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How to Get Your Virginia Insurance License in 2026

A complete step-by-step guide to becoming a licensed insurance producer in Virginia. Good news up front: Virginia does not require pre-licensing education for life, health, or property & casualty licenses — you can go straight to exam prep and be licensed in about a month.

Quick summaryTotal time: 3–5 weeks. Total cost: roughly $150–$200 all-in. No pre-licensing education required — exam, fingerprints, and a NIPR application are the whole process.

Virginia insurance license — quick facts

State regulatorVirginia State Corporation Commission — Bureau of Insurance
Exam vendorPrometric (test centers + remote ProProctor)
Pre-licensing educationNot required (title insurance only: 16-hour course)
Exam fee (resident)$35 per attempt
P&C exam format135 scored + 10 pretest questions, 2.5 hours, 70% to pass
License application fee$15 per line of authority ($30 for P&C) via NIPR
FingerprintingRequired — Fieldprint live scan, $34.95 (VSP + FBI)
License term2 years — expires end of birth month, odd/even year matching birth year; renewal $10 per line
CE requirement16 hrs (one license type) or 24 hrs (two+) per biennium, incl. 3 hrs ethics

The six steps

  1. 1

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

    Virginia repealed mandatory pre-licensing education for major lines back in 2001 (only title insurance still requires a 16-hour course). That means you can go straight to focused exam prep. Our $49.99 Virginia course — from an approved Virginia education provider (#166741) — gets you exam-ready in 2-4 weeks.

  2. 2

    Schedule your Prometric exam

    Virginia contracts with Prometric for insurance license exams. Register at prometric.com/exams/insurance-va, choose a test center or Prometric's remote-proctored ProProctor option, and pay the $35 exam fee per attempt — one of the lowest exam fees in the country.

  3. 3

    Pass the exam at 70%

    The Virginia Property & Casualty exam (Series 11-03) has 135 scored questions plus 10 unscored pretest questions with a 2.5-hour time limit. You need 70% to pass. Prometric reports your result to the SCC Bureau of Insurance electronically.

  4. 4

    Get fingerprinted through Fieldprint

    Virginia requires all new resident license applicants to complete a fingerprint-based background check. Schedule a live-scan appointment at a Fieldprint location — the $34.95 fee covers both the Virginia State Police and FBI checks. Fingerprints must be no more than 90 days old when you apply.

  5. 5

    Submit your license application through NIPR

    Apply online at nipr.com (or Sircon). Virginia charges a nonrefundable $15 application fee per line of authority — a Property & Casualty license covers two lines, so $30 total — plus a small NIPR transaction fee. Most clean applications are approved within days.

  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. The insurer files the appointment with the SCC Bureau of Insurance; if you're joining an agency, they'll typically handle this for you.

What's on the Virginia P&C exam

The Virginia Property & Casualty exam (Prometric Series 11-03) has 135 scored questions plus 10 unscored pretest questions, a 2.5-hour time limit, and a 70% passing score. It covers the standard NAIC framework plus Virginia-specific statutes from Title 38.2 of the Code of Virginia. Section weights from the official Prometric content outline:

  • Insurance regulation (Va. Code Title 38.2) — 15% (20 items)
  • General insurance principles — 9% (12 items)
  • Property & casualty basics — 13% (18 items)
  • Dwelling policy — 5% (7 items)
  • Homeowners policy — 13% (18 items)
  • Auto insurance (incl. VA financial responsibility law & UM/UIM) — 16% (21 items)
  • Commercial Package Policy — 12% (16 items)
  • Businessowners policy — 5% (7 items)
  • Workers compensation — 7% (9 items)
  • Other coverages and options — 5% (7 items)

Auto insurance is the single heaviest section, and Virginia's uninsured/underinsured motorist rules show up often — drill them. Try our free Virginia practice exam to see where you stand before booking with Prometric.

Why Virginia uses the SCC instead of a Department of Insurance

Virginia consolidates insurance regulation inside the State Corporation Commission (SCC) rather than housing it in a standalone Department of Insurance. The Bureau of Insurance is the SCC division that handles producer licensing, rate filings, and consumer complaints — so bulletins, orders, and your license itself come from the SCC with the Bureau of Insurance designation. Practically, this changes nothing about the process: you still test with Prometric and apply through NIPR like most states.

CE requirements after licensing

Virginia producer licenses run on a biennial cycle tied to your birth month: your license expires at the end 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. Each biennium, agents holding one license type need 16 hours of CE (the Life & Annuities + Health combination also counts as 16); agents holding two or more license types need 24 hours, with at least 8 hours applicable to each type. Every cycle must include 3 hours of ethics (Va. Code § 38.2-1866). Renewal costs $10 per line of authority through NIPR or Sircon, and you can renew up to 90 days before expiration.

Cost breakdown

  • Exam-prep course: $49.99 with Elite Training Academy (approved Virginia education provider #166741)
  • Prometric exam fee: $35 per attempt
  • Fieldprint fingerprinting: $34.95 (includes Virginia State Police and FBI checks)
  • SCC license application: $30 for P&C ($15 per line of authority), plus a small NIPR transaction fee
  • Biennial renewal: $10 per line + CE course costs ($30-$200 depending on provider)

All-in, plan on roughly $150-$200 to go from zero to licensed — one of the cheapest states in the country, since there's no mandatory pre-licensing course and the exam is only $35.

Ready to start studying?

Start your Virginia insurance license exam prep for $49.99 with lifetime access and 500+ practice questions per course — built by an approved Virginia education provider (#166741).

See Virginia exam prep courses →

Free quiz, no signup

Would you pass the Virginia Property & Casualty exam today?

