Idaho Insurance Exam Guides
Pick the license you're studying for. Each guide covers Idaho-specific requirements, fees, and official links — plus a free practice exam. Then scroll down to explore the Idaho exam's state-law material, mapped.
Free study resource
What's actually tested on the Idaho exam — the state regulations, mapped
Every Idaho insurance exam reserves a block of questions for Idaho-specific law — the fees, deadlines, limits, and rules that generic national study guides gloss over. This is that material: 138 facts from the TESTivity Idaho regulations curriculum, organized the way we teach them. Open a branch, explore, and let the structure do some of the remembering for you.
Every fact below carries its source citation and the date we last verified it (most recently August 2026) — and is re-checked on a schedule. Facts marked tested are ones you should expect to see on the exam.
Life 18 facts
The life insurance rules that differ by state — free look, grace, reinstatement.
- Incontestability period tested2 years from the date of issue (except for nonpayment of premium)
- Grace period for individual life tested30 days (or one month), during which "the policy shall continue in full force"; the insurer may charge interest not exceeding 6% per annum. Note 30, not 31
- Window to reinstate a lapsed policy testedWithin 3 years of premium default, on evidence of insurability and payment of overdue premiums
- Max interest chargeable on reinstatement, if capped testedOverdue premiums bear interest not exceeding 8% per year — higher than the 6% most states cap at, and higher than the 6% Idaho itself allows during the grace period
- Suicide exclusion period testedIdaho PERMITS rather than imposes a suicide exclusion, and caps it: "death within two (2) years from the date of issue of the policy as a result of suicide, while sane or insane" is one of five permitted excluded risks. Where the exclusion applies, § 41-1925(2) still requires the insurer to pay at least the reserve
- Free look for individual life tested20 days for individual life AND annuities — return within 20 days for a refund
- Free look for annuities tested20 days (the same 20-day right applies to annuities)
- Free look when a policy is being replaced tested20 days from delivery of the replacing policy, with an unconditional refund of premiums — the same 20 days as a new policy, so replacement does not extend the window in Idaho
- Free look for long-term care tested30 days for long-term care (Idaho Code § 41-4605); 30 days for Medicare supplement (IDAPA 18.04.10)
- Required nonforfeiture options testedA paid-up nonforfeiture benefit on default; a cash surrender value in lieu of it if surrendered within 60 days of default; and an automatic default paid-up benefit if no election is made within 60 days. Paid-up or continued policies are cash-surrenderable within 30 days after any policy anniversary
- Registrations required to sell variable products testedThe Life line plus FINRA securities registration is required to sell variable contracts
- Does the state regulate viatical/life settlements? testedYes — §§ 41-1950 through 41-1965 "may be cited as the 'Life Settlements Act'". Note the statutory short title has no "Idaho" in it, and the act uses "owner" throughout rather than "viator"
- Viator's rescission window tested20 calendar days — the owner has "an absolute right to rescind the contract within twenty (20) calendar days of the date upon which the life settlement contract is executed by all parties"
- Has the state adopted the NAIC best interest standard? testedYES — § 41-1940A(3): a producer recommending an annuity "shall act in the best interest of the consumer under the circumstances known at the time the recommendation is made without placing the producer's or the insurer's financial interest ahead of the consumer's interest." Enacted by H0079 (2021), effective July 1, 2021, and satisfied through four obligations — care, disclosure, conflict of interest and documentation (§§ 41-1940A to 41-1940E)
- Misstatement of age testedAdjust, never void — "if the age of the insured or of any other person whose age is considered in determining the premium or benefit has been misstated, any amount payable or benefit accruing under the policy shall be such as the premium would have purchased at the correct age or ages"
- Producer duties when replacing life insurance or an annuity testedPresent a "Notice Regarding Replacement" not later than at the time of taking the application, signed by BOTH the applicant and the producer; obtain a list of existing policies being replaced with proper identification; and leave the applicant with copies of all written communications used in the presentation
- The existing insurer's conservation window tested20 days from receipt of the written communication and accompanying materials — the incumbent carrier's opportunity to conserve the business
- Training required before selling annuities testedA one-time four (4) credit training course approved by the department, separate from and on top of the 24-hour CE requirement
Health 25 facts
Health coverage rules — continuation, prompt pay, mandates, public programs.
