How to Get a Texas Life Insurance License (2026)

Texas is an exam-only state for the resident Life Agent license — there are no required pre-licensing hours. Pass the Pearson VUE InsTX-Life01 exam, apply with the Texas Department of Insurance, and you can sell life insurance and annuities. Here's exactly how, and what it costs.

The Texas Life Agent license at a glance

• Authority: life insurance and annuities only (Texas Insurance Code Ch. 4054, Subchapter G). Excludes standalone health and HMO products.
• Exam: InsTX-Life01 — 80 scored questions (50 general + 30 Texas law), 120 minutes, passing score 70 (scaled), $39, at Pearson VUE.
• Pre-licensing education: none required (exam-only).
• Application fee: $50; appointment $10 per carrier.
• License term: 2 years. CE: 24 hours per period including 3 hours of ethics.

Step-by-step

1. Study for the Texas Life Agent exam. Texas does not require a state-approved pre-licensing course before you test — but the Life Agent exam (InsTX-Life01) covers both national life-insurance concepts and a heavy Texas-law portion (30 of the 80 scored questions, 37.5%), so structured study matters. Our Texas Life Agent exam-prep course is built around the exact Pearson VUE content outline — types of policies, riders, annuities, federal tax, and the Texas Insurance Code — with practice questions and a full-length final. Start with the free practice exam to see where you stand.
2. Pass the InsTX-Life01 exam at Pearson VUE. The Texas Life Agent exam has 80 scored questions (50 general + 30 Texas law) plus 10 unscored pretest items, a 120-minute time limit, and a passing score of 70 on a scaled 0–100 basis. The fee is $39. Register at pearsonvue.com/tx/insurance and book a testing-center or online-proctored slot. You must pass BEFORE applying for the license.
3. Apply for your Life Agent license with TDI. Submit your resident Life Agent application to the Texas Department of Insurance through Sircon or NIPR. The application fee is $50 per license type. A license is required before you may sell, solicit, or negotiate life insurance in Texas.
4. Complete fingerprinting through IdentoGO. Most applicants must complete a fingerprint-based background check. Schedule through IdentoGO; results are submitted to the Texas Department of Public Safety and on to TDI. Certain already-licensed applicants are exempt.
5. Get appointed and start selling. To write business for an insurer you need a company appointment ($10 each). Once appointed, you can sell life insurance and annuities. Keep up with continuing education — 24 hours every two years, including 3 hours of ethics — to renew your two-year license.

Life Agent vs. General Lines: which license do you need?

If you only plan to sell life insurance, annuities, and final-expense products, the Life Agent license is the faster, cheaper path — a shorter exam focused on exactly what you'll sell. If you also want to sell health insurance or HMO products, you'll need the General Lines — Life, Accident, Health & HMO license instead (a different, broader exam). You can always add the broader authority later.

What's protected: the Texas Guaranty Association

Texas policyholders are backed by the Texas Life & Health Insurance Guaranty Association (TIC Ch. 463), which covers, per insured life, up to $300,000 in life insurance death benefits, $100,000 in life net cash surrender value, and $250,000 in annuity present value. Agents may not use guaranty-association coverage as a selling point — that's a prohibited practice.

Frequently asked questions

Does Texas require pre-licensing education for a life insurance license?

No. Texas is an exam-only state for the resident Life Agent license — you simply pass the InsTX-Life01 exam. (The only exception is the optional 180-day temporary license, which requires 40 hours of sponsor training.) A prep course is optional but recommended, because the exam's Texas-law portion is a heavy 37.5% of the score.

What can a Texas Life Agent sell?

Life insurance and annuities only — term, whole, universal, variable, indexed, endowment, industrial, group and credit life, plus fixed and variable annuities and life-based accidental death and disability riders. The standalone Life Agent license does NOT authorize standalone health or HMO products; that requires the General Lines — Life, Accident, Health & HMO license.

How much does it cost to get a Texas life insurance license?

Roughly: the $39 Pearson VUE exam fee, a $50 TDI application fee, plus the fingerprinting fee and any $10-per-carrier appointment fees. Exam-prep and study materials are additional and optional.

How many questions is the Texas Life Agent exam and what's the passing score?

80 scored questions (50 national life-insurance + 30 Texas law) plus 10 unscored pretest questions, in 120 minutes. You need a scaled score of 70 to pass.

Is the Texas Life Agent license the same as the General Lines life license?

No. The Life Agent license (TIC Ch. 4054, Subchapter G) covers life and annuities only. The General Lines — Life, Accident, Health & HMO license adds health and HMO authority and uses a different exam (InsTX-LAH05). Many final-expense and life-only agents choose the Life Agent license because the exam is shorter and cheaper.

How long is the license good for and what CE is required?

A Texas resident license is valid for two years. Life Agents complete 24 hours of continuing education every renewal period, including 3 hours of ethics, with at least half in a classroom-equivalent format.

Elite Training Academy provides exam-preparation materials. Texas does not require state-approved pre-licensing education for the resident Life Agent license; this course is optional study support, not a mandated course. Verify current fees and requirements at tdi.texas.gov.