Which license do you need
Kentucky calls its health line Accident and Health in some tables and Health in others. A Life producer sells life insurance and fixed annuities. A Health producer sells health and disability coverage. Most new agents here take both lines, which means 40 hours of training and two line fees on one license. Kentucky puts your lines of authority on one agent license. Life and Health are separate lines, separate training, and separate exam fees, even when you file them together.
One Kentucky fact changes the whole order of work here. Kentucky does not use PSI, Pearson VUE, or Prometric. The Department of Insurance runs its own exam, and you cannot schedule it until the Department has your application, your training certificate, and your background report and has processed them. There is no remote testing in Kentucky. Every exam is in person.
The steps, in order
- Complete your pre-licensing training. Kentucky requires 20 hours for each major line. Finish the course for each line you want, and make sure your signed and dated Certificate of Completion, Form CPL-01, reaches DOI.
- Request your AOC background report. Go to kycourts.gov and use AOCFastCheck. Select Category Licensing, Group Dept of Insurance (DOI), and Reason Licensing, and pay the $25 fee. The report is valid for 60 days, so do not pull it months early.
- Apply through NIPR. Submit the electronic application at nipr.com and pay the $40 class fee, $40 per line, and $50 exam fee per line, plus the NIPR transaction fee. Fees are not refundable.
- Create your eServices account and upload your documents. Wait one full day after the NIPR submission, then create a Kentucky eServices Individual License Account. Upload your signed and dated pre-licensing certificates and your AOC report as PDFs. Pictures and JPG files are not accepted. Allow DOI up to 5 business days to review everything.
- Schedule and pass the state exam through eServices. Bring one government issued photo ID and your Certificate of Completion on exam day. You need 70 percent to pass. After you pass and the license issues, you still need an appointment before you can sell for a specific carrier.
- Get appointed and start training. The license lets you sell. It does not give you clients, a system, or anyone to call when you get stuck. That is where Oihana Consulting comes in: mentorship and training from people who do this work every day. Agents are independent contractors, not employees. You own your schedule and your results, and the income is commission based, so nobody hands you a paycheck. There is no salary and no guarantee. What you get instead is a team, a process, and someone in your corner while you build. Start with the career fit assessment and see whether this business fits you before you spend a dollar.
The numbers, verified
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Pre-licensing hours | 20 hours for each major line of authority. Life is 20 hours and Accident and Health is 20 hours, so the combined Life and Health path is 40 hours of training. Your provider reports completion to DOI electronically, and your signed and dated Certificate of Completion, Form CPL-01, must be on file. The certificate is valid for one year. |
| Exam vendor | The Kentucky Department of Insurance itself. No third party vendor administers the Kentucky producer exam. You schedule through a DOI eServices account, only after the Department processes your application. No remote testing is offered. |
| Exam fee | $50 per line of authority. Life and Health together are two lines, so $100 in exam fees. |
| Pass score | 70 percent. |
| Application fee | $40 class fee plus $40 per line of authority, paid through NIPR, plus the NIPR transaction fee. One line is $80 in application fees. Life and Health together are $120. Fees are not refundable. |
| Background check | No fingerprints. Kentucky does not fingerprint producer applicants. You request a criminal background report from the Kentucky Administrative Office of the Courts at kycourts.gov, using AOCFastCheck. Select Category Licensing, Group Dept of Insurance (DOI), and Reason Licensing. |
| Background report fee | $25 per report, paid online, not refundable. |
| Background report validity | The report is valid for 60 days. AOC requests are typically processed within 24 hours, except weekends and state holidays. |
| Processing time | Allow DOI up to 5 business days to review your application, background report, and certificates before you can schedule the exam. Online applications are processed within 3 business days when everything is complete. Wait one full day after you submit through NIPR before you create your eServices account. |
Total in state fees if you pass on the first try: $155 for one line ($40 class fee plus $40 for the line plus $50 exam plus $25 AOC report), or $245 for Life and Health together ($40 class fee plus $80 for two lines plus $100 in exam fees plus $25 AOC report), plus the NIPR transaction fee at checkout in both cases. Add your pre-licensing course, which is priced by the school and is not a state fee. Each exam retake costs the full $50 exam fee for that line again.
Frequently asked questions
What does the whole thing cost?
$155 in state fees for one line, or $245 for Life and Health together, if you pass on the first try. That is the $40 class fee, $40 per line, $50 in exam fees per line, and the $25 AOC background report, plus the NIPR transaction fee at checkout and plus your pre-licensing course, which schools price themselves.
How long does it take?
Training sets most of the clock: 20 hours per line, on your schedule. After you apply, DOI asks for up to 5 business days to review your application, background report, and certificates before you can schedule the exam, and a complete online application decision takes about 3 business days. Your training certificate is good for one year and your background report for only 60 days, so sequence the report late, not early.
What does the background check involve?
A name based criminal record report from the Administrative Office of the Courts. There are no fingerprints for a Kentucky producer license. You request the report yourself and upload it to DOI through eServices as a PDF. If you answer yes to a background question, submit the supporting documents the application directs.
What disqualifies me?
Kentucky does not pre review a record. The Department will not approve or deny outside the application process, and each record is reviewed case by case once the application and all supporting documents are in. Applications with untruthful answers to background questions will be denied. If you have a record, get your court documents together before you apply and answer exactly what the questions ask.
Do veterans and military families get any fee help?
No Kentucky producer fee waiver for veterans themselves was found, and this page does not claim one. Under KRS 12.357, if you are the spouse of a current member of the Armed Forces assigned to a duty station in Kentucky, you are eligible for a waiver or refund of licensing fees: waived on a paper application when you prove eligibility, refunded within 30 days on an electronic application after you prove eligibility. Separately, the VA reimburses licensing test fees up to $2,000 for each test.
I am moving to Kentucky with a license from another state. Do I start over?
Usually not. A nonresident must hold the same class of license and lines in the home state and applies at nipr.com without Kentucky training or a Kentucky exam. If you hold a Kentucky nonresident license and change residency to Kentucky within 90 days of your prior resident state license going inactive, the route is a paper Form 8301, a fresh AOC background report, and no fees inside that 90 day window.
Can I do this part time?
Yes. The license does not set your hours. Plenty of new agents keep a day job while they study, get licensed, and build their first clients on nights and weekends. Part time means slower momentum, and this business rewards consistency.
Do I need a degree?
No. Kentucky does not require a college degree for this license. You must be at least 18 and meet the residency and background requirements above.
Direct links
- Kentucky Department of Insurance: insurance.ky.gov
- DOI Resident License Checklist: insurance.ky.gov/ppc/Documents/CHECKLIST%20apply%20for%20a%20license%20(1).pdf
- DOI Licensing FAQ: insurance.ky.gov/ppc/Documents/ALFAQ041321.pdf
- NIPR Kentucky resident licensing: nipr.com/licensing-center/state-requirements/kentucky-resident-licensing-individual
- Kentucky Courts AOC reports: kycourts.gov
- VA test fee reimbursement: va.gov/education/about-gi-bill-benefits/how-to-use-benefits/test-fees/
Last verified: November 4, 2026.