Applying for a NEW license:

Once you have successfully completed your licensing exam, you must apply for your license with the SC Department of Insurance AND be fingerprinted. You can apply for your license before you are fingerprinted and the DOI will hold your application until they receive the fingerprint report.

Apply for your license:

Obtain your fingerprints:

Renewing an EXISTING license:

IMPORTANT -  

You CANNOT renew your Producer license  until AFTER  you have completed all of your required CE. It is important to note that it usually takes 5 to 7 days  for your CE hours to post  after you complete a course. Legally, CE Administrators have 30 days. Please do not wait until the final days to complete your CE, or your license may laspe.

ALSO the CE Exemption has been re-established for insurance agents with 25 or more years of experience and who are 65 years old or older. The years of licensure does not need to be consecutive. In some cases additional documentation may be required.  Find official exemption application on the SCDOI website.

Step One

Check CE with the SCDOI's State Based System (SBS) to view your CE records.

Even if you are certain that you have taken the required hours, recordkeeping errors sometimes happen! You need to be sure that the SC CE administrator has an accurate record of the classes that you have completed in the compliance period and any carryover hours from the previous period.

How:  Go to www.statebasedsystems.com  Click on Lookup and enter the information requested and hit Search.  (Be sure to enter your NPN and NOT your license number. Your SC License number is no longer valid.) Scroll across the page and click on the link that says License Manager. Enter the last 4 digits of your SS# and hit Search.  At the top of the page, you will have the choice to Print your License, Update your Email Address or Review you Education Transcript. Click on that link and your transcript will come up showing you the credits that are required, the credits you have earned, your carryover credits and the credits needed for renewal. If you want to see a list of the courses you've taken, click on the link for the time period you want under CONTINUING EDUCATION COURSE COMPLETIONS.

Step Two

After you have found out exactly what CE hours you need to stay in compliance, go to our online Education Calendar page. We usually have at least 10 classes/webcasts scheduled each month. Remember, you cannot renew your producer license until all CE requirements are completed, reported and posted on your transcript .

See also our "Continuing Education Requirements" page for more info about CE requirements.

Step Three

Renew license and pay license renewal fee through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) website. This process must be done online, paper applications will not be accepted.

How: Go to www.nipr.com and click the  "Renew" button in the center of the page. 

Select "Resident Licensing Renewals"

Click on the green RENEW HERE button at the top of the page.

Select "Individual", put in your last name and National Producer Number (NPN). Accept the terms of the Use Agreement and click Next. 

You will then enter the last four digits of you SS# and your birthdate. 

Click on your name to begin the renewal process. 

Renewal and payment is done in the same transaction. Fees may be paid by electronic check or credit card. If paying by credit card, a processing fee will be added. 

For fingerprinting FAQs, please see our special informational webpage.

PLEASE NOTE: Fingerprinting is not required at every producer license renewal as long as it remains active.

FAQs

Who in my office needs a producer license?

The short answer is that an unlicensed individual can perform the clerical duties like send COIs (but not signing them) and forward applications (not signing or completing them), etc. They cannot discuss or explain coverage to an insured, and they can’t discuss quotes/proposals although they could email them to someone.

The long answer (per the statute) is that an employee would need a license to do any of the following:

There is the following EXCEPTION:

(d) an employee of a licensed producer who is under the producer's direct supervision or an employee of a licensed insurer, who performs only clerical duties, and who is paid on an hourly or salary basis and not on a commission basis; or an agency office employee acting within the confines of the producer's office, under the direction and supervision of the licensed producer and within the scope of the producer's license, in the acceptance of request for insurance and payment of premiums and the performance of clerical, stenographic, and similar office duties;

What happens if I miss my compliance deadline?
Your license is considered lapsed, and all appointments and other licenses tied to the producer license is also lapsed. After six months if you still fail to be in compliance with the above requirements, the producer license and all other applicable licenses will be cancelled.

What does it mean if my license has lapsed? It means you will be out of business until your license is reinstated.

But specifically, it means:

• You cannot transact any insurance business until your license has been reinstated.
• All licenses based upon your producer license, like your agency or brokers license, will also lapse.
• All producer appointments will lapse.
• Any business transacted while this license is lapsed shall constitute the unauthorized transaction of insurance business and will be subject to severe penalties.
• Insurers accepting business from you, an unlicensed individual, will be considered to have violated the unauthorized transaction of insurance business and will also be subject to severe penalties.
  

What does it mean if my license has been cancelled? 
The producer license, agency license and brokers license is cancelled an cannot be reinstated. The producer must reapply for licensure, pay all applicable fees and pass all applicable exams in order to be licensed again. Any CE exemption/ reduction will be cancelled with no chance of ever getting it back even if you do become licensed again.

ALL licensed agents that have not been previously exempt will be required to have 24 hours of continuing education by the end of their birth month every other year.

If you have an even birth year you will be required to have 24 hours of CE, including three hours in Ethics and at least eight hours in each line of authority by the end of your birth month in even years.

If you have an odd birth year you will be required to have 24 hours of CE, including three hours in Ethics and at least eight in each line of authority by the end of your birth month in odd years.

View "Continuing Education Requirements" page for more info about CE requirements.