Minnesota Insurance Exam Guides
Pick the license you're studying for. Each guide covers Minnesota-specific requirements, fees, and official links — plus a free practice exam. Then scroll down to explore the Minnesota exam's state-law material, mapped.
Free study resource
What's actually tested on the Minnesota exam — the state regulations, mapped
Every Minnesota insurance exam reserves a block of questions for Minnesota-specific law — the fees, deadlines, limits, and rules that generic national study guides gloss over. This is that material: 112 facts from the TESTivity Minnesota 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 July 2026) — and is re-checked on a schedule. Facts marked tested are ones you should expect to see on the exam.
Life 13 facts
The life insurance rules that differ by state — free look, grace, reinstatement.
- Incontestability period tested2 years from the date of issue (except nonpayment of premium)
- Grace period for individual life tested1 month (at least 30 days) for individual life
- Window to reinstate a lapsed policy testedWithin 3 years of default, on evidence of insurability and payment of overdue premiums with interest
- Suicide exclusion period testedA suicide-exclusion period may be no longer than 1 YEAR from issue — and if a claim is denied for suicide within that year, the insurer must REFUND all premiums paid for the denied benefit
- Free look for individual life tested10 days for individual life, from delivery
- Free look for annuities tested10 days for annuities (a variable annuity refund equals the account value)
- Free look when a policy is being replaced tested30 days when a life policy or annuity is being replaced — an unconditional refund of all premiums
- Free look for long-term care tested30 days for long-term care, from policy delivery
- Required nonforfeiture options testedCash surrender value plus a paid-up nonforfeiture benefit (reduced paid-up insurance or extended term insurance), under the Standard Nonforfeiture Law
- Registrations required to sell variable products testedVariable life and variable annuities require the Life line plus Minnesota's Variable Life and Variable Annuity line and a FINRA Series 6 or 7 with active registration (they are securities)
- Does the state regulate viatical/life settlements? testedYes — Minnesota regulates viatical and life settlements; providers and brokers must be licensed
- Viator's rescission window testedThe viator may rescind for the earlier of 30 days after the contract is executed or 15 days after the proceeds are received
- Has the state adopted the NAIC best interest standard? testedYES — Minnesota adopted the NAIC 2020 best interest standard (Minn. Stat. 72A.2032), effective January 1, 2023 (Minnesota-specific forms required from July 1, 2023), with a producer duty of care and annuity training
Health 15 facts
Health coverage rules — continuation, prompt pay, mandates, public programs.
- Has the state expanded Medicaid under the ACA? testedYES — Minnesota expanded Medicaid (its program is Medical Assistance) under the ACA to adults up to 138% of the federal poverty level
- Effective date of expansion, if expanded testedMinnesota was an early expansion state (Medical Assistance early opt-in March 1, 2011), with full ACA expansion to 138% FPL on January 1, 2014
- Agency administering Medicaid testedThe Minnesota Department of Human Services (DHS)
- Federal marketplace or state-based exchange testedA STATE-BASED exchange — MNsure (created under Minn. Stat. ch. 62V) — not the federal HealthCare.gov
- Name of the state CHIP program testedMinnesota's CHIP is a Medicaid-expansion CHIP funding Medical Assistance for children; MinnesotaCare (a separate Basic Health Program under the ACA) covers many low-income residents above Medicaid levels
- Clean-claim payment deadline, electronic tested30 calendar days after receipt of a clean claim (Minnesota applies a single 30-day standard to electronic and paper)
- Clean-claim payment deadline, paper tested30 calendar days — the same clean-claim deadline applies to paper and electronic claims
- Does the state distinguish electronic vs paper claims? testedNo split — a single 30-day clean-claim deadline for both paper and electronic claims
- Interest / penalty on late claim payment tested1.5% per month (18% per year) interest on a clean claim not paid within 30 days, paid at least quarterly
- Is the IRO's external review decision binding on the plan? testedYES — the independent external review decision BINDS the health plan (the enrollee is not bound, and the plan may seek court review only if the decision was arbitrary and capricious). Request within 6 months; decision in 45 days (72 hours expedited).
- Employer size at which federal COBRA applies testedFederal COBRA applies at 20+ employees; Minnesota state continuation applies regardless of employer size, so it also covers smaller groups
- Employer size range covered by state continuation testedMinnesota state continuation applies to group coverage REGARDLESS of employer size — so it fills the sub-20-employee gap that federal COBRA leaves
- Duration of state continuation coverage testedUp to 18 months (longer for certain events under federal COBRA rules)
- Election period for state continuation testedAt least 60 days to elect (the employer must give notice within 14 days)
- Max premium as % of group rate testedUp to 102% of the group cost
Auto 12 facts
Auto insurance — minimum limits, fault system, required coverages.
