If you would like to become an insurance agent in Tennessee, you have to meet specific state educational requirements, pay a filing fee and pass state-sponsored exams. Additionally, you will need to take continuing education every 2 years if you wish to remain licensed. The type of insurance you are going to sell will determine the educational requirements and credit hours you will need. While the credit hours do not vary from license to license, the educational requirements do. It may initially seem like a complicated process, but almost anyone who is willing to put in the time and effort can obtain an insurance license in Tennessee.

Apply with an insurance company as a captive agent, an independent agency or or as an independent broker with a general agent.

Obtain course study materials. You may get them from Kaplan Financial or Dearborn Financial Services (also owned by Kaplan Financial), but, typically, these materials are obtained through the insurance agency you want to work for or with (see link in Resources). There are several types of insurance licenses you can get in Tennessee including life, accident and health, property and casualty. Each requires 20 credit hours of study.

Get a Uniform Application for Resident Individual Insurance Producer License from the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance or you may download the application directly. (see links in Resources):

Call Pearson VUE, a national testing firm. Schedule a appointment by calling (800) 274-4957 (see link in Resources). You must take your exam with this company in Tennessee.

Pass the examination. You must bring the application in Step 3 with you to the exam, along with the state's required filing fee of $50.

Get your Originating Agency Identifier (ORI) number from the insurance agency you are working for or with so that you can be fingerprinted. You must have an ORI number prior to registering for fingerprinting.

Register to have your fingerprints taken and pay the fee. Contact the Tennessee Applicant Processing Service directly through its website to register (see link in Resources).

Submit fingerprints to the insurance agency or general agent you will be working for or with. They will in turn submit the fingerprints to the Tennessee Applicant Processing Service. You cannot submit your fingerprints directly.