Property & Casualty Insurance License
Property & Casualty (P&C) Insurance License: What You Need to Know
What Is Property and Casualty Insurance?
Property and Casualty insurance is the umbrella name for a variety of policies that cover an individual’s or business’s assets (“property”) and/or protect them from liability/lawsuits (“casualty”).
Having a Property & Casualty license means you can sell products like auto, homeowners, and business insurance policies to individuals and businesses.
You can work either as an independent agent selling policies on behalf of multiple insurance companies or as a captive agent selling policies exclusively on behalf of one insurance company.
Anyone who discusses or makes changes to insurance policies must be licensed. If you plan to work as a customer service representative (CSR) for an insurance company or agency, you must be licensed, even if your job doesn’t involve insurance sales.
In some states, surety bail agents are also required to either obtain a Property & Casualty license (e.g., Virginia) or just a Casualty license (e.g., Georgia).
What Kinds of Policies Can Property and Casualty Insurance Agents Sell?
Property and Casualty insurance covers a broad range of policy types, including (but not limited to):
- Car insurance (personal or commercial auto insurance)
- Homeowners insurance
- Commercial property insurance
- Commercial general liability (CGL) insurance
- Workers’ compensation insurance
- Professional liability insurance (E&O, D&O)
- Inland marine insurance
- Umbrella insurance
- Renters insurance
- Condo insurance
- Power sports insurance (e.g., for boats and motorcycles)
- Landlord insurance
How Much Money Do P&C Agents Make?
Most Property and Casualty insurance agents make well above the national median income for all industries to start. And the longer you work in the industry, the greater your earnings potential—especially if you get licensed in additional insurance lines, such as Life and Health.
As your clients renew their policies year after year and you continue writing new policies, you can expect a steady flow of commission checks that grows over time. And if you decide to venture out as an insurance producer and open your own office, your earnings potential is significantly higher. In our experience at America’s Professor, many P&C agents who stick with this career do very well for themselves.
Here’s the average P&C agent salary in select states, according todata from ZipRecruiter. Keep in mind that you could earn more than this—even as a CSR.
| State | Annual Salary | Hourly Wage |
| Hawaii |
$55,089 |
$26.49 |
| Washington |
$63,894 |
$30.72 |
| Arizona |
$54,378 |
$26.14 |
| Wyoming |
$54,091 |
$26.01 |
| Montana |
$51,931 |
$24.97 |
| Iowa |
$48,639 |
$23.38 |
| Utah |
$47,615 |
$22.89 |
| Idaho |
$56,537 |
$27.18 |
| Missouri |
$47,608 |
$22.89 |
| Kansas |
$46,707 |
$22.46 |
| Virginia |
$50,737 |
$24.39 |
| Georgia |
$43,577 |
$20.95 |
| Texas |
$52,917 |
$25.44 |
| South Carolina |
$40,866 |
$19.65 |
Things are looking good for insurance agents across the US. The Bureau of Labor Statisticsprojects 8% job growth for insurance agents between 2022 and 2032.
Requirements for a Property and Casualty Insurance License
To get your P&C license, you must pass your state’s Property and Casualty exam. The licensing exams are timed and are almost always a series of multiple-choice questions testing your insurance knowledge.
Most people take a Property and Casualty insurance license class to prepare for the exam, and some states require it. Well-designed exam prep courses—like those offered by America’s Professor—will teach you everything you need to know to pass the exam on your first try.
Here are the basic steps to becoming a licensed insurance agent:
- Complete a pre-licensing course. Half of all states have pre-licensing requirements. Whether it’s required or not, taking a pre-licensing course like those offered by America’s Professor is highly recommended to ensure you pass the exam the first time.
- Pass your state exam. Take the test in person at the provider’s physical location or a proctored (monitored) exam online. The tests are time-restricted, and the number of multiple-choice questions varies by state. The passing grade varies by state but is usually between 70% and 80%.
- Get fingerprinted. Most states require licensed agents to be fingerprinted and to undergo a background check. There is usually an on-site fingerprinting technician where you take your exam. If you take a proctored (monitored) exam online, you will need to find an approved local business to take your fingerprints.