- Has the state expanded Medicaid under the ACA? testedYES — expanded by the 2018 ballot initiative (Proposition 2), codified at Idaho Code § 56-267. Enrollment opened November 2019 and coverage began January 1, 2020
- Effective date of expansion, if expanded testedJanuary 1, 2020 (via Proposition 2, 2018)
- Agency administering Medicaid testedIdaho Medicaid, administered by the Department of Health and Welfare
- Federal marketplace or state-based exchange testedA STATE-BASED exchange — Your Health Idaho, established under Idaho Code Title 41 Chapter 61 (the Idaho Health Insurance Exchange Act). Idaho is one of relatively few conservative-leaning states to run its own full marketplace
- Name of the state CHIP program testedIdaho Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
- Clean-claim payment deadline, electronic tested30 days to pay or deny an electronic clean claim
- Clean-claim payment deadline, paper tested45 days to pay or deny a paper clean claim
- Does the state distinguish electronic vs paper claims? testedYes — 30 days electronic, 45 days paper
- Interest / penalty on late claim payment tested12% per year — but by cross-reference: § 41-5603 requires interest "at the contract statutory rate pursuant to section 28-22-104," which sets twelve cents on the hundred by the year. Administrative fine up to $5,000 (§ 41-5606), with a 95% safe harbour, and the Director may NOT suspend or revoke a certificate of authority for chapter 56 violations
- Is the IRO's external review decision binding on the plan? testedYES — under Idaho's Health Carrier External Review Act, an Independent Review Organization's decision is final and binding on the carrier
- Employer size at which federal COBRA applies testedFederal COBRA applies at 20+ employees. Idaho has NO general state continuation to fill the gap — a full reading of Title 41 Chapter 22 finds no continuation or conversion section at all
- Employer size range covered by state continuation testedNone. Idaho has no mini-COBRA. The only post-termination provisions are two EXTENSIONS OF BENEFITS for an ongoing condition — § 41-2213 (total disability) and § 41-2214 (maternity) — neither of which is an elective right an employee can buy into, and neither of which has an employer-size trigger
- Duration of state continuation coverage testedUp to 12 months under either extension: § 41-2213 continues hospital, medical and surgical benefits "not less than twelve (12) months" for someone totally disabled at discontinuance; § 41-2214 continues maternity benefits "not beyond a period of twelve (12) months" where the person is not eligible for replacement coverage within 60 days
- Max premium as % of group rate testedNot applicable — the disability extension is an extension of benefits, not a premium-based continuation
- Free look for individual disability / health tested10 days — "the person to whom the policy is issued shall be permitted to return the policy within ten (10) days of its delivery to such person and to have a refund of the premium paid." Half the 20 days Idaho gives life and annuities
- Grace period for individual disability testedTiered by premium mode: not less than 7 days for weekly premium policies, 10 days for monthly premium policies, and 31 days for all others. Note the 31, where individual life is 30
- Notice of claim, claim forms and proof of loss testedNotice of claim within 20 days after the occurrence or commencement of loss; if the insurer fails to furnish claim forms within 15 days of that notice the claimant may submit proof in any form; written proof of loss within 90 days after the end of the period for which the insurer is liable
- When a claimant may sue testedNo action before 60 days after written proof of loss has been furnished, and none after 3 years
- Time limit on certain defenses tested2 years — "after two (2) years from the date of issue of this policy, no misstatements, except fraudulent misstatements, made by the applicant shall be used to void the policy"
- Idaho's Medicare supplement birthday rule tested★ Distinctive. An annual guaranteed-issue window that "begins on the individual's birthday and ends sixty-three (63) days thereafter," during which a policyholder may change insurance company or plan regardless of health. Effective March 1, 2022, from Senate Bill 1143 (signed April 22, 2021), which also imposed COMMUNITY RATING — new Medicare supplement premiums are no longer based on the applicant's age — and ended payment-frequency discounts on new policies. It applies to CHANGING coverage, not to initial enrollment at 65
- Medicare supplement open enrollment testedSix months, beginning "the first day of the first month in which an individual is both sixty-five (65) years of age or older and is enrolled for benefits under Medicare Part B." Preexisting conditions may not be excluded beyond six months from the effective date (§ 022.01.a)
- Medicare supplement replacement rules testedA replacement notice is required prior to issuance or delivery, and the agent must list policies sold that are still in force plus those sold in the past five years no longer in force. First-year compensation on a replacement is capped at 200% of the second-year renewal rate, and an issuer may not pay more than its own renewal rate on a replacement
- Long-term care free look and preexisting conditions tested30 days to return the policy or certificate with a full refund, with the notice prominently printed on the first page. Preexisting conditions may only be excluded for conditions lasting beyond six months from the coverage start date, and no prior-hospitalization requirement may be imposed except for specified post-acute benefits
- Producer training before selling long-term care tested8 hours before you may sell, then 4 hours every 24 months — measured "between course completion dates, not license renewal dates," so the cycle drifts out of step with licence renewal. On top of the 24-hour CE requirement
- When a group health plan may be nonrenewed testedA health benefit plan is "renewable with respect to all eligible employees or dependents, at the option of the employer," except for nonpayment, fraud or misrepresentation, failure to meet participation requirements, the employer no longer meeting statutory requirements, discontinuance of a product (after 36+ months, with 90 days' notice), or the carrier exiting the large employer market entirely (180 days' notice)
Auto 11 facts
Auto insurance — minimum limits, fault system, required coverages.
