Indiana Insurance License Requirements Explained

Indiana's licensing requirements sit in a mainstream midpoint among comparison states — PLE is required at 20 hours per line (same as Minnesota and New Jersey), the exam is administered by Pearson VUE (same as Ohio, Tennessee, Colorado), and fingerprinting is required through Gemalto. The most distinctive features are: the 6-month PLE certificate validity creating a firm timeline; the Ivy Tech Community College exam center partnership making test access uniquely broad; the OnVUE online exam rule (only one online attempt — all subsequent retakes must be in-person); and the $160 late renewal fee (4x the $40 renewal). Indiana's insurance code (IC 27-1-15.6) and July 2024 Annuity Best Interest rule (760 IAC 1-72-4.5) are specific regulatory updates that affect current licensing and CE obligations. Here's the complete breakdown.

Eligibility Requirements

To apply for an Indiana resident insurance producer license:

Be at least 18 years old

Be a US citizen or legal alien with proper work authorization

Non-citizen documentation: submit to [email protected]

Disclosure of all prior administrative actions, criminal history, license denials/revocations

Federal restriction: 18 U.S.C. § 1033 (certain felony convictions)

PLE Requirements (IC 27-1-15.6)

20 hours per line of authority — required:

PLE characteristics:

Sequential completion required

PLE certification exam: 70% minimum; disinterested third-party monitor

PLE Certificate of Completion valid: 6 months — exam and application must complete within 6 months

Certificate of Completion must be presented at Pearson VUE exam

$4.00 roster fee collected by provider

IDOI and Pearson VUE do NOT endorse any particular PLE course

Designation/degree exemptions (IC 27-1-15.6-9):

Life & A&H: CLU, CFP, CFC, CPCU, CIC, AAI; or bachelor's degree in insurance

Email request to [email protected] with license qualification + photocopy of certificate/degree

PLE waiver does NOT waive the exam — exam still required

Approved providers listed on sircon.com/Indiana

Exam Requirements (Pearson VUE)

Pearson VUE (Pearson Professional Assessments) — same as OH, TN, CO; different from NJ/MN (PSI) and MD/VA (Prometric).

Scheduling: pearsonvue.com/us/en/in/insurance.html; (866) 895-0496; at least 24 hours advance Remote: OnVUE — check compatibility at home.pearsonvue.com/in/insurance/onvue Spanish exams: test centers only (not available via OnVUE) Exam fee: $69 per exam Passing: 70% (statistical equating across forms) Score validity: within 6 months of PLE completion Results: Immediate pass/fail + score report Retakes: Unlimited; 48-hour wait; OnVUE: only 1 attempt (all retakes in-person) Cancel/reschedule: 48+ hours advance or forfeit fee

Indiana exam specifications:

Combined exam option: Indiana offers combined Life & Health (150 questions, 180 min) and combined P&C (150 questions) — both at $69 each (same as individual exam fee). Combined exams cover both lines in a single sitting for candidates pursuing both simultaneously.

Test center network: Pearson VUE test centers throughout Indiana + Ivy Tech Community College campuses statewide + military sites worldwide. Ivy Tech partnership makes exam access available in community college locations throughout Indiana.

Statistical equating: Indiana uses equating to ensure exam fairness across different exam forms (form X may require 30 correct answers to pass; form Y may require 32 — equating ensures both represent equivalent knowledge). This is IDOI's explained mechanism for why different candidates see different difficulty levels.

Fingerprinting Requirements

Required for all resident applicants.

Vendor: Gemalto (~$47.35) Schedule through fingerprinting.gemalto.com or per IDOI current instructions Evidence of completed background check must be submitted to IDOI as part of the final licensing application.

Application Requirements

Through Sircon or NIPR:

Application fee: $40 per license

NIPR transaction fee: $5.60

Apply within 6 months of completing PLE and passing exam

Processing: 5-7 business days (receive email from IDOI)

Temporary license: 180 days — email [email protected]

License Renewal Summary

Key IN Numbers for Reference

5 Frequently Asked Questions

• How does Indiana's 6-month PLE validity compare to other states? Indiana's 6-month PLE certificate is shorter than Ohio (1 year), Colorado (1 year), Tennessee (1 year), and far shorter than MN (lifetime). Maryland eliminated PLE entirely in October 2024. Indiana's 6-month window creates a firm completion timeline: complete PLE → exam → fingerprinting → application all within 6 months. This is enough time for most candidates who progress efficiently but requires deliberate planning.
• What is the $4.00 PLE roster fee? Indiana collects a $4.00 roster fee through PLE providers during enrollment. This fee is separate from the PLE course tuition and represents Indiana's registration fee for the provider to submit the candidate's completion data to IDOI. It is typically built into the PLE course enrollment process automatically.
• Does the OnVUE online exam rule affect strategy? Yes — Indiana allows only one OnVUE (online) exam attempt per exam. If you fail on OnVUE, all retakes must be in-person. This rule makes the first OnVUE attempt high-stakes. Candidates should prepare thoroughly before scheduling the online exam — scoring 78%+ on practice exams before scheduling is a reasonable benchmark. If you prefer the flexibility of online retakes, consider starting at an in-person Ivy Tech or Pearson VUE test center.
• What is Indiana's Annuity Best Interest training and when was it required? Effective July 1, 2024, IDOI adopted a new rule (760 IAC 1-72-4.5) requiring any producer holding a life insurance line of authority who intends to sell annuities to complete a one-time 4-hour Best Interest Standards of Conduct training course approved by IDOI within 6 months of the rule's effective date (or within 6 months of obtaining a life line for new licensees after July 1, 2024). Contact IDOI at [email protected] or 317-232-5858 (Brooke Walters, Education Coordinator) for approved courses.
• What makes Indiana's workers' comp rating bureau distinctive? Indiana uses the Indiana Compensation Rating Bureau (ICRB) — its own independent, non-profit rating bureau — rather than NCCI (National Council on Compensation Insurance). Indiana is an "independent bureau state" where ICRB sets the statistical plan, classification system, and experience rating plan used by all Indiana workers' comp carriers. This differs from NCCI states (like Maryland) where NCCI sets the national standards.

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