Whether you handle your licensing yourself or have a staff member do it for you, securing and maintaining your state producer licenses can be a time consuming and frustrating process. In 1996, the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) was established to create a one-stop-shop for producer (agent and broker) licensing. We provide an electronic bridge over which licensing transactions travel between state departments of insurance and insurance professionals.
While great strides have been made to make licensing electronic and more uniform, the process still proves difficult for many. In 2024, our customer service team helped more than 307,000 industry professionals navigate the licensing process and we processed more than 138 million transactions.
So, we’ve asked our team members to share common roadblocks and their advice about how to make the licensing process easier.
Give yourself plenty of time
All of our team members agree - this is Rule 1. In today’s high-speed world, we have gotten used to doing many electronic transactions in real time. The complexity of producer licensing, however, means that some processes cannot be completed in real time. Like banking, producer licensing transactions must be validated and transmitted among a number of stakeholders.
Our most frustrated and stressed customers are those who waited until the last day to renew their license and then find that there may be additional steps related to continuing education compliance, citizenship verification, or address change (see below).
Prepare in advance
A lack of all the information necessary to apply is another common challenge. Before you sit down to apply for a new license or renew licenses you already hold, make sure you have all the information you need at your fingertips.
- Know your NPN - your National Producer Number (NPN) can be found using the Look up a National Producer number tool on our Licensing page.
- Know your Resident State License Number – Verify your license number on your resident state insurance department website and be aware of any changes. Several states now use the NPN as the license number. You can access the NIPR state licensing overview pages through the NIPR State information page.
- Lines of Authority - If you task a staff member with managing your license, be sure that person has sufficient information. We often assist callers who are asked to renew their boss’ license, but they don’t know specifics like the lines of authority you hold, or whether you are renewing an individual license or a business entity license.
Change your contact information BEFORE you apply
If you hold an individual license and your address, telephone number or email has changed, use NIPR’s LicenseHub to make those changes. To learn more about our Contact Change Request service, visit the Contact change request page. Because NIPR moves transactions and information on behalf of states and industry, NIPR’s team members have limited ability to change your contact information for you. In 2024 we introduced the capability to submit change requests any time for the majority of SBS states.
Once you submit a contact change request, please allow three to five business days before you attempt to renew your license so that change can be validated and loaded throughout the system.
Meet education requirements in advance
In most instances, before a producer can secure a new license, all required pre-licensing and examination requirements must be fulfilled. We often get calls during which a producer will say, “I just passed my exam. Why can’t I apply for my license?” It generally takes up to three to five business days for exam data to travel from the test provider to the appropriate states and then to NIPR.
Likewise, most states require that producers complete continuing education requirements prior to being allowed to submit a renewal application. Your record must be listed as CE compliant in NIPR’s system prior to access to the application being granted. We recommend that you familiarize yourself with the course completion reporting requirements in your state and make efforts to complete required hours at least 30 days prior to your license expiration date. You can find links to state-specific CE requirements on our CE requirements page.
Avoid the end of the month
During the last business days of the month, NIPR’s call volume rises significantly making it more difficult for our team members to serve all of our customers. Wait times tend to be longer at the end of the month.
States begin to accept renewal transactions 30-120 days prior to the expiration of a license. Familiarize yourself with your state’s renewal periods, which are listed on each of the state-specific requirements pages and submit your renewal requests at the beginning of the renewal period.
We are actively implementing new tools to better assist our customers. To ensure a smooth license renewal process, it is crucial to plan ahead and allow ample time for any potential issues to be resolved before your license expires. By doing so, you can avoid any disruptions and ensure continuous service. If you need guidance as you work through the insurance license application and renewal process, please visit our Help page.
We appreciate your trust in us and are here to support you every step of the way
Karen Hornig is the chief executive officer of the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR).
