DelawareOverview
Delaware licenses producers, adjusters, and appraisers through a single Insurance Commissioner's office in Dover, and files everything electronically through NIPR — the Department states plainly that it accepts no paper applications except where NIPR can't process a case. Delaware doesn't require prelicensing coursework for its core Producer, Adjuster, or Limited Lines licenses; passing the Pearson VUE exam and clearing a state and FBI criminal history check is enough. Licenses run on a fixed statewide biennium, and non-resident Producers, Surplus Lines Brokers, and Fraternal Producers are fully exempt from Delaware continuing education.
How to get licensed
Confirm you don't need prelicensing education
Delaware's licensing procedures list only the exam and a criminal history check for the Producer, Adjuster, and most Limited Lines paths — no prelicensing hours. The exceptions run through their own qualification instead of classroom time: resident Title applicants can substitute admission to the Delaware Bar for the exam, and resident Crop Producers and Crop Adjusters take a separate Delaware Crop Exam or submit a CAPP card.
Register for and pass the licensing exam
Delaware uses Pearson VUE (800-274-0455) as its exam vendor for every license type that requires one. Results are transmitted to the Department electronically once you submit your application.
Get your state and FBI criminal history reports
Order both reports through the Delaware State Police using service code 27S46Z, which requests the personal state and FBI history report and routes results directly to the Department. Reports must be dated within 90 days of receipt.
Apply for your license
The fastest path is to apply through InsureTrek — we file your Delaware application for the state's $125 fee, pulled from NIPR at the moment of application. Delaware accepts only electronic applications except where NIPR can't process a case.
Wait for approval and confirm your license
Once your application, exam results, and background reports are on file, the Department verifies and issues the license electronically — there's no mailed certificate. Check status and print your license through the Delaware licensee lookup.
Prelicensing education
Not required. Delaware's producer, adjuster, and most limited-lines paths require only the exam and a background check, not prelicensing hours. Resident Title applicants can use Delaware Bar admission instead of the exam; resident Crop Producers and Crop Adjusters take a separate crop exam or submit a CAPP card.
Exam
Vendor: Pearson VUE.
Fingerprinting
Required. Vendor: Delaware State Police. Not a fingerprint vendor in the usual sense — Delaware requires a state and FBI criminal history report, ordered from Delaware State Police with service code 27S46Z, dated within 90 days of receipt.
Fees
| Fee | Initial | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Resident Producer, Adjuster, Public Adjuster, Appraiser, Fraternal Producer, or Limited Lines license NIPR and the DOI's renewal notice don't publish a separate renewal-fee figure; check the current amount when you renew. | $125 | — |
| Resident Bail Producer license | $225 | — |
| Resident Surplus Lines Broker license | $275 | — |
| Non-resident Producer, Adjuster, Public Adjuster, Appraiser, or Fraternal Producer license | $125 | — |
| Non-resident Surplus Lines Broker license | $275 | — |
| Resident agency (business entity) license: Producer, Limited Lines, Adjuster, Appraiser, or Fraternal Producer | $125 | — |
| Resident agency license: Surplus Lines, Viatical Provider, or Viatical Broker | $275 | — |
| Resident agency license: Portable Electronic Producer | $1,025 | — |
| Line of authority addition (amendment) | $50 | — |
| Late-renewal penalty Double the unpaid renewal fee if you're 0-6 months late; a $200-$1,000 civil fine if you're 6-12 months late (18 Del. C. § 1707(g)). | — | — |
Fees as of 2026-08-21. Fees change without much notice. When you apply through InsureTrek, we always use the current fee at the moment of application. Sources: NIPR — Delaware Resident Licensing, Individual, NIPR — Delaware Non-Resident Licensing, Individual, NIPR — Delaware Resident Licensing, Business, Delaware Insurance Code, Title 18, Chapter 17, § 1707
Renewing an insurance license in Delaware
Renewal window — Delaware licenses renew every two years on a fixed statewide biennium.