- Fault-based (tort) or no-fault testedFault-based (tort). Idaho has no no-fault system and no mandatory PIP.
- Minimum bodily injury liability per person tested$25,000
- Minimum bodily injury liability per occurrence tested$50,000
- Minimum property damage liability tested$15,000 — materially lower than the $25,000 several neighbouring states use
- The memorizable shorthand (e.g. 30/60/25) tested25/50/15
- Uninsured motorist: mandatory / must be offered & rejectable / not required testedMust be INCLUDED in motor vehicle liability policies at limits matching § 49-117, but the named insured may reject "in writing or in an electronic record." Insurers have had to give disclosure statements explaining the coverage options prior to issuance or first renewal since January 1, 2009
- Underinsured motorist status testedOffered with UM and rejectable in writing (Idaho Code § 41-2502)
- Personal injury protection status testedNo PIP and no no-fault system anywhere in Title 41 Chapter 25. Medical payments coverage is not mandated and is not even a required offer — § 41-2514 only regulates it if written, forbidding a claim window shorter than 3 years from the injury
- Contributory / pure comparative / modified comparative negligence testedModified comparative negligence. The statute states no percentage — recovery is allowed only where the claimant's negligence "was not as great as" the defendant's, which works out to a 50% bar: 49% recovers, 50% recovers nothing. § 6-802 is the separate special-verdict mechanic, not the rule
- The bar percentage, if modified comparative testedEffectively a 50% bar — barred at 50% or more, because the claimant's fault must be less than the defendant's
- Assigned risk / residual market plan for auto testedIdaho has NO formally named automobile insurance plan. Two statutes authorise one without creating an entity: § 41-1441 (assigned risks) and Idaho Code § 49-1225, which directs the Director to "approve reasonable plans for the equitable apportionment among those companies of applicants... who are in good faith entitled to but are unable to procure policies through ordinary methods." § 41-2508 separately requires insurers to notify policyholders of potential assigned-risk eligibility
CE & Renewal 7 facts
Continuing education and renewal rules — the numbers the exam loves.
- How long a license lasts before renewal testedTwo years, expiring the last day of the licensee's birth month for individuals — but on the last day of the month originally issued for BUSINESS ENTITIES. The birth-month rule is administrative: § 41-1013 says only that "the director may fix the dates of expiration for licenses in such manner as is deemed by him to be advisable"
- What the renewal date keys off (flat term / birthday / birth year) testedBiennial, tied to the last day of the licensee's birth month. The renewal window opens up to six weeks before expiration; the fee is $80 on paper or $60 filed electronically. Completing CE does NOT renew the licence — the DOI states "licenses do not automatically renew on CE completion"
- CE hours per renewal period, standard case tested24 hours of continuing education credits "including a minimum of 3 ethics credits on or before the licensing renewal date every two (2) years"
- CE hours if holding multiple license types (if different) testedStill 24 total — and courses "need not be limited to licensee's specific lines of authority," so a producer may take coursework outside the lines held
- Ethics hours required per period testedAt least 3 of the 24 hours in ethics; excess ethics credits count toward the total
- What happens if CE is not completed (fine / expiry / cancellation) testedThe licence expires and is not active after the expiration date, with a statutory penalty ladder under § 41-1013(7): $100 at 1-30 days delinquent, $200 at 31-60, $300 at 61-90. From 91 days to one year the licensee must "complete all requirements for licensure including retesting, submission of a new application and payment of all new licensing fees." At one year or more, "the individual must reapply and retest as a new applicant"
- Any CE exemption (e.g. long-service agents) testedExempt: business entities; nonresidents; limited-lines-only producers; surplus lines producers; those holding only Credit, Pet or Travel; individuals on extended active duty with the armed forces; and holders of temporary licences. NOT exempt: designation holders and long-service licensees — the DOI states professional designations "provide no exemption," and no such exemption exists in IDAPA 18.06.04
Property 9 facts
Property insurance — rate regulation, residual markets, catastrophe exposure.
