September is right around the corner and soon the kids will be heading back to school. Maybe you’re thinking of also furthering your own education. Ever thought about what it takes to become an insurance agent in Michigan? MI agent works hard. How hard? We’re here to tell you just what Michigan Insurance go through to get their start to become your go to for all your insurance needs.

Anyone who wants to become an insurance agent must first figure out what type of insurance do they want to sell. Do you want to sell life, home, or auto? Whichever line of insurance you’re most interested in determines which line of authority you need to hold. The most common are Property and Casualty (P&C) or Life, Accident, and Health (L&H). Some agencies might require you to carry more than one type of license.

Step 1

You’ll need to apply for your license. You can apply for as many lines as you’d like for $15.00. The application is good for 6 months after your application date, giving you plenty of time to study and pass the exams for each line you’d like to be certified for. To apply for you online application, you can visit the NIPR Michigan Web Page HERE.

Step 2

After applying for your license, you’ll need to take your education courses. Michigan requires potential agents to take a pre-license education course. These courses require a certain amount of credit hours based on which type of license you want. For the P&C license, agents are required to take 40 hours. For L&H licenses, agents are also required to take 40 hours. Upon completing the course you receive a certificate which you need when you take your state exam.

These courses are offered online which is how many people complete them. However, for those who don’t like taking online courses they are also available in a classroom setting. To find a list of course approved Michigan Education providers, you can visit the MI DIFS Education site.

Step 3

It’s exam time! Hopefully you’ve worked hard and studied because now it’s time to take your exam for the license you wish to carry. In Michigan, Property & Casualty are a combined test. Life, Accident, and Health are also combined into one exam. Tests are taken in a controlled environment. Each attempt costs $40. Both tests are 150 questions long and must be taken in 150 minutes (2.5 Hours). The minimum passing score is 73%, or 110 questions.

To view  the Life, Accident, and Health Insurance exam outline, you can check it out HERE.

To view  the Michigan Property and Casualty Insurance exam outline, you can check it out HERE.

Each license test can only be taken one at a time due to how challenging each test is. There is not limit as to how many times you can take the state test. But be aware that an agency may not keep you on if you don’t pass after a certain number of tries.

Step 4

Lastly, all you have to do is submit your application which will then be reviewed by state. Your background check will also be reviewed. If everything is acceptable, then Congratulations! after 14 days you will receive your license in the mail.

 

It takes a lot of work and patience, but once you’ve accomplished your goal of receiving your license, it’s time to start selling policies!