How to get an Insurance producer license in Tennessee

Tennessee insurance agent licenses

Tennessee issues 2 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 every Tennessee insurance agent license on this page, so they are shown once here. Each license's own section lists only what differs.

What it covers

Sell, solicit or negotiate insurance in Tennessee for the lines of authority held; an appointment by each insurer represented is needed to act as that insurer's agent.¹

Fees

Each line is a separate charge as the board lists it. The board does not publish a combined total, so none is shown here.

How to apply

1. Get appointed by each insurer you will represent.¹

Renewal

How often

Every 2 years²

When it expires

Renew every other year by the end of your birth month; file 30 days before the end of the birth month for prompt processing.²

Renewal fee

$60²

Continuing education

At least 24 hours each renewal period²

Approved courses

Courses must be approved by the commissioner (at least one 50-minute credit hour; providers pay $500 to apply, $250 yearly renewal, and report completions within 30 days). Pre-licensing exam prep, sales/motivational and most securities courses do not count.²

Exemptions

The commissioner may extend time or grant exceptions for poor health, military service or other just cause, on written request.²

Renew online

tn.gov³

Who needs an Insurance producer license

Other rules on who may do this work:

• Agents of HMOs must hold the accident and health line.²

Requirements for an Insurance producer license

The rules this license shares with every other level are under Applies to every license level.

Minimum age

18 years old¹

Education or training

20 clock hours²
Approved online or classroom pre-licensing course for each line applied for, completed before the exam²
Who may teach it: Course must be approved by the commissioner.²
Alternative: Designation exemptions: CLU (life); CPCU, AAI or ARM (property, personal lines, casualty); CIC (all those lines plus life and health); CEBS, ChFC, CFP, FLMI or LUTCF (life); RHU, CEBS, REBC or HIA (health); insurance degree from an accredited college (all lines).²

Exam

Tennessee insurance producer examination, one per line of insurance²
Passing score: 70%²
When you can take it: Complete the approved 20-hour pre-licensing course for the line first, and submit fingerprints before testing.²
Each exam tests the line applied for, producer duties and Tennessee insurance law and rules; take each applicable exam for more than one line.²
Retakes: Retake after 30 days, paying the exam fee each time.²
Time limit: Pass within six months of the first attempt or retake the pre-licensing course.²
Exam waived: No exam if previously licensed for the same lines in another state (currently licensed, or applying within 90 days of cancellation with good-standing certification).¹

Background check

Background check required²
Fingerprints required²
TBI criminal history check before the exam; a TBI check done within six months before the exam can be sent directly. The commissioner must find no ground for denial under T.C.A. 56-6-112.²

Residency or citizenship

Must reside in Tennessee (resident license) and be a U.S. citizen or qualified alien.¹

Also required

Application on the uniform (NAIC) application, signed under penalty of refusal or revocation.¹

Other requirements and options

Lines a resident producer may hold include life and accident and health or sickness. Pre-licensing course lines: title, life, accident and health, property, casualty, personal lines.¹

How much an Insurance producer license costs

The board's pages we cite do not list the exam fee.

How to apply

1. Complete a commissioner-approved 20-hour pre-licensing course for each line you want (unless a designation or insurance degree exempts you).²
2. Submit fingerprints for the TBI criminal history check before testing.² tn.gov³
3. Pass the state exam for each line (70%); you may retest after 30 days, and must pass within six months of the first try.²
4. Apply on the uniform application with proof of passing and the $50 non-refundable filing fee, electronically or to the Agent Licensing Section; allow 30 days.² tn.gov³

Application form

tn.gov³

Processing time

Allow 30 days after all required information is received.²

Renewal and continuing education

Required topics

3 hours of ethics each biennium.²
One-time 3-hour flood insurance course for resident producers with the property (or property and casualty) line; counts toward the 24 hours.²
Up to 12 excess hours carry over to the next cycle (not ethics); a course may be repeated for credit only after two years; trade-association membership can earn 2 general hours per year.²

If it expires

If a license lapses and an exam is needed again, fingerprints must be redone before the new exam. Grace periods and reinstatement terms are not stated in the readable sources.²

Moving to Tennessee with a license from another state

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

Insurance producer license

Requirements

Exam

Tennessee producer exam (not required for qualifying nonresidents)¹
Not required¹

Background check

License may be denied for grounds in T.C.A. 56-6-112.¹

Residency or citizenship

Must hold a resident producer license in good standing in the home state, and the home state must reciprocate.¹

How to apply

1. Hold a resident producer license in good standing in your home state for the lines you want.¹
2. Submit the home-state application or the uniform application and pay the $50 fee.¹ tn.gov³

Renewal

Required topics

3 hours of ethics each biennium.²

If it expires

A nonresident license depends on holding the resident license in good standing in the home state.¹

From another state

Military service members, veterans and spouses: Active military servicemembers and spouses may qualify for recognition of another state's license under the Military Families Licensing Recognition Act; CE extensions are available for military service.³

The rules this license shares with every other level are under Applies to every license level.

Check a license or report a problem

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

Look up a license

tn.gov³

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

• Tenn. Code Ann. tit. 56, ch. 6, pt. 1 (Tennessee Insurance Producer Licensing Act of 2002), incl. §§ 56-6-103, -105, -106, -107, -108, -109, -118, -121
• Tenn. Code Ann. § 56-6-121
• Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. ch. 0780-01-56 (Licensing Requirements for Insurance Producers), rev. Sept. 2020
• Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0780-01-56-.05(1)(c) and -.09(1)(c)

Common questions

Insurance agent licenses in other states

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