How to get an Insurance producer license in Washington

Washington insurance agent licenses

Washington issues 4 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 Washington 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 4)

What it covers

Sells, solicits or negotiates insurance for the lines of authority on the license.⁸

How to apply

Apply online

nipr.com⁸

Renewal

How often

Every 2 years⁵¹²

Renew online

nipr.com¹³¹⁴

2. Every license level except Business-entity insurance producer license

Renewal

If it expires

Authority ends on the expiration date; reinstate within 12 months without retesting; after 12 months retake all exams and apply as new.¹⁵
OIC emails reminders 90, 60 and 30 days before expiry.¹³

From another state

Military service members, veterans and spouses: Producers unable to renew because of military service may request a waiver of renewal procedures and CE.¹⁵

3. Insurance producer license (resident; full lines: life, disability, property, casualty, personal lines) and Insurance producer license - limited lines (surety, credit, travel)

Requirements

Minimum age

18 years old⁹

Background check

Background check required³
Fingerprints required³
Misdemeanor, felony and other offenses reviewed case by case; felonies involving dishonesty or breach of trust need an 18 U.S.C. 1033 Letter of Written Consent; minor traffic, DUI misdemeanors and juvenile matters need not be reported.¹⁶
You can ask the board to review your record before you apply¹⁶

Fees

The board's pages we cite do not list the exam fee; check it with the exam provider, PSI Services, LLC¹⁷, when you schedule.

Renewal

When it expires

First license runs from issue to the end of the next birth month plus one year; renew online up to 90 days before and 60 days after expiry.¹²

4. Insurance producer license (resident; full lines: life, disability, property, casualty, personal lines) and Nonresident insurance producer license

Fees

Renewal

Renewal fee

$55⁴ (Individual license)

Late renewal

Late renewal fee (1 to 60 days after expiration (late renewal) - up to 30 days late): $82.50⁴ (renewal fee plus 50% surcharge; 1-30 days late)
Late renewal fee (1 to 60 days after expiration (late renewal) - 31-60 days late): $110⁴ (renewal fee plus 100% surcharge; 31-60 days late)
Reinstatement fee (61 days to 12 months after expiration or cancellation (reinstatement)): $165¹⁵ (61 days to 12 months after expiration)

Who needs an Insurance producer license

Work that does not need this license:

• Insurer employees paid no commission whose work is executive, administrative, managerial or clerical do not need a license.¹⁸

Requirements for an Insurance producer license

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1, group 2, group 3 and group 4 under Applies to every license level.

Exam

Washington insurance producer licensing exam (one per line of authority: life, disability (health), property, casualty, personal lines)²
Given by: PSI Services, LLC¹⁷
Passing score: 70%¹⁷
Life¹⁵
Disability (health)⁸
Property¹⁵
Casualty¹⁵
Personal lines¹⁵
Retakes: A missed exam needs a new date and a new fee unless the commissioner waives it for a serious emergency.¹⁹
Exam waived: No exam for applicants previously licensed for the same lines in another state who apply within 90 days.⁷

Residency or citizenship

Washington residents (nonresidents use the nonresident license).⁹

Also required

Pre-sale training for long-term care, annuity and flood products.²⁰

How much an Insurance producer license costs

How to apply

1. Schedule and pass the PSI exam for each line (70% to pass). Pre-licensing courses are optional.⁸ candidate.psiexams.com⁸
2. Apply online through the NIPR Licensing Center and pay the $55 license fee.⁸ nipr.com⁸
3. After applying, book IdentoGO fingerprinting with your OIC or NIPR transaction number (select "Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner").⁸
4. The license is issued once the background check results arrive.³

Renewal and continuing education

Continuing education

At least 24 hours each renewal period⁶

Required topics

3 credit hours of ethics each license period²¹
Long-term care: one-time 8-hour course before selling LTC, then a 4-hour refresher every 24 months (counts toward CE)²⁰
Annuity suitability and flood training required before selling those products²¹

Approved courses

Courses approved for Washington CE from an OIC-approved provider; completed within the 24 months before expiry; no repeating a course in the same period; no carry-over.⁶

