Types of Insurance Licenses in Florida: A Comprehensive Guide

In Florida, insurance licenses are categorized into several types, each with its own set of requirements and responsibilities.

To become a licensed insurance agent in Florida, you must first obtain a 2-20 license, which is the most basic and widely held license in the state.

This license allows you to sell all types of insurance, including life, health, property, and casualty insurance.

To obtain a 2-20 license, you'll need to complete a pre-licensing course and pass a licensing exam.

The Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) is responsible for overseeing the licensing of insurance agents in the state.

The DFS requires all insurance agents to complete continuing education courses to maintain their licenses and stay up-to-date on industry developments.

Florida law requires insurance agents to have a minimum of 3 years of experience in the insurance industry before they can become a licensed insurance consultant.

Getting licensed is a crucial step in becoming an insurance agent in Florida. Once you've passed all your exams and your licensing application has been approved, you'll be a qualified insurance agent in Florida.

In Florida, you'll need to obtain any relevant securities licenses if you plan on selling advanced life insurance products. This typically involves passing the Securities Industry Essentials (SIE) exam and obtaining the relevant securities licenses, such as the Series 6, 7, and 63.

After getting your Florida insurance license, you'll have to decide whether to work as a captive agent or an independent agent. Captive agents are employed by one company, while independent agents run their own businesses.

To succeed as an insurance agent, you'll need to develop a marketing approach that works for you. Finding a niche and organizing client appointments can be a great way to do this.

You'll also need to keep your license valid by completing continuing education (CE) hours. In Florida, this typically involves completing 10, 14, or 24 hours of CE, which may include a Law and Ethics update module or an Ethics, Rules, or Compliance module.

Here are the main steps to take after getting your Florida insurance license:

To qualify for a Florida insurance license, you must complete a pre-licensing insurance course that's certified by the Florida Department of Financial Services. This course covers various insurance concepts, definitions, laws, and agent regulations.

The course must be completed within 4 years of passing the final exam, and you'll receive a Certificate of Course Completion. This certificate is valid for 4 years.

To get started, you'll need to choose a course that meets the Florida Department of Financial Services' requirements. Here are some examples of courses and their corresponding credit hours:

To qualify for a license, you'll also need to meet the following requirements: be at least 18 years old, a resident of Florida, a United States citizen or legal alien, and pass the state insurance exam.

To qualify for the Florida insurance license exam, you must first complete a pre-licensing insurance course. These courses are certified by the Florida Department of Financial Services.

The pre-licensing course will cover various insurance concepts, definitions, laws, and agent regulations. It's presented in a clear and concise format, including instructional videos, interactive illustrations, practice exams, and student support.

You'll need to pass a final exam to receive a Certificate of Course Completion. This certificate is valid for 4 years from the date you pass the exam.

The specific hour requirements for pre-licensing education courses vary by line of authority. Here's a breakdown of the requirements:

After completing your pre-licensing education course, you'll need to pass a Certification Exam. This exam is not monitored, and you'll need to score at least 70% to receive a Certificate of Completion.

To get your insurance license in Florida, you'll need to meet certain qualifications. You must be at least 18 years old to apply.

A resident of the state of Florida is also a requirement. This means you'll need to have a valid address in Florida to qualify for a license.

You'll need to be a United States citizen or a legal alien with a work authorization from the United States Immigration and Naturalization Services. This ensures you have the right to work in the country.

To apply for a license, you'll need to pass the state insurance exam for the lines of authority you're applying for. This is a crucial step in becoming a licensed insurance agent.

You'll also need to ensure you haven't committed any acts that would be grounds for denial, suspension, or revocation of your license. This is an important consideration to make before applying.

Here are the specific qualifications you'll need to meet:

Note that members of the US Armed Forces, their spouses, and veterans who have retired within 24 months are exempt from the application filing fee for licenses.

In Florida, getting an insurance license requires a unique fingerprinting process through IdentoGo, which is a requirement that's not seen in many other states.

To get a Florida insurance license, you'll need to get fingerprinted, either through a LiveScan or a mail-in fingerprinting card.

The Florida department of insurance doesn't require an annual license renewal, but you do need to keep track of your CE credits to avoid missing deadlines and incurring costs.

If you're a licensed resident insurance agent in Florida, you'll need to make sure you're keeping up with your CE credits to maintain an active license.

In Florida, licenses don't expire, but if you haven't been appointed by a carrier in the state in over 48 months, your license will be terminated.

To maintain your license, you'll need to keep it active by being appointed by a carrier sometime in the previous four years.

Florida is a Just-In-Time (JIT) appointment state, meaning a carrier can wait to appoint an insurance producer until that producer has written their first piece of business in the state. This gives carriers the ability to backdate the appointment to cover agents retroactively.

Carriers must submit JIT appointments within 45 days of the appointment effective date. This timeline is actually quite vague for Florida, but it allows carriers to manage their appointments more efficiently.

To give you a better idea of the county-by-county nonresident fees, here's a breakdown of the costs:

In Florida, carriers have specific requirements for appointing agents. Florida is the only state that requires carriers to report the county of operation when appointing agents.

Each county has a $6 fee, and there are 67 counties. This means that non-resident producers who plan to physically sell in Florida pay $60 for their appointment fee AND $6 per county for all counties they plan to transact business in.

For residents, selecting their county and paying a $60 appointment fee is a straightforward process. Non-residents who never plan to have a physical presence to sell in any Florida county select zero counties and pay their $60 appointment fee.

Here's a breakdown of the county fees:

Some appointments can be done through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) Gateway, but not all. Only certain license classes and lines of authority can be submitted through the NIPR Gateway.

Florida is a Just-In-Time (JIT) appointment state, which means a carrier can wait to appoint an insurance producer until that producer has written their first piece of business in the state.

The JIT appointment must be submitted within 45 days of the appointment effective date, as determined by the carrier.

Carriers in Florida can backdate the appointment to cover agents retroactively, thanks to the state's requirement that agents be appointed to transact business.

This gives carriers a bit more flexibility when it comes to managing appointments and agent licenses.

County-by-county nonresident fees can really add up for carriers with agents selling insurance under a nonresident Florida insurance license, making JIT appointments a more attractive option.