What This License Is
A New Hampshire Life license lets you sell life insurance and annuity products to people and businesses in New Hampshire. It is issued by the New Hampshire Insurance Department.
Licensing runs through the same process as every New Hampshire producer line — the difference is the focused Life exam.
Exam Options & Format
The Life exam is Life Producer (Series 12-61): 100 scored (+5-10 unscored trial items) questions, 2 hr, $59 per attempt. Passing standard: 70%.
New Hampshire also offers the combined exam (Life, Accident & Health Producer (Series 12-63): 150 scored questions, 2 hr 30 min, $72), which licenses both lines in one sitting. If there is any chance you will sell health products later, the combined exam is usually the better value.
Do you need a pre-licensing course?
No. New Hampshire doesn't require pre-licensing education for any producer line, and the Insurance Department is explicit that it neither provides a study manual nor endorses any course — that's entirely your call.
"Not required" isn't "not smart," though. These are 150-question comprehensive exams blending national product knowledge with NH statutes, and a focused prep package is usually the difference between one attempt and several. Just know you can register and sit whenever you're ready — no seat-time gate.
What it takes to pass
You need 70% overall to pass. PSI scores the exam as a straight percentage, and the 70% applies to your total score — individual content sections can fall below 70% as long as the whole exam clears the bar.
There's no penalty for wrong answers, so never leave anything blank. Your score shows on screen at the end and arrives by email; fail, and the report includes a diagnostic breakdown of your weak areas by topic so you know where to focus the retake.
You can retake as many times as needed — there's no annual cap — but you can't rebook on the same day you tested, and a passing score stays valid for 2 years.
Booking the exam and what to expect
Schedule the NH Life, Accident & Health exam (12-63) through PSI at test-takers.psiexams.com/nhins or by phone at 855-340-3713. The fee is $72 combined ($59 per single line), paid at reservation by card — nonrefundable, nontransferable, and valid for one year from payment.
You can test at a PSI center (Concord, Keene, Nashua, Newington, Portsmouth, or Manchester — or any PSI site nationwide) or via remote online proctoring from home. For either, arrive or log in 30 minutes early with one current, government-issued photo-and-signature ID (military IDs aren't accepted for remote testing).
It's computer-based multiple choice, one question at a time, with a 15-minute tutorial that doesn't eat into your exam clock. Heads up on remote testing: no breaks are allowed during a remote proctored exam, so plan accordingly.
Applying for the license
New Hampshire accepts applications only electronically through NIPR (nipr.com). You'll complete the NAIC Uniform Application, have your passing exam result on file, and pay the licensing fee — about $210, plus NIPR's ~$5.60 transaction fee.
There's no fingerprinting and no separate background submission for resident producers — one of the few states where you skip that step entirely. Passing the exam doesn't guarantee issuance; the Department still reviews your full application, and any "yes" answer to a background question means submitting supporting documents within 30 days or the application is declined.
Once licensed, remember that an insurer must file your appointment within 15 days of starting business with you (RSA 402-J:14). Adding another line of authority later means passing that line's exam and a $50 amendment fee. If you want variable products authority, you'll need a Life license plus FINRA Series 63 or 66.
The New Hampshire regulation block
Insurance Regulation is 7% of the L&H exam (~11 questions) and leans on Title XXXVII statutes. Expect the licensing framework (RSA 402-J): producer types, resident vs. nonresident, business entities, temporary licenses, appointments within 15 days, renewal, change of address, and reporting of administrative actions.
The unfair-trade-practice cluster (RSA 417:4 and RSA 402) is reliably tested: misrepresentation, twisting, false advertising, defamation, boycott/coercion/intimidation, illegal inducement, unfair discrimination, and rebating. Add the Commissioner's duties and powers (RSA 400-A), unfair claim settlement practices, fiduciary requirements, controlled business, conversion of funds, and consumer privacy regulation.
The Federal Laws slice (2%, ~3 Q) covers FCRA, USC 1033/1034 (the prohibited-persons/written-consent rule), the National Do Not Call list, Gramm-Leach-Bliley privacy, the ACA, and the CAN-SPAM Act.
Keeping the license: CE & renewal
You owe 24 CE hours every 2 years, including at least 3 (and no more than 10) producer ethics credits. The renewal window opens 90 days before expiration, but your CE has to be complete and banked 60 days before the expiration date — you can't renew until you're CE-compliant.
Licenses run on a birth-month cycle: your first expiration is the last day of the birth month that falls at least 13 but not more than 25 months after issue, then every 2 years after that. The Department runs CE internally through State Based Systems and emails a courtesy reminder about 60 days out.
LTC & annuity training gates
On top of CE, New Hampshire imposes product-specific training for certain sales. Producers selling long-term care must complete approved LTC training, and those selling annuities must complete annuity-suitability/best-interest training before transacting that business. Skipping the required training can jeopardize your authority to sell the related product.
These training requirements sit alongside — not inside — your 24-hour CE total, so budget for them separately if you plan to write LTC or annuity business.
Quick Reference
Official Links
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