- Rate regulation system (file-and-use / prior approval / use-and-file) testedCOMPETITIVE RATING with no prior approval — but rates ARE filed. § 41-1402 declares the "express intent... to permit and encourage competition between insurers on a sound financial basis," and § 41-1405(2) makes an excessive-rate finding require BOTH that the rate is "unreasonably high for the insurance provided" AND that "a reasonable degree of competition does not exist," only after a hearing. In practice the DOI requires rates to be filed on a use-and-file basis within 30 days of the effective date, and policy FORMS must be filed before delivery under § 41-1812(1). (Note § 41-1403 does not exist — Chapter 14 runs 41-1401, 41-1402, 41-1405, then 41-1415 forward.)
- Is insurance credit scoring permitted in personal lines? testedPermitted but fenced: no insurer may "charge a higher premium than would otherwise be charged, or cancel, nonrenew or decline to issue a property or casualty policy or coverage based primarily upon an individual's credit rating or credit history." § 41-1843(2) defines "based primarily" as where credit's weight "exceeds the weight given by the insurer to all other criteria considered" — a majority-of-total-weight test, not a ban. Personal, family and household lines only
- Does the state have a FAIR Plan? testedNO — Idaho has no FAIR Plan or residual property market. Property that cannot be placed in the admitted market goes to surplus lines. (Negative corroboration: the DOI's own 2026 hardening-market announcement proposes a data call and references no residual-market backstop.)
- Dominant catastrophe perils in the state testedWILDFIRE above all — Idaho's dominant catastrophe peril — plus winter storm and earthquake. No specific wildfire underwriting or nonrenewal rule was located in statute.
- What license you must already hold to write surplus lines testedA producer licensed for property or casualty "who has had at least two (2) years' experience as a producer for the lines of insurance for which he is seeking to be licensed as a surplus line broker," and who the Director deems competent and trustworthy. NO examination — Idaho qualifies surplus lines brokers by experience. Membership of an approved surplus line association is also required
- Is a diligent-effort search of the admitted market required first? testedYes — coverage may be exported only "provided that a diligent search is made among the insurers authorized to transact and actually writing that particular kind and class of insurance in this state." Export merely to obtain a lower rate or better terms is prohibited (§ 41-1214(3)), and the broker documents compliance by affidavit filed within 30 days of receiving the policy (§ 41-1215)
- Standard fire policy requirement testedIdaho prescribes a standard fire policy at § 41-2401, which sets the required contents including the cancellation notice. The related tested cites are §§ 41-1842 and 41-2401
- Surplus lines premium tax rate and who remits it tested1.5 percent, remitted by the BROKER "on or before the first day of March of each year." Where Idaho is the insured's home state the tax is computed on the entire premium (NRRA conformity)
- Binders testedGoverned by § 41-1823; form filing generally requires that no form "shall be delivered, or issued for delivery in this state, unless the form has been filed with the director"
Guaranty 10 facts
The safety nets when an insurer fails — and their limits.
- Name of the life & health guaranty association testedThe Idaho Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association, created at § 41-4306 — membership is a condition of authority to transact insurance in Idaho, and the association operates three accounts (life, health, annuity). Act short title at § 41-4301
- Life death benefit limit tested$300,000 in life insurance death benefits
- Life cash surrender / withdrawal value limit tested$100,000 in net cash surrender and withdrawal values for life insurance
- Annuity benefit limit tested$250,000 in the present value of annuity benefits, including net cash surrender and withdrawal values; structured settlement annuities are also capped at $250,000 in the aggregate per payee or beneficiary
- Health benefit limit tested$500,000 for MAJOR MEDICAL; $300,000 for other health insurance claims or benefit payments; $100,000 for health insurance cash values
- Aggregate per-individual cap, if any tested$300,000 aggregate per life — rising to $500,000 where major medical is involved. A separate $5,000,000 cap applies to multiple non-group life policies with a single owner
- Does the state follow the standard NAIC model limits? testedYes — standard NAIC model limits, with tiered health
- Name of the P&C guaranty association tested"There is created a nonprofit unincorporated legal entity to be known as the Idaho insurance guaranty association" — note the statutory name has no "property and casualty" in it, though the DOI's own exam content outlines call it the Idaho Property and Casualty Guaranty Association. It operates a single account
- Per-claim cap tested$300,000 per covered claim — but WORKERS' COMPENSATION claims are paid in the full amount with no cap, and unearned premium refunds are capped at $10,000 per policy. The association covers all kinds of direct insurance EXCEPT life, annuity and health; financial guaranty; fidelity and surety bonds; credit and collateral protection; warranty and service contracts; title; ocean marine; and government-provided insurance
- Is using the guaranty association as a sales inducement prohibited? testedYes, under both associations, in separate sections. Life and health: § 41-4319 forbids any advertisement "which uses the existence of the insurance guaranty association of this state for the purpose of sales, solicitation or inducement to purchase." Property and casualty: § 41-3619 makes it "an unfair trade practice for any insurer or agent to in any manner make use of the protection given policyholders by this chapter as a reason for buying insurance from him." (§ 41-3611 is subrogation, not this.)
