How to get a Resident insurance producer license in Montana

Montana insurance agent licenses

Montana issues 3 insurance agent credentials. Each has its own section below; the table shows what each one covers and its headline requirements.

Applies to every license level

These rules are the same for several of the Montana insurance agent licenses on this page, so they are shown once here, with the licenses they apply to. Each license's own section lists only what differs.

1. Every license level (all 3)

How to apply

Apply online

nipr.com³

Renewal

Renew online

nipr.com³

2. Every license level except Business Entity (agency) license

What it covers

Sell, solicit or negotiate insurance in Montana in the licensed lines of authority: life; accident and health or sickness; property; casualty; variable life and variable annuity; personal lines; limited line credit; other lines permitted under Title 33. Insurers file an appointment for each producer.⁶

Requirements

Other requirements and options

Separate one-time training before selling certain products: annuities (4 credits), long-term care (8 hours, then 4 hours every 24 months), federal flood insurance (3 hours).³

Renewal

How often

Every 2 years³

From another state

Military service members, veterans and spouses: Producers entering active U.S. armed-forces service may be placed on inactive status (no insurance business); CE and fees are waived while inactive.⁸

Who needs a Resident insurance producer license

Other rules on who may do this work:

• Life or disability lines may not be held by funeral directors, undertakers or morticians (or their officers, employees, representatives or owners), except as permitted by 33-20-1501.⁴

Requirements for a Resident insurance producer license

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 and group 2 under Applies to every license level.

Minimum age

18 years old⁴

Education or training

No prescribed pre-licensing course; the applicant must have experience or training or otherwise be qualified in the lines applied for and pass the exam.⁴

Experience

No fixed experience period; "experience or training or otherwise is qualified" is a general qualification.⁴

Exam

Montana insurance producer licensing examination for each kind of insurance applied for (life, disability, property, casualty, surety, surety bail bond, limited lines credit, title, prepaid legal)²
Given by: Pearson VUE³
Passing score: 75% or better⁹
When you can take it: No prerequisite course stated: register with Pearson VUE and pass before applying.⁹
Covers each kind of insurance applied for, producer duties and responsibilities, and Montana insurance laws and rules.²
Retakes: After a failed or missed exam, reapply and resubmit all forms before rescheduling; the commissioner may set a waiting period.²
Time limit: Exams must have been passed within 12 months of the application.⁴
Exam waived: No exam if licensed in Montana for the same lines within the prior 12 months (not a temporary license, not revoked), among other statutory exemptions.²

Background check

Background check required¹
Fingerprints required⁵
The background report covers identity, address, licenses, military service, criminal investigations and court records, and regulatory discipline; licenses can be refused for grounds in 33-17-1001.⁴

Residency or citizenship

Montana resident (a resident-based license terminates if the licensee moves to another state).⁴

Also required

Report address/business e-mail changes and final disciplinary or criminal dispositions within 30 days.¹⁰

How much a Resident insurance producer license costs

The board's pages we cite do not list the exam fee; check it with the exam provider, Pearson VUE³, when you schedule.

How to apply

1. Register with Pearson VUE and pass the Montana exam for each line with 75% or better.⁹ home.pearsonvue.com³
2. Apply for the license online through NIPR within 12 months of passing.⁹ nipr.com³
3. Sign the Applicant Rights and Consent to Fingerprint form and email it to CSI.⁵
4. Get a paper fingerprint card (reason "MCA 33-17-220", ORI MT920050Z) and mail it with $30 to Montana Criminal Records, not to CSI.⁹
5. Have each insurer you will represent file an appointment.⁶

Temporary or provisional license

Temporary license (no exam, up to 90 days, extendable 90 days) only in special cases such as the death or disability of a licensed producer or a producer entering military service.¹¹

Renewal and continuing education

When it expires

Renew online at NIPR by the renewal date shown on the license; the license lapses if biennial CE certification is not filed.³

