How to get a Rhode Island life & health license
Requirements, exam, fees and the order to do things in — from the RI Department of Business Regulation – Insurance Division and the exam handbook.
Step by step
- Study for the exam — Rhode Island doesn't require a pre-licensing course for this license, but most first-time candidates take an exam-prep course.
- Schedule and pass the state exam with Pearson VUE ($80). Read the candidate handbook.
- Get fingerprinted if required — No fingerprints; certified RI Attorney General BCI name-based background check (valid 30 days); fee not confirmed.
- Apply for the license through NIPR or the RI Department of Business Regulation – Insurance Division ($120).
- Get appointed by an insurance company (agents) and keep up with continuing education — 24 per 2 yrs incl. 3 ethics hours per renewal (license term: 2 years).
Pre-licensing & exam prep courses
- Kaplan Financial Education — state-approved pre-licensing and exam prep, the long-running market leader
- ExamFX — pre-licensing and exam prep with a pass guarantee
- AceableAgent — mobile-first pre-licensing courses
- XCEL Solutions — low-cost online pre-licensing and exam prep
Pick a course approved in Rhode Island (optional here, but it lifts pass rates). Some links may be affiliate links.
Rhode Island Life & Health requirements
| Life | Accident & Health | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-licensing education | None required | None required |
| Exam vendor | Pearson VUE | Pearson VUE |
| Exam fee | $80 | $80 |
| Questions / time | 90 · 120 min | 90 · 120 min |
| License application fee | $120 | $120 |
| Fingerprints | No fingerprints; certified RI Attorney General BCI name-based background check (valid 30 days); fee not confirmed verify | No fingerprints; certified RI Attorney General BCI name-based background check (valid 30 days); fee not confirmed verify |
| Continuing education | 24 per 2 yrs incl. 3 ethics hours · 2 years | 24 per 2 yrs incl. 3 ethics hours · 2 years |
Life: DBR: no statutory pre-licensing requirement. General 55 Q/75 min + State 35 Q/45 min. E&O insurance required for producers (RIGL 27-2.4-23).
Accident & Health: Separate A&H exam (General 55 + State 35).
Minimum age 18. Sources: RI DBR producer licensing instructions · Rhode Island Insurance Candidate Handbook (Pearson VUE) · NIPR Rhode Island resident individual licensing requirements. Checked 2026-10. Values marked verify haven't been confirmed against an official source yet.
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Life & Health license rules across the US
Other Rhode Island licenses
Property & Casualty license · Adjuster license · All Rhode Island insurance licenses
Questions
How long does it take to get a life and health insurance license in Rhode Island?
Rhode Island has no required pre-licensing hours, so many candidates sit the exam within 1–3 weeks of studying. After you pass, license approval usually takes a few days to a few weeks after fingerprints clear.
How much does a Rhode Island Life & Health license cost?
State fees (exam + application) come to about $400, plus fingerprints and a course if you take one.
Who runs the Rhode Island insurance exam?
Pearson VUE. Book the exam on the vendor's site after reading the candidate handbook.