Becoming a Property & Casualty producer in Arkansas
An Arkansas Property and Casualty license covers homeowners and auto, commercial property and liability, workers' comp, umbrella, and more - including commercial lines. P&C is where many agents build a durable book, and Arkansas handles it as one comprehensive exam rather than two.
The wrinkle to plan around: even though it's one exam, Property and Casualty are separate lines for pre-licensing, so you'll complete 40 hours of coursework (20 each) before you can test. And as with every Arkansas line, you apply and clear your background check before sitting the exam.
Who can get licensed
The basics: be at least 18, be an Arkansas resident, provide a Social Security number (or FEIN), and pass the exam. An Arkansas State Police background check is part of the application and must clear before you test.
If your plan is narrower - just personal auto and home, no commercial - Arkansas offers a standalone Personal Lines exam with its own 20-hour pre-licensing course. Full commercial P&C work, though, runs through the combined Property & Casualty exam below.
Pre-licensing education (required)
Arkansas requires pre-licensing education before you're allowed to sit the exam - 20 hours per line of authority under AID Rule 31. For full Property & Casualty authority that's 40 hours total - 20 hours of Property and 20 hours of Casualty, since Arkansas treats them as separate lines.
You can take the course in a classroom or online; online providers must track your actual study time and won't release the certificate until you've logged the full hours. You'll also pass the provider's closed-book final at 70% or better. Keep that certificate handy - it's valid for two years, and PSI requires proof of pre-licensing for every exam attempt.
TESTivity recommends [Achievable](https://app.achievable.me/study/insurance-property-casualty/purchase#a_aid=getthelicense) to satisfy your Arkansas pre-licensing requirement. Achievable is an approved provider, its insurance courses were built by the same subject-matter expert behind TESTivity, and completing the Achievable course earns you the certificate of completion Arkansas requires.
One important distinction: TESTivity is not an approved pre-licensing provider in Arkansas and does not issue certificates of completion. The TESTivity learning tools and study packages will absolutely help you pass the exam — but treat them as a supplement to your Achievable course, not a substitute for it.
Disclosure: TESTivity has a partnership with Achievable and may earn a commission if you enroll through links on this page.
Apply and clear your background check - before you test
Here's the part that trips people up: in Arkansas you apply and clear your background check BEFORE you sit the exam. After your pre-licensing course, file an Electronic Resident Licensing application at NIPR and pay the $20 application fee, then complete the Arkansas State Police criminal background check online (about $25).
The Arkansas Insurance Department reviews your application for completeness, and once you're cleared PSI emails you an approval to test - usually within 2 to 5 days. Only then can you schedule and pay for the exam with PSI. After you pass, you can print your license from NIPR about 24 hours later.
The Property & Casualty exam format
Arkansas P&C is a single combined exam of 150 scored questions (plus 10 unscored pretest items) in 210 minutes - 3 hours 30 minutes. Internally it's built from two pieces: a 125-question General Knowledge portion (160 minutes) covering nationwide property and casualty product and concept material, and a 25-question Arkansas Multi-line State portion (50 minutes) covering Title 23 law and AID rules.
You need 70% overall to pass. PSI displays your result on screen and emails a score report; if you don't pass, the report includes a diagnostic breakdown by topic so you know where to focus before a retake. Note the P&C exam can't be paired with any other exam in the same session.
Your 90-day testing window
Once you're approved, the clock starts: you must pass within 90 days of your approval date, and you get up to three attempts in that window. You can't rebook on the same day you test - results processing means the soonest retake is the next available day.
Miss the 90-day window or strike out after three tries, and you wait four weeks and start the application process over. Bottom line: don't burn an attempt before you're genuinely ready, because the runway is shorter than it looks.
What it costs, start to finish
Plan on about $95 in state and exam fees: the $50 combined P&C exam, a $25 Arkansas State Police background check, and the $20 NIPR application fee. Your pre-licensing course - 40 hours across Property and Casualty - is separate and priced by your provider.
Pass the exam and you can print your license from NIPR about 24 hours later, then line up carrier appointments and keep your CE current.
Continuing education and renewal
Arkansas renews resident producer licenses every two years, due the last day of your birth month, for about $70 through NIPR. To renew you complete 24 hours of continuing education per cycle, including at least 3 hours of ethics. Holding multiple lines (say L&H plus P&C) doesn't double the requirement - it's 24 hours total.
Specialty products add their own training: an 8-hour initial LTC course plus a 4-hour refresher each cycle for long-term care, a one-time 4-hour Annuity Best Interest course for annuities, and a one-time 3-hour NFIP course for flood (which counts toward your 24 hours). Carrier appointments are separate and renew each June 1, paid by the insurer.
Quick Reference
Official Links
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