Workers Comp 6 facts
Who must carry workers' compensation and what it pays.
- Is workers' compensation mandatory for private employers? testedYes — § 72-301 requires every employer to secure the payment of compensation by insuring with an authorised insurer, insuring with the STATE INSURANCE FUND, or qualifying as an approved self-insurer with security deposited with the state treasurer. Public employers must generally use the state insurance fund unless it declines the risk (a provision expiring July 1, 2030)
- Employee count at which coverage is required testedNO numeric threshold — coverage attaches to every employer from the first employee. Relief comes from the eleven EXCEPTED EMPLOYMENTS in § 72-212 rather than from a headcount: household domestic service, casual employment, outworkers, certain family members, sole proprietors and working partners, corporate officers owning at least 10% of voting stock and serving as directors, federal employment, agricultural aircraft pilots (on conditions), real estate agents paid solely by commission, volunteer ski patrollers, and secondary-school athletic officials
- Agency administering workers' compensation testedThe Idaho Industrial Commission, which regulates workers' compensation, ensures employers carry coverage and resolves disputes. The state insurance fund is a separate "independent body corporate politic" under § 72-901, treated as a mutual insurer for regulatory purposes
- Temporary total disability wage replacement rate tested67% of the average weekly wage, subject to a maximum of 90% and a minimum of 45% of the average state wage (during the first 52 weeks the benefit may not exceed 90% of the employee's OWN average weekly wage, and the floor is 15% of the state wage). For 2026 the average state wage is $1,135.00, making the maximum weekly total disability benefit $1,021.50
- Deadline to file a claim testedBoth deadlines sit in § 72-701: notice to the employer "as soon as practicable but not later than sixty (60) days after the happening" of the accident, and a claim "within one (1) year after the date of the accident." § 72-706 is a DIFFERENT clock — the limitation on applying for a hearing (1 year from making claim; 5 years from the accident where compensation was paid and discontinued; 1 year from last payment after 4+ years of income benefits)
- Ways an employer may comply (insure / self-insure / group) testedThree: insure with any authorised insurer, insure with the state insurance fund, or qualify as an approved self-insurer with acceptable security (U.S. obligations or a surety bond, with bonds meeting a minimum "single A minus" rating and 30-day replacement if downgraded)
Regulator 7 facts
Who regulates insurance here and what powers the office holds.
- Name of the state insurance regulator testedThe Idaho Department of Insurance. The State Fire Marshal sits within the department — "the state fire marshal shall be appointed by the director of the department of insurance, with the approval of the governor, and shall serve at the pleasure of the director" (§ 41-254)
- Title of the person who heads it testedDirector of the Department of Insurance
- How the commissioner is chosen: elected / appointed by governor / appointed by other body testedAPPOINTED by the Governor for a four-year term, "subject to earlier removal by the governor" — not elected. Vacancies are filled for the unexpired term only
- Where the state's insurance law is codified testedTitle 41 of the Idaho Code (the Insurance Code), with regulations in IDAPA 18
- Does the regulator sit somewhere unusual (e.g. inside a constitutional commission)? testedMostly conventional — a Department of Insurance headed by an appointed Director — with one distinctive feature: the DIRECTOR appoints the State Fire Marshal (§ 41-254), so fire safety sits under the insurance regulator by appointment rather than by the regulator personally holding both offices
- Where unfair trade practices are enumerated testedTitle 41, Chapter 13, section by section: misrepresentation and false advertising of policies § 41-1303 · false information and advertising § 41-1304 · TWISTING, named separately, § 41-1305 · false financial statements § 41-1306 · defamation § 41-1308 · boycott, coercion and intimidation § 41-1309 · coercion of a borrower § 41-1310 · unfair discrimination in life, annuities and disability § 41-1313 · REBATES and illegal inducements § 41-1314, with exceptions at §§ 41-1315 and 41-1315A · fictitious groups § 41-1317 · illegal dealing in premiums § 41-1323 · borrowing money from clients § 41-1325
- Unfair claim settlement practices testedFourteen enumerated acts at § 41-1329, actionable when committed intentionally OR "with such frequency as to indicate a general business practice" — including misrepresenting policy provisions, failing to acknowledge claim communications promptly, refusing payment without a reasonable investigation, failing to attempt a good-faith settlement where liability is reasonably clear, compelling litigation by offering substantially less than amounts ultimately recovered, and delaying settlement of one coverage to influence settlement of another. Penalty: an administrative penalty "not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000)"
Cancellation 11 facts
When and how policies can be canceled or nonrenewed — heavily tested.
