How to Get a Property and Casualty License in Colorado

To get a property and casualty license in Colorado, you need to complete 50 hours of approved pre-licensing coursework, pass the state’s property and casualty exams through Pearson VUE, clear a fingerprint-based criminal background check, and submit a license application through NIPR or Sircon to the Division of Insurance. The whole process usually runs three to four weeks and costs somewhere between $300 and $600 if you pass both exams on the first try.

Here is what each step actually requires, in the order you’ll handle them.

Complete 50 Hours of Pre-Licensing Education

Colorado requires at least 50 hours of approved coursework before you can sit for the exam.¹ A common misconception is that this means 25 hours of property and 25 hours of casualty. It doesn’t. The requirement is 50 hours for property, 50 hours for casualty, or 50 hours for a combined property and casualty course. Most people pursuing both lines take a single 50-hour combined program.²

Within those 50 hours, the state mandates specific carve-outs:

Three hours on insurance ethics, covering professional conduct, conflicts of interest, and fiduciary duties.¹
Three hours on general Colorado insurance law that applies across all lines.
Four hours on line-specific Colorado law tied directly to property and casualty.²

The rest of the hours cover policy provisions, contract law, and risk fundamentals. Courses are offered in classroom and self-study formats, and tuition usually runs $150 to $400. Pick a provider approved by the Colorado Division of Insurance. A course from a non-approved provider will not count, and you’ll start over.

Get Fingerprinted and Start Your Background Check

Every applicant must undergo a fingerprint-based criminal history check before the Division will approve a license.³ The commissioner has to be satisfied that you are “competent, trustworthy, and of good moral character” and have no disqualifying conduct on your record.

You schedule fingerprinting through a vendor approved by the Colorado Bureau of Investigation under its Applicant Background Services (CABS) program. Results go directly to the Division of Insurance. The vendor fee generally runs $40 to $60. Start this early. The background check can take time to come back, and you don’t want it holding up your application after you’ve already paid for coursework and exams.

Pass the Property and Casualty Exams

Colorado administers its licensing exams through Pearson VUE.⁴ A written exam is required for each line of authority you want.⁵ For property and casualty, that means two tests:

Property: 75 scored questions, 120 minutes, 70% to pass.
Casualty: 81 scored questions, 120 minutes, 70% to pass.

You can book an appointment up to one calendar day before the test date, subject to seat availability.⁴ Register under your legal name exactly as it appears on your government ID; mismatches get people turned away at the door. Each attempt carries a nonrefundable fee set by the commissioner.

Bring two forms of valid identification. The primary one has to be government-issued and show your name, a recent photo, and your signature; a driver’s license or state ID works. The secondary ID needs your name and signature.⁶ The testing room is proctored. No personal items, no notes, no electronics.

You get a score report immediately. If you fail one exam, you can retake just that one without affecting the other. Keep both reports; you’ll need them for the application.

One exemption is worth knowing. If you held an active producer license for the same lines of authority in another state within the past 12 months, you can skip the exam by filing a letter of clearance from your former state’s regulator.⁵

Submit Your License Application

With exams passed and your background check on file, you apply electronically through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) or Sircon, the Division of Insurance’s licensing vendor.⁴ You’ll certify under penalty of license refusal, suspension, or revocation that everything you’ve submitted is true and complete.³

Before approving the application, the commissioner verifies that you:

Are at least 18 years old.
Completed the required pre-licensing coursework.
Passed the relevant exams or qualified for an exemption.
Have no disqualifying conduct in your background.
Paid the license fee set by the commissioner under C.R.S. 10-2-413.³

Because the statute lets the commissioner set the fee by rule, the exact amount can change. Check NIPR or the Division of Insurance for the current figure before you pay. Most applications process in under five business days, though anything flagged for additional review takes longer.⁴ You can track status through NIPR’s online portal.⁷ Once approved, you receive a license number and can print the license through Sircon or NIPR.

Deal With Any Felony Conviction Before You Spend a Dollar

Beyond Colorado’s own background check, federal law adds a separate barrier. Under 18 U.S.C. § 1033, anyone convicted of a felony involving dishonesty or breach of trust is prohibited from working in the insurance business if the business affects interstate commerce, which almost all insurance does.⁸ Violating the prohibition carries up to five years in federal prison.

The law allows an exception. A person with a qualifying conviction may still work in insurance by obtaining written consent from an authorized state insurance regulator, commonly called a 1033 waiver.⁸ The waiver runs through the Division of Insurance and approval is discretionary. If you have any felony on your record, sort this out before you pay for pre-licensing education. Finishing the coursework and exams only to hit a federal disqualification is an expensive mistake and an avoidable one.

Renewal and Continuing Education

A Colorado producer license doesn’t last forever. The renewal window opens 90 days before your expiration date, and the renewal fee is $27.⁹ Miss the deadline and your license lapses; selling insurance on a lapsed license creates serious legal exposure.

Colorado also requires continuing education to keep the license active, with the hour total and ethics component set by the Division of Insurance. Current CE rules and approved providers are published on the Division’s website, and credits are tracked and reported electronically. CE neglect is the single most common reason producers lose licenses through oversight rather than misconduct.

Already Licensed in Another State

If you hold an active property and casualty license elsewhere, Colorado offers a non-resident license without requiring you to retake the exams. The core requirement is that you hold an equivalent active resident license in your home state.¹⁰

Your name, Social Security number, license number, addresses, date of birth, and state of residence all have to match what’s already in the NIPR Producer Database from your home state. You also need to be at least 18, use a valid business email, and provide a residential address (not a PO Box) for both your business and residence.¹⁰ Applications go through NIPR, which pulls your existing licensing data rather than making you re-enter everything.¹¹

The reverse works too. Colorado residents who want to sell in other states apply for non-resident licenses through NIPR using their active Colorado license as the foundation.

1
Justia. Colorado Code 10-2-201 – Prelicensure Education – When Required
2
Colorado Division of Insurance. Regulation 1-2-05 Insurance Producer Prelicensing Education Requirements for Residents
3
Justia. Colorado Code 10-2-404 – Application for License
4
Pearson VUE. Colorado Insurance – Licensing Exams
5
Colorado General Assembly. Colorado Revised Statutes Title 10 – Insurance – Section 10-2-402
6
Pearson VUE. Pearson VUE Global ID Policy 1S
7
National Insurance Producer Registry. Check Your Insurance Application Status
8
Office of the Law Revision Counsel. United States Code Title 18 Section 1033
9
National Insurance Producer Registry. Colorado Resident Renewal Individual
10
National Insurance Producer Registry. Colorado Non-Resident Licensing Individual
11
National Insurance Producer Registry. Apply for an Insurance License