10 questions from our Virginia Property & Casualty question bank, graded instantly. Want the longer version? Take the 20-question practice exam.

  1. 1. Inland Marine coverage historically evolved to cover:

  2. 2. Which size limitation applies to office buildings under standard ISO BOP eligibility?

  3. 3. Under the BOP cancellation condition, how many days' written notice must the insurer typically give for cancellation due to nonpayment of premium?

  4. 4. Which doctrine prevents the insured from recovering MORE than the actual loss from one or more sources combined?

  5. 5. Coverage B (Other Structures) on the unendorsed Dwelling Policy provides what default amount of coverage?

  6. 6. Virginia's Motor Vehicle Financial Responsibility Law historically permitted some motorists to register an uninsured vehicle by paying a fee instead of buying liability coverage. As of July 1, 2024, what is the status of that uninsured motor vehicle (UMV) fee?

  7. 7. On the ISO HO-3, the dwelling and other structures are insured on what peril basis?

  8. 8. Which DP form provides BASIC named perils coverage?

  9. 9. The Loss Assessment additional coverage on an HO-6 covers:

  10. 10. An Equipment Breakdown policy typically covers all of the following except:

Virginia insurance exams: published facts

  • LifeVA Life & Annuities Exam (11-05): 90 scored questions, 120 minutes, administered by Prometric, $35 exam fee. Virginia does not publish a passing score for this examination, so treat the candidate handbook as the authority rather than any figure quoted elsewhere.
  • HealthVA Health Exam (11-06): 90 scored questions, 120 minutes, administered by Prometric, $35 exam fee. Virginia does not publish a passing score for this examination, so treat the candidate handbook as the authority rather than any figure quoted elsewhere.
  • Property & CasualtyVA Property & Casualty Exam (11-03): 135 scored questions, 150 minutes, administered by Prometric, $35 exam fee. Virginia does not publish a passing score for this examination, so treat the candidate handbook as the authority rather than any figure quoted elsewhere.
  • Personal LinesVA Personal Lines Exam (11-07): 100 scored questions, 120 minutes, administered by Prometric, $35 exam fee. Virginia does not publish a passing score for this examination, so treat the candidate handbook as the authority rather than any figure quoted elsewhere.
  • Public AdjusterVA Public Adjuster Exam (11-08): 50 scored questions, 60 minutes, administered by Prometric, $35 exam fee. Virginia 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 Virginia Property and Casualty Insurance Producer (series 11-03) covers

Section weights from Prometric publication INSVA-CIB (client code INSVA), effective 2024-12-13.

I. Insurance Regulation15% (20 of 135)
II. General Insurance9% (12 of 135)
III. Property and Casualty Insurance Basics13% (18 of 135)
IV. Dwelling Policy5% (7 of 135)
V. Homeowners Policy13% (18 of 135)
VI. Auto Insurance16% (21 of 135)
VII. Commercial Package Policy (CPP)12% (16 of 135)
VIII. Businessowners Policy (BOP)5% (7 of 135)
IX. Workers Compensation Insurance7% (9 of 135)
X. Other Coverages and Options5% (7 of 135)

Everything for Virginia in one place

Frequently asked questions

Does Virginia require pre-licensing education?

No. Virginia repealed mandatory pre-licensing education for major lines in 2001. The only exception is title insurance, which requires a 16-hour course. For life, health, and property & casualty licenses you can go straight to the Prometric exam — a solid exam-prep course is strongly recommended, but not legally required.

How many questions is the Virginia insurance exam?

The Virginia Property & Casualty exam (Series 11-03) has 135 scored questions plus 10 unscored pretest questions — 145 total — with a 2.5-hour time limit. The Life & Annuities/Health combined exam is similar in length. You need 70% to pass.

How much does the Virginia insurance exam cost?

$35 per attempt through Prometric — one of the lowest insurance exam fees in the country. If you fail, you pay $35 again for each retake, which is why solid practice-exam prep pays for itself.

How much does a Virginia insurance license cost in total?

Roughly $150-$200 all-in: $49.99 for exam prep, $35 for the Prometric exam, $34.95 for Fieldprint fingerprinting, $30 for the P&C application ($15 per line of authority), plus a small NIPR transaction fee.

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

Typically 3-5 weeks. Because Virginia has no pre-licensing requirement, the timeline is mostly study time: 2-4 weeks of exam prep, then schedule and pass the Prometric exam, complete Fieldprint fingerprinting, and file the NIPR application — the application itself usually processes within days.

Does Virginia require fingerprinting for an insurance license?

Yes. All new resident applicants must complete a live-scan fingerprint background check through Fieldprint ($34.95, covering Virginia State Police and FBI checks). Fingerprints must be no more than 90 days old when your application is submitted.

Who regulates insurance in Virginia?

The Virginia State Corporation Commission (SCC) — Bureau of Insurance. Virginia is one of the few states where insurance regulation sits inside a multi-function regulator (the SCC also oversees utilities and corporate filings) rather than a standalone Department of Insurance.

What are Virginia's continuing education requirements?

Under Va. Code § 38.2-1866, resident agents holding one license type (or the Life & Annuities + Health combination) need 16 CE hours per biennium; agents holding two or more license types need 24 hours, with at least 8 hours per type. Every biennium must include 3 hours of ethics. Licenses renew every two years at the end of your birth month, $10 per line of authority.

Related guides

Sources cited

This guide is based on Virginia SCC Bureau of Insurance, Prometric, and NIPR published procedures current as of 2026. Fees and procedures change — always verify current requirements at scc.virginia.gov before relying on any specific number.