the renewal process.

How Do I renew My Non-Resident Adjuster License in North Carolina?

All licenses need at least an annual renewal, but most you need to apply for and it should be renewed by the North Carolina Department of Insurance. Non-resident who qualified for licensure because you were already licensed for the same lines of authority in your home state: Simply meet the CE requirements of your home state. Additionally, non-resident who qualified for licensure by taking an insurance exam in another state: Simply meet the CE requirements for the state in which you took the exam. There is an $109 fee to renew your North Carolina adjuster license. You can renew your North Carolina adjuster license online through an application on NIPR’s website. For more information, contact the North Carolina Department of Insurance.

How Do I Renew My Adjuster License In North Carolina?

North Carolina adjuster license renewal is required of all license-holders every two (2) years before the expiration date. The expiration date of your license is set as the last day of your birth month. Resident North Carolina adjusters are required to complete 24 hours of continuing education (CE) every two years, including 3 hours in Ethics. In the first compliance period and every other compliance period after that (every four years), adjusters must also complete 3 hours in Flood Insurance. There is an $84 fee to renew your North Carolina adjuster license. You can renew your North Carolina adjuster license online through an application on NIPR’s website. For more information, contact the North Carolina Department of Insurance.

North Carolina

state commissioner

Mike Causey

STATE email

NorthCarolinaLicensingOffice@Pearson.com

STATE phone

(919) 807-6800

STATE LICENSE DIVISION ADDRESS

North Carolina Department of Insurance Agent Services

Visit State Website

Appointments & Terminations

Required to report appointments?

Yes

Permits Just-in-time (JIT) appointments?

Yes

Initial appointment deadlines

Within 15 days of first business submission

Initial appointment deadline rule

JIT appointments permitted. Appointments must be submitted within 15 days of the date the first piece of business is submitted to the carrier

Can be processed via nipr?

Yes

Fees for appointing a resident agency or individual?

$20 per LOA

Fees for appointing a non resident agency or individual?

$20 per LOA

Appoint agencies?

Adjuster appointments via NIPR?

Appointment effective date can be specified?

Yes

Appointment effective date rule

Must be within 15 days of the appointment processing date. No future dating is allowed.

State requires appointment renewal?

Yes

Appointment renewals via

Via NIPR

When is the state renewal period?

Feb. 3, 2022 until March 31, 2022

Appointment renewal fee

Title Insurance Agent: $11 Auto Physical Damage: $11 Producer: $11 County Farm Mutual Insurance Agent: $11 Limited Representative: $20 Credit Agent: $20

Terminations processed via NIPR?

Yes

Termination reasons

Voluntary termination

Termination date can be specified by carrier?

Yes

Termination Effective date rule

Must be within 15 days of the processing date. No future dating is allowed

Termination fee

$10 per line

Licensing

Initial individual new license fee

Resident New License Insurance Producer: $82 (An additional $50 is charged per line of authority.) Resident New License Surplus Lines Producer: $94 (An additional $50 is charged per line of authority.) Non Resident New License Insurance Producer: $44 Non Resident New License Surplus Lines Producer: $94

License renewal fee

Resident Renewal Insurance Producer, Resident Renewal Surplus Lines Producer: $84.00 Non Resident Renewal Insurance Producer, Non Resident Renewal Surplus Lines Producer: $84

What is the resident individual producer license renewal date?

Last day of birth month every 2 years based on year of birth

When does the nonresident individual producer license renewal period begin?

N/A

What is the nonresident individual producer license renewal date?

None, perpetual

Can a producer use a P.O. Box in their resident or business address?

Are individuals required to list their county as part of the address?

What addresses are required for individual license maintenance?

