Tennessee Insurance License Requirements Explained: What Every Applicant Must Know

Tennessee's insurance licensing requirements are straightforward in structure but specific in detail — and the details matter. The wrong exam, a missed fingerprinting deadline, a name mismatch on your application documents, or a misunderstanding about which lines of authority cover which products can delay your license or require you to restart part of the process. This post covers every requirement that applies to a Tennessee insurance producer license applicant: who must be licensed, which license types exist, what the exam requirements are for each line, how the fingerprinting and background check process works, what the application fees and timelines look like, and what ongoing requirements apply once your license is active. Whether you are approaching Tennessee licensing for the first time or advising someone who is, this is the complete requirements reference.

Who Must Be Licensed in Tennessee

Tennessee Code Annotated (TCA) Title 56, Chapter 6 requires any individual or business entity that sells, solicits, or negotiates insurance in Tennessee to hold a producer license issued by the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI). This requirement applies to:

Individual resident producers: Tennessee residents who sell, solicit, or negotiate any line of insurance for compensation must hold a resident producer license for each line they transact.

Individual non-resident producers: Individuals licensed in another state who sell, solicit, or negotiate insurance for Tennessee-resident clients or for risks located in Tennessee must hold a Tennessee non-resident producer license.

Business entities: Agencies, corporations, partnerships, and limited liability companies that engage in the business of insurance in Tennessee must hold a separate business entity license. Business entities must designate at least one Designated Responsible Licensed Producer (DRLP) who holds an active Tennessee license with major line authority.

Exemptions from the licensing requirement: Several categories of activity do not require an insurance producer license under Tennessee law:

Employees of insurers who do not receive commission and whose duties are limited to clerical or administrative functions

Licensed attorneys whose insurance-related activities are incidental to their legal practice

Officers, directors, or employees of insurers who do not receive commission for selling insurance

Persons whose activities are limited to providing general information about insurance without specific product recommendations

The exemption lines in Tennessee are narrowly drawn. Any individual who receives compensation for placing or facilitating the placement of insurance should assume licensure is required and confirm their status with the TDCI before transacting business.

The Regulatory Authority: Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance

The Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI) is the state agency responsible for licensing, regulating, and disciplining insurance producers in Tennessee. Unlike Minnesota, which integrates insurance regulation within a broader Department of Commerce covering multiple financial services industries, Tennessee's TDCI has a broader consumer protection mandate that includes insurance, securities, banking, and professional licensing — but the insurance division operates with dedicated staff and resources.

TDCI contact information:

Address: 500 James Robertson Parkway, Nashville, TN 37243-1134

Phone: (615) 741-2693 / (888) 416-0868

Email: ce.agent.licensing@tn.gov

Website: tn.gov/commerce/insurance

The Commissioner of Insurance: The TDCI is headed by the Commissioner of Commerce and Insurance, a gubernatorial appointee. Under TCA §56-2-305, the Commissioner has authority to impose civil penalties of up to $1,000 per violation — with higher penalties for willful misconduct. Under TCA §56-6-112, the Commissioner can suspend, revoke, or deny renewal of a producer license for deceptive practices, failure to disclose conflicts of interest, failure to maintain appointments, and a range of other specified violations.

The statutory framework: All Tennessee insurance law is codified in TCA Title 56 — Insurance. The specific chapters most relevant to producers are:

Chapter 6: Insurance producers — licensing requirements, application process, grounds for discipline, continuing education, and producer conduct obligations

Chapter 7: Insurance contracts — policy requirements, claims handling, the bad faith penalty provision under §56-7-105

Chapter 8: Unfair Trade Practices and Unfair Claims Settlement Act — the statutory framework governing prohibited producer and insurer conduct

License Types: What Each Line of Authority Covers

Tennessee issues producer licenses by individual line of authority. Understanding exactly what each line covers — and what it does not cover — is essential for choosing the right license at the start of your career and for advising clients about which coverage a specific producer is authorized to place.

Life

The Life line of authority covers:

Term life insurance

Whole life insurance

Universal life insurance

Variable life insurance (requires Variable Products authority in addition)

Annuities — fixed, indexed, and variable (variable annuities require Variable Products authority)

Credit life insurance

A producer with Life authority only cannot sell health insurance, disability income, or long-term care insurance. Those require Accident and Health authority.

