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How to Get Your Hawaii Insurance License in 2026

A complete step-by-step guide to becoming a licensed insurance producer in Hawaii. Good news up front: Hawaii does not require pre-licensing education — you can go straight to exam prep, test with Pearson VUE (at a center or from home), and be licensed in about a month.

Quick summaryTotal time: 3–6 weeks. Total cost: roughly $340–$450 all-in. No pre-licensing education required — exam, fingerprints, and a NIPR application are the whole process.

Hawaii insurance license — quick facts

State regulatorHawaii DCCA Insurance Division
Exam vendorPearson VUE (test centers + remote OnVUE)
Pre-licensing educationNot required
Exam fee$75 per exam (Property and Casualty are separate exams)
P&C exam formatProperty: 83 scored + 10 pretest, 120 min · Casualty: 91 scored + 12 pretest, 135 min · scaled score of 70 to pass
License application fee$150 (resident producer) via NIPR, plus NIPR transaction fee
FingerprintingRequired — Fieldprint Hawaii, code HI-DCCA-INS, ~$60–$70 (state + FBI)
License term2 years — expires last day of birth month; even birth month renews in even years, odd in odd; renewal $100
CE requirement24 hrs per biennium — P&C only: 21 hrs P/C/Surety + 3 hrs ethics/laws

The six steps

  1. 1

    Skip pre-licensing education — Hawaii doesn't require it

    The Hawaii DCCA Insurance Division does not mandate a state-approved pre-licensing course for producer licenses — passing the exam is the only educational hurdle. That means you can go straight to focused exam prep. Our $49.99 Hawaii course gets you exam-ready in 2-4 weeks. Note: if you're already licensed in good standing for the same lines in another state (or apply within 90 days of canceling that license), Hawaii waives the exam entirely.

  2. 2

    Schedule your Pearson VUE exam

    Hawaii contracts with Pearson VUE — not Prometric — for insurance license exams. Register at pearsonvue.com/hi/insurance or call (800) 274-2608 at least 24 hours before your desired date; walk-in testing is not available. Pick a test center (Honolulu, Hilo, Haleiwa, Kahului, and more) or test from home through OnVUE online proctoring. The fee is $75 per exam, paid at reservation, non-refundable.

  3. 3

    Pass the exam with a scaled score of 70

    For a Property & Casualty career Hawaii gives two separate exams: the Property Producer exam (83 scored questions plus 10 pretest, 120 minutes) and the Casualty Producer exam (91 scored questions plus 12 pretest, 135 minutes). Each splits into a general-knowledge section and a Hawaii laws section, and each requires a scaled score of 70 to pass — Hawaii reports a standardized scaled score, not a raw percentage. You can take both back-to-back in a single test-center session — but not through OnVUE, where exams must be scheduled separately.

  4. 4

    Get fingerprinted through Fieldprint Hawaii

    Hawaii requires all new resident license applicants to complete a fingerprint-based background check before submitting the application. Schedule online at fieldprinthawaii.com and enter code HI-DCCA-INS so results route to the Insurance Division. Fieldprint collects the fee — plan on roughly $60-$70, which covers both state and FBI submission fees.

  5. 5

    Submit your license application through NIPR

    Hawaii accepts electronic applications only — apply at nipr.com and pay by credit card (paper applications haven't been accepted since November 2020). The resident producer application fee is $150 plus a small NIPR transaction fee. Two Hawaii quirks: your addresses can't be P.O. boxes, and you'll need a Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) license from the Department of Taxation since commissions are subject to GET.

  6. 6

    Get appointed by an insurance carrier

    A producer license alone doesn't authorize you to sell — under HRS §431:9A-114 you must be an appointed agent of each insurer you represent. The insurance company files the appointment (Form APPT) with the DCCA; if you're joining an agency, they'll typically handle this for you. No appointment is required at application time, but one must be in place before you transact business.

What's on the Hawaii P&C exams

Unlike most states, Hawaii tests Property and Casualty as two separate Pearson VUE exams ($75 each), and you can sit both in one test-center session. Each exam has a general-knowledge section and a Hawaii-specific section built on HRS Title 24 (§431, the Insurance Code). Item counts from the official Pearson VUE content outlines:

Property Producer exam — 83 scored questions, 120 minutes:

  • Types of policies (homeowners, dwelling, commercial property, inland marine) — 22 items
  • Insurance terms and related concepts — 15 items
  • Policy provisions and contract law — 11 items
  • Hawaii laws common to all lines (licensing, marketing, claims) — 23 items
  • Hawaii laws for property & casualty — 4 items
  • Hawaii property-only laws (incl. Hawaii Property Insurance Association, hurricane coverage) — 6 items

Casualty Producer exam — 91 scored questions, 135 minutes:

  • Types of policies, bonds, and related terms (auto, CGL, workers comp, umbrella) — 23 items
  • Insurance terms and related concepts — 15 items
  • Policy provisions — 12 items
  • Hawaii laws common to all lines — 23 items
  • Hawaii laws for property & casualty — 3 items
  • Hawaii casualty-only laws (incl. motor vehicle no-fault law, HRS 431:10C, and workers comp) — 15 items

The Hawaii-specific sections carry serious weight — Hawaii's no-fault motor vehicle insurance law and the Hawaii Property Insurance Association show up often, so drill them. Try our free Hawaii practice exam to see where you stand before booking with Pearson VUE.

