New Jersey Insurance Exam Guides
Pick the license you're studying for. Each guide covers New Jersey-specific requirements, fees, and official links — plus a free practice exam. Then scroll down to explore the New Jersey exam's state-law material, mapped.
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What's actually tested on the New Jersey exam — the state regulations, mapped
Every New Jersey insurance exam reserves a block of questions for New Jersey-specific law — the fees, deadlines, limits, and rules that generic national study guides gloss over. This is that material: 112 facts from the TESTivity New Jersey 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 14 facts
The life insurance rules that differ by state — free look, grace, reinstatement.
- Incontestability period tested2 years — a policy is incontestable after it has been in force during the insured's lifetime for 2 years from issue (except for nonpayment of premium)
- Grace period for individual life tested30 days, during which the policy stays in full force; the insurer may charge interest of up to 6% per year on the overdue premium for the days of grace
- Window to reinstate a lapsed policy testedWithin 3 years of the first unpaid premium's due date, on written application with evidence of insurability and payment of overdue premiums plus interest (unless the policy was surrendered for cash value)
- Max interest chargeable on reinstatement, if capped testedOverdue premiums are paid with interest at the rate specified in the policy — New Jersey's reinstatement rule does not fix a single statutory percentage cap
- Suicide exclusion period tested2
- Free look for individual life testedAt least 10 days to return an individual life policy for a full refund (the period may be extended, up to one year)
- Free look for annuities testedNew Jersey has NO general statutory free-look mandate for an individual annuity — DOBI has stated it lacks the statutory authority to require one (a replacement annuity, however, carries a 30-day right to return). In practice most contracts voluntarily provide about 10 days.
- Free look when a policy is being replaced tested30 days to return a REPLACEMENT life policy or annuity contract for an unconditional full refund of premiums (cash surrender value plus charges for variable/market-value-adjusted products)
- Free look for long-term care tested30 days from delivery to return a long-term care policy or certificate and have the premium refunded
- Required nonforfeiture options testedCash surrender value, reduced paid-up insurance, and extended term insurance, under New Jersey's Standard Nonforfeiture Law
- Registrations required to sell variable products testedVariable life and variable annuities require the New Jersey Life line plus the Variable line of authority (which asks for a FINRA CRD number) and FINRA registration — the SIE plus a Series 6 or 7 through a broker-dealer. New Jersey is among the states that waive the Series 63.
- Does the state regulate viatical/life settlements? testedYes — New Jersey regulates viatical and life settlements under the Viatical Settlements Act (N.J.S.A. 17B:30B), administered by DOBI; providers and brokers must be licensed
- Viator's rescission window testedThe viator may rescind until the earlier of 30 days after the contract is executed or 15 days after the settlement proceeds are received; if the insured dies during that window, the contract is deemed rescinded
- Has the state adopted the NAIC best interest standard? testedYES — New Jersey adopted the NAIC 2020 best interest standard, effective April 21, 2025, with a producer duty of care and a one-time 4-hour annuity training
Health 15 facts
Health coverage rules — continuation, prompt pay, mandates, public programs.
- Has the state expanded Medicaid under the ACA? testedYES — New Jersey expanded Medicaid under the ACA (adults up to 138% of the federal poverty level), administered through the NJ FamilyCare program
- Effective date of expansion, if expanded testedJanuary 1, 2014
- Agency administering Medicaid testedThe New Jersey Department of Human Services, Division of Medical Assistance and Health Services (DMAHS)
- Federal marketplace or state-based exchange testedA STATE-BASED exchange — Get Covered New Jersey (GetCoveredNJ), operated by DOBI; New Jersey left HealthCare.gov and ran its own platform beginning with the 2021 plan year
- Name of the state CHIP program testedNJ FamilyCare (New Jersey's combined Medicaid and CHIP program)
- Clean-claim payment deadline, electronic tested30 calendar days to pay a clean claim submitted electronically
- Clean-claim payment deadline, paper tested40 calendar days for a clean claim submitted on paper
- Does the state distinguish electronic vs paper claims? testedYes — New Jersey splits the clean-claim deadline: 30 days electronic, 40 days paper
- Interest / penalty on late claim payment testedInterest of 12% per year (simple) accrues on a clean claim not paid on time (10% for dental plan organizations)
- Is the IRO's external review decision binding on the plan? testedYES — New Jersey's Independent Health Care Appeals Program (IHCAP), run by DOBI and decided by an Independent Utilization Review Organization, is BINDING on the carrier; a member files within 4 months of the final internal denial, the IURO decides within 45 days (48 hours expedited), and the carrier must comply within 10 business days
- Employer size at which federal COBRA applies testedFederal COBRA applies at 20+ employees; New Jersey state continuation reaches smaller employers
- Employer size range covered by state continuation testedNew Jersey continuation applies to small-employer group plans (roughly 2 to 50 employees), filling the gap federal COBRA (20+) leaves
- Duration of state continuation coverage testedUp to 18 months from the qualifying event - N.J.S.A. 17B:27A-27 provides that continuation 'shall not exceed 18 months from the qualifying event', extended to up to 36 months for a spouse or dependent child on the covered employee's death or a divorce
- Election period for state continuation testedWithin 30 days of the termination or reduction in hours
- Max premium as % of group rate testedUp to 102% of the group rate
Auto 12 facts
Auto insurance — minimum limits, fault system, required coverages.
