Florida's Split Regulatory Structure
Florida does this differently from most states. There is no single Department of Insurance. Instead, licensing runs through the Department of Financial Services (DFS) - specifically the Division of Insurance Agent and Agency Services - which sits under Florida's elected Chief Financial Officer (CFO). That is where you apply, get fingerprinted, and handle your license.
Separately, the Office of Insurance Regulation (OIR) regulates the insurers themselves: rates, forms, and solvency. So as a producer, DFS is your agency; OIR is the one approving the products you sell. The exam loves this distinction - DFS licenses people, OIR regulates companies.
Your exams are administered by Pearson VUE, and you apply for the license through the DFS MyProfile portal at MyFloridaCFO.com.
Fingerprinting (Do This Early)
Florida requires fingerprinting for every resident producer, submitted through the state's approved vendor (IdentoGO) before your license can issue. You can - and should - get fingerprinted early, even before you sit the exam, so it is not the thing holding up your license.
Budget the vendor fee on top of the exam and application fees. Verify the current IdentoGO fingerprint fee on the DFS site, as it changes.
Prelicensing Education (2-40)
Florida requires state-approved prelicensing for the 2-40 line: 40 hours of DFS-approved coursework before you can sit the exam. The required hours include a block on ethics and Florida law.
Your certificate of completion is valid for four years in Florida - one of the most generous windows in the country.
If you want both life and health, the combined 2-15 (60 hours) covers both in one license.
TESTivity recommends [Achievable](https://app.achievable.me/study/insurance-health/purchase#a_aid=getthelicense) to satisfy your Florida 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 Florida requires.
One important distinction: TESTivity is not an approved pre-licensing provider in Florida 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.
Passing Score and Exam Rules
Florida uses a straightforward 70% passing score on every line - no per-line variation. The exams are multiple choice, four options each, taken through Pearson VUE.
A few Florida-specific exam rules worth knowing: a passing score is valid for one year (finish your application within that window or retake), you get a maximum of five attempts per exam type in a 12-month period, and exams are now test-center only - Florida discontinued OnVUE online proctoring for new reservations.
Florida also mixes unscored pilot questions into the exam that do not count toward your score. Verify the exact scored-question count and time limit for your specific line on the current Pearson VUE/DFS bulletin, since these are adjusted periodically.
Florida Health Coverage Rules
Florida uses the federal Health Insurance Marketplace (no state-run exchange). Public programs you should recognize include Florida Medicaid managed care and Florida Healthy Kids for children's coverage.
Standard A&H concepts - guaranteed renewability, coordination of benefits, and the state's external-review process - apply on top of federal ACA requirements. Verify any specific mandated-benefit figures against current DFS/OIR guidance.
Keeping Your License Active
Important CE details: Includes a required law/ethics update course; drops to 20 hours every 2 years after 6+ years licensed.
Florida producers complete 24 hours of CE every 2 years, which includes a required law-and-ethics update course. After you have been licensed 6 or more years, most producers drop to 20 hours every 2 years. Verify the exact update-course hours against current DFS rules.
Note Florida's appointment system: holding a license is not enough to sell. An insurer must appoint you (file an appointment with DFS) before you can transact that carrier's business.
Florida's Guaranty Safety Net
If an admitted life or health insurer fails, the Florida Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association (FLAHIGA) protects policyholders at standard NAIC-model limits: $300,000 life death benefit, $100,000 cash surrender value, $250,000 annuity, and $500,000 in health coverage per individual per insolvent insurer.
On the property side, the Florida Insurance Guaranty Association (FIGA) handles claims of insolvent P&C insurers - relevant in a market that has seen several carrier insolvencies. Remember: guaranty associations cannot be used as a sales pitch, and only admitted insurers are covered.
Quick Reference
Official Links
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