Producers who sell annuities in Delaware complete a one-time 4-hour CE course. Producers holding a health line who solicit long-term care need 3 hours of Delaware LTC-specific training in the biennium the policy was sold, and residents writing NFIP flood insurance need a 2-hour flood course — both count toward the 24-hour general total, not on top of it. Licensees with 25+ years of continuous licensure, or a qualifying designation (AAI, CEBS, ChFC, CFP, CIC, CLU, CPCU, FLMI, FSPA, RHU), get an automatic 12-credit general-hour waiver each biennium; up to 5 unused credits carry over to the next cycle. Neither waiver applies to the 3 ethics hours. A license lapses automatically, without notice, if the renewal fee and CE aren't complete by the due date. Renew within 6 months of that date and the late penalty is double the unpaid renewal fee; renew between 6 and 12 months late and the penalty is a $200 to $1,000 civil fine instead. Reinstate within 12 months and you keep your license without retaking the exam; past 12 months, you have to reapply as a new applicant.
24 total CE hours per renewal term, including 3 ethics hours.
Non-resident Producers, Surplus Lines Brokers, and Fraternal Producers are fully exempt from Delaware CE, even if their home state doesn't require CE either. Also exempt: Limited Lines Producers writing only consumer credit, title, crop/hail, surety, or car rental; resident Adjusters licensed solely for surety or marine and transportation; and limited lines producers licensed solely for pre-need funeral life or annuity products under 18 Del. C. §1707(b)(2).
| Line | Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Adjuster | 12 | 3 of the 12 hours must be ethics. |
| Public Adjuster | 12 | 3 of the 12 hours must be ethics. |
| Fraternal Producer | 12 | 3 of the 12 hours must be ethics. |
Non-resident insurance license in Delaware
Delaware licenses non-residents under the same fee schedule as residents, applying through InsureTrek for $125 (Producer, Adjuster, Public Adjuster, Appraiser, Fraternal Producer, or Limited Lines) or $275 for Surplus Lines, with no separate non-resident portal or fee. Non-resident Adjusters whose home state doesn't license adjusters at all can still apply, designating their non-resident adjuster state as domicile; applicants with no license anywhere must sit for the Delaware exam and submit both state and FBI criminal history reports. Delaware exempts non-resident Producers, Surplus Lines Brokers, and Fraternal Producers from continuing education entirely, regardless of what their home state requires.
Apply for a non-resident Delaware license through InsureTrek, plus the state fee.
For the rules shared across states, see how non-resident insurance licenses work.
For agencies
Agencies, appointments & DRLP
A business entity acting as a producer needs its own agency license, filed for a $125 fee. Before approving it, the Commissioner must find the entity has paid its Title 18 Chapter 7 fees and named a Designated Responsible Licensed Producer (DRLP) — an actively licensed producer who answers for the entity's compliance with Delaware insurance law. Non-resident entities need at least one DRLP holding active Delaware licensure in the requested license class.
Insurers must file a notice of appointment with the Commissioner within 15 days of executing the agency contract or the producer's first application, whichever comes first, and pay the appointment fee set under 18 Del. C. Chapter 7. The Commissioner then verifies the producer's eligibility within 30 days.
Appointments — Just-in-time appointments: Delaware doesn't waive appointment ahead of a first sale — the appointment itself must be filed within 15 days of the agency contract or first application, under 18 Del. C. § 1715(b). Deadlines: Terminations, whether for cause or not, must be reported to the Commissioner within 30 days under 18 Del. C. § 1716(a)-(b); the insurer then has 15 more days to mail the producer a copy of that notice.
Managing DRLPs across states? See how InsureTrek handles it →
Official resources
- Delaware Department of Insurance — licensing
- DOI phone: 302-674-7390
Terms used on this page
Sources & disclaimer
This guide is informational and summarizes publicly available state and NIPR licensing rules as of 2026-09-06. Requirements change — verify current rules with the Delaware Department of Insurance or NIPR before you rely on anything here.
Official NIPR reseller · Applications filed through InsureTrek are submitted via NIPR.
- Delaware DOI – Continuing Education FAQ — accessed 2026-08-19
- Delaware DOI – Licensing Procedures — accessed 2026-08-19
- Delaware DOI – Producer Licensing — accessed 2026-08-19
- Delaware DOI – Renewal fees and CE notice — accessed 2026-09-06
- Delaware Insurance Code, Title 18, Chapter 17, § 1707(f)-(g) — accessed 2026-08-21
- Delaware State Police – Obtaining a certified criminal history — accessed 2026-08-19
- Pearson VUE – Delaware insurance exams — accessed 2026-08-19