How to Get a New York State Insurance License

This should be some helpful information to walk you through the state-specific items for New York.

New York State Department of Financial Services Testing Provider (Prometric)
(518) 474-6630 (800) 324-7147
http://www.dfs.ny.gov https://www.prometric.com/en-us/clients/insurance/Pages/newyork.aspx
1. Schedule and Pass the Licensing Exam

Making Exam Reservations

Licensing exams are provided by Prometric. You can make an exam reservation online, by phone, fax or mail.  Exam fees may be paid with a Master Card, Visa, money order, company check, or cashier’s check.  Personal checks are not accepted.

  • Online:  https://www.prometric.com/en-us/clients/insurance/Pages/newyork.aspx
  • Phone:  (800) 324-7147
  • Fax:  Registration via fax or mail is a two-step process:
    1. Submit the registration form along with payment to:Prometric
      ATTN: NY Insurance Exam Registration
      7941 Corporate Drive
      Nottingham, MD 21236
      Fax: (800) 347-9242
    2. Call (800) 324-7147 after the registration has been processed to schedule your exam.
What to Bring

A current signed form of identification.  The identification document must:

  • Be government-issued (e.g., driver’s license, state-issued or  military id card)
  • Contain both a current photo and your signature
  • Have a name that exactly matches the name used to register for the exam
Exam Procedures
  • Report to the test center 30 minutes before the exam to verify identification and be photographed.
  • All testing sessions are video and audio recorded.
  • No personal items are allowed in the testing room such as cell phones, watches, wallets, or purses.
Exam Format
  • Each major line exam is given in a multiple-choice format.
  • Each exam contains “experimental” questions that are mixed in with the scored questions and are not identified. Experimental questions may not be covered in the candidate’s educational materials and do not affect your final score!
  • The passing score required on each exam is 70%.
  • When you complete the exam, your score will be displayed on the screen and you will receive a printed score report. The score report will include whether you passed or failed, the overall percentage score, and percentage correct for each of the major sections of the exam.
  • Prometric notifies the Department of Financial Services your exam results within 2 business days.
New York Exam Information
Exam Code Exam Name Exam Time Total Questions
17-51 Life Insurance Agent/Broker 2 hrs 100
17-55 Life, Accident and Health Insurance Agent/Broker 2 hrs 30 min 150
17-73 Life, Accident and Health Insurance Laws and Regulations 1 hr 50
17-75 Life Insurance Agent/Broker (Spanish) 2 hrs 100
17-77 Life, Accident and Health Insurance Agent/Broker (Spanish) 2 hrs 30 min 150
17-78 Life, Accident and Health Insurance Laws and Regulations (Spanish) 1 hr 50
2. Apply for a License

After passing the exam, apply for your license by completing an application at http://www.nipr.com.