Maryland Insurance License Requirements Explained

Maryland's licensing requirements have been significantly simplified by the October 2024 PLE elimination — but several distinctive features remain: the Prometric exam (not PSI or Pearson VUE), a 6-month score validity window, no fingerprinting requirement, a $54 application fee that is among the most affordable of all comparison states, a 4-day retake wait (more than NJ's zero-day wait but less restrictive than Virginia's escalating wait), a generous 15-month temporary Life license, and the MIA as a dedicated insurance-only regulator. Here's the complete breakdown.

Eligibility Requirements

To apply for a Maryland resident insurance producer license:

Be at least 18 years old

Be a Maryland resident

No SSN-only requirement: Maryland accepts SSN, FEIN, or ITIN (accepts Individual Taxpayer Identification Number — one of the few states that does)

Disclose all prior administrative actions, criminal history, license denials/revocations

Federal restriction: 18 U.S.C. § 1033 applies

PLE Status — Eliminated October 2024

Maryland does not require prelicensing education as of October 1, 2024 (MIA Bulletin 24-19).

Pre-October 2024 (historical; no longer in effect): Life: 20 hours; A&H: 20 hours; Combined L&H: 40 hours; Property: 20 hours; Casualty: 20 hours; Combined P&C: 40 hours

Current (effective October 1, 2024): Zero mandatory hours. Candidates proceed directly to Prometric exam.

Exception — Limited Lines Credit Insurance: Effective October 1, 2025, limited lines credit insurance producers must complete a Commissioner-approved program provided by an insurer selling credit insurance — this is a specific exception for a limited lines category.

Designation exemptions from exam:

P&C: CPCU, Fellow of Casualty Actuarial Society, CIC, AAI, ARM

Life: CLU, Fellow of the Society of Actuaries Apply via paper application to MIA with Certificate of Good Standing.

Exam Requirements (Prometric)

Maryland uses Prometric — same as Virginia; different from NJ and MN (PSI) and Colorado/Tennessee (Pearson VUE).

Scheduling: prometric.com/exams/mia or (800) 610-1174 Remote: ProProctor — compatibility check at rpcandidate.prometric.com Exam fee: $60 per exam Passing: 70% Score validity: 6 months — apply within 6 months or exam expires Results: Screen display immediately + email report Retakes: Unlimited; 4-day wait; can resit failed part only (within 6 months)

MD Exam Specifications:

State section content (Life, A&H combined exam content outline from tests.com):

Common state section: State Regulatory Jurisdiction (4 items); State Regulation (6 items)

Life-specific state section: State Requirements (3 items)

A&H-specific state section: Types of Providers (2 items); Medical Plans: State Requirements (4 items); LTC Tax Credits (1 item)

Total: approximately 20 state-specific items per combined exam

Maryland's one-part exam format: Since October 2021, Maryland moved from a two-part exam to a single combined exam for each line — national content and state content are interleaved, not separate sections.

Fingerprinting — Not Required

Maryland does not require fingerprinting. This is confirmed by:

JustInsurance's official MD page: "background check cost: $0"

MIA documentation: "There are no fingerprint requirements in Maryland"

NIPR: background check occurs as part of application review without separate fingerprinting

A criminal history background check does occur as part of the application review process — disclosed on the application. But no separate IdentoGO, Fieldprint, or PSI walk-in appointment is needed.

Application Requirements

Through NIPR (preferred) or paper application:

Fees:

State fee: $54

NIPR transaction fee: $5.60

Paper application: Download NAIC Uniform Application from MIA website; mail with fees to MIA at 200 St. Paul Place, Suite 2700, Baltimore, MD 21202, Attn: Producer Licensing.

Timing: Apply within 6 months of passing exam.

Processing: 7-10 business days (NIPR online); 3-5 business days (paper).

ITIN acceptance: Maryland accepts ITIN in addition to SSN and FEIN — useful for candidates who are legal residents but do not have a Social Security Number.

Appointments: Maryland does not require insurers to report appointments or terminations to MIA except for terminations for cause. Insurers maintain a Producer Register of appointed agents.

License Renewal Summary

Key MD Numbers for the Exam and Reference

5 Frequently Asked Questions

• What changed about Maryland licensing in October 2024? Two major changes took effect October 1, 2024: (1) MIA Bulletin 24-19 eliminated the prelicensing education requirement — candidates now proceed directly to the Prometric exam without completing a mandated PLE course; and (2) Prometric implemented a new Candidate Management System requiring all candidates to create a new Prometric profile. Any existing exam history from before October 1, 2024 was not migrated to the new system.
• Why does Maryland accept ITIN in addition to SSN? Maryland's ITIN acceptance reflects the state's large immigrant population in the Washington DC and Baltimore metro areas. Legal Maryland residents who are work-authorized but don't have a Social Security Number can use their Individual Taxpayer Identification Number for the licensing application. This makes Maryland more accessible than states that only accept SSN.
• How does the combined P&C exam compare to separate Property and Casualty exams? Combined P&C (120 questions, 150 minutes, $60) covers both lines in one sitting for the same fee as one individual exam ($60). Candidates pursuing both P&C lines save $60 and one exam sitting by taking the combined exam. The combined exam's 75-second per-question pacing is slightly tighter than individual exams' ~79-second pace, but most candidates find it manageable.
• What is the $15 fraud prevention fee in MD renewal? Maryland's renewal fee includes a $15 fraud prevention fee on top of the $54 renewal fee ($69 total). This fee funds MIA's insurance fraud investigation and prevention activities. It also applies to the reinstatement process ($54 + $15 + $100 reinstatement). For late renewal within 1 year: total is $169 per license.
• What makes Maryland's MIA distinctive from multi-sector regulators like VA's SCC or NJ's DOBI? Maryland's MIA is an insurance-only regulator with dedicated focus on insurance regulation. Virginia's SCC (insurance + utilities + securities + railroads), NJ's DOBI (banking + insurance), and Minnesota's DOC (insurance + securities + real estate + weights/measures) all have multi-sector mandates that create different regulatory priorities. Maryland's MIA concentrates exclusively on insurance — creating a regulator that is highly insurance-focused and deeply expert in the Maryland Insurance Article.

Get Your Maryland License With Confidence

JustInsurance's MIA-approved Maryland courses cover the full Prometric content outline with Maryland state law depth.

Enroll today and build your Maryland insurance career.