Continuing education

At least 24 hours each renewal period³

Required topics

At least 3 hours of ethics and at least 1 hour on changes in Montana insurance statutes and rules in each biennium.³
Limited lines only (credit, prepaid legal, surety bail bonds): 5 hours, incl. 1 hour of Montana law changes.³

Approved courses

Course providers report completions to CSI; reporting can take up to 30 days, so finish CE at least 30 days before expiry or the license may lapse.³

Exemptions

Temporary licensees are exempt; the commissioner may grant up to a 1-year extension for good cause; CE is waived while on military inactive status.¹²

Late renewal

Reinstatement fee: $100⁷ (resident producer license that lapsed)

If it expires

A lapsed license can be reinstated for the $100 reinstatement fee; a lapsed licensee may not work under another person's or an agency's license. Reapply for the same lines within 12 months without a new exam.¹³

Moving to Montana with a license from another state

These are the routes CSI publishes for the Resident insurance producer license. The other insurance agent licenses have their own routes in their sections below.

Nonresident insurance producer license

Requirements

Exam

Not required²
Exam waived: Applies if currently licensed in the other state, or applying within 90 days of cancellation with good-standing certification or NAIC database records.²

Background check

Background check required¹⁴
No fingerprints required¹⁵
"Yes" answers to background questions need supporting documents uploaded through NIPR's Attachments Warehouse.¹⁵

Residency or citizenship

Resident license in good standing in the home state, and the home state must license Montana residents on the same basis.¹⁴

Also required

The Montana nonresident license terminates automatically if the home-state license is suspended, revoked or terminated.¹⁴

Fees

How to apply

1. Hold an active resident producer license in good standing in your home state.¹⁵
2. Apply electronically through NIPR and pay the $100 nonresident application fee (paper applications generally not accepted).¹⁵ nipr.com³
3. Upload court or regulatory documents for any "yes" background answer via NIPR Attachments Warehouse.¹⁵

Renewal

When it expires

Biennial renewal; window opens 90 days before expiry; the license lapses if the biennial renewal fee is not paid.¹⁶

Renewal fee

$50⁷

Exemptions

Reciprocal CE: meeting the home state's CE satisfies Montana if the home state treats Montana producers the same way.¹⁷

Late renewal

Reinstatement fee: $100⁷ (nonresident producer license that lapsed)

If it expires

Late renewal possible up to one year after expiration; inactive licenses cannot be renewed and need a new application.¹⁵

From another state

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 and group 2 under Applies to every license level.

Business Entity license

A resident or nonresident business entity acting as an insurance producer must hold a producer license; each member, employee, officer, director or stockholder acting as a producer must be individually licensed.⁴

Requirements

Exam

Not required²

Residency or citizenship

Resident or nonresident entities may be licensed; corporations need a Montana Secretary of State certificate of existence or registration.⁴

Also required

Designate a licensed individual producer responsible for compliance; keep at least one active licensed producer.³

How to apply

1. Apply online through NIPR, naming a designated responsible licensed producer.³ nipr.com³

Renewal

When it expires

Perpetual; stays active while at least one active licensed producer is attached.³

From another state

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 under Applies to every license level.

Check a license or report a problem

Before you hire an insurance agent in Montana, you can confirm the license is current on the board's own search. Every board we cover in Montana is on the Montana license lookup page.

Look up a license

external-lookup-web.prod.naic.org³

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

• Mont. Code Ann. 33-17-201 (license required)
• Mont. Code Ann. 33-17-211 (qualifications; application)
• Mont. Code Ann. 33-17-212 (examination; exemptions)
• Mont. Code Ann. 33-17-213 (conduct of examinations)
• Mont. Code Ann. 33-17-214 (issuance; lines of authority; lapse)
• Mont. Code Ann. 33-17-220 (background examination; fingerprints)
• Mont. Code Ann. 33-17-401, -408, -409 (nonresident producers)
• Mont. Code Ann. 33-17-1203, -1205 (continuing education)
• Mont. Code Ann. 33-2-708

Common questions

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