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Life & Health Insurance License Course

Everything you need to earn your life & health insurance license: what the license covers, how the exams work in your state, the step-by-step path from studying to appointment, and a $49.99 exam-prep course with lifetime access built to your state's published exam outline.

Quick summaryLife and Accident & Health are two lines of authority that most candidates earn together on one producer license. Typical timeline: 2-8 weeks. Typical all-in cost: $150-$350 in most states (more where pre-licensing education is mandatory). Exam vendor, format, and fees vary by state.

What is a life & health insurance license?

"Life & health license" is shorthand for a producer license carrying two lines of authority. Under the NAIC's producer licensing framework (the Producer Licensing Model Act, which nearly every state follows), Life and Accident & Health or Sickness are separate major lines:

  • Life covers insurance on human lives: term and permanent life insurance, endowment benefits, and annuities. It can also include accidental death, dismemberment, and disability income benefits attached to life products.
  • Accident & Health covers products that pay for sickness, bodily injury, or accidental death: individual and group health coverage, disability income, and in most states long-term care.

Because the products are sold together in the real world, most candidates qualify for both lines at once, and most states support that with either a single combined life & health exam or two separate exams you can take back-to-back. Two product families sit on top of the state license: variable life and variable annuities require a separate securities registration, and Medicare Advantage and Part D sales require annual carrier certifications in addition to your Accident & Health line.

Career context, kept factual: the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reports a median annual wage of $60,370 for insurance sales agents (May 2024), with commission the most common form of compensation and employment projected to grow about 4% from 2024 to 2034. A high school diploma is the typical entry-level education; the license itself is the credential that matters. Life & health producers earn first-year commissions on new policies and, for many products, smaller renewal commissions in later years. Individual income varies widely with product mix and sales volume.

How the exams work (and why your state matters)

There is no national life & health exam. Each state publishes its own content outline and contracts delivery to Pearson VUE, PSI, or Prometric. The broad shape is consistent: a general section covering products and insurance concepts, plus a state-law section covering your state's insurance code. The details vary:

  • Combined exams commonly run 150-165 questions in 2-2.5 hours. Texas, for example, uses a single 150-question, 2.5-hour General Lines Life, Accident & Health exam through Pearson VUE.
  • Separate life and health exams commonly run 100-125 questions each, and most states let you sit both the same day.
  • Passing score is most commonly 70%, though some states use a different cut score or scaled pass/fail reporting.
  • Pre-licensing education is required in some states and not in others, and the list keeps changing as states drop the mandate. Your state's rule is in its licensing guide.

This is why our courses are built per state rather than as one generic national course: the question bank and simulator are weighted to your state's published outline, including the state-law section that generic courses gloss over. Try the free practice exam to see the real format before you book anything.

How to get your life & health license: six steps

  1. 1

    Check your state's requirements

    Every state licenses insurance producers, but the details differ: some states require a set number of pre-licensing education hours before you can sit for the exam, while a growing number are exam-only and let you go straight to test day. Requirements also change - several states have dropped mandatory pre-licensing in recent years. Look up your state in our per-state licensing guides before you spend anything.

  2. 2

    Study for the exam

    Whether or not your state mandates a course, the exam itself is the real gate. Life and health exams cover product knowledge (life policies, annuities, health and disability coverage), general insurance concepts, and your state's insurance law. Plan on structured study - roughly 35-40 hours is a common recommendation - using materials weighted to your state's published exam outline. Our $49.99 state courses include 795 practice questions and a full-length exam simulator so you can rehearse the real thing.

  3. 3

    Schedule the exam with your state's testing vendor

    States contract exam delivery to one of three national vendors: Pearson VUE, PSI, or Prometric. Which one you register with, the exact fee, and whether you take one combined life & health exam or two separate exams all depend on your state. Fees typically run in the $40-$100 range per attempt, and retakes cost the full fee again. Most vendors offer both in-person test centers and live-proctored online testing.

  4. 4

    Pass the exam (or exams)

    Combined life & health exams commonly run 150-165 questions with 2-2.5 hours of testing time; states that test life and accident & health separately commonly use 100-125 questions per exam. The passing score is most commonly 70%, though a few states use a different cut score or scaled pass/fail reporting. Your result is reported as pass or fail at the test center or shortly after an online session.

  5. 5

    Complete fingerprinting where your state requires it

    Many states require a fingerprint-based background check before issuing a producer license; others run a name-based check instead. Where fingerprints are required, states designate a vendor (IdentoGO and Fieldprint are common) and the fee is typically in the $20-$60 range. Check your state guide for the exact vendor, code, and fee.

  6. 6

    Apply through NIPR and get appointed

    Most states take resident producer applications through NIPR (nipr.com), the national licensing clearinghouse, which verifies your exam result electronically. Application fees commonly fall in the $20-$100 range plus a small NIPR transaction fee. Once your license is issued, you'll need at least one insurance carrier appointment before you can actually sell - agencies usually file this for their new agents.