CE requirements after licensing

Hawaii producer licenses run on a biennial cycle tied to your birth month: your license expires on the last day of your birth month — in even-numbered years if you were born in an even month, odd-numbered years if born in an odd month. Each biennium requires 24 CE credit hours. If you hold only Property and Casualty lines, that's 21 hours in Property, Casualty, or Surety topics plus 3 hours of ethics or insurance laws; producers holding Life, Accident & Health, and P&C split it 10 (Life/A&H) + 11 (P&C/Surety) + 3 (ethics/laws). Two extras to know: P&C producers need a one-time 3-hour NFIP flood course before selling flood insurance, and life producers need a one-time 4-hour annuity best-interest course before selling annuities. Renewal costs $100 through NIPR; renew up to 90 days before expiration — miss it and the late-renewal fee triples to $300.

Cost breakdown

  • Exam-prep course: $49.99 with Elite Training Academy
  • Pearson VUE exam fees: $75 per exam ($150 for both Property and Casualty)
  • Fieldprint Hawaii fingerprinting: ~$60–$70 (includes state and FBI checks)
  • DCCA license application: $150 (resident producer), plus a small NIPR transaction fee
  • Hawaii General Excise Tax (GET) license: one-time $20 registration with the Department of Taxation
  • Biennial renewal: $100 + CE course costs ($30–$200 depending on provider)

All-in, plan on roughly $340–$450 to go from zero to licensed — a bit more than mainland states because of Hawaii's $150 application fee and two-exam P&C structure, but there's no mandatory pre-licensing course to buy.

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Would you pass the Hawaii Personal Lines exam today?

10 questions from our Hawaii Personal Lines question bank, graded instantly. Want the longer version? Take the 20-question practice exam.

  1. 1. The 'protect the property' duty after a loss requires the insured to:

  2. 2. The local volunteer fire department charges a $750 service fee after responding to the insured's house fire. The HO-3 additional coverage for Fire Department Service Charge pays:

  3. 3. An applicant owns a single-family home worth $380,000. She wants the broadest coverage available on both the dwelling AND her personal property — she does not want to argue with the adjuster about whether a particular peril is named in the form. Her producer recommends an HO-5. What is the key difference between an HO-5 and an HO-3 that justifies the recommendation?

  4. 4. A PAP insured carries $25,000 UIM (underinsured motorist). She is hit by an at-fault driver carrying state-minimum 25/50 BI. Her actual BI damages are $65,000. Under a typical 'limits-reduction' UIM provision (offset), her recovery from her own UIM is:

  5. 5. An insured carries 100/300/50 liability and is involved in an accident causing $250,000 BI to one person and $40,000 PD. The insurer pays:

  6. 6. On a personal liability policy, the insurer's right to settle a claim within policy limits is typically:

  7. 7. An insured wants to increase Ordinance or Law coverage from the 10% additional coverage to 50% of Coverage A so the home, built in 1958, can be fully brought to current code. The appropriate solution is:

  8. 8. An audit on a casualty policy compares:

  9. 9. An advantage of scheduling jewelry on a Personal Articles Floater rather than relying on the homeowners policy is:

  10. 10. An insured's neighbor's child is at the insured's house playing and falls off the swing set, breaking an arm. Medical bills total $4,800. The neighbor does not threaten to sue — she just asks the insured to help with the bills as a goodwill gesture. The insured has Coverage F Medical Payments to Others at $5,000. Which statement BEST describes how Coverage F responds?

Hawaii licensing requirements at a glance

Quoted from NIPR, "Hawaii resident licensing requirements, individual", read 2026-09-16. Confirm with the Hawaii Insurance Division before you apply.

State examInsurance Producer and Surplus Lines applicants must pass the Hawaii licensing exams. Exams are required for Life, Accident & Health or Sickness, Property, Casualty, Personal Lines, Surety and Title, and for Independent Adjuster, Public Adjuster and Workers' Compensation Adjuster.
Background checkFingerprinting has been required for resident licence applications since 1 November 2010, scheduled through the state's vendor FieldPrint.
How to applyApply electronically through NIPR's Resident License application.
Application feeInsurance Producer: $150Limited Lines Producer: $150

Source: Hawaii resident licensing requirements, individual (NIPR, read 2026-09-16).

