How to Get Your Maryland Insurance Producer License

Maryland's insurance licensing process changed significantly in October 2024 — the state eliminated its prelicensing education requirement, making the Prometric exam the first mandatory step for virtually every candidate. This puts Maryland in the company of Virginia and Tennessee (which eliminated PLE in 2023) as states where exam preparation is self-directed. The exam is administered by Prometric (not PSI or Pearson VUE). There is no fingerprinting requirement — one of the cleanest application processes of all comparison states. The application fee is a modest $54 through NIPR. And Maryland's position as the #1 median household income state in the nation at $94,384 — with the NSA, NIH, FDA, Lockheed Martin, Booz Allen Hamilton, Johns Hopkins, and T. Rowe Price all within the state's borders — creates one of the most distinctive professional insurance markets on the East Coast. Here's the complete guide.

Who Regulates Maryland Insurance

Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA):

Address: 200 St. Paul Place, Suite 2700, Baltimore, Maryland 21202

Producer Licensing Phone: (410) 468-2411 or (800) 492-6116

Email: [email protected]

Website: insurance.maryland.gov

Commissioner: Marie L. Grant (confirmed April 2025)

Insurance Code: Maryland Code, Insurance Article

MIA's distinctive features: The MIA is a dedicated insurance regulator — unlike Virginia's SCC (multi-sector: insurance + utilities + securities + railroads), New Jersey's DOBI (banking + insurance), or Minnesota's DOC (insurance + securities + real estate + weights and measures), Maryland's MIA focuses exclusively on insurance regulation. This creates a more insurance-focused regulatory environment and a regulator that consumers and producers deal with directly on all insurance matters.

Recent regulatory update — Bulletin 24-19: Effective October 1, 2024, MIA issued Bulletin 24-19 eliminating the prelicensing education requirement. Any sources referencing 20-hour PLE requirements for Maryland reflect the pre-October 2024 framework. All current Maryland candidates proceed directly to the Prometric exam.

Step 1: Prepare for the Prometric Exam (No PLE Required)

Maryland eliminated its PLE requirement effective October 1, 2024. Candidates can schedule the Prometric exam immediately without completing any MIA-approved prelicensing course.

Strong recommendation: Although PLE is no longer required, the Prometric exam covers both national insurance content and Maryland state law. Candidates who skip study preparation fail at significantly higher rates. JustInsurance's MIA-approved Maryland exam prep courses provide the structured preparation that maximizes first-attempt pass rates.

Designation exemptions from exam (not PLE): Certain professional designations allow exam waiver:

P&C: CPCU (member in good standing), Fellow of the Casualty Actuarial Society, CIC, AAI, ARM

Life: CLU (member in good standing), Fellow of the Society of Actuaries Apply directly to MIA with Certificate of Good Standing from the designating body.

Step 2: Schedule and Pass the Prometric Exam

Exam administrator: Prometric

Website: prometric.com/exams/mia

Phone: (800) 610-1174

Remote testing: ProProctor (run compatibility check at rpcandidate.prometric.com)

Exam fee: $60 per exam. Passing score: 70% Score validity: 6 months — apply for license within 6 months of passing or exam expires.

Maryland exam specifications (one-part format since October 2021):

Combined exam advantage: Like MN but unlike NJ, Maryland offers combined exams — combined Life & A&H (130 questions) and combined P&C (120 questions) — each at the same $60 fee as a single-line exam.

Results: Score displayed on screen immediately; email report from Prometric.

Retakes: Unlimited; 4-day wait between retakes. If failed one part of a two-part exam, can resit the failed part only within 6 months.

Cancel/reschedule: At least 2 days in advance to avoid forfeiting fee.

Exam day: Bring two government-issued IDs (one with photo + signature). Arrive 30 minutes early. No personal items in testing room.

Step 3: Submit License Application

No fingerprinting required in Maryland — one of the most applicant-friendly features of Maryland's licensing process.

After passing the Prometric exam, apply through NIPR (National Insurance Producer Registry):

Fees:

Application fee: $54

NIPR transaction fee: $5.60

Total: approximately $59.60 via NIPR

Apply within 6 months of passing the Prometric exam — if the 6-month window expires, exam results expire and the exam must be retaken.

Processing: 7-10 business days (clean NIPR applications); 3-5 business days for paper applications.

Print license: From the MIA website via name search → license number → print. MIA does not send paper copies of licenses.

Background check: While no fingerprinting is required, the application includes a criminal history background check question. Affirmative disclosures require written statement and certified court documents.

Federal restriction: 18 U.S.C. § 1033 applies — certain felony convictions involving dishonesty or breach of trust.

Temporary license: Maryland provides a 15-month temporary license for Life — one of the most generous temporary license periods of all comparison states (Virginia: 180 days; NJ: 60 days; Maryland Life: 15 months). See MIA's Initial Producer Licensing guide.

Step 4: Maintain Your License

Renewal: 2 years; last day of birth month. Renewal fee: $69 ($54 renewal + $15 fraud prevention fee). Renewal window: Up to 90 days before expiration. Late renewal: Up to 1 year; $54 + $15 + $100 reinstatement fee.

CE: 24 hours (3 Ethics); courses in line held; no carryover; before renewal submission.

Maryland vs. Comparison States

5 Frequently Asked Questions

• When did Maryland eliminate its PLE requirement? Effective October 1, 2024, per MIA Bulletin 24-19. Any source citing a 20-hour PLE requirement for Maryland reflects the pre-October 2024 framework. Currently, Maryland candidates schedule the Prometric exam directly without completing any MIA-approved prelicensing course. Study preparation is strongly recommended but no longer mandated.
• Why does Maryland have no fingerprinting requirement? Maryland's background check is incorporated into the license application review process without requiring a separate fingerprinting appointment through a vendor like Fieldprint or IdentoGO. This makes Maryland's application process simpler than NJ (IdentoGO; $66.05), Virginia (Fieldprint; $34.95), and Tennessee (IdentoGO) — no separate vendor appointment is needed.
• Why is Maryland's exam score only valid for 6 months? Maryland's 6-month score validity (after October 1, 2024 when PLE was eliminated) is shorter than NJ's 12 months, Virginia's 183 days (~6 months), and MN's 3 years. The 6-month window creates a straightforward timeline: pass exam → apply within 6 months. Given Maryland's 7-10 business day processing and no fingerprinting step, the 6-month window is ample for most candidates.
• What is the 15-month temporary Life license? Maryland's 15-month temporary Life insurance license is one of the most generous temporary license periods among comparison states — Virginia offers 180 days, NJ offers 60 days. The temporary license allows Life insurance activity while a full application is reviewed. Refer to MIA's Initial Producer Licensing guide at insurance.maryland.gov for current application instructions.
• What makes Maryland a distinctive insurance market compared to Virginia? Both states are in the DC corridor, but Maryland's market leans more toward federal agency employees (NSA, NIH, FDA, Social Security Administration) while Virginia's market emphasizes defense contractors (Pentagon, Booz Allen, Leidos, SAIC). Maryland's Johns Hopkins medical community, Chesapeake Bay coastal market, and Baltimore financial services sector (T. Rowe Price, Legg Mason/Franklin Templeton) all create insurance advisory opportunities distinct from Virginia's defense-heavy Northern Virginia corridor.

Start Your Maryland License Process

Maryland's no-PLE, no-fingerprinting structure makes the Prometric exam the primary hurdle. JustInsurance's MIA-approved Maryland exam prep courses are built around the Prometric content outline with Maryland state law depth.

Enroll today and start your Maryland insurance career.