How to Get Your Virginia Insurance License: The Complete Step-by-Step Guide

Virginia is one of the few states in the country that does not require prelicensing education before you sit for your insurance licensing exam — and the state's regulator is not a Department of Insurance but the Bureau of Insurance within the State Corporation Commission (SCC), a structure unique among the states. These two facts set the tone for everything that follows: Virginia's licensing process is streamlined, candidate-controlled, and moves at the pace you set. Most candidates who are prepared complete the entire process — from deciding to get licensed to holding an active license — in two to four weeks. Here is exactly how it works.

The Five Steps to a Virginia Insurance License

Step 1: Pass the Prometric Licensing Exam

Virginia uses Prometric to administer all insurance producer licensing exams. You register, schedule, and sit for your exam entirely through Prometric — either at a physical test center or via remote online proctoring using Prometric's ProProctor application.

How to register: Go to prometric.com/virginia/insurance or call (866) 891-6396. You can also register by fax or mail, though online scheduling is the fastest method. The exam fee must be paid at the time of registration by MasterCard, Visa, money order, company check, or cashier's check. Personal checks are not accepted.

Exam fee: $35 per exam, regardless of line.

What exam to take: Virginia licenses producers by line of authority. The major exam series are:

The passing score for all major exams is 70%.

No prelicensing course required — Virginia does not mandate prelicensing education before any exam except Title insurance (which requires a 16-hour course). However, the exam is genuinely challenging, and nearly all successful candidates complete a prep course or study program before sitting.

After failing: You must wait at least 24 hours before rescheduling. After failing the same exam three times, Virginia law requires a 30-calendar-day waiting period before you can retake it.

Score validity: Your passing score is valid for 183 calendar days. You must submit your complete license application to the Bureau of Insurance within that window.

Step 2: Get Fingerprinted Through Fieldprint

Virginia requires all resident license applicants to submit fingerprints through Fieldprint Virginia, using live-scan digital technology that transmits prints directly to the Virginia State Police and the FBI for a criminal history background check.

How to schedule: Go to fieldprintvirginia.com and use the Fieldprint Code FPVABOIProducer. This code ensures results are routed to the Bureau of Insurance. Do not use an alternative Fieldprint code.

Cost: $34.95 (includes Virginia State Police and FBI fees).

Timing: Fingerprints must be no older than 90 days when you submit your license application. You must submit your application within 90 days of completing fingerprinting. You can schedule fingerprinting before or after passing the exam — many candidates do it simultaneously to avoid losing time.

Fieldprint locations: There are approximately 46 Fieldprint locations across Virginia. Appointments typically take 10 minutes.

Exemption: Fingerprinting is not required if you have submitted fingerprints in the last 12 months, are currently licensed, and are applying for the same license type.

Step 3: Obtain a Criminal History Record Report (CHRR)

Virginia resident applicants must provide a current Criminal History Record Report from the Virginia State Police, obtained no more than 90 days before the application date. The CHRR is submitted electronically as part of the online application.

If you have resided in Virginia for less than six months, submit a CHRR from your previous home state instead.

If your CHRR reveals a misdemeanor or felony conviction, you must also provide a detailed written statement explaining the circumstances and attach relevant court documents to your application. The SCC's Bureau of Insurance reviews all background information before issuing a license.

Step 4: Apply Through NIPR or Sircon

After passing your exam and completing fingerprinting, submit your license application electronically through NIPR (nipr.com) or Sircon (sircon.com). Both platforms allow you to attach required documents including your CHRR.

Application fee: $15 per line of authority (non-refundable).

Processing time: Applications are processed in date order. Allow approximately 15 business days. NIPR does not pre-verify exam results before allowing submission — the Bureau of Insurance reviews everything after submission.

Applications must be submitted within 90 days of completing fingerprinting and within 183 days of passing the exam. If either window expires, you must start over.

Step 5: Print Your License and Get Appointed

Once the Bureau of Insurance approves your application, you can print your license through NIPR or Sircon. You do not receive a physical license in the mail.

Before you can transact insurance business on behalf of any specific insurer, that insurer must appoint you. Appointments are filed by the insurer through NIPR. You cannot sell for a carrier until your appointment is active.

The Full Cost Breakdown

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does it take to get a Virginia insurance license?

Most candidates complete the entire process — passing the Prometric exam, completing fingerprinting, and receiving license approval — in two to four weeks. The exam itself can be scheduled as soon as you feel prepared, sometimes within days of deciding to get licensed. The main variables are how long you spend studying before the exam and how quickly the Bureau of Insurance processes your application (typically 15 business days from submission). The fastest path is to schedule your fingerprinting appointment at Fieldprint at the same time you schedule your Prometric exam, so both steps happen around the same time and you can submit your application immediately after passing.

Do I need to take a prelicensing course before the Virginia insurance exam?

No — Virginia does not require prelicensing education for Life, Annuities, Health, Property, Casualty, or Personal Lines exams. The only exam that requires a prelicensing course is Title insurance, which mandates a 16-hour course completed before the Title exam and valid for one year from completion. For all other lines, the decision to take a prep course is entirely yours. That said, the Virginia licensing exams are comprehensive and test-specific — the Life, Annuities & Health exam has 140 scored questions, and the P&C exam has 135 — and pass rates for unprepared candidates are meaningfully lower than for those who complete a structured study program. Virtually all licensing professionals strongly recommend completing a prep course regardless of the legal requirement.

What happens if I fail the Virginia insurance exam multiple times?

If you fail a Virginia insurance exam, you must wait at least 24 hours before rescheduling for a retake. This 24-hour window is a scheduling restriction — you can call Prometric or schedule online the next day. However, after failing the same exam three times, Virginia law imposes a mandatory 30-calendar-day waiting period before you can attempt that exam again. There is no lifetime limit on attempts in Virginia. Each retake costs $35. Your diagnostic score report from each failed attempt shows your performance by section — use it to target your study for the retake rather than studying the entire content from scratch.

Can I submit my fingerprints before I take the exam?

Yes, and this is often the most efficient approach. Virginia allows you to complete fingerprinting through Fieldprint before or after passing the Prometric exam — the two steps are independent. The only sequencing constraint is that your fingerprints cannot be more than 90 days old when you submit your application, and you must submit your application within 90 days of completing fingerprinting. If you schedule fingerprinting roughly the same week as your exam, you will be positioned to submit your application immediately after passing. Just be sure to use Fieldprint Code FPVABOIProducer — not any other Fieldprint code — to ensure results are routed to the Virginia Bureau of Insurance.

What regulator issues Virginia insurance licenses, and how is Virginia different from other states?

Virginia's insurance licenses are issued by the Bureau of Insurance within the State Corporation Commission (SCC), located at P.O. Box 1157, Richmond, VA 23218-1157. The SCC phone number for agent licensing is 804-371-9631 (or 800-552-7945 within Virginia). This structure — where insurance regulation is housed within a broader multi-industry regulatory body rather than a standalone department — is distinctive to Virginia and a few other states. For exam purposes and practical licensing purposes, the key fact is that the SCC's Bureau of Insurance is the licensing authority, Title 38.2 of the Code of Virginia is the governing statute, and applications are submitted through NIPR or Sircon rather than directly to the SCC.

Virginia's insurance licensing process is transparent, efficient, and candidate-driven from the day you decide to get licensed. Understand the five steps, schedule your Prometric exam and Fieldprint appointment together, and you can hold an active Virginia producer license within a month of making the decision.

Visit JustInsurance to enroll today and start preparing for the Virginia Prometric exam with a state-approved course built to the current content outline.