District of Columbia
District of Columbia insurance licensing: requirements, renewal, and agency rules
The District licenses insurance producers through the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) under D.
- Renewal cycle
- Every 2 years
- CE hours
- 24 hours (3 ethics)
- Application fee
- $100
- DOI phone
- 202-727-8000
Overview
The District licenses insurance producers through the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB) under D.C. Code § 31-1131 et seq., a jurisdiction with no counties to complicate residency but its own fingerprinting vendor and licensing database outside NIPR's usual partners. Prelicensing education is authorized by statute but only "if required by the Commissioner," and current DISB and Pearson VUE materials show most lines running on exam-plus-fingerprints rather than mandated coursework. DC runs full reciprocity for producers already licensed and in good standing elsewhere, waiving prelicensing and the exam under D.C. Code § 31-1131.09. Appointments carry a genuine just-in-time rule: insurers must file within 30 days of the agency contract or the first application submitted.
How to get licensed
Check whether prelicensing education applies to you
D.C. Code § 31-1131.06(a)(4) lets the Commissioner require a prelicensing course, but DISB's current application materials and Pearson VUE's DC candidate resources don't list hour-based coursework for the standard lines (Life, Accident & Health, Property, Casualty, Personal Lines) — you go straight to the exam. Variable Life/Annuity, limited lines, surplus lines, and a few other categories skip the exam entirely.
Register for and pass the licensing exam
DC uses Pearson VUE as its exam vendor. Create your account using the legal name on your government-issued ID — DISB uses that name for the license record. Pearson also publishes a DC-specific candidate handbook and a suggested study guide for the Public Adjuster exam.
Complete fingerprinting
DC applications requiring a background check are deferred for state review; a DISB Licensing Specialist sends instructions for scheduling a fingerprint appointment through Fieldprint, DC's fingerprinting vendor (not Pearson VUE's usual partners).
Apply for your license
The fastest path is to apply through InsureTrek — we file your District of Columbia application for the state's $100 fee, pulled from NIPR at the moment of application. DC's licensing database runs on State Based Systems (SBS), so you'll print your license and manage CE credit tracking at statebasedsystems.com once it's issued.
Print your license
DC doesn't mail paper licenses. Once DISB approves your application, print it yourself at statebasedsystems.com — there's no fee to print.
Prelicensing education
Not required. D.C. Code § 31-1131.06(a)(4) authorizes the Commissioner to require a prelicensing course, but current DISB and Pearson VUE materials show exam-only paths for the standard producer lines. Applicants already licensed for the same line in another state, or who apply within 90 days of a prior license lapsing in good standing, are statutorily exempt from both prelicensing and the exam under D.C. Code § 31-1131.09.
Exam
Vendor: Pearson VUE. Required for Life, Accident & Health/Sickness, Property, Casualty, Personal Lines, Public Adjuster, and Title Producer. Not required for Variable Life/Annuity, Car Rental, Credit, Crop, Travel, Surety, Bail Bond, Managing General Agent, Portable Electronics, Reinsurance Intermediary, or Surplus Lines.
Fingerprinting
Required. Vendor: Fieldprint. Applications flagged for background review are held while DISB sends scheduling instructions; this isn't a walk-in step you can complete before applying.
Fees
| Fee | Initial | Renewal |
|---|---|---|
| Resident individual producer license, Life, Property & Casualty, or Limited Line grouping DISB and NIPR publish an application fee and a $200 reinstatement fee, but no separate renewal-fee figure. Confirm the current amount when you renew. | $100 | — |
| Resident individual producer license, Surplus Lines | $200 | — |
| Resident individual producer license, Managing General Agent or Reinsurance Intermediary | $300 | — |
| Resident Public Adjuster or Title Producer license | $100 | — |
| Resident Bail Bond limited line | $0 | $0 |
| Non-resident individual producer license Same fee schedule as the resident license; Surplus Lines is $200, MGA/Reinsurance Intermediary is $300. | $100 | — |
| Resident agency (business entity) license Same fee structure as the resident individual license, filed through NIPR. | $100 | — |
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 — District of Columbia Resident Licensing, Individual, NIPR — District of Columbia Non-Resident Licensing, Individual, NIPR — District of Columbia Resident Licensing, Business
Renewal & CE
Renewal window — Your first license expires on your birth month, 18 to 29 months after DISB issues it. Every renewal after that expires 2 years after the prior expiration date.
Grace period: Reinstatement is available up to 365 days after license expiration; the late fee is double the standard license fee.
Producers who hold a resident license elsewhere and are current on that state's continuing education satisfy DC's CE requirement automatically under D.C. Code § 31-1131.16 reciprocity, without separately tracking DC hours.
24 total CE hours per renewal term, including 3 ethics hours.
Limited lines producers owe no continuing education. Extra credits earned in one cycle don't carry forward, and ethics hours beyond the 3-hour minimum can't be applied toward the general total.
| Line | Hours | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Title Producer (attorney) | 8 | — |
| Title Producer (non-attorney) | 16 | — |
| Non-resident producer | 4 | Must be DC-specific content. |
| Limited Lines | 0 | Limited lines producers are exempt from continuing education entirely. |
For agencies and non-residents
Agencies, appointments & DRLP
A DC business entity (corporation, partnership, sole proprietorship, or LLC) needs its own producer license, with a DC business address, under D.C. Code § 31-1131.06(b). Every entity must designate at least one licensed individual producer — holding a resident or non-resident DC license — responsible for the entity's compliance with DC insurance law; DISB recommends licensing that individual first and waiting 1–2 business days for the producer database to update before filing the business application. All designated producers together must cover the lines of authority the entity is applying for.