- Fault-based (tort) or no-fault testedNO-FAULT — Minnesota requires Personal Injury Protection (PIP) basic economic loss benefits, paid regardless of fault, with a tort threshold to sue for pain and suffering, under the Minnesota No-Fault Automobile Insurance Act
- Minimum bodily injury liability per person tested$30,000
- Minimum bodily injury liability per occurrence tested$60,000
- Minimum property damage liability tested$10,000
- The memorizable shorthand (e.g. 30/60/25) tested30/60/10, plus mandatory PIP ($40,000 per person) and mandatory uninsured- AND underinsured-motorist coverage at 25/50 each
- Uninsured motorist: mandatory / must be offered & rejectable / not required testedMANDATORY — uninsured-motorist coverage is compulsory at $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Underinsured motorist status testedMANDATORY — underinsured-motorist coverage is also compulsory at $25,000 per person / $50,000 per accident
- Personal injury protection status testedMANDATORY PIP — $40,000 per person: $20,000 for medical expense and $20,000 for non-medical economic loss (income loss, replacement services, funeral, survivor's benefits), regardless of fault
- Contributory / pure comparative / modified comparative negligence testedModified comparative negligence — a claimant recovers only if their fault is NOT GREATER THAN the person they are claiming against, so a claimant more than 50% at fault (51% or more) recovers nothing; the award is reduced by the claimant's share
- The bar percentage, if modified comparative tested51% bar — a claimant whose fault is greater than the party they claim against recovers nothing
- Assigned risk / residual market plan for auto testedThe Minnesota Automobile Insurance Plan (the assigned-risk plan)
- Any alternative to buying liability insurance (e.g. VA's UMV fee) testedSelf-insurance is permitted for qualifying fleets/owners on application to the Commissioner; otherwise coverage is compulsory
CE & Renewal 10 facts
Continuing education and renewal rules — the numbers the exam loves.
- How long a license lasts before renewal tested2 years (biennial), expiring on the last day of the licensee's birth month; the first term is staggered to run 12 to 24 months
- What the renewal date keys off (flat term / birthday / birth year) testedBirthday-based — the license expires on the last day of the licensee's birth month every 2 years (you may renew up to 90 days early)
- CE hours per renewal period, standard case tested24 CE credit hours each 2-year period, including 3 hours of ethics
- CE hours if holding multiple license types (if different) tested24 total each period — the requirement is per person, not multiplied by the number of lines held
- Ethics hours required per period tested3 hours of ethics each period
- Limits on who may provide CE credits testedCourses and providers must be approved by the Commissioner of Commerce; no more than half of the hours may come from insurer-affiliated courses
- Initial long-term care training requirement tested8 hours of initial long-term care training plus 4 hours of ongoing training every 24 months (the producer must hold an Accident & Health or Life line)
- What happens if CE is not completed (fine / expiry / cancellation) testedA producer who has not completed CE cannot renew and may not act under the license until compliant; the Commissioner may grant a good-cause waiver or extension of up to 90 days
- Late renewal / reinstatement tiers testedReinstate within 12 months of expiration without re-examination by paying a penalty equal to double the unpaid renewal fee; after 12 months you must reapply as a new applicant (retest and re-fingerprint for exam lines)
- Any CE exemption (e.g. long-service agents) testedProducers writing solely for Chapter 67A township mutual companies are exempt from CE; nonresidents who meet their home-state CE are treated as compliant
Property 7 facts
Property insurance — rate regulation, residual markets, catastrophe exposure.
- Rate regulation system (file-and-use / prior approval / use-and-file) testedCOMPETITIVE (file-and-use) — insurers file rates on or before their effective date, and rates take effect on filing; the Commissioner may act if a rate is excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory (a hearing may follow a 25%+ increase in 12 months)
- Is insurance credit scoring permitted in personal lines? testedPERMITTED but RESTRICTED — an insurer may not use a credit score as the SOLE basis to reject, cancel, or nonrenew private passenger auto or homeowners coverage; other factors must be considered
- Does the state have a FAIR Plan? testedYES — the Minnesota FAIR Plan, the state's insurer of last resort for basic property coverage
- Name of the FAIR Plan, if any testedThe Minnesota FAIR Plan
- Dominant catastrophe perils in the state testedHail, tornadoes and straight-line wind, severe thunderstorms, and winter storms and ice — an inland, non-hurricane, non-earthquake exposure (Minnesota is among the most hail-prone states)
- What license you must already hold to write surplus lines testedA surplus lines license, which requires holding the underlying Property & Casualty producer authority
- Is a diligent-effort search of the admitted market required first? testedYes — a diligent search of the admitted market first. Coverage is presumed available (and may not be exported) if it is readily available from three or more authorized insurers
Guaranty 10 facts
The safety nets when an insurer fails — and their limits.