- Fault-based (tort) or no-fault testedNO-FAULT with a mandatory lawsuit-option CHOICE ('choice no-fault') — every Standard policy carries personal injury protection (PIP), and the driver chooses between the 'Limitation on Lawsuit' (verbal threshold) and 'No Limitation on Lawsuit' (zero threshold) options
- Minimum bodily injury liability per person tested$35,000 (Standard policy, effective January 1, 2026)
- Minimum bodily injury liability per occurrence tested$70,000 (Standard policy, effective January 1, 2026)
- Minimum property damage liability tested$25,000 (unchanged since January 1, 2023)
- The memorizable shorthand (e.g. 30/60/25) tested35/70/25
- Uninsured motorist: mandatory / must be offered & rejectable / not required testedMANDATORY on the Standard policy. The floor is the statutory minimum (35/70 for policies issued or renewed on or after 1 January 2026); the insured's own liability limits are the CEILING - N.J.S.A. 17:28-1.1(b) provides that UM/UIM limits 'shall not exceed the insured's motor vehicle liability policy limits'. The Basic policy has no UM/UIM at all.
- Underinsured motorist status testedIncluded with UM on the Standard policy, available up to (but not exceeding) the liability limits the insured selects; not available at all on the Basic policy
- Personal injury protection status testedMANDATORY — every New Jersey auto policy includes personal injury protection (PIP). On the Standard policy PIP is selectable from $15,000 up to $250,000 (with $250,000 always available for certain catastrophic injuries); the Basic policy carries $15,000 PIP
- Contributory / pure comparative / modified comparative negligence testedModified comparative negligence with a 51% bar — a claimant recovers only if their negligence is NOT GREATER THAN the combined negligence of those they sue, so a claimant exactly 50% at fault still recovers, but one 51% or more at fault recovers nothing; the award is reduced by the claimant's share
- The bar percentage, if modified comparative tested51% bar — a claimant whose negligence is greater than the defendant's recovers nothing (a claimant exactly 50% at fault still recovers)
- Assigned risk / residual market plan for auto testedThe New Jersey Personal Automobile Insurance Plan (PAIP), the assigned-risk residual market for drivers who cannot obtain coverage voluntarily
- Any alternative to buying liability insurance (e.g. VA's UMV fee) testedNew Jersey offers the Special Automobile Insurance Policy (SAIP, the 'dollar-a-day' policy) to drivers enrolled in federal Medicaid with hospitalization — about $365 a year, covering only emergency treatment and serious brain/spinal-cord injury up to $250,000 plus a $10,000 death benefit (no liability, collision, or comprehensive). The low-cost Basic policy is the other pared-down option.
CE & Renewal 10 facts
Continuing education and renewal rules — the numbers the exam loves.
- How long a license lasts before renewal tested2 years (biennial)
- What the renewal date keys off (flat term / birthday / birth year) testedBIRTH MONTH - an individual producer license expires biennially on the last day of the licensee's birth month, with a first term set to run at least 18 months. Business entities are different: they expire biennially on May 31. (N.J.A.C. 11:17 was readopted effective August 8, 2023.)
- CE hours per renewal period, standard case tested24 CE credit hours every 2 years
- CE hours if holding multiple license types (if different) tested24 total each cycle — a single requirement covering all lines held; it is not stacked per line
- Ethics hours required per period tested3 hours of professional ethics each cycle, within the 24 (one of the three may be an insurance-fraud credit)
- Limits on who may provide CE credits testedCourses and providers must be approved by DOBI; PSI banks completed CE credits for the Department and providers file them within 15 days. Up to 12 non-ethics credits carry over once to the next term; ethics credits do not carry over. A producer authorised to sell flood insurance additionally owes a one-time 3-credit course on flood insurance and the National Flood Insurance Program, counted inside the 24.
