How to get an Intermediary Individual (Producer/Agent) — resident license in Wisconsin

Wisconsin insurance agent licenses

Wisconsin issues 4 insurance agent credentials. Each has its own section below; the table shows what each one covers and its headline requirements.

Rules shared by several license levels

These rules are the same for several of the Wisconsin 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 except Temporary Intermediary (Agent) License

How to apply

Apply online

nipr.com¹²¹³¹

Renewal

How often

Every 2 years⁶¹⁴

Renew online

nipr.com⁶¹⁴

2. Every license level except Intermediary Individual (Producer/Agent) — resident

Requirements

Exam

Not required¹⁰⁴¹

3. Intermediary Individual (Producer/Agent) — resident and Intermediary Individual (Producer/Agent) — nonresident

What it covers

Wisconsin calls agents "intermediaries": anyone who solicits, negotiates or places insurance or annuities, or advises others about insurance needs, needs an intermediary license for each line (major lines: accident & health or sickness, casualty, life, property, personal lines, variable life/annuity; limited lines: credit, crop, legal expense, surety, title, travel).¹¹

Requirements

Minimum age

18 years old⁴

Fees

How to apply

Processing time

OCI says applications can be processed in 24 to 48 hours unless deferred for review; state law allows 90 days for a completed application.¹²

Renewal

When it expires

Licenses expire every two years on the last day of the birth month (first term can exceed 24 months); renewal opens 90 days before expiry and notices go only by email.⁶

Who needs an Intermediary Individual (Producer/Agent) — resident license

Work that does not need this license:

• Exempt from intermediary licensing under s. Ins 6.595(2) include town mutual agents, non-commissioned insurer officers/employees doing administrative or technical work, and sellers of rental car insurance (rental of 90 days or less).¹²

Requirements for an Intermediary Individual (Producer/Agent) — resident license

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 and group 3 under Rules shared by several license levels.

Education or training

At least 20 clock hours²
At least 20 hours of OCI-approved prelicensing education for each property, personal lines, casualty, life or accident & health line (8 hours of principles/Wisconsin law/ethics that need not be repeated within 12 months, plus 12 line-specific hours); completed within one year before the exam.²
Who may teach it: Approved providers only; self-study/online (asynchronous) courses need a proctored final course exam.²
Alternative: Exempt: limited lines (title, credit, crop, surety, travel, legal expense); 2-year Wisconsin technical college insurance degree or 4-year business degree with insurance emphasis; listed designations (CLU, ChFC, CFP, RHU, CPCU, CIC and others); veterans with related military instruction. Exemption requests must be approved 90 days before the exam.²

Exam

Wisconsin intermediary exam for each line (PSI): Life 22-01, Accident & Health 22-03, Property 22-05, Casualty 22-07, Personal Lines 22-09, Title 22-11, Credit 22-12³
Given by: PSI¹²
When you can take it: Bring the prelicensing completion certificate (valid one year) and two IDs to the exam.¹²
Each exam tests basic knowledge of the kinds of insurance and applicable laws; content outlines are in the Wisconsin Candidate Information Bulletin.³
Time limit: Exam scores are valid 180 days; apply for the license within that time or retake and pay again.⁴
Exam waived: No exam or prelicensing for an applicant who held the same lines as a resident of another state within the previous 12 months.¹⁵

Background check

Background check required⁴
Fingerprints required⁸

Residency or citizenship

Resident license is for Wisconsin residents; residency is judged by tax jurisdiction, driver license and similar criteria.⁴

Social Security number

Social Security number is collected at the fingerprint reservation.⁸

Also required

Variable life/annuity: hold an active life license plus FINRA SIE and Series 6 or 7; CRD number required; no fingerprints for this line.¹¹

Also required

Insurers appoint agents within 15 days of contract or first application.¹⁶

Also required

Report administrative actions, criminal charges/convictions and certain lawsuits within 30 days (s. Ins 6.61(16)).¹²

How much an Intermediary Individual (Producer/Agent) — resident license costs

You pay OCI (2 fees), PSI (exam fee) and Fieldprint (FBI background check).

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. Complete 20 hours of approved prelicensing education per line (unless exempt) and get the completion certificate.¹²
2. Book digital fingerprints with Fieldprint using code FPWIOCIINSURANCE ($34.75).⁸
3. Register with PSI and pass the exam for each line ($75 per exam); scores are valid 180 days.¹²
4. 48-72 hours after passing, apply on NIPR and pay $10 plus $75 per line; answer background questions fully and upload documents.¹² nipr.com¹²
5. Supply any requested information within 90 days or the application closes; then get appointed by each insurer.¹²

Temporary or provisional license

Temporary intermediary license (12 months, not renewable) only for a personal representative or designee of a deceased, disabled or deployed agent.¹⁰

Renewal and continuing education

Renewal fee

$35¹¹

Continuing education

At least 24 hours each renewal period⁷

Required topics

At least 3 of the 24 hours in ethics¹⁷
Annuity sellers: 4-hour annuity best-interest training plus insurer product training before selling annuities⁷
Long-term care sellers: 8 hours initial (2 Wisconsin Medicaid/LTC) then 4 hours each renewal period (1 Wisconsin Medicaid)⁷
Flood (NFIP) sellers: 3-hour approved flood course⁷

