Washington
Mike Kreidler
Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner
Appointments & Terminations
Yes
Yes
Within 15 days of contract execution or first business submission; Earlier of the two
JIT appointments permitted. Appointments must be submitted within 15 days of the date the agent/agency contract is executed or the first piece of business is submitted to the carrier. The appointment submission deadline is the earlier of the two dates
Yes
$20
$20
Yes
Yes
No
No
Not required and is the date the transaction is processed by the state.
Yes
Washington portal
$20 per appointment
Yes
Termination reason code is not required
Yes
Required and is the date supplied on transaction. Must not be in the future and must be less than 15 days old
No fee
Licensing
Resident New License Insurance Producer: $60 Resident New License Surplus Lines Broker: $205 Non Resident New License Insurance Producer: $60 Non Resident New License Surplus Lines Broker: $205
Resident: Insurance Producer Renewal Fee: $55 Surplus Line Broker Renewal Fee: $200 Nonresident: Insurance Producer Renewal Fee: $55 Surplus Line Broker Renewal Fee: $200
90 days before expiration
Last day of birth month every 2 years based on year of first state license issue
Late renewal allowed up to 60 days after expiration; reinstatement allowed up to one year after expiration
90 days before expiration
Last day of birth month every 2 years based on year of first state license issue
Late renewal allowed up to 60 days after expiration; reinstatement allowed up to one year after expiration
No
No
Residence, Business, and Mailing
Agent, Property & Casualty Company, Life Company, HCSC Company, Independent Adjuster, Public Adjuster, Title, Risk Retention Company, Insurance Producer, Life Settlements Broker, Crop Adjuster, Surplus Line Broker
Included in Producer License Class. Insurers are not required to appoint Brokers per NAIC PLMA
Yes
Applicants taking home self-study to complete the pre-licensing education requirements must contact approved pre-licensing education providers to purchase the required course material. a. A list of approved providers is available at https://bit.ly/3vEhPIa b. After completing the home self-study program, the applicant must provide verification to the pre-licensing education provider before the provider can issue a certificate of completion. c. The certification of completion is required before the applicant will be admitted to the exam.
The applicant will receive a certificate of completion after completing each pre-license course. The applicant must present the certificates at the testing site on the examination date before being admitted to take the exam.
The coursework must be completed within the 12 months before the examination date, unless an extension is granted
An applicant may petition the Commissioner for a waiver of the pre-licensing education requirement upon completion of equivalent education. a. To obtain a waiver based on education, the petitioner must have completed the education within the 12 months before the petition date. The petitioner must demonstrate that the education meets or exceeds the coursework required for the applicable line of authority. b. Applicants completing the following insurance designations will be issued a waiver: I. life insurance: CEBS, ChFC, CIC, CFP, FLMI, and LUTCF; II. disability insurance: RHU, CEBS, REBC, and HIA; and III. property or casualty insurance: AAI, ARM, CIC, and CPCU. c. The waiver must be issued before the applicant takes the written examination. An individual who applies for an application in Washington who was previously licensed for the same lines of authority in another state is not required to complete pre-license education or examination, if: a. the person is currently licensed in that state or the application is received within 90 days of the cancellation of the applicant's previous license; and b. the prior state certifies that the licensee was in good standing at the time of cancellation.
Agency
Yes
Yes
No
Applicants cannot submit non resident renewal application through NIPR for business entities.
Yes
Yes
License not required but branch must be registered
Adjuster
Yes
No
N/A
None
No LOA required
Individual Licensing Fee: $55 Individual Renewal Fee: $50 Individual Late Renewal Fee (Up to 30 days): $75 Individual Late Renewal Fee (31-60 days): $100 Individual Reinstatement Fee: $150 Business Entity Licensing Fee: $50 per location + $20 for each affiliation Business Entity Renewal Fee (Up to 30 days): $75 and $20 for each affiliation Business Entity Late Renewal Fee(31-60 days): $100 and $20 for each affiliation Business Entity Reinstatement Fee: $150 + $50 per additional location. Affiliations are $20 each when the license is active.
Yes
Biennially, on expiration date.
If one works 12 months as a salaried, full time agent at an insurance company or is a MGA, the individual will not have to take the exam. Fingerprint background check required.
Biennially, on the expiration date.
One can be enrolled in the Adjuster-trainee program. In this program, it is required to be supervised by a resident licensed adjuster, include all loss adjustment activities, be 6-9 months in length totally 960 hours. One can apply for a license after the trainee program is complete and the exam is passed.
In the event of an emergency, an Emergency Adjuster registration is required for all non resident independent adjusters not licensed in Washington. The form has to be completed after the emergency is declared and is then valid for 180 days from the date of the Governor’s declaration. If the disaster is extended, re-registration is required.
Continuing Education
24
2 years
Last day of birth month
Year of first license issuance
Prior to license expiration.
60 days prior to expiration date
Licensees who are at least 65 years old, are retired from actively selling insurance products, and don’t represent any insurer or insurance agency won’t need to maintain CE requirements. On top of that, those with good cause may request a waiver and apply for a CE exemption. Similarly, those holding a limited license for credit life and disability, credit casualty, travel, vehicle, or surety are exempt from CE.
A license may be reinstated within 12 months of the date the license was canceled or expired, as long as they get current on their CE and pay a reinstatement fee.
3 hours ethics and consumer protection
3 hours of NFIP course
8-hour initial Washington-specific certification, with 4 hours of LTC-specific training every two years
One-time, 4-hour course
https://agentsync.io/blog/individual-producers/insurance-continuing-education-washington
Regulatory Updates
Washington To No Longer Allow Appointment Backdating
Effective 4/14/2023 Washington will not allow backdating for any appointments
Washington Announces Stance on Overturned Roe v. Wade
Washington announces that it is one of the 16 states, plus D.C. that will continue to grant access to abortions and insurance coverage for abortions.
Washington Announces Adjuster Line of Authority Updates
On March 11, 2022, WA released an update on the "No Authority Required" LOA assignment being removed from Washington Adjuster license classes: Independent Adjuster, Public Adjuster, and Crop Adjuster. They released an update that noted this will now impact both individual and firm entity types.
Washington Announces Line of Authority Updates for Adjusters
On March 11th, 2022, Washington is to remove "No Authority Required" LOA from license types and adding Property or Casualty Lines of Authority in its place.
Surplus Lines Alert For Several Jurisdictions
Several states have released key information on Surplus Lines and can be found in the attached document.
FAQs
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How Do I Get an Insurance License in Washington?
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How Do I Get a State Adjuster License in Washington?
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How do I renew my insurance license in Washington?
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How do I renew my non-resident insurance license in Washington?
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How Do I renew My Non-Resident Adjuster License in Washington?
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How Do I Renew My Adjuster License In Washington?