- Initial long-term care training requirement tested8 hours initially and 4 hours every 24 months thereafter for long-term care sales (N.J.A.C. 11:4-34.29); the producer must already hold life or accident and health authority, and the training may not be insurer- or product-specific. Separately, selling annuities requires a one-time 4-hour best-interest course under N.J.A.C. 11:4-59A (a 1-hour update for producers who took the older course).
- What happens if CE is not completed (fine / expiry / cancellation) testedCE must be met to renew. Renew within 30 days after expiration at the normal fee; from day 31 to one year it is a 'late' renewal with a $100 (major lines) or $50 (limited lines) late fee plus proof of CE, and that window carries a statutory waiver of prelicensing and examination. Past one year the route becomes reinstatement via the resident application form. DOBI publishes no separate fine schedule.
- Late renewal / reinstatement tiers testedRenew within 30 days of expiration at the ordinary fee - DOBI's $100 late fee attaches only to applications submitted more than 30 days after the scheduled expiration date. From day 31 to one year, a late renewal costs $100 (major lines) or $50 (limited lines) plus proof of CE, and N.J.A.C. 11:17-2.6 grants a waiver from the prelicensing education and examination requirement. Past one year, NIPR routes the applicant to REINSTATEMENT through the ordinary resident application form; no primary source states whether coursework and exams must be repeated.
- Any CE exemption (e.g. long-service agents) testedNonresident licensees are exempt from New Jersey CE if they are compliant in their home state (reciprocity)
Property 7 facts
Property insurance — rate regulation, residual markets, catastrophe exposure.
- Rate regulation system (file-and-use / prior approval / use-and-file) testedPRIOR APPROVAL — property and casualty rates, rules, and forms are filed with and must be approved by the Commissioner before use (homeowners has an expedited 'flex' filing option for limited increases)
- Is insurance credit scoring permitted in personal lines? testedPERMITTED but heavily RESTRICTED for auto - an insurance score may not be the sole rating factor, models must be filed with DOBI and may not use race, ethnicity, sex, age, religion, income or address, and credit scoring is PROHIBITED for Basic and 'dollar-a-day' (SAIP) policyholders
- Does the state have a FAIR Plan? testedYES — New Jersey has a FAIR Plan, the New Jersey Insurance Underwriting Association
- Name of the FAIR Plan, if any testedThe New Jersey Insurance Underwriting Association (NJIUA) — the FAIR Plan (Fair Access to Insurance Requirements), the residual property market for owners who cannot obtain coverage voluntarily
- Dominant catastrophe perils in the state testedCoastal windstorm and hurricanes (Sandy, Ida), nor'easters and winter storms, and coastal and inland flooding — a Mid-Atlantic profile in which DOBI regulates standardized hurricane deductibles
- What license you must already hold to write surplus lines testedA surplus lines licence, which requires the producer to already hold resident Property AND Casualty authority - N.J.S.A. 17:22A-38: 'No license granting surplus lines authority shall be issued or renewed unless the applicant holds or will hold property and casualty authorities'
- Is a diligent-effort search of the admitted market required first? testedYes - N.J.A.C. 11:1-33.2 defines diligent effort as placement 'after the risk has been declined by three authorized insurers', unless the risk is on the Commissioner's Exportable List or the insured is an exempt commercial purchaser. Legal and medical malpractice risks require the SLPS-6-CERT-1 certification regardless of the Exportable List.
Guaranty 9 facts
The safety nets when an insurer fails — and their limits.
- Name of the life & health guaranty association testedThe New Jersey Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association (NJLHIGA)
- Life death benefit limit tested$500,000 death benefit
- Life cash surrender / withdrawal value limit tested$100,000 net cash surrender value
- Annuity benefit limit tested$500,000 present value of annuity benefits (and $250,000 net cash surrender value for a deferred annuity)
- Aggregate per-individual cap, if any tested$500,000 aggregate per individual life (combined life and annuity)
- Does the state follow the standard NAIC model limits? testedNO - New Jersey EXCEEDS the model on three limits and removes one: a $500,000 death benefit (model $300,000), $500,000 present value of annuity benefits (model $250,000), a $500,000 aggregate per individual (model $300,000), and NO cap at all on health claims. Cash surrender value ($100,000) and deferred-annuity surrender value ($250,000) match the model.
- Name of the P&C guaranty association testedThe New Jersey Property-Liability Insurance Guaranty Association (NJPLIGA)
- Per-claim cap testedUp to $300,000 per claimant on a covered claim, subject to any applicable deductible. The $300,000 cap does NOT apply to no-fault auto PIP claims under N.J.S.A. 39:6A-4, nor to workers' compensation claims. A $100 minimum-claim threshold is often quoted in secondary material but does not appear in 17:30A-8 or in the definition of a covered claim in 17:30A-5.
