Getting your Georgia life insurance license takes six steps: an 8-hour pre-licensing course, a state exam, a citizenship affidavit, an online application, fingerprints, and approval from the state. This guide walks through each one with the current fees and rules, so you know exactly what to expect.
Good news if you've read older guides: Georgia lowered its pre-licensing requirement in 2025. You now need 8 hours of approved education for the life line, not the 20 hours many sites still list.
Georgia life license at a glance
Costs are as of October 2026.
- Pre-licensing course: 8 hours, from a state-approved provider. Cost is set by the course provider.
- State exam: 80 scored questions, 2 hours, 70% to pass. $67 per attempt.
- License application: filed online after you pass. $100 license fee + $20 processing.
- Fingerprints: electronic, through the state's vendor. Paid to the vendor when you book.
- Continuing education: 24 hours every two years, 3 in ethics. Cost is set by the course provider.
Fees can change. Check the Georgia Office of Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner (OCI) and Pearson VUE before you pay.
Who can apply
To get a resident license, you need to be at least 18, live in Georgia, and give a residential and business address (no P.O. boxes). You'll also complete a notarized citizenship affidavit, covered in Step 3.
Step 1: Complete an 8-hour life pre-licensing course
Georgia requires at least 8 hours of approved pre-licensing instruction for each major line of authority, and life is its own line. Take your course from a provider approved by OCI, which publishes its approved providers on its website.
Two timing rules matter here:
- You must pass the state exam within 12 months of finishing your course, or you'll need to take the course again.
- Keep your completion certificate. Pearson VUE asks for your school's name or code when you book the exam.
Some people are exempt. Holders of the CLU or FLMI designation can skip pre-licensing and the exam for the life line.
Planning to sell health coverage too? Accident and sickness is a separate line, with its own 8-hour course and exam.
Step 2: Schedule and pass the Georgia life exam
Georgia's licensing exams are run by Pearson VUE. You book online or by phone, at least 24 hours ahead, and pay the $67 fee when you schedule. Walk-ins aren't accepted.
The life exam has 80 scored questions plus 10 unscored practice questions mixed in, and you get 2 hours. You need 70% to pass. Here's how the scored questions break down:
- Types of life policies and annuities: 15
- Riders, provisions, options and exclusions: 15
- Application, underwriting and policy delivery: 12
- Retirement, group, needs analysis and taxes: 8
- Georgia laws and rules for life and health insurance: 24
- Georgia rules specific to life insurance: 6
Nearly 40% of the exam covers Georgia law, so give those sections real study time.
On test day, arrive 30 minutes early with two current forms of ID that show your signature. One must be a government-issued photo ID, and the name must match your booking exactly.
If you don't pass, you can retest. You'll wait 14 days after a first or second attempt and 60 days after a third or later attempt. There's no limit on attempts, and each one costs $67.
Step 3: Complete the citizenship affidavit
Georgia requires a notarized Citizenship Affidavit (form GID-276-EN) and a copy of an acceptable ID with every new license application. Your application can't be approved until both are uploaded, so get this notarized early.
Step 4: Apply for your license online
After you pass, apply through Sircon at sircon.com/georgia. You have 12 months from your exam date to apply.
The state fee is $100 for the license plus a $20 processing fee. If you answer yes to any background question on the application, you'll upload supporting documents with it.
Step 5: Get fingerprinted
Georgia requires electronic fingerprints from new applicants, and you pay the vendor's fee. Submit your license application first, since you can't register for fingerprints until it's on file.
Then register with IdentoGO at ga.state.identogo.com/ata, wait for an approval email, and take it to a fingerprint location to be printed.
Step 6: Watch for your approval
OCI reviews your application, exam result, affidavit, and background check together. Once approved, your license is issued electronically, and you can look it up and print it online.
After you're licensed: what comes next
Your license lets you sell life insurance in Georgia, but you can't write business for a company until that company appoints you.
Get appointed with the carriers you'll represent
Georgia requires you to get a certificate of authority, often called an appointment, from each insurer you represent. The carrier files it with the state, usually after you complete its own contracting paperwork and any product training it requires.
Keep your license current
- Your license renews every two years, due by the last day of your birth month.
- Each renewal period, complete 24 hours of continuing education, including 3 hours of ethics. Agents licensed 20 years or more need 20 hours.
- Before you sell any annuity, complete a one-time 4-hour annuity suitability course.
- Selling long-term care partnership policies takes an 8-hour course up front, then 4 hours every two years.
Where an IMO fits in
New agents also decide how they want to work. Some join one insurance company as a captive agent. Others stay independent and work with an insurance marketing organization, or IMO.
An IMO contracts with insurance carriers and supports the independent agents who work with it. That support can include help with carrier appointments, product training, and access to experienced agents who've been through the same steps.
Premier Financial Alliance (PFA) is an IMO based in Suwanee, Georgia. Our independent associates offer life insurance products, including indexed universal life from National Life Group, and PFA supports them with training and guidance as they get started.
Frequently asked questions
How many pre-licensing hours does Georgia require for a life license?
Eight hours of approved instruction for the life line. Georgia reduced this in 2025, so older guides that say 20 hours are out of date.
How much does a Georgia life insurance license cost?
The state and exam fees come to $187 if you pass on your first try: $67 for the exam, $100 for the license, and $20 for processing. Your pre-licensing course and fingerprinting are extra, and their prices vary.
How long is my pre-licensing course good for?
Twelve months. You need to pass the exam within a year of finishing the course, then apply for your license within a year of passing.
What score do I need to pass the Georgia life exam?
You need 70%. The exam has 80 scored questions and a 2-hour time limit. Pearson VUE publishes current pass rates on its Georgia insurance page.
What happens if I fail the exam?
You can take it again after 14 days, or 60 days after a third or later attempt. There's no limit on attempts, and each one costs $67.
Can I sell annuities with a life license?
Yes, after you complete a one-time 4-hour annuity suitability course.
How often do I renew, and what continuing education do I need?
Every two years, by the end of your birth month. You'll need 24 hours of continuing education each period, including 3 hours of ethics.
What's the difference between an IMO and a captive agency?
A captive agent represents one insurance company. An agent working with an IMO is independent and can be appointed with the carriers the IMO works with.
Thinking about what comes after your license?
If you're weighing where to start your insurance career, we'd be glad to tell you how PFA works with independent associates in Georgia and beyond. Learn about joining PFA
