Pre-Licensing Training
How to Get Your Maryland Insurance License
Are you interested in becoming an insurance agent? Once you have decided to pursue a career as an insurance agent, you will first need to become licensed. Maryland insurance law defines an insurance agent or producer as anyone who - for compensation - sells, solicits, or negotiates insurance. The information below applies to Property & Casualty and Life & Health.
Maryland requires those seeking an insurance license to complete pre-licensing education (PLE) before taking the state licensing exam. The PLE course must be certified by the Maryland Insurance Administration. Candidates must complete a 20-hour approved course for each major line of authority. For combination exams (ex. Property/Casualty), 40 hours of PLE is required. A certification of completion must be submitted in order to take the examination.
The lines of authority are:
- Property | 20 hours
- Casualty | 20 hours
- Personal Lines | 20 hours
- Life | 20 hours
- Accident and health | 20 hours
Pre-Licensing Education Waivers: The Maryland Insurance Commissioner may waive the pre-licensing education requirement for an individual who:
- Holds an approved insurance designation,
- Has a qualifying level or work experience, or
- Has taken equivalent college courses.
Unless a waiver has been approved by the Maryland Insurance Administration, candidates must complete a Maryland approved pre-licensing course. If either of the above apply to you, please fill out the Education Waiver/Employer Affidavit found here and submit to the MIA for approval.
We can help with this PLE requirement! See our training options below:
Classroom Training: We are pleased to offer an instructor led Property & Casualty Pre-Licensing Program at the Big I Maryland Headquarters. Our training program runs Monday-Friday and will satisfy the 40-hour Maryland PLE requirement. For more information and upcoming training, visit our Education Calendar.
Big I Maryland is pleased to offer free Property & Casualty pre-licensing training to all US Veterans! After you register, it is required that you send a copy of your photo ID as well as a copy of your DD-214 to our Education Coordinator, Kyrsten Langford at kyrsten@bigimd.com. Please be sure to review our Cancellation Policies & Procedures before registering.
Online (Self-Study) Training: We have partnered with WebCE to offer pre-licensing training solutions to best fit your learning style. You can now complete Property & Casualty and Life & Health training completely online. For more information, visit www.webce.com/iiamd/catalog.
After completing your required pre-licensing course, you must pass the state licensing exam.
Registration & Fees: To schedule your examination, visit Prometric at www.prometric.com/maryland/insurance or call 800-610-1174. You can also download the License Information Bulletin from the Prometric website.
Identification: You must provide two forms of identification. One must be a valid form of government-issued identification (driver's license, state ID, passport), which bears your signature and has your photograph. The second ID must have your signature and preprinted legal name. All identification must match the name on the Examination Registration Form and your Registration Confirmation Notice.
You will receive your score immediately following completion of the examination.
Once you have passed your state licensing exam, you can apply for an insurance license. Note that there are fees associated with the application and that you must apply for a license within 6 months of passing the state exam.
You must submit an application with the Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA). You can apply online (recommended) with a credit card. For more information, visit the MIA website.
You will be assigned a National Producer Number (NPN). This unique identifier is assigned through the licensing application process and is used to track individuals and business entities on a national basis.
Licensees are responsible for complying with Maryland insurance laws and rules, including but not limited to timely reporting changes of address and timely renewing insurance licenses. Maryland law requires producers to notify the Administration of an address change within 30 days.
National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR): You can use the NIPR's website, at www.nipr.com to report changes of email, address and telephone information at no charge.
License Renewal: A licensee must submit an application and renewal fee up to 90 days before the date the license expires. The licensee is solely responsible for renewing the license before its expiration. The Maryland Insurance Administration will send a renewal notice to the email address on file.
Insurance Continuing Education: Most licenses require 24 hours of continuing education, including 3 hours of ethics education biennially. For more information regarding your licensing type, visit the MIA website.
For more information about insurance licensing in Maryland, go to:
Questions? Please contact our education team at education@bigimd.com or 410-766-0600 for assistance.