Accident and Health (A&H)

The Accident and Health line of authority covers:

Individual and group health insurance

Disability income insurance

Long-term care insurance

Accident insurance

Medicare supplement (Medigap) policies

Medicare Advantage and Medicare Part D (also requires appointment with specific Medicare carriers)

Dental and vision insurance

Short-term health insurance products

A producer with A&H authority only cannot sell life insurance or annuities. Most producers who serve individual clients with comprehensive financial protection needs hold both Life and A&H authority.

Property

The Property line of authority covers:

Homeowners insurance

Dwelling fire insurance

Commercial property insurance

Inland marine insurance

Farm property insurance

Flood insurance (also requires NFIP certification training)

Earthquake insurance

Crop insurance (also requires federal crop insurance agent certification)

Casualty

The Casualty line of authority covers:

Personal auto liability

Commercial general liability

Workers' compensation

Commercial auto liability

Umbrella and excess liability

Professional liability (errors and omissions)

Directors and officers liability

Employers liability

The Property and Casualty distinction: Property and Casualty are separate lines of authority in Tennessee — unlike some states where they are combined into a single P&C license. A producer who holds only Property authority can sell homeowners and commercial property but cannot sell auto liability or workers' compensation. A producer who holds only Casualty authority can sell general liability and auto liability but cannot sell property coverages. Most commercial lines producers hold both Property and Casualty. Most personal lines producers hold both as well — a homeowners policy includes both property and liability components, and writing that policy requires both lines.

Personal Lines

Personal Lines is a streamlined license that covers personal auto and personal homeowners insurance — the two most common personal lines products — without requiring separate Property and Casualty exams. Personal Lines authority is appropriate only for producers who intend to limit their practice to personal auto and homeowners. It does not authorize commercial lines placements of any kind. Producers who later want to expand into commercial lines must pass the full Property and/or Casualty exams and obtain those lines separately.

Variable Products

Variable Products is an add-on authority that must be held in addition to Life authority for producers who sell variable life insurance or variable annuities. Variable products involve investment components — the cash value or benefit is not guaranteed and varies based on the performance of underlying investment accounts. Variable products are also regulated by FINRA as securities — producers who sell them must hold either a FINRA Series 6 (investment company and variable products) or Series 7 (general securities) registration in addition to the Tennessee Variable Products insurance license. The Tennessee TDCI issues the insurance component; FINRA regulates the securities component.

Title Insurance

Title insurance is a separate line requiring its own license. Title insurance producers must meet specific requirements distinct from standard producer licensing, including errors and omissions coverage requirements. Title insurance is a niche line that most general insurance producers do not hold.

The Exam Requirements: Line by Line

Tennessee administers all insurance licensing exams through Pearson VUE. There is no mandatory prelicensing education — candidates may sit for the exam without completing any prescribed course. The pass score for all Tennessee insurance exams is 70% on the scored questions.

Exam Structure

Every Tennessee insurance exam consists of:

68 scored questions that determine your pass/fail result

9 pretest questions that are unscored and are being evaluated for future exam use

77 total questions presented without identification of which are scored and which are pretest

1 hour and 45 minutes to complete each exam

Exam Fees

Each line requires a separate exam and a separate fee. There are no combination exams in Tennessee — Life and A&H are tested separately, and Property and Casualty are tested separately. Multiple exams can be taken in a single testing session on the same day.

Retakes

Tennessee allows unlimited exam retakes. There is no mandatory waiting period between attempts. Each retake requires paying the full exam fee for that line. The unlimited retake policy with no waiting period creates maximum flexibility for candidates — but the financial cost of repeated failures makes thorough preparation the economically rational approach.

Score Reports

Pearson VUE delivers score reports immediately after exam completion — before you leave the testing center or close your remote session. A pass or fail result appears on screen with your scaled score. You do not need to wait for results by mail or email.

Scheduling

Schedule through pearsonvue.com/tn/insurance or by calling (800) 274-4957. Payment is required at the time of scheduling. Cancel or reschedule at least 48 hours before your appointment to avoid forfeiting the exam fee.

The Background Check and Fingerprinting Requirements

Who Must Be Fingerprinted

All Tennessee resident producer applicants must submit fingerprints for a criminal background check. Non-resident applicants are not subject to Tennessee's fingerprinting requirement — they are subject to their home state's requirements.