Hawaii insurance exams: published facts

  • LifeLife Producer (InsHI_Life01): 85 scored questions, 120 minutes, administered by Pearson VUE, $75 exam fee. Hawaii does not publish a passing score for this examination, so treat the candidate handbook as the authority rather than any figure quoted elsewhere.
  • HealthAccident & Health and Sickness (InsHI_Health02): 85 scored questions, 120 minutes, administered by Pearson VUE, $75 exam fee. Hawaii does not publish a passing score for this examination, so treat the candidate handbook as the authority rather than any figure quoted elsewhere.
  • PropertyProperty Producer (InsHI_Prop03): 83 scored questions, 120 minutes, administered by Pearson VUE, $75 exam fee. Hawaii does not publish a passing score for this examination, so treat the candidate handbook as the authority rather than any figure quoted elsewhere.
  • CasualtyCasualty Producer (InsHI_Cas04): 91 scored questions, 135 minutes, administered by Pearson VUE, $75 exam fee. Hawaii does not publish a passing score for this examination, so treat the candidate handbook as the authority rather than any figure quoted elsewhere.
  • Personal LinesPersonal Lines (InsHI_Pers55): 116 scored questions, 150 minutes, administered by Pearson VUE, $75 exam fee. Hawaii does not publish a passing score for this examination, so treat the candidate handbook as the authority rather than any figure quoted elsewhere.

What the Hawaii Personal Lines (75 general + 41 Hawaii) covers

Section weights from Pearson VUE publication #121201, effective 2026-01-01.

I. Types of Policies8.621% (10 of 116)
II. Insurance Terms and Related Concepts19.828% (23 of 116)
III. Policy Provisions and Contract Law5.172% (6 of 116)
IV. Personal Policies — Auto and Umbrella11.207% (13 of 116)
V. Insurance Terms and Related Concepts (Casualty emphasis)4.31% (5 of 116)
VI. Policy Provisions15.517% (18 of 116)
VI. Hawaii Insurance Code and DCCA Insurance Division19.828% (23 of 116)
VII. Hawaii Statutes Pertinent to Property and Casualty15.517% (18 of 116)

Everything for Hawaii in one place

Frequently asked questions

Does Hawaii require pre-licensing education?

No. Hawaii does not require a state-approved pre-licensing course for producer licenses — you only need to pass the Pearson VUE licensing exam. A structured exam-prep course is strongly recommended (the exam covers both national concepts and Hawaii-specific statutes), but it is not legally required.

Does Hawaii use Prometric or Pearson VUE for insurance exams?

Pearson VUE. Pearson is the official exam administrator for the Hawaii Insurance Division. Register at pearsonvue.com/hi/insurance or call (800) 274-2608. Since May 2021 you can also test remotely through Pearson's OnVUE online proctoring instead of visiting a test center.

How many questions is the Hawaii insurance exam?

It depends on the line. The Property Producer exam has 83 scored questions (50 general + 33 Hawaii-specific) plus 10 unscored pretest questions in 120 minutes. The Casualty Producer exam has 91 scored questions (50 general + 41 Hawaii-specific) plus 12 pretest questions in 135 minutes. Life and Accident & Health each run 85 scored questions in 120 minutes. Every exam requires a scaled score of 70 to pass — a standardized score, not a raw percentage.

How much does the Hawaii insurance exam cost?

$75 per exam, paid by credit card, debit card, or voucher at the time of reservation. Because Hawaii splits Property and Casualty into two separate exams, a full P&C license means two exam fees ($150 total if you pass both first try). Fees are non-refundable, so solid practice-exam prep pays for itself.

How much does a Hawaii insurance license cost in total?

Roughly $340-$450 all-in. For P&C: $49.99 exam prep + $150 in Pearson VUE exam fees ($75 x 2) + about $60-$70 for Fieldprint fingerprinting + $150 NIPR application fee + a small NIPR transaction fee. A single-exam line like Life comes in closer to $340-$370.

How long does it take to get a Hawaii 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), complete Fieldprint fingerprinting, and file the NIPR application. Clean applications generally process within days to a couple of weeks.

Does Hawaii require fingerprinting for an insurance license?

Yes. All new resident applicants must be fingerprinted before submitting the license application (required since November 2010). Schedule online with Fieldprint Hawaii using code HI-DCCA-INS; Fieldprint collects roughly $60-$70 covering both Hawaii state and FBI submission fees, and sends results directly to the DCCA Insurance Division.

What are Hawaii's continuing education requirements?

24 CE credit hours per two-year license term. If you hold only Property and Casualty lines: 21 hours in Property/Casualty/Surety topics plus 3 hours of ethics or insurance laws. If you hold Life plus Accident & Health plus P&C: 10 hours Life/A&H, 11 hours P&C/Surety, and 3 hours ethics/laws. Licenses renew biennially by the last day of your birth month — even birth months renew in even-numbered years, odd in odd years. Renewal costs $100.

Related guides

Sources cited

This guide is based on Hawaii DCCA Insurance Division, Pearson VUE, and NIPR published procedures current as of 2026. Fees and procedures change — always verify current requirements at cca.hawaii.gov/ins before relying on any specific number.