Kentucky Agents - HallofFameAgents.Life

Getting your Kentucky life insurance license is the first step toward becoming a life insurance agent. If you want to market and sell life insurance policies, follow this step-by-step guide for obtaining a life insurance license in Kentucky.

The Kentucky Department of Insurance requires you to complete a five-step process to obtain your life insurance license — from taking the life insurance exam to applying for a license.

How to Get Your Kentucky Life Insurance License – Quick Version

Complete a Kentucky Insurance Pre-license Course (Kaplan Education Company – $149+)
Get a Background Check (Kentucky Court of Justice AOC FastCheck – $25)
Complete a Kentucky Life Insurance License Application (National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) – $40 application fee + $5.60 transaction fee + $50 exam fee)
Take the Kentucky Life Insurance Licensing Exam (Kentucky Department of Insurance – $50 exam fee paid via the NIPR)
Watch for Your Application Results

Steps to Get a Kentucky Life Insurance License

Obtaining your Kentucky life insurance license isn’t difficult. Just follow these five steps to start your journey toward becoming a life insurance agent. Once you earn this license, check out our guide on how to get your Kentucky property and casualty (P&C) license as well.

Step 1: Complete a Kentucky Insurance Pre-license Course

Before you take the Kentucky life insurance licensing exam, it’s important to make time to acquire the knowledge you’ll need to pass this exam on your first attempt. Completing a pre-license education course will equip you with the necessary information and tools you’ll need to prepare for your exam.

In Kentucky, you must complete a 20-hour, prelicensing classroom or self-study course for your requested life line of authority. Upon completion of the course, your course provider will report the completion electronically to the Kentucky Department of Insurance.

A pre-license education course provides very specific industry knowledge that will be tested during the exam. There is very little information on the test that could be considered “common sense.” Pre-license education courses are self-paced and include study materials like practice exams and flashcards.

Beyond helping you effectively prepare for and pass the life insurance licensing exam on your first try, taking a pre-license education course also will give you a solid understanding of your duties as a life insurance agent.

Step 2: Get a Background Check

Kentucky requires that all insurance license applicants undergo a background check prior to licensing. To apply for a criminal background report online, visit the Kentucky Court of Justice AOC Fast Check system and follow these steps:

Select “Register.”
Leave the top radio button selected and fill out the form to register yourself in the system.
You’ll then receive an email with a verification link. Open it and click on the link.
Log in to the AOC FastCheck system with the information you just used to register.
Select “Create New Record Request.”
For the category, choose “Licensing,” for the group, choose “Dept. of Insurance (DOI),” and for the reason, choose “Licensing.”
Complete the form with all of your information, and then select “Add To Batch.”
Click on the “Submit Request” button in the lower-left corner of the page, which should now be active.
Follow any further instructions.

If you have any questions, call the Kentucky Court of Justice at 502-573-2350 and ask to speak to “Records.” The fee for the background check is $25. An AOC criminal background report is valid for 60 days.

Step 3: Complete a Kentucky Life Insurance License Application

After you complete a prep course and submit your background check request, you can apply for your Kentucky life insurance license. The application fee is $40 plus a $5.60 service charge and $50 for the exam fee. You must apply online via the NIPR.

The Kentucky Department of Insurance will issue a life insurance license to individuals who are at least 18 years old and have passed the proper licensing requirements. Additionally, you must set up a Kentucky Online Gateway (KOG) account to manage your application, learn about licensing requirements, and more.

To apply for a life insurance license in Kentucky, make sure you comply with the insurance licensing requirements as defined under the Kentucky Insurance Code.

Send any questions or supporting documents to [email protected].

Step 4: Take the Kentucky Life Insurance Licensing Exam

You must schedule your exam through the KOG portal after the Kentucky Department of Insurance processes your application. For more information on the exam providers, check out the Kentucky Department of Insurance’s Exam Schedule and Testing Sites.

The Kentucky life insurance exam outline contains a total of 150 scored questions, covering topics from the types of insurance policies to Kentucky law. Your prelicensing coursework will address all of the included topics.

You’ll have 190 minutes to complete the exam. The Kentucky life insurance exam fee is $50, which you must pay at the time of reservation by credit card, debit card, or voucher. The exam is a proctored test, meaning an official proctor will closely monitor you in a controlled environment.

If you happen to fail the Kentucky life insurance exam, you’ll need to schedule another examination via the KOG portal on the next business day and pay the $50 fee again. You may retake the exam an unlimited number of times within 120 days.

Complete Continuing Education and Renew Your License

In Kentucky, you must take 24 hours of continuing education (CE) every two years to maintain your license in good standing. Three of those 24 hours must focus on ethics. You may complete your required hours in any combination of in-person classes and self-study.

If you have a non-resident license with good standing in your home state, you aren’t required to take CE courses in Kentucky.

You can’t renew your license until you complete your CE hours and pay any outstanding fines.

In Kentucky, you also must renew and manage your life insurance license every two years. To avoid delays in renewing your license, you must complete your required CE hours at least 90 days before your license expires.

Kentucky requires insurance agents to renew their applications online instead of using paper applications. You may renew your license via the NIPR. There’s no fee to renew your license if you have an active appointment in Kentucky. If you don’t have an active appointment in the state, you’ll have to pay a late fee of $40.

Kentucky Insurance License Renewal | StateRequirement

What Happens If My Insurance License Expires In Kentucky?

In Kentucky, the Kentucky Department of Insurance will send you via email a renewal notice within 90 days before your license expires. If you don’t renew your license on time, there will be a $40 late renewal fee for those with active appointment and $80 late renewal fee for those with no active appointment.

Kentucky doesn’t provide a continuing education “grace period” anymore (licensees used to have an extended 60 days to complete CE requirements). Not meeting your CE requirements prevents you from renewing your insurance license.

If your license expires for failing to meet CE requirements, you have up to one year from the date of expiration to complete your CE hours. You must apply for reinstatement of the license by applying for a new license at NIPR Resident Licensing.

Kentucky Insurance License Lookup

You can look up the status of your Kentucky insurance CE credits and Kentucky insurance license renewal by using these resources:

View your current accrued CE credits using the Kentucky’s eServices site.
Check your renewal status via NIPR.
If you don’t know your insurance license number (National Producer Number or NPN), you can find your name via Kentucky Department of Insurance’s Licensee Search.