What the course includes

  • 795 practice questions per state course, weighted to your state's published exam outline, with explanations for every answer
  • A full-length exam simulator that mirrors your state's question count and time limit, so test day feels familiar
  • An AI tutor on every lesson that answers questions about the material as you study
  • Lifetime access for a flat $49.99: no subscriptions, no expiring windows, free retake prep if you need a second attempt
  • Self-paced lessons covering life products, annuities, health and disability coverage, general insurance concepts, and your state's insurance law

One honest note: exam prep is study material, not a state requirement. In states that mandate pre-licensing education, confirm what your state requires in its licensing guide before purchasing, and see pricing for what's included with every course.

What it costs

Exact fees are set by each state and its testing vendor, so treat these as honest ranges rather than quotes:

  • Exam prep: $49.99 with Elite Training Academy (lifetime access)
  • Exam fee: typically $40-$100 per attempt depending on state and vendor; states with separate life and health exams charge per exam, and retakes cost the full fee again
  • License application: commonly $20-$100 via NIPR, plus a small NIPR transaction fee (a few states sit outside this range in either direction)
  • Fingerprinting: roughly $20-$60 where required; a number of states skip fingerprints entirely
  • Pre-licensing education, only where mandatory: varies with the required hours and provider

For most exam-only states that puts the all-in total around $150-$350. The most expensive line item is usually a failed exam: every retake is a full exam fee plus weeks of delay, which is the argument for walking in over-prepared. For state-specific numbers, see guides like the Texas cost breakdown.

States with a live Life & Health course

Every course below is live right now: $49.99, lifetime access, 795 practice questions weighted to that state's exam outline. This list is generated from the current catalog, so it always reflects what you can actually buy today.

Don't see your state? Check the full catalog for other license types, or your state's licensing guide for the requirements while you wait.

Ready to start studying?

Pick your state's life & health exam prep course for $49.99 with lifetime access: 795 practice questions, a full-length exam simulator, and an AI tutor on every lesson.

Find your state's course →

Frequently asked questions

Is life & health one license or two?

Technically two. Under the NAIC's producer licensing framework, Life and Accident & Health (sometimes called Accident & Sickness) are separate lines of authority on your producer license. In practice, most candidates qualify for both at once because the products overlap so heavily in real-world sales. Some states administer one combined life & health exam; others give two separate exams that you can schedule back-to-back. Either way you end up with both lines on a single producer license.

Do I need to take a course before the life & health exam?

It depends on your state. Some states require a set number of pre-licensing education hours from an approved provider before you can register for the exam; a growing number are exam-only, meaning any study method is allowed and only the exam is mandatory. Several states have dropped their pre-licensing requirements in recent years, so check our per-state guides for the current rule where you live. Even in exam-only states, structured exam prep matters because the exams cover both national content and state-specific law.

How hard is the life & health insurance exam?

It is a real exam that plenty of first-time candidates fail, but it is very passable with focused preparation. Pass rates vary by state and many states don't publish them, so be skeptical of any provider quoting a precise national number. The exam tests product mechanics (policy types, riders, annuities, health plans), general insurance concepts, and your state's insurance law. A common recommendation is 35-40 hours of structured study, with heavy use of practice questions in the real exam format.

How many questions are on the life & health exam?

It varies by state. Combined life & health exams commonly run 150-165 questions with 2-2.5 hours of testing time. States that test life and accident & health as separate exams commonly use 100-125 questions per exam. Texas, for example, gives a single 150-question, 2.5-hour General Lines Life, Accident & Health exam through Pearson VUE. Your state's candidate handbook (published by Pearson VUE, PSI, or Prometric) has the exact format.

How long does it take to get a life & health insurance license?

Most candidates finish in about 2-8 weeks, and study time is the biggest variable. In exam-only states the sequence is: study (commonly 2-4 weeks), pass the exam, complete fingerprinting where required, and submit the NIPR application - state processing usually takes days to a couple of weeks. States that require pre-licensing education add the course hours up front. Some states also put a time limit on how long a passing exam result stays valid, so apply promptly after passing.

How much does a life & health insurance license cost?

Plan on roughly $150-$350 all-in for most states: exam prep ($49.99 with Elite Training Academy), an exam fee that typically falls between $40 and $100 per attempt, a license application fee commonly in the $20-$100 range plus a small NIPR transaction fee, and fingerprinting (roughly $20-$60) where your state requires it. States that mandate pre-licensing education add the cost of the required course on top. Exact fees are set by each state and its testing vendor - see your state guide for the specific numbers.

What can I sell with a life & health license?

The Life line of authority covers life insurance products - term and permanent life policies, plus annuities and endowment benefits. The Accident & Health line covers products that pay for sickness, bodily injury, or accidental death, including individual and group health coverage, disability income, and long-term care in most states. Together they cover the core products of the life and health market. Some products carry additional requirements: variable life and variable annuities need a separate securities registration, and Medicare Advantage sales require annual carrier certifications on top of your state license.

Can I add a property & casualty license later?

Yes. Property and casualty are separate lines of authority with their own exam (or exams, in states that split them), so licensed life & health producers commonly add P&C later without redoing anything they've already earned. You study for the P&C exam, pass it, and apply to add the lines to your existing producer license. Many agents run the sequence in reverse, too - the licenses are independent of each other.

Related guides

Sources cited

Exam formats, fees, and pre-licensing requirements are set by each state's insurance department and testing vendor and change over time. This page describes typical ranges; always verify current requirements with your state's insurance department or its candidate handbook (via your state's guide) before relying on any specific number.