- Initial window during which an insurer may cancel more freely testedThere is NO general first-60-days free-cancellation window in Idaho's auto statute — § 41-2507's enumerated grounds are not switched on by a waiting period. What § 41-2506 does say is that a policy written for less than six months is treated "as if written for successive policy periods or terms of six (6) months"
- Notice days to cancel a homeowners policy inside the initial window tested30 days under the standard fire policy, or 10 days for nonpayment with the reason stated — § 41-2401(1)(j). ⚠ CHANGING: effective January 1, 2027 the general notice becomes 60 days and must state the reason; the 10-day nonpayment notice is unchanged (HB 562, 2026, Sess. Laws ch. 201)
- Notice days to cancel a personal auto policy inside the initial window testedAt least 20 days' notice to cancel a personal auto policy — "mailed or delivered by the insurer to the named insured at least twenty (20) days prior to the effective date"
- Notice days for cancellation for nonpayment tested10 days for nonpayment, and the notice must be accompanied by the reason — auto under § 41-2508, property under § 41-2401(1)(j). The 2027 fire-policy amendment leaves this at 10 days
- Notice days for cancellation for other permitted causes tested20 days for permitted causes on personal auto
- Notice days required for nonrenewal testedAuto: at least 30 days' advance notice of intention not to renew (§ 41-2508), which does not apply for nonpayment or where the insurer has shown willingness to renew. Property: no statutory nonrenewal notice today — ⚠ but a NEW § 41-2401(1)(k) requires 60 days' notice of nonrenewal with the reason from January 1, 2027 (HB 562, 2026)
- Must the reason be stated proactively, on request, or not at all? testedAuto: cancellation for nonpayment must be accompanied by the reason, and the insurer must state cancellation reasons on written request made at least 10 days before the effective date, or 15 days before for nonrenewal. Only the enumerated grounds in § 41-2507 permit cancellation
- Which policies the auto cancellation rules cover testedPrivate passenger and station-wagon type vehicles not used for public or livery conveyance and not rented to others, plus other four-wheel vehicles under 15,000 lbs not used in business, with a NATURAL PERSON as named insured. Does not apply to homeowners, commercial vehicles, garage or repair shop policies, or assigned risk plans
- Grounds on which a personal auto policy may be cancelled testedEnumerated in § 41-2507: nonpayment; material misrepresentation in obtaining the policy; violation of policy terms; failure to disclose accidents, violations or losses within 36 months; failure to disclose material underwriting facts on request; false or fraudulent claim; licence suspension or revocation; medical conditions affecting safe operation; accident or conviction record; speed contests; drug addiction or excessive alcohol use; specified criminal convictions within 36 months; mechanical defects, commercial use or hazardous cargo; and registration outside Idaho (renewal only)
- May an insurer exclude a specific driver? testedYes — "except as respects the legal liability of the named insured, the insurer shall have the right to exclude, cancel or refuse to renew coverage under an automobile insurance policy as to designated individuals," with the named insured's signed acknowledgment. This is a named-driver exclusion statute and is NOT an assigned-risk provision
- Deadline to pay an authorised repair bill tested20 days — payment is due "no later than twenty (20) days subsequent to receipt of an itemized bill or invoice covering repairs authorized by the insurer which have been satisfactorily completed"
Licensing 34 facts
How you get and keep the license — exams, fees, applications, background checks.
