How to Get Your North Carolina Life & Health Insurance License
To get your North Carolina life & health insurance license, you'll take the state exam administered by Pearson VUE and file your application through NIPR — application filed BEFORE exam. Fingerprints are required (Electronic Live Scan + law-enforcement-signed packet). Note: North Carolina is an "apply-first" state — your license application must be on file before you can schedule the exam.
Mandatory licensing fee stack
First-time North Carolina resident Life + Health producer path. Explicit $0 rows are included.
- Exam
- $45 Life + $45 Accident & Health; $90 total
- Application / license
- $82 base + $50 per authority; $182 for Life + Health
- Fingerprint / background
- $38 background fee plus variable collection fee
- Transaction / platform
- Plus NIPR transaction fee shown at checkout
- Other mandatory
- $0 — no other mandatory fee identified for this first-time resident Life + Health producer path
Total: Add the five rows above. When a row varies, the official checkout or appointment quote is the total-setting mechanism.
Conditions: Fingerprint collection charge and NIPR transaction fee vary
In North Carolina, the license application comes FIRST — before the exam. Don't schedule the test until your application is on file.
Step-by-step
- ★Complete your prelicensing education or exam prep. LicenseIQ offers an online prelicensing course and exam prep you can start today.
- 1Apply via NIPR FIRST ($50 + line fees)
- 2Within 1 hour, Pearson VUE emails exam-scheduling instructions; NCDOI emails the fingerprint packet
- 3Complete fingerprints within 30 days of applying (packet signed by law enforcement)
- 4Pass the exam at Pearson VUE
- 5License issued after review (+4–6 wks if background flags)
Watch-outs
- North Carolina is application-first — candidates who take the exam route first get stuck. Prints due within 30 days of application.
Ready to start your North Carolina prelicensing?
Online prelicensing course and exam prep for North Carolina. Study on your schedule, pass the exam, and get licensed.
- Full life & health prelicensing course with North Carolina-specific exam prep
- 1,000+ practice questions across every exam chapter
- Flashcards + an AI tutor that answers questions 24/7
- Study on your schedule — start today, 100% online
Klarna financing available · Covered by our 7-day refund policy
Official North Carolina links
- Schedule the North Carolina examPearson VUE
- Apply for your North Carolina licenseNIPR (apply first)
- Book North Carolina fingerprintsNCDOI fingerprint packet (Live Scan)
- North Carolina Department of InsuranceOfficial source
Frequently asked questions
- Who administers the North Carolina insurance exam?
- The North Carolina life & health insurance exam is administered by Pearson VUE.
- Do I need fingerprints for a North Carolina insurance license?
- Yes — fingerprints are required for North Carolina resident insurance producers (Electronic Live Scan + law-enforcement-signed packet). AFTER application, BEFORE exam.
- How do I apply for my North Carolina insurance license?
- Applications are filed through NIPR — application filed BEFORE exam. In North Carolina, the application must be filed BEFORE you sit the exam.
- What does a North Carolina insurance license cost?
- North Carolina mandatory fee stack: Exam: $45 Life + $45 Accident & Health; $90 total; Application / license: $82 base + $50 per authority; $182 for Life + Health; Fingerprint / background: $38 background fee plus variable collection fee; Transaction / platform: Plus NIPR transaction fee shown at checkout; Other mandatory: $0 — no other mandatory fee identified for this first-time resident Life + Health producer path. Sources were accessed 2026-08-24; variable fees use the official checkout or appointment pricing mechanism.
- Do I take the exam or apply first in North Carolina?
- In North Carolina, you file the license application first — before scheduling the exam.