Approved courses

Courses must be OCI-approved (list on SBS); providers bank credits electronically within 10 days; the same course cannot be repeated in one biennium; excess hours do not carry forward.⁷

Exemptions

Limited-line-only resident intermediaries have no CE.⁷
CE waiver for good cause (long-term illness, active military duty outside Wisconsin, emergencies); request at least 90 days before expiry.⁷

Late renewal

Reinstatement fee: $70¹⁸ (resident license expired less than 12 months (CE must be complete))

If it expires

If CE credits are not banked by the expiration date, the license terminates and all appointments end.¹⁷

Moving to Wisconsin with a license from another state

These are the routes OCI publishes for the Intermediary Individual (Producer/Agent) — resident license. The other insurance agent licenses have their own routes in their sections below.

Military service members, veterans and spouses: Wisconsin-resident qualifying veterans can get a one-time waiver of the initial license fee (OCI lists "Resident Insurance Agent License $10") with a WDVA voucher; GI Bill funds can reimburse the exam fees; CE can be waived for active duty outside Wisconsin; a temporary license may go to a person designated by an agent entering active duty.¹⁹

Temporary Intermediary (Agent) License

Issued only to the personal representative of a deceased or mentally disabled agent, or a person designated by an agent who is disabled or on active military duty, to allow sale of the business, the agent's return, or training of new staff. The Commissioner may limit it, require a sponsor or bonding.¹⁰

Requirements

Also required

Possible sponsor and special bonding requirements.¹⁰

Fees

How to apply

1. Choose the temporary line(s) of authority.¹⁰
2. Complete the paper Temporary Insurance Agent License application and mail it with a $75-per-line check or money order to OCI.¹⁰

Temporary or provisional license

Valid 12 months; not renewable.¹⁰

Renewal

How often

Every year¹⁰

From another state

Military service members, veterans and spouses: Available to a person designated by an agent who has entered active duty in the U.S. Armed Forces.¹⁰

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 2 under Rules shared by several license levels.

Intermediary Individual (Producer/Agent) — nonresident

Requirements

Background check

Background check required¹³
No fingerprints required⁸

Residency or citizenship

Must hold a resident license in another (home) state.¹³

Fees

How to apply

1. Update your address and email on NIPR and confirm your home-state resident license.¹³
2. Apply on NIPR for the license type matching your home-state license and pay $75 per line.¹³ nipr.com¹³
3. Answer within 90 days any OCI request for more information; then get appointed ($30 per insurer, paid by the insurer).¹³

Renewal

Renewal fee

$70¹¹

Late renewal

Reinstatement fee: $140¹⁸ (nonresident license expired less than 12 months)

If it expires

Expired under 12 months: reinstate on NIPR for $140. Over 12 months: apply again at $75 per line. Partial renewals are not allowed; you must hold the reciprocal home-state license.¹⁸

From another state

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1, group 2 and group 3 under Rules shared by several license levels.

Intermediary Firm

Optional license for corporations, LLCs, partnerships and other entities. It gives no authority to transact insurance; commissions may be assigned to a firm with or without a license.¹

Requirements

Background check

Background check required¹

Business requirements

Designate a licensed DRLP, whose license must stay active; report a new DRLP within 30 days.¹

Business requirements

Form or register the entity with the Department of Financial Institutions (DFI) Corporations Section.¹

Fees

How to apply

1. Form or register the entity with DFI.¹
2. Designate a licensed DRLP.¹
3. Apply on NIPR and pay $100.¹ nipr.com¹

Renewal

When it expires

All firm licenses renew by February 15 of each even-numbered year; unpaid fees terminate the license.¹⁴

If it expires

Firm licenses cannot be reinstated; re-apply and pay the $100 initial fee.¹

From another state

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 and group 2 under Rules shared by several license levels.

Check a license or report a problem

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

Look up a license

external-lookup-web.prod.naic.org²⁰

File a complaint

oci.wi.gov⁹

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

• Wis. Stat. s. 601.31(Lg) $10 resident application and (1)(n) appointment fees)
• Wis. Admin. Code s. Ins 6.57, 6.58, 6.59, 6.595, 6.61
• Wis. Admin. Code ch. Ins 26 (prelicensing education)
• Wis. Admin. Code ch. Ins 28 (continuing education)

Common questions

Insurance agent licenses in other states

• Alabama
• Alaska
• Arizona
• Arkansas
• California
• Colorado
• Connecticut
• Delaware
• District of Columbia
• Florida
• Georgia
• Hawaii
• Idaho
• Illinois
• Indiana
• Iowa
• Kansas
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maine
• Maryland
• Massachusetts
• Michigan
• Minnesota
• Mississippi
• Missouri
• Montana
• Nebraska
• Nevada
• New Hampshire
• New York
• North Carolina
• North Dakota
• Ohio
• Oklahoma
• Oregon
• Pennsylvania
• Rhode Island
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee
• Texas
• Utah
• Vermont
• Virginia
• Washington
• West Virginia
• Wyoming