Is New York a reciprocal state for insurance license?

New York State Insurance Law, sections 2103, 2104 and 2108, requires that an individual seeking an Insurance Producer or Public Adjuster license completes a prelicensing course approved by the Superintendent of Insurance. Prelicensing Providers are approved by the Department to teach these courses Public Adjusters - 40 hours You will find information regarding the list of pre-licensing providers/course on our website at: http://myportal.dfs.ny.gov/web/guest-applications/prelicensing-providers

Bond Requirement

Requires Adjuster Bond.
Type of Adjuster: Public Adjusters, Independent Adjuster
Amount: $1,000
Bond Expiration information: December 31 every even years

How to Apply

• For adjusters the application is paper application.The application forms are in PDF format.The Submission Requirements & Fees are available within the forms and instructions. The form is available Here
  
• Complete the New York State Exam administered by Prometric.
  
• Wait a week after completing the exam (to allow for your score to be processed) and then submit your application.
  Submit your application and the required fees and forms listed above
  
• Certificates of Character can be found within the application.
  
• In the case of a catastrophe, the New York Insurance Department will issue a Temporary Adjuster Permit if requested by an authorized insurer.
  
• Fingerprinting: applicants with an address in New York State must be electronically fingerprinted by MorphoTrust USA.
  Contact MorphoTrust at (217) 793-2080 or www.Identogo.com.
  
• Download and complete the and submit it to MorphoTrust at the time of being electronically fingerprinted.
  
• See the New York State adjuster application for more details on fingerprinting.
  
• If you do not have an address in New York State and you cannot go to a MorphoTrust location in New York, submit the following to the Department:
  
• Completed fingerprint card;
  
• NYS Request for Card-Scan Services (Form NYSIDCSFP); Without this form your application will be rejected.
  
• Fingerprint fee of $87.25 ($75 for DCJS plus $9.95 for fingerprinting processing).
  
• Make check payable to MorphoTrust USA.
  

Maintaining Your License

Renewal

The License Renewal Application is a secured application available on the DFS portal.. https://myportal.dfs.ny.gov/nylinxext/ Once you have processed a renewal for a particular license, it is not necessary for that renewal to be processed again. If you do not think the renewal application went through please call (518) 474-6630 before processing it a second time.

On this page, you will find all of the state-specific information for Insurance Licensing in the state of New York. This information pertains to resident license applicants. For additional information for resident licensing, or for non-resident license information, please refer to the New York State Insurance Department website at http://www.ins.state.ny.us. Information is subject to change, and we will do our very best to make the process of completing your licensing education requirements as simple as possible.

New York State Department of Financial Services

Insurance Division
One Commerce Plaza, Suite 2003
Albany, New York 12257
Phone: 518-474-6630
Fax:  518-474-5048
Website: http://www.dfs.ny.gov
Email: [email protected]

How to Get Your New York Insurance License

1. Complete an Insurance Prelicensing Course

New York requires those seeking an insurance license to complete prelicensing before taking the state licensing exam. Prelicensing courses with Kaplan give you the best chance to pass—our pass rates are among the highest in the industry. 

Prelicensing Education Hour Requirements

• Life, Accident & Health: 40 Hours (for live class approvals, minimum of 20 classroom hours required).
• Life (only): 20 Hours (for live class approvals, minimum of 10 classroom hours required).
• Accident & Health (only): 20 Hours (for live class approvals, minimum of 10 classroom hours required).
• Property & Casualty: 96 Hours (for live class approvals, minimum of 90 classroom hours required).
• Personal Lines: 43 Hours (for live class approvals, minimum of 40 classroom hours required).

Acceptable Methods of Education

• Classroom (Traditional or Live Online)
• Online

Live Class Requirements

• Pre-Class Study (must be completed prior to attending the live class): 10 hours (Life only 20 hour class and Health only 20 hour class), 20 hours (Life & Health 40 hour class)
• In-Class Exam: In New York, an in-class graded exam is given in the Life & Health class to test your readiness for the state exam. The test must be passed with a 70% or greater in order to receive a certificate of completion. You must pass the final exam in one sitting in a 90-minute time limit.

Online Course Requirements

• Forced Progression: This requires the user to successfully complete each page of the online course before being allowed to proceed to the next. 
• Effective 11/3/2020, the New York Department Of Insurance has permanently eliminated the requirement for an end of course exam proctor/monitor. Students will however still be required to complete the end of course exam.
  

Prelicensing Education Exemptions

Candidates with the following designations or certifications are exempt from prelicensing education requirements and Part 1 of the exam. In order to be licensed: 

• CLU® designees need only take the Life & Health Laws and Regulations exam.
• CPCU® designees need only take the Property & Casualty Laws and Regulations exam.
  