Residence, Business, and Mailing

State individual licenses include

Risk Retention Group, Viatical Settlement Broker, Broker, Surplus Lines, Life, Hail Adjuster, Insurance Producer, Auto-Physical Damage, Bail Bond Runner, Company/Independent Firm Adjuster, County Farm Mutual Insurance Agent, Credit Agent, Medicare Supplement Long-Term Care, Professional Bail Bondsman, Purchasing Group Agent, Purchasing Or Risk Retention Group, Self-Employed Insurance Adjuster, Surety Bail Bondsman, Fire & Casualty, Limited Representatives, Motor-Vehicle Appraiser, Public Adjuster, Temporary Producer, Title Insurance

State broker license rule

A nonresident applicant for a broker license must A) be licensed as an agent; B)be appointed by at least one company for each kind of insurance to be brokered; C) pay license fee; and D) submit a clearance letter from his/her home state. Such letter must show what kinds of insurance the applicant is licensed for and whether his/her license is in good standing. A clearance letter will be valid for 90 days. A broker must file a bond of at least $15,000, or deposit the same amount in cash or certificates of deposit with the Commissioner. No new bond will be required of a nonresident applicant if the Commissioner decides that an existing bond covers the applicant's insurance business in North Carolina. A broker's license authorizes the licensee to broker only those kinds of insurance for which he/she: A) is licensed as an agent in his/her home state; and B) holds a company appointment. The nonresident licensee must broker insurance through a licensed and appointed agent of the insurer. He/she may not solicit directly or indirectly. Resident: An applicant for a broker license must: A) be licensed as an agent; B) be appointed by at least one company for each kind of insurance to be brokered; C)file a bond of at least $15,000, or deposit the same amount in cash or certificates of deposit with the Commissioner; and D) pay the license fee. A broker's license authorizes the licensee to broker only those kinds of insurance for which the broker: A) is licensed as an agent; and B) holds a company appointment. The licensee must broker insurance through a licensed and appointed agent of the insurer. A) A broker does not have binding authority. B) The broker license only allows the broker to share commissions with the writing agent.

Requires pre licensing courses?

Yes

Study method requirements

Supervised instruction or verifiable self-study

Submission of completion certificate rule

After completing North Carolina Insurance License Prep Course, your Examination Admission Ticket will be provided on the Course Completion Certificate page of the course. This certificate is required in order to take the state exam for licensing.

How long is the pre licensing certification valid?

Candidates have 90 days from the pre-licensing course completion date to take the exam, with a maximum of 5 retake sessions, or they must retake the pre-licensing education course to qualify to retake the exam.

Exemptions to pre licensing requirements

Applicants holding any of the following designations are exempt from the pre-license education requirement: a. AAI; b. ARM; c. CIC; d. CPCU; e. CLU; f. ChFC; g. LUTCF; h. FLMI; i. CEBS; j. CFP; k. RHU; l. REBC; m. HIA; n. associate or bachelor's degree in insurance; or o. proof of coursework in line of authority for Medicare supplement/long-term care. A new North Carolina resident may request a waiver of pre-license education if his/her license in another state has been cancelled within 60 days of the Division's receipt of the applicant's: a. letter of clearance; and b. request for waiver of pre-license education.

Agency

Can a sole proprietor be licensed as an entity?

DRLP must have active state license

Yes

DRLPs must cumulatively cover all LOAs in application

Agency Licensing renewals

License is perpetual.

Agency License required?

Yes, if selling insurance

Affiliations: Indicates if producers selling on behalf of/through an entity must be formally affiliated with that entity and if the entity must notify the department of changes

Branch office

If all branches use the same FEIN, then one license covers all branches. If each branch has its own FEIN, then a license is required for each branch.

Adjuster

Requires adjuster license?

Yes

Offers designated home state?

Yes

DHS exam required?

Yes

Reciprocity states

AK, AL, AR, AZ, CT, DE, FL, GA, ID, IN, KY, LA, ME, MI, MN, MS, MT, NH, NM, NV, OK, OR, RI, SC, TX, UT, VT, WA, WV, WY

Which states require an exam for reciprocity?

CA, HI, NY, PR

Independent adjuster LOAS

Self-Employed Insurance Adjuster

Independent adjuster fees

Licensing Fee: $169 Reinstatement Fee: $159 Renewal Fee: $109

Independent adjuster exam required?

Yes

Independent adjuster renewal date

Biennially, on April 1st.

Speciality adjuster renewal date

Biennially. Licenses expire on March 31st and renewal is due on April 1st.

Emergency adjuster details

An experienced adjuster who is licensed in the other state may act as an adjuster In North Carolina for emergency insurance adjustment work, for a period to be determined by the Commissioner. An ID must be worn at all times and a letter must be sent to CATAdjusterRequest@ncdoi.gov from the insurer noting of the person assisting.