The Process

Fingerprinting is conducted through IdentoGO, not through Pearson VUE or NIPR. The IdentoGO appointment is a completely separate scheduling step that must be completed independently of the exam and the application.

IdentoGO appointment scheduling:

Visit identogo.com

Select "Schedule a New Appointment"

Select "Department of Commerce and Insurance" as the agency

Select "Insurance Producers" as the type

Enter your zip code to find the nearest IdentoGO location

Confirm the ORI number: TN920680Z (Transaction Type: IP)

Pay the $37.15 fee at the appointment

Critical timing rule: Fingerprints must be submitted at least 2 business days before you submit your license application through NIPR. This means you cannot submit your NIPR application on the same day as your fingerprinting appointment — you must wait the 2-business-day minimum.

The Fingerprint Policy and Acknowledgement Form

In addition to the IdentoGO appointment, applicants must:

Read the Fingerprint-Based Criminal History Record Check Policy (available on the TDCI's website)

Sign the one-page Fingerprint Policy and Acknowledgement Form

Submit the signed form to the TDCI by email at ce.agent.licensing@tn.gov or by fax at (615) 532-2862

This form can be submitted while or after submitting your NIPR application. The names on the Fingerprint Policy and Acknowledgement Form and on your NIPR application must match exactly. A name mismatch will delay processing.

Background Check Scope

The background check covers both Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) records and FBI federal records. The check reviews criminal history for convictions, pending charges, and other matters that may affect fitness for licensure under TCA §56-6-112.

Criminal history and licensing: Any misdemeanors, felonies, or current criminal proceedings in your background require direct application to the TDCI rather than through the standard NIPR electronic process. The TDCI evaluates criminal history on a case-by-case basis — certain convictions do not automatically disqualify an applicant, but the evaluation requires individual TDCI review. Contact the TDCI Agent Licensing Section at (615) 741-2693 before proceeding if you have any criminal history to disclose.

The License Application

Where to Apply

Tennessee resident producer license applications are submitted through NIPR (National Insurance Producer Registry) at nipr.com. Non-resident applications are also submitted through NIPR.

The 48-Hour Waiting Period

Tennessee requires applicants to wait at least 48 hours after passing the exam before submitting the NIPR application. This is a TDCI-specific requirement — do not attempt to submit your application before the 48-hour window has elapsed.

Application Fees

A candidate applying for Property and Casualty pays $100 in state application fees ($50 per line) plus the $5.60 NIPR fee plus the $37.15 fingerprinting cost. A candidate applying for all four major lines pays $200 in state application fees plus processing costs.

Processing Time

The TDCI typically processes applications within 2–5 business days for standard applications submitted electronically through NIPR. Applications that require additional background check review or manual TDCI review can take up to 15 business days. Business entity license applications may take longer.

What the Application Requires

The NIPR application for a Tennessee producer license requires:

Personal identifying information matching exactly what appears on the Fingerprint Policy and Acknowledgement Form

Disclosure of any criminal history (answered on the background questions portion of the application)

Selection of the line(s) of authority being applied for

Payment of the application fee

Confirmation of completed fingerprinting (the IdentoGO appointment must be completed before submission)

License Validity and Renewal Requirements

License Term

Tennessee insurance producer licenses are valid for two years from the date of issuance and expire on the last day of the producer's birth month in the renewal year. A producer born in June who receives their license in any month will always renew by June 30 of their renewal year.

Continuing Education

All Tennessee resident producers holding major lines licenses (Property, Casualty, Personal Lines, A&H, Life, or Variable Products) must complete 24 hours of approved continuing education per biennial renewal period, including:

3 hours of ethics — must be in TDCI-approved ethics content

21 hours of general insurance CE — any TDCI-approved content

Tennessee has no mandatory classroom hour minimum — all 24 hours can be completed through self-paced online courses. There is no mandatory company-sponsored hour cap in the same rigid structure as some states. CE must be completed before submitting the renewal application.

Renewal Fee

The TDCI renewal fee is $60 per renewal. Renewal is submitted through NIPR.

Grace Period and Late Renewal

Tennessee provides a 30-day grace period after the license expiration date during which the license can be renewed with no additional fee. After the 30-day grace period, late renewal is possible for up to one year after expiration — but a $120 late fee applies. After one year of expiration, the license cannot be renewed and the producer must apply for a new license, including passing the exam again.

