How to get a Resident Producer license in West Virginia

West Virginia insurance agent licenses

West Virginia 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 West Virginia 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.com²⁹¹¹

Renewal

Renew online

nipr.com⁴¹³¹⁴

2. Every license level except Business Entity License

What it covers

No one may sell, solicit or negotiate insurance on West Virginia risks unless licensed for that line of authority. Lines include life, accident and health or sickness, property, casualty, variable life and variable annuity, personal lines, credit and other lines.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.

Renewal

How often

Every 2 years⁴¹³

When it expires

Producer licenses expire on the last day of the licensee's birth month every two years; renew through NIPR before then. (W. Va. Code §33-12-17 lets the Commissioner fix expiration dates.)¹⁶

Renewal fee

$50¹⁷¹³

From another state

Military service members, veterans and spouses: A producer who cannot meet renewal procedures because of military service (or another extenuating circumstance) may ask for a waiver of those procedures and of any exam, fine or sanction. A temporary license may go to the designee of a producer entering active service. WV exams can be taken at Pearson test centers on military installations.¹⁸

3. Every license level except Resident Producer

Requirements

Exam

Not required⁸¹²

Who needs a Resident Producer license

Work that does not need this license:

• Statutory exceptions to producer licensing are listed in W. Va. Code §33-12-4 (e.g., insurer officers/employees who do not receive commissions).¹⁹
• Limited lines with no exam: car rental, credit, surety, title, travel, self storage (business-entity and travel-entity licenses also need no exam).¹²

Requirements for a Resident 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 old⁶

Education or training

At least 20 clock hours²
Pre-licensing course from an approved provider for each major line of authority (life, accident & sickness, property, casualty, personal lines); bring the course completion certificate to the exam. Certificates are valid six months.²
Who may teach it: Approved pre-licensing providers are listed on Sircon.²
Alternative: Exam not required with listed professional designations (e.g., CLU, ChFC, CFP for life; RHU, REBC for health; CPCU, CIC, ARM, AAI for P&C) or a college insurance degree.⁶
Alternative: Surplus lines: no pre-licensing education.²⁰

Exam

West Virginia insurance licensing exam for each line of authority, given in person by Pearson²
Given by: Pearson VUE²¹
Passing score: Scaled score of 70⁶
When you can take it: Finish pre-licensing first and bring the physical course completion certificate (valid 6 months) to the test center; get fingerprinted after passing.²¹
Life: 90 questions, 120 minutes⁶
Accident and Health or Sickness: 90 questions, 120 minutes⁶
Property and Casualty (combined): 150 questions, 210 minutes⁶
Property: 90 questions, 120 minutes; Casualty: 90 questions, 120 minutes⁶
Personal Lines: 120 questions, 150 minutes⁶
Retakes: After a failed exam you may try seven more times (eight attempts per line); re-register and pay again, waiting 24 hours before booking.¹⁰
Time limit: Apply for the license within one year of passing, or redo pre-licensing and the exam.⁶
Exam waived: No exam/pre-licensing if previously licensed for the same lines in another state (currently, or applying within 90 days of cancellation).⁷

Background check

Background check required³
Fingerprints required²
IdentoGo fingerprints go to the WV State Police and FBI (WVOIC code 228NS5; prints valid 60 days). A criminal record is not an automatic bar; disclose convictions with a statement and court documents.¹⁵

Residency or citizenship

Must reside in West Virginia; a resident license is void if the holder claims residency elsewhere.²²

Also required

Variable life/annuity line needs FINRA registration (Series 6 or 7); no separate WV exam.¹²

Also required

Producers must be appointed by each insurer they represent (insurer files within 15 days; $25 per appointment).¹

Also required

Adding a line later: no state fee; exam lines need 20 hours pre-licensing and new fingerprints.²⁰

How much a Resident Producer license costs

How to apply

1. Complete 20 hours of approved pre-licensing education for each line you want (find providers on Sircon) and keep the completion certificate.²
2. Book and pass the in-person Pearson exam ($84) for each line; bring the physical course certificate.² pearsonvue.com²¹
3. After passing, get fingerprinted at IdentoGo using WVOIC service code 228NS5 (prints are valid 60 days).² uenroll.identogo.com²¹
4. Apply for the Resident Producer license on NIPR and pay the $50 fee plus NIPR's charge.² nipr.com²
5. Print your license from SBS (no paper license is mailed) and get appointed by each insurer you will sell for.¹⁵

