Your new hire starts Monday. By Friday, they ask the one question that stalls most new agents: “When can I start selling?” The honest answer is, not yet. Nobody sells a policy until they hold a life and health insurance license, and the road there has more speed bumps than most owners expect. Missed deadlines, failed exams, and surprise fees can eat up weeks. This guide gives you a simple plan to get each hire licensed faster, with fewer headaches and a clear budget.
What a Life & Health Insurance License Allows
A life and health insurance license lets an agent sell life, accident, and health products in one state. Most states ask for the same basics. The person must be at least 18, finish approved training, pass a state exam, and clear a background check. Many states also want fingerprints.
One catch: not every state bundles the two lines together. North Carolina, for example, uses separate exams for life and for health.
Step 1: Pick the Right Pre-Licensing Training
How many hours will your hire need?
Most states ask for about 20 hours of life, 20 hours of health, or 40 hours for both. About a dozen states skip the requirement. California dropped its 20-hour rule in 2026 and now asks only for a 12-hour ethics course. Rules change, so confirm the numbers each time you hire. Even where it is optional, pre licensing training is still the best way to get ready for the exam.
Choosing an online insurance license course
An online insurance license course lets hires study at their own pace, even on a phone. Not all insurance license courses are equal, so look for these things:
- Practice exams that match the real test
- Access to a live instructor
- A money-back or pass guarantee
- State approval
A solid life insurance pre license course usually costs between $100 and $300.
Step 2: Build a Study Plan
Do not just hand over a link and hope. Give each hire protected study time, such as one or two hours a day during work hours. Check in every week. Have them book the exam within a week of finishing pre licensing training, while the material is fresh. In states that publish results, about half of test takers pass on the first try, so practice tests matter more than rereading chapters.
Step 3: Finish the Exam, Fingerprints & Application
Give your hire a short checklist:
- Pass the state exam (a passing score near 70 percent is common).
- Get fingerprinted if your state requires it.
- Submit the application through your state’s insurance department or NIPR.
- Pay the fees and save every receipt.
Exams run $40 to $150, and applications run $50 to $200.
What Is the Cost to Get Insurance License in All 50 States?
A full budget usually lands between $200 and $500 once you add the course, exam, application, and fingerprints. State fees alone range from about $95 to $367, depending on where you operate. The life insurance pre license course is the biggest single line item.
Fees shift, so check each state’s insurance department instead of trusting an old chart. That is the practical answer to the cost to get insurance license in all 50 states: plan for a range, then confirm the exact number.
Decide early who pays. No law says you must cover it, but many agencies pay for the course up front to speed things up. Put your choice in writing.
Is there an easiest state to get insurance license?
Some states are lighter on paperwork. Alaska, for example, has no required training hours. Still, the easiest state to get insurance license is rarely the right choice for a new hire. Agents must be licensed in their home state first. After that, a nonresident license elsewhere usually needs no new exam. So start at home.
Keep Hires Moving After They Pass
A license is the starting line, not the finish. Pair each new agent with a mentor, run role-play calls, and teach your carriers’ products one at a time. Track continuing education dates so no license lapses.
In Closing,
Getting a new hire licensed does not have to feel like guesswork. Choose an online insurance license course, set a study schedule, budget for fees, and track every step. Do that, and your hire moves from day one to first sale much sooner. Ready to build your process? Pull up your state’s requirements today, pick a course, and book your next hire’s study week now.
FAQs
How long does it take to get a life and health insurance license?
Plan on a few weeks to a couple of months. Course time, exam scheduling, and background checks all add up.
Can new hires sell while they wait?
No. They can shadow calls and learn products, but they cannot sell until the state issues the license.
What if a hire fails the exam?
It happens. Review the weak topics, check your state’s retake rules, and rebook quickly.
Should the agency pay for training?
It is your call. Paying for the course and reimbursing exam fees after a pass is a common middle path.
