Commercial Insurance Certification
If you want to earn a living as a commercial insurance professional, you must get certified by obtaining a commercial insurance license. The insurance certification process is not federally regulated. As a result, you must become familiar with the state requirements as set forth by the department of insurance in the state where you are seeking a license.
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State Residency Requirements
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Before coming becoming certified as a commercial insurance agent, determine the state where you wish to be licensed. You must also decide whether you are seeking a resident or nonresident license. If you live within the state, you can apply for the resident license. Alternatively, if you are not a resident of the state you must to apply for a nonresident license. To get a nonresident license you must first obtain a commercial license in your home state before seeking licensure elsewhere.
Types of Commercial Insurance Licenses
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Each state has different requirements for its commercial insurance brokers. In some states, the property/casualty license permits agents to participate in both personal and commercial insurance transactions while other states, such as Texas, require separate licenses for each. Check with your state's department of insurance for specific rules (see References).
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Education Requirement for Licensure
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Certified commercial insurance producers must pass the state licensing exam. However, some states require that you take pre-licensing insurance courses and won't let you sit for the state exam without a certificate of course completion.
Background Checks for Criminal Activity
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As a certified commercial insurance producer, you may have to submit to a criminal background check. Some states require that you get fingerprinted, which is checked against the local police department and Federal Bureau of investigation database. Other states only require applicants to complete an application to indicate whether or not candidates have been involved in criminal activity. Being involved in past criminal activity does not automatically preclude you from becoming licensed in some states.
Taking the State Exam
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After providing all of the necessary information and complying with the pre-licensing education requirements, you must take the state licensing exam. Most states contract with three popular state insurance exam administration companies. They either use Pearson Vue (pearsonvue.com), Prometric (Prometric.com) or PSI Exams (Psiexams.com). Depending on which vendor the state uses, you must register with the site to schedule the exam.
After you pass the exam, the scores are automatically forwarded to the appropriate state department that will issue the insurance license.
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References
Resources
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