Exemptions

Medical or military waiver on request before renewal²²

Moving to Washington with a license from another state

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

Insurance producer license - limited lines

Requirements

Exam

Washington limited line surety or limited line credit insurance exam²⁴
Given by: PSI Services, LLC¹⁷
Passing score: 70%¹⁷

Residency or citizenship

Washington residents.⁸

Also required

Travel insurance needs the travel line listed on the license.⁸

Fees

How to apply

1. Pass the PSI surety or credit exam (none listed for travel).⁸ candidate.psiexams.com⁸
2. Apply online through NIPR and pay $20.⁸ nipr.com⁸
3. Book IdentoGO fingerprinting after applying.³

Renewal

Renewal fee

$20⁴ (Individual license)

Late renewal

Late renewal fee (1 to 60 days after expiration (late renewal) - up to 30 days late): $30⁴ (renewal fee plus 50% surcharge; 1-30 days late)
Late renewal fee (1 to 60 days after expiration (late renewal) - 31-60 days late): $40⁴ (renewal fee plus 100% surcharge; 31-60 days late)
Reinstatement fee (61 days to 12 months after expiration or cancellation (reinstatement)): $60¹⁵ (61 days to 12 months after expiration)

From another state

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1, group 2 and group 3 under Applies to every license level.

Nonresident insurance producer license

Requirements

Exam

Washington producer exam¹⁰
Not required¹⁰
Exam waived: Home-state license in good standing for the same lines and reciprocity.¹⁰

Background check

Background check required¹¹
No fingerprints required³
You can ask the board to review your record before you apply¹⁶

Residency or citizenship

Must be licensed as a resident and in good standing in the home state.¹¹

Fees

How to apply

1. Apply through the NIPR Licensing Center with your home-state resident license; no Washington exam or fingerprints.⁸ nipr.com⁸

Renewal

When it expires

Individual licenses run to the end of the next birth month plus one year, then renew every two years; renew online up to 90 days before and 60 days after expiry.¹²

From another state

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1, group 2 and group 4 under Applies to every license level.

Business-entity insurance producer license

Requirements

Background check

Background check required⁹

Business requirements

Designate a licensed producer (DRLP) responsible for compliance; replace within 30 days if the DRLP leaves.²⁶

Business requirements

Each additional location is licensed; affiliations ($20 each) are added once the license is active.⁴

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. Apply through NIPR on the uniform business entity application (available since December 12, 2025).¹⁴ nipr.com⁸
2. Name and affiliate a licensed DRLP, then add affiliations for producers.²⁶

Renewal

When it expires

Renewal date based on the date of application; valid two years; renewal needs an actively licensed DRLP and at least one affiliation.¹²

Renewal fee

$55⁴ (Full-lines entity: per location, plus $20 for each affiliation)

Late renewal

Late renewal fee (1 to 60 days after expiration (late renewal) - up to 30 days late): $82.50⁴ (at least; plus $20 per affiliation)
Late renewal fee (1 to 60 days after expiration (late renewal) - 31-60 days late): $110⁴ (at least; plus $20 per affiliation)
Reinstatement fee (61 days to 12 months after expiration or cancellation (reinstatement)): $165⁴ (base license; branches and affiliations added once active)

If it expires

DRLP must be replaced within 30 days or the entity license is canceled.²⁶

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 Washington, you can confirm the license is current on the board's own search. Every board we cover in Washington is on the Washington license lookup page.

Look up a license

insurance.wa.gov²⁷

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

• RCW 48.17 (insurance producers), incl. RCW 48.17.090, .110, .170, .173, .175
• RCW 48.14.010
• WAC 284-17 (licensing, CE, renewal)
• WAC 284-17-224 (CE hours; amended eff. March 7, 2026)

Rule changes since January 2024

• October 1, 2026: Fingerprinting fee rose from $49.00 to $52.00.³
• March 7, 2026: WAC 284-17-224 (CE hours) amended (WSR 26-05-001), adding supplemental long-term care training to the certificate-retention rule.²¹

Common questions

Insurance agent licenses in other states

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