How to Get Your North Carolina Insurance License in 2026
A complete step-by-step guide to becoming a licensed insurance producer in North Carolina. Big news up front: as of October 1, 2025, North Carolina no longer requires pre-licensing education — House Bill 737 removed the mandate, so you can go straight to exam prep, pass the Pearson VUE exam, and be licensed in about a month.
NC insurance license — quick facts
| State regulator | North Carolina Department of Insurance (NCDOI) |
| Exam vendor | Pearson VUE (NC test centers + online proctoring) |
| Pre-licensing education | Not required — eliminated October 1, 2025 (House Bill 737) |
| Exam fee | $45 per attempt, per line |
| Exam format | 55 scored questions (+5 pretest), 70 to pass; 1 hr 15 min (Life/A&H/Property/Casualty), 1 hr 45 min (Personal Lines) |
| License application fee | $50 per line of authority + $38 fingerprint processing, via NIPR |
| Fingerprinting | Required — Live Scan at local law enforcement → NC SBI/FBI; apply first, then print (within 30 days) |
| License term | Continuous — does not expire while CE is met (2-year CE cycle) |
| CE requirement | 24 hours / 2 years incl. 3 hours ethics |
The six steps
- 1
Skip pre-licensing education — North Carolina no longer requires it
Effective October 1, 2025, House Bill 737 eliminated North Carolina's pre-licensing education requirement. Applicants who apply on or after that date no longer need a course certificate to sit for the state exam — this applies to Life, Accident & Health, Property, Casualty, and Personal Lines. You can go straight to focused exam prep. Our $49.99 North Carolina course gets you exam-ready in 2-4 weeks.
- 2
Schedule your Pearson VUE exam
North Carolina contracts with Pearson VUE for producer license exams. Register at pearsonvue.com/nc/insurance, choose a North Carolina test center, and pay $45 per exam attempt. NC licenses each line separately — Property Agent and Casualty Agent are two distinct exams, so a full P&C candidate sits for (and pays for) each one.
- 3
Pass the exam — 55 questions, 70 to pass
Each North Carolina producer exam has 55 scored, four-option multiple-choice questions (plus up to 5 unscored pretest items) and a 70 scaled passing score. You get 1 hour 15 minutes for the Life, Accident & Health, Property, or Casualty exam, and 1 hour 45 minutes for Personal Lines. Your result is delivered on screen when you finish.
- 4
Submit your application through NIPR
Apply online at nipr.com for your NC resident producer license. The registration fee is $50 per line of authority, plus a $38 fingerprint processing fee on your initial application. Complete the online application before you get fingerprinted — the order matters.
- 5
Complete Live Scan fingerprinting after you apply
North Carolina requires a state and federal criminal background check for new resident producers. After you submit your NIPR application, you'll get an email with a fingerprint packet; take it to a local law-enforcement agency for Live Scan electronic fingerprints, which are transmitted to the NC State Bureau of Investigation and FBI. Prints must be submitted within 30 days of applying — there's no single statewide private vendor, so call ahead to confirm your local agency offers non-criminal Live Scan.
- 6
Get appointed by an insurance carrier
A producer license alone doesn't authorize you to sell — you need at least one carrier appointment. The insurer reports the appointment to NCDOI; if you're joining an agency, they'll typically handle this for you.
What's on the NC Property and Casualty exams
North Carolina does not offer a combined P&C exam — it licenses Property Agent and Casualty Agent as separate lines, each with its own 55-question exam (plus up to 5 unscored pretest items) and a 70 scaled passing score. Both cover the standard NAIC framework plus NC-specific statutes from Chapter 58 of the General Statutes. Question counts from the official Pearson VUE content outlines:
Property Agent exam (55 scored questions):
- Personal insurance coverages (dwelling, homeowners, auto) — 25
- Commercial insurance coverages — 10
- NC statutes & regulations pertinent to property insurance — 13
- General terms and concepts — 7
Casualty Agent exam (55 scored questions):
- Personal insurance coverages — 18
- Commercial insurance coverages — 15
- NC statutes & regulations — 15
- General terms and concepts — 7
NC-specific statute is a heavy component on both exams — roughly a quarter of each — so don't study from a generic national outline alone.