Application form

wvinsurance.gov²³

Renewal and continuing education

Continuing education

At least 24 hours each renewal period⁵

Required topics

3 of the 24 hours must be ethics⁵
Annuity sellers: one-time 4-hour annuity training before selling annuities (counts toward the 24 hours if approved/categorized)²⁴
Long-term care sellers: 4 hours of LTC CE each biennium (counts toward the 24 hours if approved/categorized)²⁵

Approved courses

Courses must be approved; providers report credits to the WVOIC (Prometric administers CE) within 30 days, and the Sircon transcript must show compliance before renewal. Up to 6 excess hours carry forward (ethics only as general credit).⁵

Exemptions

Producers licensed only for credit, surety, travel, title, crop, car rental (or a mix) have no CE but must still renew every two years.⁵
Preneed-only producers and solicitors acting solely as telemarketers may file an affidavit reducing CE to 6 hours (3 ethics).⁵

Late renewal

Late renewal fee: $100²⁶ (late renewal within one year after expiration ($50 renewal + $50 late fee))
Reinstatement fee: $5²⁶ (per CE hour completed after the license expiration date)

If it expires

No grace period: an unrenewed license is expired/suspended the next day and all appointments cancel. You have one year to late-renew ($100); after one year you must apply for a new license meeting all requirements. An inactive license also requires a new application.⁴
Missing CE suspends the license automatically; if compliance is not shown by the end of the following biennium the license is canceled and you must meet education and exam requirements again.²⁷

Moving to West Virginia with a license from another state

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

Non-Resident Producer

Requirements

Background check

Background check required²⁸
No fingerprints required²⁹
Disclose convictions on the application with a statement and court documents; a record is not an automatic bar.⁸

Residency or citizenship

Must be licensed as a resident of another (home) state.²⁸

How to apply

1. Hold an active resident producer license in your home state for the lines you want.⁹
2. Apply on NIPR and pay the $50 fee plus the NIPR service charge.⁹ nipr.com⁹
3. Get appointed by each insurer you will represent ($25 per appointment).⁸

Renewal

Late renewal

Late renewal fee: $100²⁶ (late renewal within one year after expiration ($50 renewal + $50 late fee))

If it expires

No grace period: an unrenewed license is expired/suspended the next day and all appointments cancel. You have one year to late-renew ($100); after one year you must apply for a new license meeting all requirements. An inactive license also requires a new application.⁴

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.

Business Entity License

License for corporations, partnerships, LLCs and LLPs acting as insurance agencies. Entities are not licensed by line; they may receive assigned commissions but cannot themselves sell, solicit or negotiate. A sole proprietor who is the only licensed producer in the office is exempt.¹¹

Requirements

Background check

Background check required³⁰

Business requirements

Designate at least one Designated Responsible Licensed Producer (DRLP) licensed in WV.¹¹

Business requirements

Disclose all officers, partners and directors; report changes within 10 days.¹¹

Business requirements

Check compliance with WV corporate law at the Secretary of State.¹¹

Business requirements

Resident if principal office is in WV; otherwise non-resident (non-resident entities whose home state does not license entities send a home-state letter).³⁰

Fees

How to apply

1. Register or check the entity with the West Virginia Secretary of State.¹¹
2. Name at least one WV-licensed producer as DRLP.¹¹
3. Apply on NIPR and pay the $200 fee.¹¹ nipr.com¹¹

Renewal

How often

Every year¹⁴

When it expires

All entity licenses renew every June 30 whatever the issue date; renewals open March 1. Entities licensed before March 1 renew that June 30.¹¹

Renewal fee

$200¹⁴

Late renewal

Late renewal fee: $225¹⁴ (renewal after June 30 ($200 + $25 late fee))

If it expires

After one year unrenewed, the entity must reapply.¹⁴

From another state

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

Check a license or report a problem

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

Look up a license

external-lookup-web.prod.naic.org²¹

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

• W. Va. Code §33-12-3
• W. Va. Code §33-12-4
• W. Va. Code §33-12-5
• W. Va. Code §33-12-6
• W. Va. Code §33-12-6a
• W. Va. Code §33-12-6b
• W. Va. Code §33-12-8
• W. Va. Code §33-12-8a
• W. Va. Code §33-12-9
• W. Va. Code §33-12-10
• W. Va. Code §33-12-12
• W. Va. Code §33-12-14
• W. Va. Code §33-12-16
• W. Va. Code §33-12-17
• W. Va. Code §33-12-33
• W. Va. Code §33-12-37
• W. Va. Code §33-3-13

Common questions

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