- Name of the life & health guaranty association testedThe Minnesota Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association
- Life death benefit limit tested$500,000
- Life cash surrender / withdrawal value limit tested$130,000 net cash surrender and net cash withdrawal value
- Annuity benefit limit tested$250,000 present value of annuity benefits ($410,000 for structured settlement annuities)
- Health benefit limit tested$500,000 for health, long-term care, and disability income insurance
- Aggregate per-individual cap, if any tested$500,000 aggregate per individual life, across all coverages
- Does the state follow the standard NAIC model limits? testedHigher than the older NAIC model — Minnesota adopted the enhanced limits ($500,000 death benefit, $130,000 cash value, $500,000 aggregate) rather than the $300,000/$100,000/$300,000 figures many states use
- Name of the P&C guaranty association testedThe Minnesota Insurance Guaranty Association (MIGA)
- Per-claim cap tested$300,000 per covered claim (plus up to $300,000 unearned premium), with a $10,000,000 aggregate per insured per insolvency; workers' compensation claims are not subject to the $300,000 cap
- Is using the guaranty association as a sales inducement prohibited? testedYes — using the existence of the guaranty association to sell, solicit, or induce the purchase of insurance is prohibited (the required disclosure notice is the only permitted reference)
Workers Comp 7 facts
Who must carry workers' compensation and what it pays.
- Is workers' compensation mandatory for private employers? testedYes — essentially every employer must provide workers' compensation coverage
- Employee count at which coverage is required testedCoverage is required of essentially all employers from the first employee — Minnesota has NO numeric employee minimum (limited exceptions exist, e.g. certain family farm and casual labor)
- Agency administering workers' compensation testedThe Minnesota Department of Labor and Industry (Workers' Compensation Division); self-insurance is approved through the Department of Commerce
- Temporary total disability wage replacement rate testedTemporary total disability: 66 2/3% of the worker's average weekly wage, capped at 108% of the statewide average weekly wage (adjusted each October 1)
- Maximum TTD duration testedUp to 130 weeks of temporary total disability
- Deadline to file a claim testedFile a claim within 3 years of a written report of injury to the Department, but no more than 6 years from the date of the injury
- Ways an employer may comply (insure / self-insure / group) testedBuy a policy from a licensed carrier, or qualify as an approved self-insurer (individual or group, approved by the Department of Commerce)
Regulator 5 facts
Who regulates insurance here and what powers the office holds.
- Name of the state insurance regulator testedThe Minnesota Department of Commerce
- Title of the person who heads it testedCommissioner of Commerce
- How the commissioner is chosen: elected / appointed by governor / appointed by other body testedAPPOINTED by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate — not elected
- Where the state's insurance law is codified testedThe Insurance chapters of the Minnesota Statutes (roughly chapters 59A through 79A, with the core in 60A-72C), and the producer licensing law in Chapter 60K
- Does the regulator sit somewhere unusual (e.g. inside a constitutional commission)? testedYes — insurance is regulated WITHIN the Department of Commerce (which also oversees banking, securities, energy, and other industries), rather than by a standalone insurance department. Note that in 2025 the criminal insurance-fraud investigation function moved from the Commerce Fraud Bureau to the Department of Public Safety's Bureau of Criminal Apprehension; Commerce retains civil fraud review.
Cancellation 7 facts
When and how policies can be canceled or nonrenewed — heavily tested.
- Initial window during which an insurer may cancel more freely testedAbout 60 days — the cancellation restrictions of the auto and homeowners laws apply once a policy has been in effect roughly 60 days (the first ~59 days allow broader cancellation)
- Notice days to cancel a personal auto policy inside the initial window testedAt least 30 days' written notice to cancel a personal auto policy, stating the reason (10 days for nonpayment, or for a policy in effect less than 60 days)
- Notice days for cancellation for nonpayment tested10 days' notice for cancellation for nonpayment of premium (auto)
- Notice days for cancellation for other permitted causes testedAuto: at least 30 days for cancellation on a permitted ground (10 days for nonpayment or a policy under 60 days old)
- Notice days required for nonrenewal testedAt least 60 days before expiration — auto (Minn. Stat. 65B.17) and homeowners (Minn. Stat. 65A.29) — stating the specific reason
- Must the reason be stated proactively, on request, or not at all? testedYes — a cancellation or nonrenewal notice must state the specific reason in plain language, and an auto policy may not be nonrenewed arbitrarily or solely because of the insured's age
- Restrictions on nonrenewing because of claims (e.g. weather claims excluded) testedA homeowners insurer must file a loss-experience threshold plan, may not treat a mere claim inquiry as a claim, and must send a written warning before nonrenewing for loss experience; a 2024 law allows nonrenewal only after 3 or more wind/hail/lightning/rain losses each over $10,000 within 5 years (with 60 days' notice and a FAIR Plan disclosure)
Licensing 26 facts
How you get and keep the license — exams, fees, applications, background checks.
