Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner

Licensing Eligibility

  1. RESIDENTS

    1. Individuals.

      2. Washington State residents desiring any type of insurance license must (1) be 18 years of age, (2) be a resident of and actually reside in Washington State and (3) be trustworthy and competent. In addition, the following qualifications for specific license types are required:
      • Agents -- No additional eligibility requirements
      • Brokers -- Two years experience either as an agent, solicitor, adjuster, general agent, broker, or as an employee of insurers or representatives of insurers, and special education or training of sufficient duration and extent reasonably to satisfy the Commissioner that they possess the competence necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of broker
      • Solicitors -- May represent and be employed by but one licensed agent or broker and intend to make the soliciting and handling of insurance business under their license their principal vocation
      • Adjuster -- Experience or special education or training with reference to the handling of loss claims under insurance contracts of sufficient duration and extent to reasonably make them competent to fulfill the responsibilities of an adjuster
      • Initial Licensing -- Applicants, who receive a passing score(s) on their insurance examination, must forward the following materials to the Office of Insurance Commissioner:
        • Completed Insurance License Application INS-14
        • Appointment Request Form INS-18 completed by each insurer represented OR Affiliation Request Form INS-18 if applicable
          • If you are representing a business entity, an affiliation with the business entity is required.
          • If you are directly representing an insurer, the appointment is due at time of application unless the appointment is going to be submitted electronically through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) gateway within thirty (30) days of the acceptance of the first insurance application executed by the agent with the insurer
        • One Fingerprint Card FD-258 ($49.25)
        • Score Reports
        • License Fees payable to the Washington Insurance Commissioner (If the appointment is being done electronically through NIPR, fees are to be submitted to them. Do not send $20 to our office for the appointment if it is being processed through NIPR).
      • If for a broker license
        • $ 20,000 Bond INS-17 or an affiliation INS-18 with a business entity with sufficient bond coverage Applicants for a resident license as a life, disability, property or casualty insurance agent or solicitor must also include validated Certificates of Completion of the approved pre-license education or a pre-license education waiver, if applicable.
        • The upper portion of qualification license will contain the licensee's unique Identification Code (PIC). The license itself has your WAOIC#. It is very important that you use one of these identifying numbers in all future correspondence.
        • Applicants who are not licensed within two years after passing an examination must be reexamined.
        • Agents and brokers holding valid insurance licenses, who have passed an examination qualifying them to market an additional insurance line(s) must submit the score report and pre-licensing Certificates of Completion of the approved pre-license education or a pre-license education waiver, if applicable. The licensee will be furnished an updated license and no fee is required.

    2. Firms, Corporations or Limited Liability LLC

      3. A firm, corporation or LLC desiring an agent’s, broker’s or adjuster’s license must (1) maintain a lawfully established place of business in the state, (2) be empowered to exercise the authority conferred by the firm or corporate license and (3) if applicable, register the corporation with the Washington Secretary of State’s Office, Corporation Division, to do business in this state.

      A firm shall include a sole proprietorship doing business under a trade name and must be registered with the Department of Licensing, Trade Names Division.

      If an agent operates out of more than one place of business in this state, in addition to complying with the requirements of RCW 48.17.450, each such location must be under the charge of an individual properly licensed for the insurance transactions being conducted at the location, and such individual must be physically present in such location during the times such location is open for the transaction of insurance, to the same extent as would be expected of an agent operating at a single location. Each agent involved in an insurance transaction must have the appointments necessary for each such transaction, whether by direct appointment from the insurer or by affiliation with an appropriately appointed agent.

      If an insurance agent is also licensed as an insurance broker while maintaining more than one place of business in this state, transactions in any location which require the services of a broker shall be conducted only by a properly licensed broker.

  2. NONRESIDENTS

    1. Individuals.

      2. Must meet the same qualification as residents and additionally be licensed as a resident of a state that extends a similar privilege to Washington State residents. Washington State does not license or permit nonresident solicitors.

    2. Corporations and LLC.

      3. A corporation or LLC desiring to be licensed as a non-resident agent, broker or adjuster must (1) hold a resident license in a state that extends a similar privilege to Washington corporations, (2) be empowered to exercise the authority conferred by the LLC or corporate license and (3) if applicable, register the corporation with the Secretary of State’s Office, Corporation Division, to do business in this state.

    3. Firms

      4. A firm includes a sole proprietorship doing business under a trade name and must be registered with the Department of Licensing, Trade Names Division.

    4. Multiple state locations

      5. Entities with locations in multiple states must license every state location doing business in Washington with a separate license.


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