Producers can't act as an insurer's agent without an appointment on file. Insurers must file the appointment notice within 30 days of executing the agency contract or the producer's first submitted application, whichever comes first — a genuine just-in-time rule under D.C. Code § 31-1131.14. DISB verifies eligibility within 10 days of the filing and notifies the insurer within 5 days if the producer doesn't qualify.
Appointments — Just-in-time appointments: Appointment must be filed within 30 days of the agency contract's execution or the first insurance application submitted, per D.C. Code § 31-1131.14. Deadlines: Insurers terminating a producer for cause under D.C. Code § 31-1131.12 must notify DISB within 30 days and mail the producer a copy within 15 days of that notice; for-cause terminations require certified mail or a nationally recognized overnight carrier. The producer then has 30 days to file written comments with DISB.
Managing DRLPs across states? See how InsureTrek handles it →
Non-residents
DC grants near-automatic reciprocity: a producer currently licensed as a resident and in good standing in their home state qualifies for a DC non-resident license without a separate DC exam, under D.C. Code § 31-1131.08. Surplus lines and limited lines producers licensed at home qualify for the equivalent DC non-resident license the same way. A DC license terminates automatically if the underlying home-state license is terminated, suspended, or revoked. Apply through InsureTrek; the state fee matches the resident fee for most lines.
Apply for a non-resident District of Columbia license through InsureTrek, plus the state fee.
Official resources
- DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking — licensing
- DOI phone: 202-727-8000
Terms used on this page
Sources & disclaimer
This guide is informational and summarizes publicly available state and NIPR licensing rules as of 2026-08-21. Requirements change — verify current rules with the DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking or NIPR before you rely on anything here.
Official NIPR reseller · Applications filed through InsureTrek are submitted via NIPR.
- D.C. Code § 31-1131.06 – License requirements — accessed 2026-08-19
- D.C. Code § 31-1131.07a – License renewal — accessed 2026-08-21
- D.C. Code § 31-1131.08 – Nonresident licensing — accessed 2026-08-19
- D.C. Code § 31-1131.09 – Exemption from examination and education — accessed 2026-08-19
- D.C. Code § 31-1131.14 – Appointments — accessed 2026-08-19
- D.C. Code § 31-1131.15 – Termination notification — accessed 2026-08-19
- D.C. Code § 31-1131.16 – Reciprocity — accessed 2026-08-19
- DISB – Continuing Education Information — accessed 2026-08-19
- DISB – Insurance Producer Licensing hub — accessed 2026-08-19
- DISB – License FAQs — accessed 2026-08-19
- NIPR – District of Columbia Non-Resident Licensing (Individual) — accessed 2026-08-19
- NIPR – District of Columbia Resident Licensing (Business) — accessed 2026-08-19
- NIPR – District of Columbia Resident Licensing (Individual) — accessed 2026-08-19
- Pearson VUE – District of Columbia insurance exams — accessed 2026-08-19
FAQs
How much does it cost to get an insurance license in the District of Columbia?
DISB's application fee is $100 for the standard producer lines (Life, Property & Casualty, Limited Line groupings), $100 for Public Adjuster and Title Producer, $200 for Surplus Lines, and $300 for Managing General Agent or Reinsurance Intermediary. Bail bond authority carries no state fee. Pearson VUE's exam fee is separate and not published by DISB, so check current pricing when you register.
Do I need a prelicensing course before I can sit for the DC exam?
For the standard producer lines, no — DC's statute lets the Commissioner require prelicensing coursework, but current DISB and Pearson VUE materials show an exam-only path for Life, Accident & Health, Property, Casualty, and Personal Lines. Variable Life/Annuity, surplus lines, and several limited lines skip the exam entirely.
Where do I take the DC insurance licensing exam?
Pearson VUE administers DC's insurance exams. Register at pearsonvue.com/us/en/dc/insurance.html, and create your account using the legal name on your government ID since that's what appears on your DISB license record.
How do I look up or verify a DC insurance license?
DISB's licensee lookup, linked from the Insurance Producer Licensing hub at disb.dc.gov, verifies both individual and business entity licenses.
Can I get a DC non-resident license without retaking the exam?
Yes. If you hold an active resident license in good standing in another state, DC issues a non-resident license without a separate DC exam under D.C. Code § 31-1131.08. Your DC license ends automatically if your home-state license is terminated, suspended, or revoked.
How much continuing education do I need in DC, and how often?
Resident producers on major lines owe 24 CE credit hours, including 3 ethics hours, when renewing. Non-attorney title producers owe 16 hours, attorney title producers owe 8, and non-resident producers owe 4 DC-specific hours. Limited lines producers are exempt entirely. If you're current on your home state's CE and DC grants reciprocity, that satisfies DC's requirement too.
What happens if my DC license lapses?
You can reinstate up to 365 days after expiration, but the reinstatement fee doubles the standard license fee — $200 instead of $100 for most lines. Past that window, you'll need to reapply as a new applicant.
How fast do I need to get appointed with a carrier after getting licensed?
That timing is on the insurer, not you: once you sign an agency contract or submit your first application, the carrier has 30 days to file your appointment with DISB. DISB then verifies it within 10 days.
See how InsureTrek handles District of Columbia licensing at scale.
Renewals, CE, and appointments tracked across every state your producers write in.