How to get a Georgia life insurance license

What is a Georgia life insurance license?

Georgia licenses insurance agents by line of authority, and Life is its own line. OCI also lists Accident and Sickness as a separate line, and it offers a combined Life, Accident and Sickness course and exam if you want both. If you only plan to sell life insurance, the Life line is the one to apply for.

To qualify as a resident, the Pearson VUE candidate handbook says you must be a Georgia resident or have a Georgia business address, and be at least 18. You also need the pre-licensing education, a passing exam score, the citizenship affidavit, and electronic fingerprints. Georgia can refuse a license for reasons listed in O.C.G.A. section 33-23-21.

How many pre-licensing hours does Georgia require?

Eight hours for the Life line. The handbook lists an 8-hour Life course and an 8-hour Accident and Sickness course, so a combined Life and Accident and Sickness license is 16 hours. The handbook also lists the course as taken within the last 12 months, so do not finish the course and then wait a year to test. You complete it through a state-approved provider, and OCI links a search tool for providers.

Some people can skip the course and exam. OCI says a waiver can be granted if you hold a CLU or FLMI designation. It also lists a waiver if you held the same lines in your previous home state, provided that license was active when you moved, you attach a clearance letter from that state, and you apply within 90 days of the move. A business degree in insurance waives the course only, not the exam.

How do you get a Georgia life insurance license?

1. Complete the 8-hour Life pre-licensing course with a state-approved provider, unless you qualify for a waiver.
2. Reserve and pay for the exam with Pearson VUE. Bring two forms of ID, one government-issued with a photo and signature. The name on the ID must match the name on your registration exactly.
3. Take the exam and leave with a pass or fail score. Scores upload to OCI electronically from the testing vendor, so you do not upload a score report yourself.
4. Complete the Citizenship Affidavit (form GID-276-EN). It must be notarized, and you upload it with a copy of an accepted ID to your application. OCI says it cannot process the application without it.
5. Apply through the state's licensing system at Sircon and pay $100 plus a $20 processing fee.
6. After you apply, register for fingerprinting through the state's approved IdentoGO vendor. OCI says a fingerprint registration is not approved until you have applied.

OCI says processing time varies, with an average turnaround of 14 business days. If your application is incomplete, upload the missing documents in Sircon. Emailed or mailed documents are not attached. The handbook adds that if an application is still incomplete 60 days after a deficiency notice, it is closed and you forfeit the application fee. If OCI denies the application, you receive a Notice of Denial, and OCI says you can file a written petition to appeal within 10 days of its issuance.

What does the exam cover, and what does it cost?

The Georgia Life Agent exam has 80 scored questions and 10 pretest questions, and you have 2 hours. The score is reported as the percent of questions answered correctly, and you need 70 percent to pass. The exam is also offered in Spanish.

The state and exam fees listed for a first Life license add up to $187, before fingerprinting and the course. If you fail the exam, the handbook says you wait 14 days to retest after the first and second attempts, and 60 days after the third and any later attempt. There is no limit on attempts, and every attempt carries a new exam fee.

Can you work before you pass the exam?

Georgia has a temporary agent license, and it works differently from a fast start. It is issued on behalf of one insurer, and it needs a sponsoring insurer and a supervising agent who is licensed and appointed with that insurer. The handbook lists no pre-licensing course and no exam for it.

• The license is issued for 6 months and can be extended in 3-month steps, up to 15 months from the original issue date. A licensee gets one temporary license per lifetime.
• OCI lists an $80 fee, and the application needs the Sponsoring Insurer/Agent Certification form, the citizenship affidavit, and fingerprints.
• A temporary agent can only hold the same lines as the supervising agent.
• The handbook says temporary licenses do not convert to a resident license. To become a resident agent you apply separately and meet the course and exam requirements.

What does continuing education look like in Georgia?

OCI requires 24 hours of continuing education (CE) every two years, with 3 of those hours in ethics, completed on or before the last day of your birth month. Licensees with more than 20 years of service need 20 hours, also with 3 in ethics. Holders of certain designations, including CLU, CFP, and CPCU, need 12 hours with 3 in ethics, and you send proof to OCI.

Georgia licenses run two years and expire on the last day of your birth month, so a new license can have an initial term of 18 to 29 months. You can carry over excess CE up to 50 percent of the biennial requirement, but ethics must be completed each period. If your license is inactivated for missing renewal or CE, OCI lets you apply to reinstate within 12 months of the inactivation date, with fees, any CE owed, and fingerprinting if it has been inactive more than six months.

Can you sell in Georgia if you live in another state?

Yes, with a nonresident license. The handbook lists $100 plus a $20 processing fee, and you apply through Sircon or NIPR. A nonresident license holds only the lines you also hold on your home state license, a nonresident agent must be appointed in Georgia, and a new nonresident applicant also submits the notarized citizenship affidavit. A nonresident who meets CE rules in their home state is considered in compliance for Georgia. A Texas resident, for example, starts with the Texas license and then adds Georgia. Our general license guide covers how a second state works.

A license alone does not let you place business. After licensure, the handbook says you must obtain a certificate of authority from each insurer you represent. Our carrier contracting guide explains that step. If you also plan to sell variable products, Georgia lists a separate 8-hour course, an exam, and FINRA certification, and you must already hold Life.

How Checkmate fits

Checkmate Financial Group LLC is an independent, licensed insurance agency domiciled in Florida, with more than 1,000 licensed agents and 40+ A-rated carriers, and it serves clients in all 50 states. No carrier owns us. Each agent needs an active license in the state where they serve clients, and you can apply even if you are not licensed yet. The team will talk you through the next steps for your state.

Once you are licensed, onboarding is handled for you: contracts, appointments, and portal access. That covers carrier contracts and appointments. Agents get inbound calls and qualified web leads, an AI CRM and dialer, and daily live training. Call (833) 997-6934, Monday to Friday, 9am to 8pm ET. For the full path, see how to become a life insurance agent.