Specialty Training Requirements

Producers who sell specific product types must complete product-specific training in addition to the general 24-hour CE requirement:

Long-Term Care (LTC): Producers must complete an initial 8-hour LTC certification training before selling LTC insurance products. After completing the initial training, ongoing LTC CE requirements apply. LTC training hours count toward the 24-hour CE total.

Annuity Suitability: Producers who sell annuities must complete a one-time 4-hour annuity best interest standards course before selling, soliciting, or negotiating annuity products. This training is also known as the NAIC Suitability in Annuity Transactions training.

Flood Insurance (NFIP): Producers who sell National Flood Insurance Program policies must complete a one-time 3-hour NFIP certification training.

The Appointment Requirement

Holding a Tennessee producer license does not by itself authorize a producer to transact business. Before selling insurance for any specific carrier, the carrier must file an appointment with the TDCI on the producer's behalf.

What appointment means: An appointment is the carrier's authorization for the producer to represent it in Tennessee. A producer appointed by Carrier A can sell Carrier A's products. Without an appointment from Carrier B, the same producer cannot sell Carrier B's products even if they hold the appropriate line of authority.

The appointment filing deadline: The insurer must file a notice of appointment within 15 days of the date the agency contract is executed or the first application is submitted, whichever is earlier.

Appointment fees: Tennessee charges appointment fees that are paid by the carrier at the time of filing. Producers do not directly pay appointment fees — the carrier bears this cost.

Transacting before appointment: A producer who sells, solicits, or negotiates insurance for a carrier without a valid appointment has violated TCA §56-6-112 — a ground for license suspension or revocation. Confirm with your agency principal or directly with your appointed carriers that all appointments are active before transacting business.

Frequently Asked Questions

I passed the Property exam but not the Casualty exam on the same day. Do I get a partial license for Property only?

Yes. Tennessee issues licenses by individual line of authority. If you passed Property but not Casualty, you may apply for the Property license alone and add Casualty later after passing that exam. You will pay a separate $50 application fee for each line when you apply. There is no requirement to hold both Property and Casualty simultaneously — you can hold one without the other and add the second when ready. Most producers who want a full P&C practice do eventually hold both, but the licensing process does not require them to be obtained at the same time.

I have a misdemeanor conviction from several years ago. Will this prevent me from getting a Tennessee insurance license?

Not necessarily — Tennessee evaluates criminal history on a case-by-case basis rather than applying an automatic disqualification for all misdemeanors. The nature of the offense, how long ago it occurred, and evidence of rehabilitation are all relevant factors in the TDCI's evaluation. However, you must apply directly through the TDCI rather than through the standard NIPR electronic process, which means your application will take longer to process as the TDCI conducts its individual review. Contact the TDCI Agent Licensing Section at (615) 741-2693 before proceeding — they can provide guidance on your specific situation and the documentation you should include with your application to support a favorable determination. Attempting to proceed through NIPR without disclosing criminal history is a separate and more serious violation than the underlying conviction itself.

How long does my Tennessee license remain valid if I never renew it?

Your Tennessee license expires on the last day of your birth month in the biennial renewal year. After expiration, you have a 30-day grace period to renew with no late fee. After the grace period, you can renew for up to one year past expiration by paying a $120 late fee. After one full year past expiration, the license is permanently lapsed and you must apply for a new license — including passing the Pearson VUE exam again for each line you want to hold. The practical message is that renewal is far less costly in time, money, and disruption than letting a license lapse beyond the one-year late renewal window. Set calendar reminders well before your birth month renewal deadline, complete your 24 CE hours at least 30 days before expiration, and renew through NIPR before the deadline.

Tennessee's insurance licensing requirements are structured to be accessible — no mandatory prelicensing, a clear four-step process, immediate exam results, and a reasonable fee structure — while maintaining the professional standards that protect Tennessee policyholders. Every requirement in the process serves a specific purpose: the exam verifies minimum knowledge of insurance products and Tennessee law, the background check protects consumers from producers with disqualifying histories, the appointment requirement ensures that producers represent only carriers who have authorized their activities, and the CE requirement ensures that licensed producers maintain current knowledge throughout their careers. Applicants who understand every requirement before they begin move through the process efficiently, without the delays and additional costs that avoidable errors produce.

Visit JustInsurance to enroll today and complete your Tennessee exam prep with a state-approved course — and enter the licensing process fully prepared for every step.