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How to Get Your Montana Insurance License in 2026

A complete step-by-step guide to becoming a licensed insurance producer in Montana. Two pieces of good news up front: Montana does not require pre-licensing education, and the state application fee for resident producers is $0 — pass the Pearson VUE exam, get fingerprinted, apply through NIPR, and you're licensed.

Quick summaryTotal time: 3–5 weeks. Total cost: roughly $210–$250 for a full P&C license (about $150–$185 for a single line). No pre-licensing education and a $0 state application fee — the exam and fingerprints are the whole process.

Montana insurance license — quick facts

State regulatorMontana State Auditor — Commissioner of Securities and Insurance (CSI)
Exam vendorPearson VUE (test centers + OnVUE online proctoring)
Pre-licensing educationNot required
Exam fee$65 per exam ($130 for both Property and Casualty)
P&C exam formatProperty: 50 scored general (75 min) + 32 scored state (45 min); Casualty: 50 scored general (75 min) + 37 scored state (60 min); scaled score 75 to pass
License application fee$0 state fee via NIPR (~$5.60 NIPR transaction fee)
FingerprintingRequired — ink fingerprint card mailed to MT DOJ Criminal Records Division, $30 fee (plus local rolling fee, ~$10-$25)
License term2 years — biennial by birth month (odd/even year matching birth year); auto-renews free when CE is complete
CE requirement24 hrs per biennium, incl. 3 hrs ethics + 1 hr Montana legislative changes

The six steps

  1. 1

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

    The Montana Commissioner of Securities and Insurance (CSI) does not require pre-licensing education for resident producer licenses — the official process starts at the exam. That means every hour you spend studying should be focused exam prep, not seat-time requirements. Our $49.99 Montana course gets most students exam-ready in 2-4 weeks.

  2. 2

    Schedule your Pearson VUE exam

    Montana contracts with Pearson VUE for insurance license exams. Create an account at pearsonvue.com/us/en/mt/insurance.html and pay the $65 exam fee per exam at reservation. Note that Property and Casualty are separate Montana exams — $130 total if you want both lines. You can test at a Pearson VUE test center or online through OnVUE remote proctoring, and appointments can be booked as little as 24 hours out.

  3. 3

    Pass with a scaled score of 75

    Each Montana producer exam has a general portion and a Montana-specific state portion taken in one sitting. The Property exam is 50 scored general questions (75 minutes) plus 32 scored state questions (45 minutes); Casualty is 50 scored general (75 minutes) plus 37 scored state (60 minutes) — each portion also carries 5 unscored pretest questions. You need a scaled score of 75, and if you fail you must retake the entire exam. Pearson VUE reports passing results to CSI, and your exam is valid for one year.

  4. 4

    Apply for your license through NIPR

    Submit your Montana resident producer application at nipr.com. Here's the best part: Montana charges a $0 state application fee for resident producers — you only pay NIPR's small transaction fee (around $5.60). Apply within one year of passing your exam or you'll have to retest.

  5. 5

    Submit your fingerprint card and consent form

    Montana requires a fingerprint background check for resident applicants, and it's old-school: get your prints rolled onto an ink fingerprint card at a local law enforcement office (rolling fees typically run $10-$25), then mail the card with the $30 processing fee directly to the Montana DOJ Criminal Records Division. You also sign the Applicant Rights & Consent to Fingerprint form from the CSI website and email it to csiapplicantrights@mt.gov. Don't mail the card to CSI — they'll return it.

  6. 6

    Get appointed by an insurance carrier

    A producer license alone doesn't authorize you to sell — you need at least one carrier appointment. Montana charges no fee for producer appointments, and the insurer files them with CSI. If you're joining an agency, they'll typically handle this on day one.

What's on the Montana P&C exams

Montana runs Property and Casualty as separate exams, each with a general-knowledge portion and a Montana-specific portion taken back-to-back. You need a scaled score of 75 on each exam, and failing means retaking the entire exam — both portions. Section breakdowns from the official Pearson VUE content outlines:

Property — general portion (50 scored questions, 75 minutes)

  • Types of policies (dwelling, homeowners, commercial, flood, inland marine) — 22 questions (44%)
  • Insurance terms and related concepts — 15 questions (30%)
  • Policy provisions and contract law — 13 questions (26%)

Casualty — general portion (50 scored questions, 75 minutes)

  • Types of policies, bonds, and related terms (auto, CGL, workers comp, umbrella, crime) — 23 questions (46%)
  • Insurance terms and related concepts — 15 questions (30%)
  • Policy provisions — 12 questions (24%)

The state portions (32 scored questions for Property, 37 for Casualty) lean heavily on Montana statutes and rules from Title 33 of the Montana Code Annotated — licensing rules, the Commissioner's powers, unfair trade practices, and cancellation/nonrenewal rules. About 25 of those questions come from statutes common to all lines, so the state material overlaps substantially between the two exams. Try our free Montana practice exam to see where you stand before booking with Pearson VUE.

