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 (2-20)
Florida requires state-approved prelicensing for the 2-20 line: 200 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.
Existing 20-44, 4-40, or 0-55 holders with 1 year of appointed experience may convert via a 40-hour 2-20 course instead of the full 200 hours.
TESTivity recommends [Achievable](https://app.achievable.me/study/insurance-property-casualty/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 No-Fault (Still in Force - Despite the Headlines)
Florida is a no-fault auto state under Florida Statute 627.736. Every owner of a four-or-more-wheeled vehicle must carry $10,000 Personal Injury Protection (PIP) plus $10,000 Property Damage Liability (PDL). PIP pays your own medical and disability benefits regardless of fault: 80% of medical and 60% of lost wages, up to the limit.
Two PIP gates the exam tests hard: the 14-day rule (you must seek initial treatment within 14 days of the accident) and the Emergency Medical Condition (EMC) determination, which controls whether you can access the full $10,000 versus a capped $2,500.
Heads up on current events: you will see a lot of online claims that Florida's no-fault PIP system *ends July 1, 2026*. As of the 2026 legislative session, that has not happened - repeal bills (SB 54 in 2021, vetoed; HB 1181 and SB 1256 in 2025; SB 522 in 2026) all failed or died in committee, and PIP remains the law. Verify current status before publishing, because this is an active, fast-moving area - but as of now, teach PIP as in force.
Notably, Florida does not mandate bodily-injury (BI) liability as a condition of registration the way most states do - a genuine Florida quirk (financial-responsibility requirements can still apply after an at-fault crash). The repeal proposals would change exactly this by adding a 25/50 BI mandate.
Citizens, the Cat Fund, and the 2022-2023 Reforms
Florida's property market is the most distinctive in the nation, and the exam reflects it. Citizens Property Insurance Corporation is the state-created insurer of last resort - eligibility is limited (you generally cannot use Citizens if a private offer is within a set percentage of the Citizens premium), and the legislature has pushed glide-path rate increases and depopulation to shrink it.
Behind private insurers sits the Florida Hurricane Catastrophe Fund (FHCF), the state reinsurance 'Cat Fund' run by the State Board of Administration, which reimburses insurers for a share of hurricane losses.
The 2022-2023 reforms (notably the December 2022 special session, SB 2-A) reshaped property claims: they eliminated one-way attorney fees and assignment of benefits (AOB) for property insurance, tightened claim-filing deadlines, and added reinsurance support - all aimed at stabilizing a market that had seen multiple insolvencies. Verify the latest reform details and any 2024-2026 updates, as Florida revisits this almost every session.
Hurricane Deductibles and Ground Collapse
Florida homeowners policies carry a separate hurricane deductible - usually a percentage of dwelling coverage (2%, 5%, or 10%) rather than a flat dollar amount, triggered for named-storm/hurricane events. Insurers must offer choices and disclose them clearly.
Florida also splits sinkhole-type losses into two concepts: broad sinkhole loss coverage (optional, by endorsement) versus the narrower catastrophic ground cover collapse, which is a required peril. Knowing which is mandatory and which is optional is a classic Florida exam point.
Florida Workers' Compensation
Florida workers' compensation thresholds turn on industry: construction employers need coverage at 1 or more employees, while non-construction employers are required at 4 or more, and agricultural operations have their own threshold. That industry-based split is a favorite exam trap.
Coverage and disputes run through the Division of Workers' Compensation; benefits include medical, temporary/permanent disability, and death benefits on the standard statutory schedule.
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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