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Rhode Island

Rhode Island insurance licensing: requirements, renewal, and agency rules

Rhode Island licenses insurance producers and adjusters through the Insurance Division of the Department of Business Regulation (DBR) — insurance sits inside a broader business-regulation agency rather than a standalone department.

Renewal cycle
Every 2 years
CE hours
24 hours (3 ethics)
Application fee
$120
DOI phone
401-462-9520

Overview

Reviewed Sep 6, 2026

Rhode Island licenses insurance producers and adjusters through the Insurance Division of the Department of Business Regulation (DBR) — insurance sits inside a broader business-regulation agency rather than a standalone department. DBR routes applications, renewals, and appointments through NIPR rather than a state-only portal. Rhode Island doesn't require prelicensing education for most producer lines, and electronic applications carry a 2-year license term from the start.

How to get licensed

  1. Skip prelicensing — Rhode Island doesn't require it

    DBR doesn't mandate prelicensing education for most producer lines; it only "strongly suggests" exam prep. If you were licensed for the same lines in another state and are still in good standing (or within 90 days of cancellation), or you're relocating to Rhode Island as a resident, you may qualify for an exam exemption under R.I. Gen. Laws § 27-2.4-11.

  2. Register for and pass the licensing exam

    Rhode Island uses Pearson VUE for licensing exams, available in-person or remote-proctored. You have up to one year after passing to apply for your license before you'd need to retake it.

  3. Get a certified background check

    Submit a Background Check Investigation (BCI) from the Rhode Island Attorney General's office and email it, with your transaction number, to dbr.inslic@dbr.ri.gov. If you're answering yes to any criminal-history question on your application, include a written explanation and supporting court documents.

  4. Apply for your license

    The fastest path is to apply through InsureTrek — we file your Rhode Island application for the state's $120 resident fee, pulled from NIPR at the moment of application.

  5. Wait for approval

    DBR issues electronic licenses through NIPR once your exam results and background check clear. Verify your license once issued using NAIC's SOLAR lookup tool, which DBR designates as its official verification source.

Prelicensing education

Not required. No prelicensing hours are required for standard producer lines. Producers licensed in another state for the same lines (current or within 90 days of cancellation) and new Rhode Island residents relocating with an out-of-state license may qualify for an exam exemption under R.I. Gen. Laws § 27-2.4-11.

Exam

Vendor: Pearson VUE.

Fingerprinting

Required. Rhode Island requires a certified Background Check Investigation (BCI) from the RI Attorney General's office rather than a private fingerprint vendor. Email the report and your transaction number to dbr.inslic@dbr.ri.gov.

Fees

FeeInitialRenewal
Resident individual producer (2-year term)
Built from a $55 per-year fee plus a $5 per-year CE-tracking fee, times the 2-year term.		$120$120
Non-resident individual producer (2-year term)
Built from a $60 per-year fee plus a $5 per-year CE-tracking fee, times the 2-year term. Business entities are charged the same fee as the matching individual license class (230-RICR-20-50-5 § 5.5).		$130$130
Claims adjuster (resident or non-resident)$250$250
Motor vehicle damage appraiser (resident or non-resident)$150$150
Third-party administrator
Annual fee.		$250$250
Reinsurance intermediary
Biennial fee.		$200$200

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: 230-RICR-20-50-5 – Fee schedule

Renewing an insurance license in Rhode Island

Renewal window — Rhode Island licenses renew every two years from the date they were issued. DBR ties each license's renewal date to its own issuance date.

Grace period: Producers can reinstate within 30 days of expiration by filing a reinstatement application and paying the renewal fee. Reinstatement is possible up to one year after expiration with additional fees; after a year, you'd need to reapply as a new applicant.

Up to 12 excess CE hours can carry forward into the next 2-year cycle.

24 total CE hours per renewal term, including 3 ethics hours.

No-exam license types (credit, crop, travel, surety, rental car, title) are exempt from CE. Non-residents who meet their home state's CE requirement can satisfy Rhode Island's requirement through reciprocity. Residents with 25+ years of continuous licensure who are age 55 or older may also qualify for an exemption.

