Licensed Insurance Agents: How to Transfer Your License When Moving to Another State
Moving to a new residence always brings up challenges, especially when you’re changing states. There’s plenty of documents to transfer over and paperwork to fill out, in addition to moving all your stuff. If you’re a licensed insurance agent, you also need to get your insurance license transferred over to your new state of residence.
Reciprocity Programs
Most states will recognize your current license and the hard work you’ve put into obtaining and maintaining it. Each state has their own reciprocity system that you’ll need to work through when transferring insurance licenses. These processes are very similar from state to state, but there are some differences in protocol. Contact the state’s insurance department for specific details on this process.
You need to send an application to your new state’s insurance department for a transfer. Most of the time it’s not necessary to re-take all the coursework and exams for a new license. Many states want to see that you’ve had your license for some predetermined amount of time before you send this application.
Ensure you work through the reciprocity process in a timely fashion. Most states give you 90 days to cancel your previous license and get it transferred over. If you wait too long to complete the process, or the state you’re moving to doesn’t have a reciprocity system, then you’re out of luck; you’ll need to retake the exam and any other required coursework.
Certificate of Good Standing
Your next step to take in transferring your license is to obtain a certificate of good standing from your current state’s insurance department. Send the certificate with any other documents and materials needed for a license in your new state. Most states only require an application and a fee, but providing a certificate of good standing will make the process smoother.
Your New State May Require a Clearance Letter
Some states will also want to see a letter of clearance and certification. Sending in the request for a clearance letter to your previous state will cancel your license there. So, make sure you have all your documents in order and meet all other requirements before getting a clearance letter.
You can contact the state’s insurance department to find out exactly which form to fill out and send in for clearance. There is a fee included with this request for most states—usually around $30. Most clearance letter requests take around two weeks to process.
States will often give you the option to simultaneously transfer your resident license to the new state as well. You’ll have around 30 days to contact the insurance department with your new address. If you wait too long, you may have to submit a new application and pay licensing fees for your new resident license.
Keeping your insurance license is straightforward once you obtain it and stay active with it. Most states will let you transfer it over hassle-free as long as you fill out any paperwork they request. Get in touch with your new state’s department of insurance as soon as possible for the details of this process.
Where can I find of list of states with reciprocity with Ohio for property and casualty licensing? Thank you
Hi Susan, We don’t really have a list for reciprocal states as most of the time it is recommended that you call each state’s insurance licensing department you are interested in getting a non-resident license for. You could call the Ohio licensing division (614-644-2665) and see if they have an up-to-date list. Good luck! 🙂
I have an Accident & Health insurance license in Pennsylvania. I know I would need to keep a non-resident producer license in PA. I’m thinking of moving to New Jersey. What’s the first step I should take?
Hi Rashad, We always recommend calling the Department of Insurance of the state you are moving to first (NJ). They generally require a cancellation letter from the state’s Department of Insurance you are moving out of (PA). They (NJ) will usually give you “x” amount of days to transfer your license over without having to take the insurance license exam. You would then apply for a non-resident in PA. It’s always good to speak with both state’s Department of Insurance to make sure there aren’t any special exceptions. Good luck!
So if I’m moving to another state. Can I take the exam in my current state for the state I’m moving to?
Hi John, Often you can if the testing company is the same in both states (Pearson VUE, PSI Exams, etc.). Each testing facility has different capabilities so first make sure your new state’s exam provider has a location in your current state and second, call the local testing company and make sure they can load the new state’s exam. Good luck!