- Is there a standalone life license/exam? testedYes — a Life line of authority
- Is there a standalone health license/exam? testedYes — an Accident and Health or Sickness line of authority
- Is there a combined life+health license/exam? testedYes — PSI offers a combined Life, Accident & Health exam, in addition to the individual Life and Accident & Health lines
- Is there a personal lines license/exam? testedYes — a Personal Lines line of authority (its own exam), for those who do not want a full Property & Casualty authority
- Is P&C one combined license, or split into Property and Casualty? testedBoth — Property and Casualty are SEPARATE lines of authority, and PSI offers a Property exam and a Casualty exam individually AND a combined Property & Casualty exam, plus a narrower Personal Lines line.
- Does the life license cover annuities? testedYes — FIXED annuities are sold under the Life line. VARIABLE life and variable annuities require the separate Variable line plus FINRA registration (they are securities).
- Does the P&C license already include personal lines authority? testedYes — a full Property & Casualty authority covers personal-lines risks; the Personal Lines line is a narrower subset
- Full list of exam-based agent license types testedOne Minnesota producer license listing any of: Life · Accident and Health or Sickness · Property · Casualty · Personal Lines · Variable Life and Variable Annuity — plus limited lines (Limited-Line Credit, Farm Property & Liability, Title, Travel, Bail Bonds)
- Exam administrator (Prometric / PSI / Pearson VUE) testedPSI Services (PSI) administers Minnesota producer exams under contract with the Department of Commerce
- Exam fee tested$45 per producer exam attempt through PSI (non-refundable); adjuster exams are $25
- License application fee tested$50 for a resident individual producer license, plus a technology surcharge of up to $40 (business entity $200; surplus lines $500)
- Fee per insurer appointment tested$30 per appointment, paid by the appointing insurer (an appointment is required to transact for that insurer)
- Passing score tested70%
- Minimum age to be licensed tested18
- Is pre-licensing education required? testedYES — Minnesota requires 20 hours of pre-licensing education for each major line (Life, Accident & Health, Property, Casualty, or Personal Lines), by classroom or verifiable self-study
- Pre-licensing hours and any exceptions (e.g. Title, adjusters) tested20 hours of pre-licensing per major line, classroom or verifiable self-study (not insurer-sponsored). The Farm Property/Liability and Variable lines are exempt, and holders of qualifying degrees or designations (CLU, ChFC, CFP, CPCU, CIC, FLMI, RHU, and others) may be exempt.
- Fingerprints, state police report, or none testedFINGERPRINT-based background check — a Minnesota BCA (state) and FBI (national) criminal history check is required for a resident producer license
- Who takes the prints / issues the report testedFingerprints are captured electronically through PSI (about $63.75) or by manual fingerprint card (about $32) and processed by the Minnesota BCA and FBI
- How long the background report stays valid testedThe fingerprint consent/authorization form is valid for 1 year
- Deadline to apply after passing the exam testedA passing exam result supports a license application for 3 years (36 months)
- How long a passed exam remains valid testedA passed exam remains valid for 3 years
- Waiting period before retaking a failed exam testedYou may not rebook on the same day, but may retake at the next available session (re-register and pay the fee again); PSI states no cap on attempts
- Notice required to reschedule/cancel without forfeiting the fee testedYou must notify PSI at least 2 days before the scheduled exam to reschedule or cancel without forfeiting the fee
- Where you apply (Sircon / NIPR / state portal) testedSircon (the Department of Commerce routes resident applicants there); NIPR is also supported
- Are temporary licenses available? testedYes — a temporary license is available in limited circumstances (applied for through Sircon, with a sponsoring agency filing a certification of compliance); it is not a route for ordinary new applicants
- Temporary license duration and training requirement testedAvailable in limited circumstances through Sircon; the sponsoring agency files a certification of compliance