To become an insurance agent, the common process involves these key steps:
- Decide what type of insurance agent you want to be — either a captive agent who works for one company exclusively or an independent agent who represents multiple companies.
- Meet basic eligibility criteria, which typically require being at least 18 years old and having a high school diploma or equivalent. Some agents also pursue a bachelor's degree for better opportunities.
- Complete mandatory pre-licensing education, which varies by state but often ranges from a short course to 20-40 hours of study.
- Pass the state's insurance licensing exam, testing knowledge of insurance laws and policies.
- Submit your license application and undergo a background check, which may include fingerprinting.
- Once licensed, start selling insurance products while continuing professional development.
The licensing and training requirements, as well as steps, can differ based on the country or state regulations, but this provides a common framework. Captive agents receive more training and support from their company, while independent agents have more flexibility but less backing. For example, in India, agents go through mandatory IRDAI training and exams before licensing. In the U.S., agents typically take state-specific courses and exams. Would a more specific guide for a particular country or type of insurance agent be helpful? This answer is based on aggregating general steps from multiple recent sources.
