Washington Insurance Licensing State Requirements

On this page, you will find all of the state-specific information for Insurance Licensing in the state of Washington. This information pertains to resident license applicants. For additional information for resident licensing, or for non-resident license information, please refer to the  Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner  website at  http://www.insurance.wa.gov . 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.

Washington State Office of the Insurance Commissioner

• Life - 20 Hours
• Disability - 20 Hours
• Property - 20 Hours
• Casualty - 20 Hours
• Personal Lines - 20 Hours

Exam Provider: PSI (Effective 6/28/2015)

• To obtain a Licensing Information Bulletin, go to the PSI website at http://www.psiexams.com
• To schedule an exam, contact PSI at http://www.psiexams.com or 800-733-9267.
• To obtain a copy of the Candidate Information Bulletin. Click here.

It is the candidate’s responsibility to contact PSI to pay and schedule an examination. There is no limit to the number of times a candidate may retake an examination if necessary to pass. However, for the examinations that require a pre-licensing course certificate, the certificate must be valid.

Online

• Log onto PSI’s website and create an account. You will be asked to put in your email address and the spelling of your name exactly as it is shown on your identification that will be presented at the examination center.
• You will be asked to select the examination. You will then enter your personal and contact information. You will then be ready to pay and schedule for the examination. Enter your zip code and a list of the examination centers closest to you will appear. Once you select the desired examination center, available dates will appear.

Telephone Registration

• Call (800) 733-9267, PSI registrars are available Monday through Friday between 4:30 am and 7:00 pm, or Saturday-Sunday between 6:00 am and 2:30 pm, Pacific Time.
  
• To register by phone, you need a valid credit card (VISA, MasterCard, American Express or Discover.)

Time Tracking

• Washington requires that your online study time is tracked. In order to successfully complete the course, you must complete the required number of hours while studying in the Course Contents Units of the online course. Your online course tracker will be displayed in the upper right-hand corner of your page so that you can verify the time spent in the course is being tracked.

Acceptable Methods of Education

• Classroom
• Self-study (includes online)
  • Self-study courses must be purchased from an approved provider.
  • Candidates are allowed 12 months from the purchase date of their courses to complete their prelicensing education.

Kaplan’s Refund Policy

• To access Kaplan’s Refund Policy: https://www.kaplanfinancial.com/help/return-policy.

Certificate of Completion Requirements

• Education provider issues a separate certificate for each 20-hour course successfully completed.
• Candidates must present their prelicensing course certificate at the exam center, but certificates will not be retained at the test center.
• Candidates submit the certificate of completion along with their license application.
• Certificates of completion are valid for 12 months from the date of course completion.

Prohibited Acts or Practices by License Examinees [WAC 284-17-125]

In addition to the unlawful acts set forth in RCW 48.17.125, the following are prohibited acts or practices by persons taking examinations for licenses:

1. Behavior that undermines the evaluative objective of the examination;
2. Communication with any other examinee during the examination period;
3. Copying answers or allowing another to copy answers;
4. Possessing during the examination any books, materials, notes, or photography or recording devices not issued or approved by the independent testing service representative; or
5. Impersonating, or engaging another to impersonate, any applicant for the purpose of completing the examination on behalf of another.

Exam and/or Prelicensing Education Exemptions**

Candidates may qualify for a waiver of their prelicensing education requirements if they have completed one of the following insurance designation or certification programs within the last 12 months:

• Life - CEBS, ChFC®, CIC, CFP®, CLU®, FLMI, LUTCF
• Disability - RHU, CEBS, REBC, HIA
• Property or Casualty - AAI, ARM, CIC, CPCU®

**Candidates who have been granted a waiver must present the waiver at the test center.

Note: Candidates who are not licensed within 180 days after passing an examination must be reexamined.

Procedures for Applying for a Washington Insurance License

The procedures/steps for applying for a Washington insurance full lines producer license are as follows:

1. Complete your pre-licensing education requirement (PLE), which includes the required hours and passing applicable certification exam. See “Pre-licensing Education Hour Requirements” above for the required number of hours by insurance line.
2. Obtain your Certificate of Completion. See “Certificate of Completion Requirements” above for certificate details. Upon successful completion of PLE, your certificate can be printed from your online account.
3. Schedule and pass your exam. See “Exam Provider” above for contact information.
4. Apply for your license online. Have your exam score report(s) ready as you will need to attach electronically or mail to the state. Certificate of Completion is also submitted along with your license application.
5. Submit your fingerprint card.
   

Adjuster License

All insurance adjusters in Washington are required to be licensed. Because of its industry recognition and credibility, earning the Texas DHS Adjuster license is accepted as authorization to adjust in Washington and other states that recognize it.

The Texas P/C Adjuster license is highly respected in the industry and is available to individuals who want to designate Texas as their home state. This means you can qualify for the Texas P/C adjuster license just as a Texas resident adjuster would and complete the Texas bi-annual continuing education requirement. 

Kaplan’s Texas P/C Adjuster licensing course and exam is ideal for an adjuster seeking an adjuster license under the DHS concept. The course contains the actual state licensing exam for the Texas P/C Adjuster license; therefore, you can satisfy your Texas prelicensing requirement AND pass the Texas P/C Adjuster state licensing exam without having to leave your home or office. Upon completing the Kaplan course and successfully passing the exam, you can remotely apply for the Texas Property/Casualty Adjuster License using the procedures found on the Texas State Requirements page. This will qualify you to adjust in both your home state and numerous other states that recognize the Texas DHS Adjuster license (CO, DC, IA, IL, KS, MA, MD, MO, NC, ND, NE, NH, NJ, OH, PA, SD, TN, VA, and WI).

Check with the Department of Insurance in your resident state and the states you wish to adjust to see how the Texas PC Adjuster license can be used in those states.

This information is based on state laws and regulations and is subject to change. Kaplan Financial Education makes every effort to make sure this information is current and accurate, however, Kaplan Financial Education is not engaged in rendering legal or professional advice and shall not be held responsible for inaccuracies contained herein.