How to Get Your Alaska Insurance License in 2026
A complete step-by-step guide to becoming a licensed insurance producer in Alaska. Good news up front: Alaska does not require pre-licensing education — you go straight to exam prep. The two quirks worth knowing: Property and Casualty are two separate exams (take both in one sitting for one $89 fee), and fingerprinting still happens on an ink card you mail to Juneau.
Alaska insurance license — quick facts
| State regulator | Alaska Division of Insurance (Dept. of Commerce, Community & Economic Development) |
| Exam vendor | Pearson VUE (test centers + online OnVUE) |
| Pre-licensing education | Not required — exam only |
| Exam fee | $89 — covers up to two exams in one test-center session |
| P&C exam format | Two separate exams (Property, Casualty); each 50 scored general + 40 scored state questions, ~2 hrs 15 min, scaled score 70 to pass |
| License application fee | $75 flat via NIPR — covers any or all lines of authority |
| Fingerprinting | Required — FD-258 ink card mailed to the Division, $47 state/FBI fee |
| License term | 2 years — expires last day of birth month, odd/even year matching birth year; $75 renewal |
| CE requirement | 24 hours per biennium, incl. 3 hours ethics |
The six steps
- 1
Skip pre-licensing education — Alaska doesn't require it
Alaska is an exam-only state: under AS 21.27.020 you just need to be 18, an Alaska resident, trustworthy, and pass the exam — no mandatory pre-licensing course. That means your only real hurdle is the test itself. Our $49.99 Alaska exam-prep course gets you exam-ready in 2-4 weeks.
- 2
Schedule your Pearson VUE exam
Alaska contracts with Pearson VUE. Register at pearsonvue.com/ak/insurance (or call 800-274-5993) at least 24 hours ahead and pay the $89 exam fee. Alaska's best-kept scheduling secret: at a physical test center you can take up to two exams in a single session for one $89 fee — and since Alaska splits Property and Casualty into two separate exams, that combo saves you a second $89. Online OnVUE proctoring is available too, but each online exam costs $89 on its own.
- 3
Pass with a scaled score of 70
Each major-lines exam has two parts: a general portion (50 scored questions plus 5 pretest, 1 hour 15 minutes) and an Alaska law portion (40 scored questions plus 10 pretest, 1 hour). You need a scaled score of 70 to pass, and failing either part means retaking the whole exam. Results are valid for one year, and you leave the test center with your score report in hand.
- 4
Get fingerprinted on an FD-258 card
Alaska still does fingerprinting the old-school way: an ink FD-258 fingerprint card, not electronic live scan. Get printed at a police department or an agency on the Alaska Department of Public Safety's approved fingerprinter list, then mail the original card directly to the Division of Insurance in Juneau — NIPR can't upload it for you. The $47 state/FBI background-check fee is collected with your application. Build in mailing time, especially from rural Alaska.
- 5
Apply through NIPR
Submit your resident producer application at nipr.com. Alaska charges a flat $75 application fee that covers any or all lines of authority — Property and Casualty together still cost $75 — plus the $47 fingerprint fee and a small NIPR transaction fee. File electronically: Alaska adds a $50 surcharge for paper applications. All requirements (including your fingerprint card) must be complete within 4 months or the application is withdrawn.
- 6
Connect with an insurance carrier
You'll need a carrier or agency relationship to actually sell — but unlike most states, Alaska no longer requires insurers to file producer appointments with the Division of Insurance. Carriers simply track their authorized producers internally, which means one less filing (and one less fee) between you and your first commission.
What's on the Alaska P&C exams
Alaska tests Property and Casualty as two separate exams rather than one combined P&C test. Each exam has a general-knowledge part (50 scored + 5 pretest questions, 1 hour 15 minutes) and an Alaska law part (40 scored + 10 pretest questions, 1 hour), with a scaled passing score of 70. Section weights from the official Pearson VUE content outlines (effective March 3, 2025):
Property exam — general portion (50 scored questions):
- Types of property policies (homeowners, dwelling, commercial, inland marine, flood) — 22 questions
- Insurance terms and related concepts — 15 questions
- Policy provisions and contract law — 13 questions
Casualty exam — general portion (50 scored questions):
- Types of policies, bonds, and related terms (CGL, auto, workers comp, crime, professional liability) — 23 questions
- Insurance terms and related concepts — 15 questions
- Policy provisions — 12 questions
On each exam, the Alaska law portion splits into 30 scored questions on laws common to all lines (the Director's powers, licensing rules under AS 21.27, trade practices, CE rules) and 10 on laws specific to that line — including Alaska's auto financial-responsibility rules on the Casualty exam. Try our free Alaska practice exam to see where you stand before booking with Pearson VUE.
Why Alaska's process feels different
Three things set Alaska apart. First, the split P&C exam: Property and Casualty are separate lines with separate exams, but a single test-center session ($89) lets you knock out both — and the $75 application fee covers every line you've passed, so there's no per-line surcharge. Second, ink fingerprint cards: while most states use electronic live-scan vendors, Alaska requires a physical FD-258 card mailed directly to the Division of Insurance in Juneau, so plan that step early. Third, no appointment filings: Alaska repealed the requirement that insurers file producer appointments with the Division — carriers just track their own authorized producers, which removes a step (and a fee) that exists in almost every other state.