- Is using the guaranty association as a sales inducement prohibited? testedYes — using the existence of the guaranty association (or its website) to advertise or induce the purchase of insurance is expressly prohibited
Workers Comp 7 facts
Who must carry workers' compensation and what it pays.
- Is workers' compensation mandatory for private employers? testedYes - every New Jersey employer not covered by a federal program must carry workers' compensation insurance or be an approved self-insurer; failing to insure is a disorderly-persons offense, and a fourth-degree crime where the failure is knowing
- Employee count at which coverage is required testedCoverage is required from the first employee — New Jersey has no numeric employee threshold (sole proprietors and partners with no other employees are generally not 'employees' requiring a policy)
- Agency administering workers' compensation testedThe New Jersey Division of Workers' Compensation, within the Department of Labor and Workforce Development (self-insurance approval runs through the Commissioner of Banking and Insurance)
- Temporary total disability wage replacement rate testedTemporary total disability: 70% of the worker's average weekly wage, subject to a maximum of 75% of the statewide average weekly wage and a minimum of 20% of it
- Maximum TTD duration testedUp to 400 weeks — temporary total disability is paid during the disability, but not beyond 400 weeks, after a 7-day waiting period (retroactive if disability exceeds 7 days)
- Deadline to file a claim tested2
- Ways an employer may comply (insure / self-insure / group) testedBuy a policy from an authorized carrier, or qualify as an approved self-insurer (approval by the Commissioner based on financial ability); assigned-risk coverage is available through the New Jersey Workers' Compensation Insurance Plan
Regulator 5 facts
Who regulates insurance here and what powers the office holds.
- Name of the state insurance regulator testedThe New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI)
- Title of the person who heads it testedCommissioner of Banking and Insurance
- How the commissioner is chosen: elected / appointed by governor / appointed by other body testedAPPOINTED by the Governor with the advice and consent of the State Senate, serving at the Governor's pleasure — not elected
- Where the state's insurance law is codified testedTitles 17 and 17B of the New Jersey Statutes (with producer licensing in the Insurance Producer Licensing Act of 2001, N.J.S.A. 17:22A-26 et seq.), and rules in Title 11 of the New Jersey Administrative Code
- Does the regulator sit somewhere unusual (e.g. inside a constitutional commission)? testedYES — insurance is regulated inside the combined Department of Banking and Insurance (DOBI); banking and insurance share one department and one Commissioner
Cancellation 8 facts
When and how policies can be canceled or nonrenewed — heavily tested.
- Initial window during which an insurer may cancel more freely tested60 days — during the first 60 days of a new auto policy the insurer may cancel if the risk does not meet its approved underwriting rules; after 60 days, auto cancellation is limited to enumerated grounds (nonpayment, license or registration suspension, or fraud)
- Notice days to cancel a homeowners policy inside the initial window testedAt least 30 days' written notice to cancel a homeowners policy for most reasons (not less than 30 nor more than 120 days), stating the reason; 10 days for nonpayment or established moral hazard
- Notice days to cancel a personal auto policy inside the initial window testedAt least 20 days' written notice to cancel a personal auto policy for a permitted ground (15 days for nonpayment)
- Notice days for cancellation for nonpayment tested15 days' notice for cancellation of a personal auto policy for nonpayment of premium (10 days for a homeowners policy)
- Notice days for cancellation for other permitted causes testedAt least 20 days for cancellation of a personal auto policy on a permitted ground; 30 days for a homeowners policy
- Notice days required for nonrenewal testedFor personal auto, 60 to 90 days before expiration; for homeowners, not less than 30 nor more than 120 days before expiration, with the reason stated
- Must the reason be stated proactively, on request, or not at all? testedYes — a cancellation or nonrenewal notice must state the specific reason (or, for an auto cancellation, offer to provide it on request) and the consumer's right to complain to DOBI
- Restrictions on nonrenewing because of claims (e.g. weather claims excluded) testedNew Jersey strictly limits auto nonrenewal: an insurer may not use its 'two-percent territorial' or '1-in-2' nonrenewal powers against a driver unless that driver has, within 5 years, two or more qualifying events - an at-fault accident, a motor vehicle violation carrying four or more automobile insurance eligibility points, or a lapse in required coverage
Licensing 25 facts
How you get and keep the license — exams, fees, applications, background checks.
