Getting your Maryland Property & Casualty license
Maryland makes the path to a Property & Casualty producer license refreshingly direct. As of October 1, 2024 the state repealed its pre-licensing education requirement, so there is no mandatory coursework standing between you and the exam - you can register with Prometric and sit whenever you are ready.
That said, "allowed to sit" and "ready to pass" are two different things. The exam blends national insurance fundamentals with a meaty block of Maryland-specific law, and you need a 70% to pass. A structured study plan is the difference between a one-and-done exam day and burning the mandatory 4-day wait between retakes.
Who can get licensed
To qualify for a resident Maryland producer license you must be at least 18 years old, pass the appropriate licensing exam, and submit the NAIC Uniform Individual Application with the $54 license fee through NIPR.
Maryland does not require fingerprinting or a separate Live Scan background check for resident producer applicants. You do, however, answer background-disclosure questions on the application - if you answer "yes" to any, you must attach a written statement and the corresponding court documents (not website printouts) through NIPR's Attachments Warehouse.
What the Property & Casualty exam looks like
The Maryland Property & Casualty Combo exam is a single computer-based test of 120 scored questions plus 10 unscored pretest questions (130 total), with a 2.5-hour time limit. Every question is four-option multiple choice, and you need 70% of the scored questions correct to pass.
The pretest questions are unmarked and scattered throughout - you cannot tell which ones they are, and they do not count for or against you. Treat every question as if it counts.
Here is how the 120 scored questions break down across the content outline - use it to weight your study time:
Insurance Regulation 30% • General Insurance 7% • Property & Casualty Basics 13% • Dwelling Policy 8% • Homeowners Policy 13% • Auto Insurance 8% • Commercial Package Policy 13% • Businessowners Policy 1% • Workers Compensation 3% • Other Coverages & Options 5%
Three question formats to expect
Prometric uses three multiple-choice formats. Knowing them removes surprise on test day.
Direct question - a straightforward "Which one of the following..." Pick the single best answer.
Incomplete sentence - the stem is the first half of a sentence and each option completes it.
"All of the following EXCEPT" - you are hunting for the one option that does NOT belong. These trip people up under time pressure because the brain wants to pick a true statement. Read the EXCEPT carefully every single time.
Scheduling your exam with Prometric
Register and schedule online at prometric.com/exams/mia. You can test two ways: in person at any Prometric test center in the U.S., or remotely from home using Prometric's ProProctor application. The exam fee is $62, payable by Visa, MasterCard, or American Express.
For ProProctor you supply a computer (no tablets) with a webcam, microphone, and internet connection, and you run a system check before booking. Maryland exams are also offered in Spanish, and ESL candidates can request 150% time with the proper documentation.
If you fail, you must wait 4 days before retaking the same exam, and exam fees are not refundable or transferable. Reschedule at least 24 hours ahead or you forfeit the fee.
What to bring and expect
Arrive at least 30 minutes early. Bring one non-expired, U.S. government-issued photo and signature ID; if your primary ID lacks a photo or signature, bring a secondary ID that supplies the missing piece. The name must match your exam registration exactly.
There are no scheduled breaks. You may take an unscheduled break, but the clock keeps running and you re-clear security on return. Personal items - phones, smart watches, notes, bags - are not allowed in the testing area.
You get your pass/fail result on screen immediately and a score report by email, with a diagnostic breakdown of your strengths and weak spots.
From passing score to active license
Passing the exam does not automatically license you. After you pass, apply online at nipr.com using the NAIC Uniform Application and pay the $54 license fee. Allow a few business days for processing; Maryland no longer mails paper certificates, so you print your license from NIPR or StateBasedSystems.
Before you can actually sell a carrier's products, that carrier must appoint you. Appointments are submitted by the insurer and processed within a few business days - no additional exam required.
Continuing education and renewal
Maryland producer licenses renew every two years and expire on the last day of your birth month. Most licensees owe 24 hours of CE per renewal period, including 3 hours of ethics. Finish your CE at least 15 days before expiration or you will not be able to renew on time.
Renew through NIPR (roughly a $69 renewal fee). You must also report any address change to the MIA within 30 days - you can do that free at nipr.com. If your license lapses, you have up to one year to reinstate it by applying, paying the renewal fee plus a late fee, and being current on CE.
What Maryland tests beyond the national material
Insurance Regulation is 30% of this exam, and a big chunk is Maryland statute. The Maryland auto policy alone is heavily tested: state-required liability limits, mandatory uninsured/underinsured motorist coverage, Personal Injury Protection (PIP) and its waivers, the named-driver exclusion, and the Maryland Automobile Insurance Fund (MAIF) as the state's residual auto market.
Property topics carry Maryland-specific wrinkles too: homeowners water-backup-from-sewers-and-drains coverage, lead liability and lead-poisoning coverage and exclusions, and the Maryland tenant relocation expense endorsement. Know the Maryland Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Corporation, the Maryland Insurers Insolvency Fund, the Joint Insurance Association (JIA), and Maryland's cancellation and nonrenewal notice rules.
On the workers' compensation side, the Maryland Workers' Compensation Act, the Subsequent Injury Fund, and the Maryland Workers' Compensation Trust Fund are all fair game alongside the standard WC and employers liability policy structure.
Quick Reference
Official Links
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