CE requirements after licensing
Alaska producer licenses run on a biennial cycle tied to your birthday: your license expires on the last day of your birth month in odd-numbered years if you were born in an odd year, even-numbered years if born in an even year (3 AAC 23.860). If you first apply within three months of your birthday, your initial license can run up to 27 months. Once you've held the license a full two-year period, each renewal requires 24 hours of approved CE, including at least 3 hours of ethics. Renewal costs $75 (covering all your lines) through NIPR; let it lapse and reinstatement jumps to $175, or $275 if you're more than 60 days past expiration.
Cost breakdown
- Exam-prep course: $49.99 with Elite Training Academy
- Pearson VUE exam fee: $89 (one session covers both Property and Casualty at a test center)
- Fingerprint background check: $47 state/FBI fee, plus a small local charge to roll the FD-258 card
- License application: $75 flat via NIPR (any or all lines), plus a small NIPR transaction fee
- Biennial renewal: $75 + CE course costs ($30-$200 depending on provider)
All-in, plan on roughly $265-$300 to go from zero to licensed. There's no pre-licensing course to buy, the exam fee covers two tests in one sitting, and the flat $75 application means adding lines costs nothing extra.
Ready to start studying?
Start your Alaska insurance license exam prep for $49.99 with lifetime access and 500+ practice questions per course — built around the official Pearson VUE content outlines.
See Alaska exam prep courses →Frequently asked questions
Does Alaska require pre-licensing education?
No. Alaska has no pre-licensing education requirement for resident producer licenses. Under AS 21.27.020 you only need to be 18 or older, reside in Alaska, be trustworthy and competent, and pass the licensing exam. The Division of Insurance encourages exam preparation, so a solid prep course is strongly recommended — but not legally required.
How many questions is the Alaska insurance exam?
Each Alaska major-lines exam (Life, Health, Property, or Casualty) has two parts: a general portion with 50 scored questions plus 5 unscored pretest questions (1 hour 15 minutes) and an Alaska law portion with 40 scored questions plus 10 pretest questions (1 hour) — about 105 questions and 2 hours 15 minutes total per exam. Note that Alaska tests Property and Casualty as two separate exams.
How much does the Alaska insurance exam cost?
$89 per reservation through Pearson VUE. At a physical test center, you can take up to two exams in one session for that single $89 — so Property + Casualty together costs $89, not $178. Online OnVUE exams are $89 each with no combination discount.
How much does an Alaska insurance license cost in total?
Roughly $265-$300 all-in: $49.99 for exam prep, $89 for the Pearson VUE exam session, $47 for the state/FBI background check, $75 for the license application (flat fee covering any or all lines), plus a small NIPR transaction fee and whatever your local fingerprinting agency charges to roll an FD-258 card.
How long does it take to get an Alaska insurance license?
Typically 3-6 weeks. With no pre-licensing requirement, the timeline is mostly study time: 2-4 weeks of exam prep, then schedule and pass the Pearson VUE exam(s), get your FD-258 fingerprint card rolled and mailed to Juneau, and file the NIPR application. Mailing the physical fingerprint card is the step most likely to add days, so do it early.
Does Alaska require fingerprinting for an insurance license?
Yes — new resident applicants who don't already hold an active Alaska insurance license must submit an FBI FD-258 ink fingerprint card for a state and national criminal background check ($47 fee). Alaska doesn't use electronic live scan for this: the original card must be mailed directly to the Division of Insurance, not uploaded through NIPR.
Why does Alaska have separate Property and Casualty exams?
Alaska licenses Property and Casualty as separate lines of authority, each with its own two-part exam — unlike most states, which give one combined P&C exam. The upside: you can sit both in one Pearson VUE test-center session for a single $89 fee, and the $75 application covers both lines. Most new P&C producers take both exams the same day.
What are Alaska's continuing education requirements?
Once you've held your license for a full two-year period, each renewal requires 24 hours of approved continuing education, including at least 3 hours of ethics training. Licenses renew biennially on the last day of your birth month — in odd-numbered years if you were born in an odd year, even-numbered years if born in an even year — with a $75 renewal fee covering all your lines.
Related guides
- Free Alaska practice exam
- How to get your Washington insurance license
- How to get your Montana insurance license
- How to get your Hawaii insurance license
Sources cited
- Alaska Division of Insurance — Dept. of Commerce, Community & Economic Development
- Alaska Division of Insurance — Resident License requirements
- Pearson VUE — Alaska Insurance licensing exams
- Pearson VUE — Alaska Insurance Licensing Candidate Handbook
- Pearson VUE — Alaska Insurance Supplement: Examination Content Outlines (effective March 3, 2025)
- NIPR — Alaska Resident Licensing (Individual)
- AS 21.27 — Alaska Insurance Code, Trade Practices and Licensing
This guide is based on Alaska Division of Insurance, Pearson VUE, and NIPR published procedures current as of 2026. Fees and procedures change — always verify current requirements at commerce.alaska.gov/web/ins before relying on any specific number.