How to get a Tennessee life insurance license

What is a Tennessee life insurance license?

Tennessee issues insurance producer licenses by classification, and Life is one of them, alongside Property, Accident and Health, and Casualty. The Department of Commerce and Insurance, through its Producer Licensing Section, issues the license. Resident applicants must be at least 18 and provide proof of Tennessee residency. The DCI also describes the applicant standard as competent, trustworthy, financially responsible, and of good business reputation.

A new identification rule starts January 1, 2027. The DCI says applicants must present a valid Tennessee government-issued identification to schedule a resident licensing exam. If you have a criminal record or a past regulatory action, ask the DCI how it applies before you spend money on an exam.

Do you need a pre-licensing course in Tennessee?

No, not for Life. The DCI says that applicants for a title insurance line must complete a minimum of 30 hours of a pre-licensing course, and it lists no such requirement for Life. A prep course is a study choice, not a state step. If you hold the same line from another state, the Pearson VUE handbook describes an exemption from pre-licensing and the exam, within time limits it lists.

How do you get a Tennessee life insurance license?

1. Schedule and pay for the Life exam with Pearson VUE, at a test center or online with OnVUE. The handbook asks for your legal name, address, Social Security number, daytime phone number and date of birth when you book.
2. Take and pass the Life Agent exam.
3. Get fingerprinted through IdentoGO after you pass. The DCI says a fingerprint-based background check is required, run against Tennessee Bureau of Investigation and FBI records. Complete the appointment at least 2 business days before you submit your application.
4. Wait 48 hours after the exam, then submit your application through NIPR and pay the $50 filing fee. The DCI says you must wait 48 hours from taking the exam to submit electronically.
5. Wait for the DCI to process the file. Paper applications take about 15 days according to the DCI, and NIPR is the electronic route.

We could not find a time window after passing the exam on the pages we reviewed, so ask the DCI how long your result stays valid. The handbook says fees are good for one year from the date they are received.

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

The Life exam has two parts. Life General Knowledge has 50 scored questions plus 5 unidentified, unscored pretest questions. Life Tennessee Specific has 18 scored questions plus 4 pretest questions. That is 68 scored questions, and the handbook gives a combined time limit of 1 hour and 45 minutes for the Life Agent exam. The DCI selected 70 as the passing score for reporting purposes, on a scaled 0 to 100. If you pass, the report shows pass without a number, and if you fail it shows a score.

The Life exam is $55, at a test center or online with OnVUE. The handbook lists fees as nonrefundable and nontransferable, and cancellations need 48 hours' notice. After a first failure you must wait 10 days before retaking, and after each later attempt you must wait 30 days. Online testing is limited to one OnVUE attempt per exam line, and later retakes happen at a physical test center. The handbook does not say which languages the exam is offered in, and it offers extra time for English as a second language candidates with a letter.

The exam and the filing fee add up to $105 before fingerprinting and any prep course. The DCI page says the insurer files the appointment and does not say who pays the $15 fee. It also says a producer shall not act as an agent of an insurer unless the producer becomes an appointed agent of that insurer, and the insurer must file within 15 days of the contract or first application.

What does continuing education look like in Tennessee?

The DCI requires 24 credit hours of continuing education (CE) every two years, and 3 of them must be in ethics. Licensees continuously licensed since January 1, 1994 are exempt. A course cannot be resubmitted within two years, and providers report within 30 days. Life producers who want to sell annuities must complete a one-time 4-credit annuity training, in effect since January 1, 2024.

Licenses renew every two years and the renewal fee is $60, filed through NIPR. The DCI emails a notice 90 days before expiration. A license can be reinstated without an exam within 12 months of expiration, with a reinstatement penalty fee of double the renewal fee. We could not find a separate fine for a CE shortfall on the pages we reviewed. Our continuing education guide compares the rules in several states.

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

Yes, with a nonresident license. The DCI says you qualify if you hold a like license in another state, no written exam is required, and the application filing fee is $50, subject to retaliatory fees. If you are moving to Tennessee, the DCI says to file your Tennessee application within 90 days of your previous resident license cancellation to be exempt from the exam. A Texas license or a Georgia license can be a home license for a nonresident application, and our general license guide explains how a second state works.

Temporary licenses exist, with a $50 filing fee, but only in narrow cases such as the death or disability of a producer or a producer entering military service. They are not a new-agent shortcut. Our carrier contracting guide explains the appointment step.

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. 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.