How Do I Become An Insurance Agent in Arizona?

Arizona state requirements for an insurance agent

To sell life and health insurance in Arizona, you must be licensed by the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions (DIFI). This article explains the process.

The Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions has a process consisting of:¹

To retain your insurance license, you must

• Attend approved continuing course credits; and
• Renew the insurance license every two years online with the DIFI.

Optional education courses

Some states require pre-licensing education courses. For the state of Arizona these courses are optional. Pre-licensing education courses may help you prepare for passing the licensing exam.

You have four attempts to sit for the licensing exam. If you do not pass within four attempts, you must wait one year from the date of the last attempt to retake the exam.

There are several schools in Arizona that provide pre-licensing educational courses. When considering schools, please confirm they are certified by the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions.

The Arizona insurance agent license test:

The requirements for being licensed in the state of Arizona are:

• Your primary residence or principal place of business is in Arizona
• If you relocate from a state where you did not hold an insurance license, and you currently want to obtain a license in Arizona
• You must be eighteen (18) years old or older
• You must show proof of U.S. citizenship

You do not need to pass an Arizona insurance exam if:

• You are a non-resident licensed in good standing in your home state and seeking the same type of insurance in Arizona.
• You are relocating to Arizona from a state where you have a resident license in good standing, and you want to hold the same license in Arizona.
  • If Arizona offers the same resident license authority, and
  • They receive your license application for the State of Arizona within 90 days after you cancel your license in your former home state, and
  • You submit a clearance letter providing the cancellation from the former home state.

Signing up for the insurance exam

The company Prometric administers the life insurance exam.²

Schedule your test either onsite at one of Prometric’s test centers or online with a remote proctor.

Prometric provides an outline of the test content as well as a sample exam to take online.

After completing the exam, your score will appear on the computer screen either at the test center where you are taking the exam or online with a remote proctor. It is a pass or fail test.

Fingerprinting

Once you have passed the insurance state exam, you need to be fingerprinted. Arizona requires fingerprinting for:

• Arizona residents who do not already hold an Arizona insurance license
• Those relocating from Arizona from another state
• If the license you are seeking is not available in your resident state and seeking a license in Arizona

Arizona DIFI uses Fieldprint as its fingerprinting vendor. Schedule your appointment on the website.

Application for License

Once you have passed your insurance license exam, you will need to apply for your insurance license. The application can be completed online through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) website. You can also submit a paper application downloaded from the website, but online applications are generally processed more quickly.

Insurance Agent License Renewal

Keeping your insurance license renewed is important. Arizona DIFI requires licensed Arizona residents to renew their license every three to four years. Insurance producers must complete at least 48 hours of continuing education prior to the renewal date.³

The renewal period begins 90 days prior to expiration. If you fail to complete renewal, your license is non-effective. You can pay a late fee and renew up to one year past the license expiration date.

Team up with the experts

After your application has been approved by the Arizona Department of Insurance and Financial Institutions, you will be ready to sell insurance in Arizona. Congratulations!

Finding a home with a team of successful and motivated insurance agents is the next big step in achieving your potential. Look for a reputable insurance company and find a licensed agency where you will receive additional training and mentoring.

Sources:

1. Department of Insurance and financial institution,https://difi.az.gov/producers/producer-agentbroker/producer-agentbroker-license-application-individual, accessed 2023.
2. Testing, https://live-prometric.pantheonsite.io/arizona/insurance, accessed 2023.
3. License renewal, https://difi.az.gov/producers/producer-agentbroker/producer-agentbroker-license-renewal-individual, accessed 2023.