2. Pass Your New York Licensing Exam

After completing your required prelicensing course, you must pass a state licensing exam. Kaplan’s prelicensing content is based directly on the New York licensing exams, so you will be prepared to pass the first time. 

Certificate of Completion Requirements

• To be issued a School Certificate, candidates must comply with all prelicensing course attendance requirements and pass the final course exam (minimum score of 70% required).
• Candidates must permanently retain the certificate, but it is not needed at exam.
• When submitting a license application, applicant must present evidence that they possess a school certificate.
• Certificates are good for a lifetime.
• The state requires those who enroll in the Premium Live Online Package to answer attendance verification polling questions for the entire live online class to earn credit.

Exam Provider: PSI

Frequently Asked Questions About the New York Licensing Exam

After completing my prelicensing, how should I prepare for exam day? 

Exam Preparation

The following suggestions will help you prepare for your examination. 

• Planned preparation increases your likelihood of passing. 
• Start with a current copy of the Candidate Information Bulletin and use the examination content outline as the basis of your study. 
• Read study materials that cover all the topics in the content outline. 
• Take notes on what you study. Putting information in writing helps you commit it to memory and is also an excellent business practice. Underline or highlight key ideas that will help with a later review. 
• Discuss new terms or concepts as frequently as you can with colleagues. This will test your understanding and reinforce ideas. 
• Your studies will be most effective if you study frequently, for periods of about 45 to 60 minutes. Concentration tends to wander when you study for longer periods of time. 
• You can take a practice exam online at www.psiexams.com to prepare for your New York Insurance Examination. Please note that practice exams are intended only to help testing candidates become familiar with the general types of questions that will appear on a licensing examination, and do not contain actual questions that are asked on the exam. Practice exams ARE NOT a substitute for proper education and study. Scoring well on the practice exam does not guarantee that you will pass an actual licensing examination. 
  • Note: You may take the practice exams an unlimited number of times; however, you will need to pay each time.

Exam Day 

On the day of the examination, you should arrive at least 30 minutes before your appointment. This extra time is for sign-in, identification, and familiarizing yourself with the examination process. If you arrive late, you may not be admitted to the examination site and you will forfeit your examination registration fee. 

Required Identification 

Candidates must register for the exam with their LEGAL first and last name as it appears on their government issued identification. The required identification below must match the first and last name under which the candidate is registered. Candidates are required to bring one (1) form of valid (non-expired) signature bearing identification to the test site. If the candidate fails to bring proper identification or the candidate names do not match, the candidate will not be allowed to test and their examination fee will not be refunded. 

Primary Identification (with photo)—Choose one  

• State issued driver’s license  
• State issued identification card  
• US Government Issued Passport  
• US Government Issued Military Identification Card  
• US Government Issued Alien Registration Card  
• Canadian Government Issued ID 

Note: ID must contain candidate’s photo, be valid, and unexpired. 

Security Procedures

The following security procedures apply during examinations: 

• You will be given a piece of scratch paper and a pencil. These will be returned to the proctor at the end of your examination. 
• You will have access to an online calculator. 
• Only non-programmable calculators that are silent, battery-operated, do not have paper tape printing capabilities, and do not have a keyboard containing the alphabet will be allowed in the examination site.
• All personal belongings of candidates should be placed in the secure storage provided at each site prior to entering the examination room. Personal belongings include, but are not limited to, the following items: 
  • Electronic devices of any type, including cellular / mobile phones, recording devices, electronic watches, cameras, pagers, laptop computers, tablet computers (e.g., iPads), music players (e.g., iPods), smart watches, radios, or electronic games. 
  • Bulky or loose clothing or coats that could be used to conceal recording devices or notes. For security purposes outerwear such as, but not limited to: open sweaters, cardigans, shawls, scarves, hoodies, vests, jackets and coats are not permitted in the testing room. In the event you are asked to remove the outerwear, appropriate attire, such as a shirt or blouse should be worn underneath. 
  • Hats or headgear not worn for religious reasons or as religious apparel, including hats, baseball caps, or visors. 
  • Other personal items, including purses, notebooks, reference or reading material, briefcases, backpacks, wallets, pens, pencils, other writing devices, food, drinks, and good luck items. 
• Person(s) accompanying an examination candidate may not wait in the examination center, inside the building or on the building's property. This applies to guests of any nature, including drivers, children, friends, family, colleagues or instructors. 
• No smoking, eating, or drinking is allowed in the examination center. 
• During the check in process, all candidates will be asked if they possess any prohibited items. Candidates may also be asked to empty their pockets and turn them out for the proctor to ensure they are empty. The proctor may also ask candidates to lift up the ends of their sleeves and the bottoms of their pant legs to ensure that notes or recording devices are not being hidden there. 
• Proctors will also carefully inspect eyeglass frames, tie tacks, or any other apparel that could be used to harbor a recording device. Proctors will ask to inspect any such items in candidates’ pockets. 
• If prohibited items are found during check-in, candidates shall put them in the provided secure storage or return these items to their vehicle. PSI will not be responsible for the security of any personal belongings or prohibited items. 
• Any candidate possessing prohibited items in the examination room shall immediately have his or her test results invalidated, and PSI shall notify the examination sponsor of the occurrence. 
• Any candidate seen giving or receiving assistance on an examination, found with unauthorized materials, or who violates any security regulations will be asked to surrender all examination materials and to leave the examination center. All such instances will be reported to the examination sponsor. 
• Once candidates have been seated and the examination begins, they may leave the examination room only to use the restroom, and only after obtaining permission from the proctor. Candidate will not receive extra time to complete the examination.