CE requirements after licensing
North Carolina producer licenses are continuous — they don't expire as long as you keep your continuing education current. Each 2-year cycle requires 24 hours of NCDOI-approved continuing education, including 3 hours of ethics. Note that the $38 fingerprint fee recurs every other renewal period.
Cost breakdown
- Exam-prep course: $49.99 with Elite Training Academy
- Pearson VUE exam fee: $45 per attempt, per line
- License registration: $50 per line of authority (a full P&C license is two lines) via NIPR
- Fingerprinting: $38 processing fee, plus any local Live Scan fee charged by your law-enforcement agency
- Biennial CE: $30-$200 depending on provider
All-in, plan on roughly $150-$300 to go from zero to licensed — toward the lower end for a single line, higher if you license both Property and Casualty. Before October 2025, a mandatory pre-licensing course added $150-$400 on top; House Bill 737 made North Carolina meaningfully cheaper to enter.
Ready to start studying?
North Carolina is now an exam-only state — no pre-licensing course stands between you and the Pearson VUE exam. Start your North Carolina insurance license exam prep for $49.99 with lifetime access and 500+ practice questions per course.
See North Carolina exam prep courses →Frequently asked questions
Does North Carolina require pre-licensing education for an insurance license?
No — not anymore. North Carolina eliminated its mandatory pre-licensing education requirement effective October 1, 2025 under House Bill 737. Anyone who applies for a producer license on or after that date can register for the Pearson VUE exam without a course certificate. A structured exam-prep course is still strongly recommended — the exam and its 70% passing standard did not change — but it's no longer legally required.
How many questions is the North Carolina insurance exam?
Each North Carolina producer exam has 55 scored questions plus up to 5 unscored pretest questions. You get 1 hour 15 minutes for the Life, Accident & Health, Property, or Casualty exam, and 1 hour 45 minutes for the Personal Lines exam. NC issues Property and Casualty as separate lines, so a full P&C candidate takes two 55-question exams.
How much does the North Carolina insurance exam cost?
$45 per attempt, paid to Pearson VUE at the time you reserve your seat. Fees are non-refundable, and each line of authority is a separate exam, so a candidate pursuing both Property and Casualty pays $45 for each.
What's the passing score on the NC insurance exam?
70. Pearson VUE converts your raw score to a 0-100 scale; 70 is passing. Your score report simply shows Pass or Fail (failing reports include the content areas where you were weak).
Does North Carolina require fingerprinting for an insurance license?
Yes. New resident producers must submit Live Scan electronic fingerprints for a state and federal background check. After you file your NIPR application you'll receive a fingerprint packet by email; take it to a local law-enforcement agency that offers non-criminal Live Scan, which transmits your prints to the NC SBI and FBI. There's a $38 fingerprint processing fee, and prints are due within 30 days of applying.
How long does it take to get a NC insurance license?
Typically 3-6 weeks now that pre-licensing is no longer required. The timeline is mostly study time: 2-4 weeks of exam prep, then schedule and pass the Pearson VUE exam, file the NIPR application, and complete Live Scan fingerprinting. NCDOI issues the license after reviewing your application and background check.
Related guides
- How to get your South Carolina insurance license
- How to get your Tennessee insurance license
- How to get your Virginia insurance license
Sources cited
- NCDOI — Pre-Licensing Education Information Packet (October 2025): pre-licensing no longer required effective Oct 1, 2025
- NCDOI — Agent and Adjuster Licensing
- Pearson VUE — North Carolina Insurance Licensing Candidate Handbook (#123400): $45 fee, 55 questions, 70 passing score
- NIPR — North Carolina Resident Licensing (Individual)
- North Carolina House Bill 737 (2024) — repeal of mandatory pre-licensing education; N.C. Gen. Stat. Ch. 58 — Insurance
This guide is based on NCDOI and Pearson VUE published procedures current as of 2026. Fees and procedures change — always verify current requirements at ncdoi.gov before relying on any specific number.