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North Carolina Department of Insurance banner graphic
 
Agent Services Division
LICENSING INFORMATION
 
Prelicensing Education Requirements
 
All North Carolina applicants for an insurance license must obtain a candidate guide by accessing www.pearsonvue.com or calling 1-800-274-0668. The candidate guide contains pertinent information relating to prelicensing and examination requirements. It includes a list of approved prelicensing providers that an applicant may contact in their area for scheduling of courses. The candidate guide is free of charge.
 
All applicants must complete the following:
 
  • An approved twenty (20) hour course for the Life examination

  • An approved twenty (20) hour course for the Accident and Health or Sickness examination

  • An approved twenty (20) hour course for the Property examination

  • An approved twenty (20) hour course for the Casualty examination

  • An approved twenty (20) hour course for the Personal Lines examination

  • An approved ten (10) hour course for the Medicare Supplement/Long-Term Care examination
Exemptions from the prelicensing requirement are as follows:
 
  • Resident applicants that are qualifying by clearance letter within 90 days after establishing legal residence do NOT have to take prelicensing education or the examination.

  • An individual who is licensed in another state or jurisdiction for the same kind of insurance as that for which applied.

  • Adjusters are not required to take prelicensing education but must take the examination

 
Individuals holding one or more of the following insurance designations are exempt from prelicensing education requirements but the individual must take and pass the examination:
 
  1. Accident and health or sickness:
    1. Registered Health Underwriter (RHU);
    2. Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS);
    3. Registered Employee Benefits Consultant (REBC); and
    4. Health Insurance Associate (HIA).
  2. Life:
    1. Certified Insurance Counselor; (CIC)
    2. Certified Employee Benefits Specialist (CEBS); and
    3. Certified Financial Planner (CFP)
  3. Property:
    1. Accredited Advisor in Insurance (AAI);
    2. Associate in Risk Management (ARM); and
    3. Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC)
  4. Casualty:
    1. Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU)
    2. Accredited Advisor in Insurance (AAI);
    3. Associate in Risk Management (ARM); and
    4. Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC)
  5. Personal Lines:
    1. Accredited Advisor in Insurance (AAI);
    2. Associate in Risk Management (ARM); and
    3. Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC)
 
If an applicant exempted from prelicensing education fails the examination, the applicant must successfully meet North Carolina's mandatory prelicensing education requirement prior to retaking the examination.
 
Applicants will receive an admission ticket in the candidate guide. Upon completion of the required prelicensing course, the approved provider will complete the form that must be taken to examination site. For those individuals who qualify for an exemption, he/she must submit a written request for a waiver of the prelicensing requirement along with proof of designation and the admission ticket to NCDOI/Agent Services Division,1204 Mail Service Center, Raleigh NC, 27699-1204.