How to get a Virginia life & health license
Requirements, exam, fees and the order to do things in — from the State Corporation Commission – Bureau of Insurance and the exam handbook.
Step by step
- Study for the exam — Virginia 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 Prometric ($35 (2020 bulletin; unverified current)). Read the candidate handbook.
- Get fingerprinted if required — Required for all resident applicants (Fieldprint Live Scan, fieldprintvirginia.com); cost not published.
- Apply for the license through NIPR or the State Corporation Commission – Bureau of Insurance ($15 per line of authority).
- Get appointed by an insurance company (agents) and keep up with continuing education — 16 per biennium if one license type (Life & Annuities + Health count as one), 24 if two or more types; min. 3 ethics hours per renewal (license term: 2 years (expires end of birth month, even/odd year by birth year)).
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 Virginia (optional here, but it lifts pass rates). Some links may be affiliate links.
Virginia Life & Health requirements
| Life | Accident & Health | |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-licensing education | None required | None required |
| Exam vendor | Prometric | Prometric |
| Exam fee | $35 (2020 bulletin; unverified current) verify | $35 verify |
| Questions / time | 120 min | 120 min |
| License application fee | $15 per line of authority | $15 per line of authority |
| Fingerprints | Required for all resident applicants (Fieldprint Live Scan, fieldprintvirginia.com); cost not published verify | Required for all resident applicants (Fieldprint Live Scan, fieldprintvirginia.com); cost not published verify |
| Continuing education | 16 per biennium if one license type (Life & Annuities + Health count as one), 24 if two or more types; min. 3 ethics hours · 2 years (expires end of birth month, even/odd year by birth year) | 16 per biennium if one license type (Life & Annuities + Health count as one), 24 if two or more types; min. 3 ethics hours · 2 years |
Life: VA calls it 'Life & Annuities' (exam 11-05, 120 min). Combined Life, Annuities & Health exam 11-01: 150 min. No pre-licensing course except Title (16 hrs).
Accident & Health: VA 'Health' exam 11-06, 120 min; or combined 11-01 (150 min).
Minimum age 18. Sources: NIPR – Virginia resident individual requirements · Prometric Virginia Insurance Licensing Information Bulletin (eff. June 2020) · Virginia SCC – Continuing Education 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 Virginia licenses
Property & Casualty license · Adjuster license · All Virginia insurance licenses
Questions
How long does it take to get a life and health insurance license in Virginia?
Virginia 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 Virginia Life & Health license cost?
State fees (exam + application) come to about $100, plus fingerprints and a course if you take one.
Who runs the Virginia insurance exam?
Prometric. Book the exam on the vendor's site after reading the candidate handbook.