Continuing Education

Total hours per renewal period

Renewal period

2 years

CE due before license renewal date?

Yes

License renewal date is

Last day of birth month

License renewal year based on...

Year of birth

When is the CE due?

Prior to license expiration. Licenses are perpetual, but CE is required to keep licenses active.

Exemptions to CE

Exemptions may be granted to active duty military by filing a request with the state.

What if a producer missed the renewal date?

Licensees have 4 months from the CE compliance date to meet the required hours. A $75 reinstatement must be submitted to have the license reinstated.

Ethics requirements

Flood-specific CE requirements

If you hold a property insurance line you must complete three (3) hours in the subject of flood insurance during your first compliance period and then again every four (4) years.

LTC-specific CE requirements

8-hour initial certification, with 4 hours of LTC-specific training every two years

For more from agentsync

https://agentsync.io/blog/individual-producers/insurance-continuing-education-north-carolina

Regulatory Updates

North Carolina Appointment Renewal Process

North Carolina publishes details on how the '23-'24 appointment renewals will be processed

North Carolina 2023 Appointment Renewals

North Carolina has released several key dates surrounding its 2023 company appointment renewals.

North Carolina Semi Annual Reporting Requirements

NCDOI is requiring data regarding nonfleet private vehicle damage and residential property from companies who issued Consent to Rate policies from 1/1/2022 - 6/30/2022. Data should be submitted by 10/4/2022.

North Caroline Appointment Fee Increase

Effective 8/4/2022 North Caroline updated the appointment fee from $10 to $11 per appointment.

North Carolina Stamping Fee

on 1/1/2023 North Carolina will decrease its stamping fee from 0.4% to 0.3%.

North Carolina Changes to Adjuster License Types

On August 12, 2022, North Carolina will convert their Company/Independent Adjuster and Self-Employed Adjuster license type to be the Adjuster license class. The LOA will now be "Not Applicable". This will impact the following transaction types: RL, RLR, NRAL, NRAR, NHS, and NHSR.

North Carolina to no Longer Require Broker Licenses

Effective July 7, 2022, North Carolina removed the broker requirement for residents and non residents. In this, the requirement to hold a bond is also cancelled. An agent has always been allowed to act as an agent in which they are duly appointed. Now, producer may procure insurance through a duly authorized agent without a broker license.

NC Publishes Surplus Lines Renewal FAQ Document

The document contains renewal information, fees, membership details, and other important licensing information.

North Carolina Adds New Non Uniform Question

Effective June 16, 2022, North Carolina will be adding a new non uniform question for Resident Licensing and Resident Licensing Renewals that will apply for Professional Bondsman, Surety Bondsman, and Bail Bond Runner.

North Carolina Issues Update on Non-Renewed License

Effective June 8, 2022, both Resident and Nonresident Individual and Business Entity licenses that had an expiration date of 3/31/22 and have not paid the annual renewal fee will be updated to have the status "Nonpayment". To get a new license, one must reapply starting June 9, 2022.

North Carolina Adds Bail Bond Licensing

On June 10, 2022, North Carolina will offer Bail Bondsman License classes for individuals that are residents.

North Carolina Appointment Renewals that are Past Due

North Carolina sends reminder on company appointment renewals. We are now in the late renewal period. This period ends on 5/15/22. Invoices not paid by this date will lead to the appointment being cancelled.

North Carolina Updates Expiration Dates

On April 14, 2022, North Carolina will update expirations dates on Non-Resident Insurance Producer licenses that currently have an expiration date on March 31, 2023. The expiration date will now read March 31, 2024.

North Carolina Releases Bulletin on Catastrophic Event Procedures

In the event of a catastrophe the following procedure will need to be followed for motor vehicle appraisers.

North Carolina Renewal Update

North Carolina is not requiring a renewal fee for Non-Resident Licenses IF the producer's Resident License if active. Currently, North Carolina is reviewing and cancelling all NR Licenses that do not have an active home state license. Those that do have an active home state license will see the expiration date on their Non-Resident Insurance Producer Licenses set to March 31, 2024.