Non-resident insurance license in Rhode Island

Rhode Island licenses non-residents who hold an active producer license in good standing in their home state, applying through InsureTrek for the $130 non-resident fee. Under R.I. Gen. Laws § 27-2.4-10, Rhode Island issues that license only if the applicant's home state extends the same nonresident licensing terms to Rhode Islanders. The license runs on the same 2-year electronic term as a resident license, and non-residents can satisfy Rhode Island's CE requirement by meeting their home state's CE rules where a reciprocal arrangement applies.

Apply for a non-resident Rhode Island 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

Rhode Island issues separate business entity licenses through the same NIPR process, with a Designated Responsible Licensed Producer required on most entity license classes under R.I. Gen. Laws § 27-2.4-8. A Rhode Island resident business entity "may elect" to obtain its own producer license under that section — entity licensure reads as elective rather than mandatory for every agency. DBR's own FAQ page frames entity licensing narrowly, around portable electronics vendors, travel insurance sellers, and managing general agents, but the state's fee schedule lists a broader set of business entity categories.

Insurers file producer appointments with DBR electronically, generally through NIPR, for $15 per producer per company under 230-RICR-20-50-5.

Appointments — Just-in-time appointments: Rhode Island runs a just-in-time model: under R.I. Gen. Laws § 27-2.4-14.1, the appointment is triggered by the producer's first submitted application, and the insurer has 15 days from that date to file the appointment notice with DBR. Deadlines: On termination, the insurer must notify the Commissioner within 30 days of the termination's effective date and mail notice to the producer within 15 days, under R.I. Gen. Laws § 27-2.4-16.

Managing DRLPs across states? See how InsureTrek handles it →

Official resources

Terms used on this page

All licensing terms →

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 Rhode Island Department of Business Regulation, Insurance Division or NIPR before you rely on anything here.

Official NIPR reseller · Applications filed through InsureTrek are submitted via NIPR.

FAQs

How much does it cost to get an insurance license in Rhode Island?

DBR's resident producer license fee is $120, covering the full 2-year electronic term. On top of that you'll pay a Pearson VUE exam fee and the cost of your Attorney General background check; DBR doesn't publish those amounts itself, so check current pricing directly with each before budgeting.

Do I need a prelicensing course before I can sit for the Rhode Island exam?

No. DBR doesn't require prelicensing education for standard producer lines — it only recommends preparing for the exam on your own. If you're already licensed in another state for the same lines, or you're a new Rhode Island resident with an out-of-state license, you may not need to retake the exam at all.

Where do I take the Rhode Island insurance licensing exam?

Rhode Island uses Pearson VUE, with both in-person and remote-proctored options. You have up to one year after passing to submit your license application.

Does Rhode Island require fingerprinting?

Rhode Island doesn't use a private fingerprint vendor. Instead you submit a certified Background Check Investigation from the RI Attorney General's office, emailed with your transaction number to dbr.inslic@dbr.ri.gov.

How do I look up or verify a Rhode Island insurance license?

DBR points to NAIC's SOLAR lookup tool at sbs.naic.org/solar-external-lookup to verify an individual or business license.

Can I get a Rhode Island non-resident license without retaking the exam?

Yes — if you hold an active resident producer license in your home state, you apply the same way through InsureTrek for a $130 fee, without a new Rhode Island exam. Your Rhode Island CE requirement can also be satisfied by meeting your home state's CE rules where reciprocity applies.

How much continuing education do I need, and how often do I renew?

Rhode Island licenses run on a 2-year cycle from issuance. You need 24 CE credit hours per cycle, including 3 ethics hours, and can carry up to 12 excess hours into the next cycle.

What happens if my Rhode Island license expires?

You can reinstate within 30 days of expiration by filing a reinstatement application and paying the renewal fee. Reinstatement stays available for up to a year after expiration with additional fees; past that, you'd need to apply as a new applicant.

See how InsureTrek handles Rhode Island licensing at scale.

Renewals, CE, and appointments tracked across every state your producers write in.

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