- Is there a standalone life license/exam? testedYes — Life is its own line of authority, defined as "insurance coverage on lives including benefits of endowment and annuities, and may include benefits in the event of death or dismemberment by accident and benefits for disability income"
- Is there a standalone health license/exam? testedYes — the line statute calls it "Disability": "accident and health or sickness insurance coverage for sickness, bodily injury or accidental death." The DOI calls the LOA "Accident Health and Sickness" and the exam "ID Accident & Health or Sickness Producer"
- Is there a combined life+health license/exam? testedNo — there is no combined Life & Health exam. Idaho offers exactly five producer exams (Life, Accident & Health or Sickness, Property, Casualty, Personal Lines) with no combined product of any kind. A candidate pursuing both lines sits two separate $65 exams
- Is there a personal lines license/exam? testedYes — a Personal Lines line with its own exam
- Is P&C one combined license, or split into Property and Casualty? testedSeparate lines and separate exams — Idaho offers no combined Property & Casualty exam. Holding BOTH Property and Casualty exempts you from the Surety examination; Surety held alone requires it
- Does the life license cover annuities? testedYes — annuities are sold under the Life line (variable products also require FINRA registration)
- Does the P&C license already include personal lines authority? testedNo — Personal Lines is its own line, but holding Property and Casualty covers personal-lines risks
- Full list of exam-based agent license types testedIdaho Code § 41-1008 lists seven qualifications: Life; Disability; Property; Casualty; Variable products; Personal lines; and Other lines. The DOI's producer page adds the limited lines it issues — Credit, Pet and Travel — alongside separate Bail Agent, Public Adjuster, Independent Adjuster, Surplus Lines Broker and Business Entity credentials
- Exam administrator (Prometric / PSI / Pearson VUE) testedPearson VUE — at a test centre or online through OnVUE, in English or Spanish. Idaho previously used PSI; DOI bulletins and NIPR pages that still reference PSI are stale
- Exam fee tested$65 per exam. The exam fee is charged PER LINE OF AUTHORITY — but the licence application fee is charged per application, so one $80 application can carry several lines
- License application fee tested$80 for the resident producer licence, charged per APPLICATION rather than per line of authority. Renewal is $80 on paper or $60 filed electronically. All fees are non-refundable
- Passing score testedNOT PUBLISHED. Idaho states no passing score or cut score anywhere — not in the Pearson VUE candidate handbook, the DOI content outlines, the DOI testing page and FAQ, the DOI's own pass-rate reports, or IDAPA. Score reports read only "pass" or "fail"; a failing report adds a numeric score with no published standard to compare it to. Idaho Code § 41-1006 delegates the standard to the Director and no rule prescribes one
- Minimum age to be licensed tested18 — the applicant must "be at least eighteen (18) years of age," have submitted fingerprints, paid the prescribed fees, passed the examinations for the lines applied for, and committed no act grounding denial, suspension or revocation
- Is pre-licensing education required? testedNO — the DOI states "Idaho does not require pre-licensing education," and the candidate handbook confirms "you do not require approval from the State of Idaho to take the examination." The one exception runs the other way: LIMITED LINES producers take no exam and instead read the Limited Lines Producer Pre-Licensing Manual and file a signed attestation
- Pre-licensing hours and any exceptions (e.g. Title, adjusters) testedNone for major lines. Candidates study the content outlines the DOI posts for each line and sit the exam directly. Surety held alone (without the Casualty major line) does require an examination
- Fingerprints, state police report, or none testedFingerprinting is REQUIRED of all resident applicants — "has submitted the applicant's fingerprints as may be required by the director" — captured by Pearson VUE. Electronic capture is $65; hard-card pricing is quoted inconsistently by the DOI ($61.25 on the testing page, $65.25 on the hard-card instructions page, $65 in the handbook), against an IDAPA ceiling of "not to exceed eighty dollars ($80)." Nonresidents are not fingerprinted. (Note § 41-1013 is renewal and CE, not fingerprints.)
- Who takes the prints / issues the report testedPearson VUE — the same vendor that administers the exams. Booking codes are InsID-FPELC (electronic, 30-minute appointment) and InsID-FPHC (hard card); these are universal service codes, not per-applicant identifiers. Results and the CHRI Request & Release form go to the Idaho DOI
- Where you apply (Sircon / NIPR / state portal) testedNIPR (nipr.com), linked from the DOI's licensing pages. Idaho does not use Sircon for producer applications
- How each producer exam is structured testedEvery one of the five producer exams is split into a General (national) portion and an Idaho-specific portion that are SCORED SEPARATELY. Per the candidate handbook: "each examination is divided into two parts: the general section and the state section. Candidates who pass one section of the examination and fail the other need to retake the portion they did not pass." The DOI's own exam statistics are titled "Portion Pass Report" and list the two portions as separate rows
- Scored and pretest questions by exam testedLife (InsID-Life0001) 75 scored (50+25) + 11 pretest, 120 min · Accident & Health or Sickness (InsID-AH0002) 75 scored (50+25) + 11 pretest, 120 min · Property (InsID-Prop0003) 68 scored (50+18) + 12 pretest, 105 min · Casualty (InsID-Cas0004) 70 scored (50+20) + 13 pretest, 105 min · Personal Lines (InsID-Pers0005) 97 scored (75+22) + 5 pretest, 120 min. Note the DOI's Personal Lines outline header says 95, contradicting its own sections (75+22=97); the sections are corroborated at subsection level by Pearson VUE's outline
