To get your Property and Casualty license in Indiana, you complete a 40-hour pre-licensing course from an approved provider, pass a 150-question state exam with at least 70%, clear a fingerprint-based background check, and submit a $40 application to the Indiana Department of Insurance (IDOI) through Sircon or the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR). Most applicants finish in a few weeks and spend somewhere between $350 and $550 all in.
Who Can Apply
You must be at least 18 and an Indiana resident to apply for a resident producer license.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 27-1-15.6-6 – Application for Resident Insurance Producer If you’re moving in from another state where you already hold a P&C license, you have 90 days after establishing Indiana residency to apply, and the state won’t make you redo pre-licensing education or sit for the exam again for lines of authority you already held.
Criminal history matters, and not only at the state level. A felony involving dishonesty or breach of trust triggers a federal bar under 18 U.S.C. § 1033 — you cannot work in any part of the insurance business without written consent from a state insurance regulatory official.2Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 18 USC 1033 – Crimes by or Affecting Persons Engaged in the Business of Insurance It’s a federal crime for an employer to knowingly let you work without that waiver, carrying up to five years in prison. The Indiana application asks about criminal history and prior administrative actions, so disclose everything. An omission reads worse than a conviction because it suggests you’re hiding something.
Pre-Licensing Course
Before you can take the exam, finish a 40-hour pre-licensing course covering the Property and Casualty line of authority. The course has to come from an IDOI-approved provider, and you can look up approved courses through the Sircon portal linked on the department’s website. Expect coverage of standard policy structures, coverage types, legal obligations, and Indiana-specific insurance law.
When you finish, the provider issues a completion certificate. That certificate is valid for only six months from the completion date, and you must pass the state exam within that window.1Indiana General Assembly. Indiana Code 27-1-15.6-6 – Application for Resident Insurance Producer Let six months lapse and you retake the whole course. Schedule your exam in the first month or two to leave room for a retake if you need one.
If you already hold an equivalent license in another state, you’re exempt from pre-licensing education for the same lines. You’ll need either a certification of good standing from your prior state or a record in the NAIC Producer Database confirming it.
The Licensing Exam
Pearson VUE administers Indiana’s insurance exams. The P&C exam is 150 multiple-choice questions, 180 minutes, and you need a 70% to pass.3Pearson VUE. Indiana Insurance Candidate Handbook The fee is $69, paid at scheduling by credit card, debit card, or voucher. It’s non-refundable and non-transferable.
The content splits into two parts: general insurance principles (policy provisions, coverage analysis, underwriting basics) and Indiana-specific law and regulations (the authority of the Commissioner of Insurance, state statutes governing producers). You can test at a Pearson VUE center or online through the OnVUE proctored platform from home or your office.
On test day, bring one valid government-issued photo ID — driver’s license, passport, or military ID — along with your pre-licensing completion certificate. Show up without either and you lose the fee and the appointment.3Pearson VUE. Indiana Insurance Candidate Handbook The name on your ID has to match the name on your registration exactly.
If You Don’t Pass
You can retake the exam after waiting 48 hours.4Indiana Department of Insurance. Examination Procedure Checklist Each attempt is another $69. There’s no cap on attempts, but your pre-licensing certificate still dies at six months. Burn through that window without passing and you’re back in the classroom.
Fingerprinting and Background Check
Indiana requires every new resident producer applicant to complete an electronic fingerprint-based criminal history check. The authorized vendor is IdentoGO. When you schedule the appointment, use the specific IDOI service code so your results route to the licensing division. Booking under the wrong agency code is a common cause of delays because the division cannot pull results filed elsewhere.
IdentoGO collects a fee at the appointment covering both state and federal processing. The amount can change, so check the IDOI’s current fingerprint instructions before you go. Keep the receipt — it carries a Transaction Control Number that links your background results to your pending application.
Of all the pieces, this is the one you control least. Everything else runs on your schedule; the background check runs on the processors’ schedule.
Submitting Your Application
Once you’ve passed the exam and completed fingerprinting, file your application through either the Sircon portal or NIPR. You’ll need your Social Security Number, your pre-licensing certificate number, and your Pearson VUE exam results. The state application fee is $40 and is non-refundable.5Indiana Department of Insurance. Resident Licensing Guidelines/Requirements The portal may add a small processing fee of its own.
The application repeats the background disclosure questions about criminal history and administrative actions. Answer them completely. If your background is clean and the application is straightforward, the IDOI typically processes it within about a week. Once approved, you can print your credentials and begin selling.
What It All Costs
- Pre-licensing course: typically $200 to $400 for 40 hours.
- Pearson VUE exam fee: $69 per attempt.3Pearson VUE. Indiana Insurance Candidate Handbook
- Fingerprinting: fee set by IdentoGO covering state and federal processing; check the IDOI’s current fingerprint instructions for the exact amount.
- State application fee: $40, non-refundable.5Indiana Department of Insurance. Resident Licensing Guidelines/Requirements
- Portal processing fee: a small additional charge from Sircon or NIPR.
Most applicants spend $350 to $550 to get licensed, not counting time in the coursework. Each exam retake adds another $69, which is reason enough to study hard the first time.
Keeping the License Active
An Indiana producer license lasts two years and expires on the last day of your birth month.6Indiana Department of Insurance. Individual License Renewal Guidelines/Requirements Before each renewal you must complete 24 hours of continuing education from IDOI-approved providers.7Indiana Department of Insurance. Continuing Education (CE) Requirements By License Type/Line of Authority The renewal fee is $40. If you also hold a Life or Accident & Health license, three of the 24 hours must be ethics; a P&C-only producer can allocate the 24 hours across any approved CE topics.
Miss the deadline and you have a 12-month reinstatement window — but only if your CE was completed before the license expired. Reinstatement costs the $40 renewal fee plus a penalty of three times that amount ($120), for $160 total.8Indiana Department of Insurance. Reinstating a Resident License That Has Been Expired for Less Than Twelve Months If the renewal fee arrives within 30 days of expiration, the IDOI may waive the penalty, so move quickly if you catch it late. After 12 months, reinstatement is off the table, and you start over: pre-licensing education, exam, background check, new application. A calendar reminder set a couple of months before your birth month pays for itself.