- Apply for your license. After you pass your insurance exam, you will need to apply for your license through the state’s licensing provider. This process sometimes takes a few weeks depending on how busy they are.
- Fulfill periodic continuing education requirements. Every state requires licensed insurance agents to undergo periodic continuing education (CE) to refresh their insurance knowledge and learn about new laws impacting the insurance industry. CE requirements vary by state.
Prepare for the P&C License Exam with America’s Professor
America’s Professor offers both national and state insurance exam prep courses to help you get your P&C license. Our comprehensive Property and Casualty insurance license classes are designed to help you pass your exam the first time and include:
- Detailed video lectures, accessible 24/7
- A free textbook to reinforce your learning
- Standard 45-day subscription with extra time if needed at no charge
- Sample questions and practice quizzes simulating questions on the actual exam
The key to our success is making learning fun and memorable. Our founder, Jack Morton, uses real-world examples and scenarios to help you make sense of complex insurance concepts and terms.
America’s Professor also offers helpful state-specific tools and resources to help you every step of the way. Enroll in an exam prep course today, and don’t hesitate to call us with questions.
FAQs
The salary for a P&C agent varies based on several factors, including the state where you live, whether you work as an independent or captive agent, your sales numbers, how much commission you earn, and other factors.
The good news is that most insurance agents make well above the national median income. As of early 2023, the average annual pay for a Property & Casualty insurance agent in the United States was $49,936 a year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.
There is plenty of earning potential in the insurance industry, especially if you sell multiple lines of insurance (for example, if you sell Life and Health insurance in addition to Property and Casualty products. Note that you will need additional licenses for each line of insurance you plan to sell).
Read more about how much money insurance agents make.
The Property and Casualty license exam is full of tricky insurance concepts and terminology. The questions can get very granular and specific, and the material on the exam is not common knowledge. In other words, it’s not information you pick up in your day-to-day life. That’s why you need to study for your exam.
The required passing score for the Property and Casualty license exam varies from 60% to 75%, depending on your state. According to data from the NAIC, many test takers do not pass the exam on their first try.
Taking an exam prep course with a quality provider like America’s Professor can greatly improve your chances of passing the exam on your first try.
Depending on your state and other factors, it could take anywhere from 3 to 8 weeks to get a Property and Casualty license. Some states have a pre-licensing education course requirement. Even if yours doesn’t, you should still take an exam prep course and devote 35-40 hours to studying.
Once you’ve completed your exam prep course, you can register to take the exam online or in-person. It might be a few days to a week before you actually take the exam, depending on the schedule.
Once you pass your exam (hopefully on your first attempt), you can apply for your license and get fingerprinted, if required. It will take some time—anywhere from a few days to a few weeks—for your state’s insurance authority to review your application and run a background check (if applicable).
Once your application has been approved, you should receive a copy of your official insurance license in the mail.
If you don’t pass the exam, you can retake it. But most states have a minimum waiting period of 24-72 hours before you can make another attempt. Some states make you wait up to 60 days to retake the exam.
Also keep in mind that you’ll have to pay a fee for each exam attempt, not to mention the time and hassle of having to start over again. Give yourself the best chances of passing on your first try by taking a comprehensive pre-licensing education course.
If you don’t particularly enjoy sales, there are several other roles you can take with a Property and Casualty license. Here are a few to consider:
- Insurance adjuster, which involves inspecting property damage or personal injury claims to determine how much the insurance company should pay for the accident/loss.
- Insurance underwriter, which involves helping insurance companies properly assess risk before they enter an insurance contract, among other functions.
- Customer service representative (CSR), which typically involves processing changes to insurance policies and counseling policyholders about insurance.
These are just a few of the alternatives to working as an insurance sales agent. Some companies may even have their own specific roles that require a P&C license, such as managerial positions. Getting a Property and Casualty insurance license opens up a world of new career possibilities.
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| PRE-LICENSE COURSES | SAMPLE QUESTIONS |