- Retake waiting period and attempt limits testedA candidate may retake "24 hours after their last attempt," and reservations for re-examination cannot be made at the test centre. Each attempt requires a new $65 fee, including a portion-only retake. No attempt limit is published — treat that as unstated rather than as unlimited. Statutorily, a candidate who fails or fails to appear must "reapply for an examination and remit all required fees and forms before being rescheduled"
- How long a passing exam score stays valid tested180 days, and it is statutory rather than vendor policy: "applications for licensure not received by the department within one hundred eighty (180) days of the successful completion of the examination shall be denied." There is no extension mechanism
- Is remote proctoring available? testedYES — the handbook states "candidates may take an exam at a test site or an exam OnVUE online proctored," and Pearson VUE maintains a live Idaho insurance OnVUE page with no discontinuation notice. Requirements: Windows 10 or macOS 14+, working webcam, microphone and speaker (headphones prohibited), ONE display only, and at least 6 Mbps down / 2 Mbps up. Test-centre candidates leave with a printed score report; OnVUE candidates retrieve it from their Pearson VUE account
- Arrival, identification and prohibited items testedReport to the test centre "at least fifteen (15) minutes before the examination begins" — notably tighter than the 30 minutes most states use. A primary ID bearing both a photograph and a signature, unexpired, is required; if the signature is embedded in a microchip and not visible, a second document with a visible signature must be produced. No personal items in the testing room, including watches. Cancel or reschedule at least 48 hours ahead or forfeit the fee
- Are there any exam waivers? testedOnly for prior licensure — Idaho grants NO designation-based waiver of any kind. § 41-1012 exempts a person "previously licensed for the same lines of authority in another state" who is currently licensed there; who applies within 90 days of the prior licence's cancellation with certification of good standing; or who moves to Idaho and applies "within ninety (90) days of establishing legal residence." CLU, ChFC, CPCU, CIC, FLMI and RHU appear nowhere in the section
- Are temporary licences available? testedYes — for a period "not to exceed one hundred eighty (180) days without requiring an examination," in four situations: death or disability of a producer (to the surviving spouse or personal representative), death or disability of a business entity's designated individual, a producer entering U.S. military service, or where the Director determines the public interest is best served. The Director may limit the authority granted, require a licensed sponsor, and revoke without prior hearing. There is NO renewal provision — DOI states a temporary licence "cannot be renewed or requested twice." Temporary licensees are exempt from CE
- Is a carrier appointment required, and what does it cost? testedYes — "an insurance producer shall not act as an agent of an insurer unless the insurance producer becomes an appointed agent of that insurer." The insurer files notice "within fifteen (15) days from the date the agency contract is executed or the first insurance application is submitted," and appointments cannot be backdated more than 15 days from the Department's receipt or before the licence issue date. There is NO separate appointment fee: IDAPA 18.01.02 § 020.01.c folds "agent appointment and renewals" into the insurer's Annual Continuation Fee
- Deadlines when an appointment ends testedThe insurer must notify the Director within 30 days following the effective date of termination, and must mail a copy to the producer within 15 days after making that notification. For-cause terminations require certified mail or overnight delivery and written certification by an officer. Everyone involved has statutory immunity from civil liability "in the absence of actual malice"
- How long producer records must be kept testedFive years "after the creation or the completion, whichever is later, of the respective transactions," covering names and addresses of insurer and insured, policy number and expiration, premium payable, binder details, and all disclosures. Records may be kept off-site and electronically if accessible from the principal place of business on reasonable notice
- How premium funds must be handled tested"All fiduciary funds received or collected by a producer shall be trust funds received by the producer in a fiduciary capacity." Separate accounts are required; commingling multiple clients' funds in one trust account is permitted only where each person's share is "reasonably ascertainable from the records and accounts of the producer." Unlawful diversion of fiduciary funds is a FELONY. No specific remittance day-count is stated
- Commissions to unlicensed persons testedProhibited — insurers and producers may not compensate an unlicensed person for insurance sales activity, and no person may accept it. Two exceptions: renewal and deferred commissions may be paid to someone who held a valid licence at the time of the original transaction, and payments are permitted regardless of licence status provided no other Title 41 provision or department rule is violated
- Charging the client a fee testedPermitted with disclosure. A retail producer must give advance "written statement that describes the services the retail producer will perform and the fees the retail producer will receive" and obtain a signed and dated acknowledgment. A wholesale producer's fee must be disclosed in writing "on the face of the policy as a separately itemized charge." Producers may use a combination of fees and commissions
- Penalties for violations testedAdministrative: not more than $1,000 for an individual and not more than $5,000 for any other person. Criminal: a fine of not more than $1,000, or imprisonment in the county jail for up to six months, or both. Unfair claim settlement practices carry a separate administrative penalty "not to exceed ten thousand dollars ($10,000)"
- Getting a surplus lines broker licence tested$80 application, $60 renewal, $120 late reinstatement; renews every two years and may be applied for up to 90 days before expiration. Requires a P&C producer licence held for two years, membership of the Idaho Surplus Lines Association, and NO examination. Surplus lines producers are exempt from Idaho CE. Premium tax is 1.5%, remitted by the broker on or before 1 March each year