What is the exam like? 

• The examination will be administered via computer. You will be using a mouse and computer keyboard. 
• You will be directed to a semiprivate testing station to take the examination. 
• When you are seated at the testing station, you will be prompted to confirm your name, identification number, and the examination for which you are registered. 
• Before you start your examination, an introductory tutorial to the computer and keyboard is provided on the computer screen. The time you spend on this tutorial, up to 15 minutes, DOES NOT count as part of your examination time. Sample questions are included following the tutorial so that you may practice using the keys, answering questions, and reviewing your answers. 
• The “function bar” at the top of the test question screen provides mouse-click access to the features available while taking the examination. 
• One question appears on the screen at a time. 
• During the examination, minutes remaining will be displayed at the top of the screen and updated as you record your answers. 
• IMPORTANT: After you have entered your responses, you will later be able to return to any question(s) and change your response, provided the examination time has not run out. 

How is the exam scored?

Exam Evaluation

PSI, in cooperation with the New York State Department of Financial Services, will be consistently evaluating the examinations being administered to ensure that the examinations accurately measure competency in the required knowledge areas. 

While taking the examination, examinees will have the opportunity to provide comments on any questions by using the comments key on the keyboard. These comments will be analyzed by PSI examination development staff. PSI does not respond to individuals regarding these comments, all substantive comments are reviewed. This is the only review of examination materials available to candidates. 

Score Reporting

Your score will be given to you immediately following completion of the examination. In order to pass the examination, you must achieve a minimum score of 70%. Your results will be given to you immediately following completion of the examination. 

If you pass, you will receive an examination result report which will indicate “PASS”. If you do not pass, you will receive a diagnostic report indicating your strengths and weaknesses. 

3. Apply for a New York Insurance License

You will be assigned an NPN. This unique identifier is assigned through the licensing application process and is used to track individuals and business entities on a national basis. The NPN is used by many states to replace a producer license number.

License Application

After passing the license examination (if an examination is required), you must submit your license application to the Department, along with any other required paperwork for the type of license you are seeking. You may obtain license application information from the Department’s website here. 

Important: Applications must be received within two years from the date of passing the examination. Incomplete applications or applications without the required fee will not be accepted or placed on file. 

Retesting Requirements

If you were licensed previously but have not been licensed within the two years immediately preceding the application date, you must: 

• Pass the appropriate licensing exam administered by PSI; and 
• Submit an application and any required documentation noted in the appropriate application sections noted below. 

License Requirements Based on Residency

Requirements for licensing vary depending on whether you are a resident or nonresident. A resident licensee is one who has declared New York as the Home State. 

A nonresident licensee is one who has declared a state other than New York as the Home State and is licensed in good standing for the lines of authority for which one is applying for in New York. 

Home State is defined as the District of Columbia or any state or territory of the United States in which the applicant maintains a principal place of residence or principal place of business. 

Resident Licensing Requirements 

Generally, to qualify to receive a New York resident insurance license, you must: 

• Be at least 18 years old. 
• Complete any necessary prelicensing education requirements. 
• Pass the appropriate license examination(s), if required. 
• Apply to the Department for a license within two years of passing your examination. 
• Pay the appropriate licensing fee. 

Nonresident Licensing Requirements 

If you wish to obtain a New York state nonresident license, you must submit a nonresident license application and the appropriate fees. You must currently be licensed and in compliance in your declared home state.

4. Plan to Complete Required Insurance Continuing Education (CE) Credits

Every insurance producer must adhere to their home state’s CE requirements. Stay on top of your CE and ahead of the competition with 365 days of unlimited course access when you enroll in a CE library with Kaplan. 

Learn how to renew a New York insurance license by clicking here: https://www.kaplanfinancial.com/insurance-continuing-education/new-york/state-requirements

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