What This License Is
A Massachusetts Life license lets you sell life insurance and annuity products to people and businesses in Massachusetts. It is issued by the Massachusetts Division of Insurance.
Licensing runs through the same process as every Massachusetts producer line — the difference is the focused Life exam.
Exam Options & Format
The Life exam is Life Producer (Series 16-51, Pearson VUE): 90 total (80 scored: 50 general + 30 Massachusetts; 10 pretest) questions, 2 hr (VERIFY — from secondary sources), $37 per attempt. Passing standard: 70 (scaled).
Massachusetts does not offer a combined exam for these lines — each line of authority is its own exam, so producers who want both simply take both exams.
Eligibility Requirements
You must be at least 18 and of good character; Massachusetts reviews your background through the application's written disclosure questions rather than fingerprints. A criminal history involving fraud, dishonesty, or breach of trust can lead to denial — answer every disclosure completely, because misrepresentation is itself grounds for denial.
What It Costs
Massachusetts keeps upfront costs low — no pre-licensing course, no fingerprint fee. Budget the per-exam fees plus the license fee at application:
Passing Score
You need a scaled score of 70 to pass, with results reported at the test center. Aim for a consistent 80% on practice exams before you schedule — that buffer is the best predictor of a first-attempt pass.
Keeping Your License Active
Important CE details: 45 CE credits each 3-year cycle (60 in the FIRST cycle after original licensure), including 3 hours of Massachusetts Approved Ethics (MAE). Renewal is birthday-based, every 3 years. P&C and Personal Lines producers selling NFIP flood insurance need a one-time 3-hour flood course.
Massachusetts runs on a 3-year, birthday-based license cycle. Each cycle requires 45 CE credits — except your first cycle after original licensure, which requires 60 credits. Every cycle must include 3 hours of Massachusetts Approved Ethics (MAE) coursework.
CE administration moved to Pearson VUE alongside the exam transition, so course lookups and credit banking now run through Pearson/SBS rather than Prometric.
Quick Reference
Official Links
Don't study generic. Study Massachusetts.
You've got the roadmap. Now get the Massachusetts-specific Life question bank, mock exams, and video course built by instructors with 20+ years teaching this material.