How to get a Texas general lines property and casualty license

Passing the examination is one step in a longer process, and the steps have to happen in a particular order. Applying before you have passed costs you the application fee twice.

How do you get a Texas general lines property and casualty license?

The Texas Department of Insurance sets three application steps: take an examination, begin the application process on TDI's online fingerprint portal, and then apply for the license. Most applicants also need a fingerprint background check from IdentoGO, with the receipt showing the prints were sent to the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Do you have to pass the exam before you apply?

Yes, and the order matters financially. TDI is explicit that you must pass the state licensing examination before applying. If you apply first, you will have to submit a new application after you pass and pay the application fee a second time. The resident agent application fee is $50, and application fees are neither refundable nor transferable.

How long do you have after passing?

Twelve months. TDI issues a license to applicants who have passed the required examination and submit a completed application within twelve months of passing, along with the fee and a fingerprint receipt. TDI's own application guidance puts the same deadline as within one year of passing the examination.

Miss it and the examination result stops counting. You sit the examination again, and you pay for it again.

Are there other requirements?

You must be at least eighteen years old, meet all applicable license requirements, and not have committed an act for which a license may be denied under the Texas Insurance Code and the Texas Administrative Code. Applicants for more than one license type submit a separate application and fee for each.

Can you skip the examination entirely?

Sometimes. TDI waives the examination requirement in three situations: your license has been expired for more than 90 days but less than one year; you live outside Texas and hold a license in good standing in a reciprocal state; or you hold the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter designation.

Veterans who have passed Texas insurance examinations taken on or after 1 February 2019 can apply to the US Department of Veterans Affairs to have the examination fee reimbursed.

What about the temporary license route?

Texas offers a one-time temporary general lines license valid for 180 days. It is issued once, it cannot be renewed, and its application fee covers both the temporary application and the permanent one. A sponsoring agent, agency or insurer completes the appointment certification form, confirms they are considering you for appointment as a full-time agent, and supervises your training. You have to complete at least 40 hours of training given by the appointing company.

It is a route into the work while you prepare, not a way around the examination.