North Carolina Sends a Notice Regarding its Agent Appointment Renewals

For companies with active North Carolina appointments, the bill is now available to be paid via NIPR. This payment is due by March 31st. Companies that do not have active North Carolina appointments will not have an invoice for appointment renewal. North Carolina has posted instructions and FAQs on the website linked.

North Carolina to add Bail Bond License Classes to NIPR for Renewal

North Carolina is to begin offering Bail Bondsman License Classes for Individuals for resident licensing renewals. The licensing fee is $200/license and the renewal processing fee is $76/license.

FAQs

How Do I Get an Insurance License in North Carolina?

Depending on what type of insurance agent you want to be or what types of policies you need to sell, you will need to choose what type or types of insurance licenses you need to get. After you’ve determined which licenses you need, you must now take your North Carolina insurance pre-license education courses. Once you have completed your pre-licensing education, you are now ready to apply for your license. If you have more than one line of authority that you have passed the exam for, be sure to apply for all of those lines.

North Carolina requires that all insurance license applicants provide fingerprints prior to licensing. Giving your fingerprints will initiate a background check. If you have any prior misdemeanors or felonies, this may affect the outcome of your licensing efforts. The next step after submitting your application and having your fingerprints taken is to pass the insurance exam. You will take one exam for each line of insurance you wish to carry. Once you have submitted your application and have filled all the other requirements, your license application will be reviewed by the state. Your background check will also be reviewed.

For more information, call the North Carolina Department of Insurance at (919) 807-6800 or email the License Department.
How Do I Get a State Adjuster License in North Carolina?

Once you have completed all your coursework and your application, you are now ready to take and pass the North Carolina Insurance Adjuster License exam. Depending on the lines of authority you wish to carry, you may need to take more than one exam. Once you have submitted your application and passed the examination, your license application will be reviewed by the state. This process generally takes two to six (2-6) weeks. Depending on the results of your background check, the Department of Insurance may request more information or documentation.
How do I renew my insurance license in North Carolina?

The state of North Carolina requires that all resident individual licensees complete twenty-four (24) credit hours of continuing education every two-year compliance period. Three (3) of those hours must be on the subject of ethics. If you hold a property insurance line you must complete three (3) hours in the subject of flood insurance during your first compliance period and then again every four (4) years.

In North Carolina, the expiration will be on the last day of your birth month, biennially – meaning that all resident insurance licenses expire every two years. All licenses must be renewed prior to their expiration date or they expire. Additionally, continuing education is required to renew your license in the state of North Carolina. These continuing education requirements must be completed prior to submitting your renewal application.

There is a fee of $84 to renew your resident license. AgentSync can also help with the renewal process.
How do I renew my non-resident insurance license in North Carolina?

North Carolina will recertify Non-Resident licenses by reviewing their license status in their respective home state. If a Non-Resident licensee’s license(s) are in good standing in said state, then their North Carolina Non-Resident Agent license(s) will be extended. As with residential renewals, there is a fee of $84 to renew your resident license. AgentSync can also help with the renewal process.
How Do I renew My Non-Resident Adjuster License in North Carolina?

All licenses need at least an annual renewal, but most you need to apply for and it should be renewed by the North Carolina Department of Insurance.

Non-resident who qualified for licensure because you were already licensed for the same lines of authority in your home state: Simply meet the CE requirements of your home state. Additionally, non-resident who qualified for licensure by taking an insurance exam in another state: Simply meet the CE requirements for the state in which you took the exam.

There is an $109 fee to renew your North Carolina adjuster license. You can renew your North Carolina adjuster license online through an application on NIPR’s website.

For more information, contact the North Carolina Department of Insurance.
How Do I Renew My Adjuster License In North Carolina?

North Carolina adjuster license renewal is required of all license-holders every two (2) years before the expiration date. The expiration date of your license is set as the last day of your birth month.

Resident North Carolina adjusters are required to complete 24 hours of continuing education (CE) every two years, including 3 hours in Ethics. In the first compliance period and every other compliance period after that (every four years), adjusters must also complete 3 hours in Flood Insurance.

There is an $84 fee to renew your North Carolina adjuster license. You can renew your North Carolina adjuster license online through an application on NIPR’s website.

For more information, contact the North Carolina Department of Insurance.