Montana's unique regulatory setup

Montana's insurance regulator is the elected State Auditor, who serves as Commissioner of Securities and Insurance (CSI) — a single statewide office covering both securities and insurance, which most states split into separate agencies. For you, the practical differences are mostly pleasant: Montana charges no state fee for a resident producer application or renewal, carrier appointments are free, and licenses renew automatically when your CE is on file. The one quirk to plan around is fingerprinting — Montana still uses mailed ink fingerprint cards processed by the DOJ Criminal Records Division rather than a live-scan vendor, so build a little mailing time into your schedule. One naming note if you're licensing beyond property and casualty: Montana labels its health line Disability on the license and exam menu (the general portion is titled "Accident & Disability"), so don't be thrown if you don't see "Accident & Health" listed.

CE requirements after licensing

Montana producer licenses run on a biennial cycle tied to your birth month: odd birth years renew in odd-numbered years, even birth years in even-numbered years. Each cycle requires 24 hours of CSI-approved continuing education, including at least 3 hours of ethics and — a requirement you won't see in most states — at least 1 hour on legislative changes to Montana insurance statutes and administrative rules. There's no renewal fee or renewal application: if your CE is complete on your SBS transcript by the expiration date, the license renews automatically. Providers can take up to 30 days to report course completions, so finish your CE at least a month early — a lapsed license means a $100 reinstatement fee.

Cost breakdown

  • Exam-prep course: $49.99 with Elite Training Academy (no mandatory pre-licensing course to buy)
  • Pearson VUE exam fees: $65 per exam — $130 for both Property and Casualty
  • Fingerprint card processing: $30 to the Montana DOJ Criminal Records Division
  • Fingerprint rolling fee at local law enforcement: roughly $10-$25
  • CSI license application: $0 (plus a ~$5.60 NIPR transaction fee)
  • Biennial renewal: $0 state fee + CE course costs ($30-$200 depending on provider)

All-in, plan on roughly $210-$250 for a full Property & Casualty license, or about $150-$185 for a single line. With no pre-licensing mandate and a $0 application fee, nearly all of your budget goes to the exams themselves — which is exactly why passing on the first attempt matters.

Ready to start studying?

Start your Montana insurance license exam prep for $49.99 with lifetime access and 500+ practice questions per course — covering both the general portion and Montana's Title 33 state material.

See Montana exam prep courses →

Frequently asked questions

Does Montana require pre-licensing education?

No. Montana does not require pre-licensing education for resident producer licenses — the CSI's official licensing steps begin with the Pearson VUE exam. An exam-prep course is strongly recommended (the state portions test Montana-specific statutes from Title 33), but there's no mandatory course or certificate before you can register.

How many questions is the Montana insurance exam?

Each exam has a general portion and a Montana state portion. The Property exam is 50 scored general questions (75 minutes) plus 32 scored state questions (45 minutes); the Casualty exam is 50 scored general (75 minutes) plus 37 scored state (60 minutes). Each portion also includes 5 unscored pretest questions. Property and Casualty are separate exams in Montana.

What score do you need to pass the Montana insurance exam?

A scaled score of 75, set by the Montana Department of Insurance with Pearson VUE. It's a scaled score, not a raw percentage. If you fail, you must retake the entire exam (both portions) and pay the $65 fee again — and online OnVUE testing allows only two attempts before you must switch to a test center.

How much does the Montana insurance exam cost?

$65 per exam, paid by credit/debit card or voucher when you book — fees aren't accepted at the test center and are non-refundable. Because Montana runs Property and Casualty as separate exams, a full P&C candidate pays $130 in exam fees, which makes solid practice-exam prep worth every penny.

How much does a Montana insurance license cost in total?

Roughly $210-$250 for a full Property & Casualty license: $49.99 for exam prep, $130 for two Pearson VUE exams ($65 each), $30 for the DOJ fingerprint processing fee plus about $10-$25 to get prints rolled, and a ~$5.60 NIPR transaction fee. The state application fee itself is $0 — Montana is one of the few states that charges nothing for a resident producer application. A single-line license runs closer to $150-$185.

Does Montana require fingerprinting for an insurance license?

Yes. All resident producer applicants must complete a fingerprint background check. Unlike most states, Montana uses mailed ink fingerprint cards rather than a live-scan vendor: get printed at a local law enforcement office, mail the card and $30 fee directly to the Montana DOJ Criminal Records Division, and email the signed Applicant Rights & Consent to Fingerprint form to CSI.

How long does it take to get a Montana insurance license?

Typically 3-5 weeks, and most of that is study time. With no pre-licensing requirement, you can book the Pearson VUE exam as little as 24 hours out, the NIPR application has no state fee and processes quickly, and the fingerprint card is handled in parallel by mail. Budget 2-4 weeks of prep, then about a week for logistics.

What are Montana's insurance continuing education requirements?

24 CSI-approved credit hours every 2-year cycle, including at least 3 hours of ethics and at least 1 hour on legislative changes to Montana insurance statutes and rules — a requirement unique to Montana. Licenses run biennially tied to your birth month (odd birth years renew in odd years, even in even) and renew automatically at no state fee if your CE is complete; finishing CE late triggers a $100 reinstatement fee. Complete CE at least 30 days before expiration so providers have time to report it.

Related guides

Sources cited

This guide is based on Montana CSI, Pearson VUE, and NIPR published procedures current as of 2026. Fees and procedures change — always verify current requirements at csimt.gov before relying on any specific number.