- Is there a standalone life license/exam? testedYes — a standalone Life exam and line of authority (Life includes fixed annuities)
- Is there a standalone health license/exam? testedYes — a standalone Accident and Health (Health) exam and line of authority
- Is there a combined life+health license/exam? testedNo — New Jersey does NOT offer a single combined Life & Health exam; Life and Accident & Health are separate exams and separate authorities (a combined 40-hour pre-licensing COURSE exists, but the exams are taken separately)
- Is there a personal lines license/exam? testedYes — a Personal Lines line (its own exam) for property and casualty sold to individuals and families for primarily noncommercial purposes
- Is P&C one combined license, or split into Property and Casualty? testedSPLIT — Property and Casualty are separate lines with separate exams; New Jersey has no single combined Property & Casualty exam (a combined 40-hour pre-licensing COURSE exists, but the exams are separate). A narrower Personal Lines line is also offered.
- Does the life license cover annuities? testedYes — FIXED annuities are sold under the Life line. VARIABLE life and variable annuities require the Life line PLUS the separate Variable line of authority and FINRA registration (they are securities).
- Does the P&C license already include personal lines authority? testedYes — holding both the Property and Casualty major lines covers personal-lines risks; standalone Personal Lines is a narrower, noncommercial-only line
- Full list of exam-based agent license types testedOne New Jersey producer license listing any of: Life · Accident and Health · Property · Casualty · Personal Lines — plus Title, Surplus Lines, Bail Bond (a limited line), and Variable (with FINRA registration)
- Exam administrator (Prometric / PSI / Pearson VUE) testedPSI Services (PSI) administers New Jersey producer exams under contract with DOBI (PSI also banks CE credits for the Department)
- Exam fee testedCONTESTED between primary sources - PSI's currently served New Jersey bulletin states $38 but is stamped 'Updated 1/18/2023', while DOBI's producer FAQ states $47 on an undated but live-maintained page. PSI's checkout is a JavaScript app that cannot be read directly. Budget for $47 and confirm at registration.
- License application fee tested$150 for an initial resident producer licence (major lines) for a 2-year term, plus a processing fee. NIPR lists about $170 all-in for an online filing; DOBI's own fee schedule shows $150 + $40 = $190 without distinguishing channel. Budget $190 and treat $170 as the likely online figure. Limited lines are $75 plus the same processing fee.
- Fee per insurer appointment tested$35 per insurer appointment (electronic appointment renewal is $25)
- Passing score tested70%
- Minimum age to be licensed tested18
- Is pre-licensing education required? testedYES — New Jersey requires pre-licensing education: 20 hours per major line (Life, Health, Property, Casualty, Personal Lines, Title), or 40 hours for a combined Life & Health or combined Property & Casualty course
- Pre-licensing hours and any exceptions (e.g. Title, adjusters) tested20 hours per major line (Life, Health, Property, Casualty, Personal Lines, Title); 40 hours for a combined Life & Health or combined Property & Casualty course; 10 hours for Bail Bond; NONE for Surplus Lines. Classroom or self-study/online both qualify, and completion certificates do not expire. The requirement is WAIVED (exam still required) for holders of approved designations (e.g. CLU, CFP, ChFC, CPCU, CIC, AAI) and for anyone licensed for the same line in another state within the prior 90 days.
- Fingerprints, state police report, or none testedElectronic fingerprinting (Live Scan) for a New Jersey State Police and FBI criminal history check — required of RESIDENT producer applicants (and 10%+ owners/officers of a resident business entity); nonresidents are NOT fingerprinted
- Who takes the prints / issues the report testedIDEMIA, scheduled through IdentoGO at uenroll.identogo.com or 1-877-503-5981. Resident producer service code 2F16Y3 (public adjuster 2F1F7N); the fee is $66.05, paid to the vendor at scheduling. The code is universal per license category - New Jersey does not issue a per-applicant code after the application.
- Deadline to apply after passing the exam testedApply within 1 year of passing — the passing score report is valid for one year
- How long a passed exam remains valid testedA passing exam score report is valid for 1 year
- Waiting period before retaking a failed exam testedNo fixed waiting period — you cannot retake the same day, but may re-register and retest at the next available session (pay each attempt)
- Notice required to reschedule/cancel without forfeiting the fee testedCancel or reschedule at least 2 full days before the appointment to avoid forfeiting the fee
- Where you apply (Sircon / NIPR / state portal) testedNIPR (nipr.com) for online applications and renewals; paper applications go to DOBI, and license printing runs through State Based Systems (SBS)
- Are temporary licenses available? testedYes — New Jersey offers two paths: a 60-day Temporary Work Authority issued at the test center to a passing candidate (transacting under a licensed producer's supervision), and a sponsored Temporary Insurance Producer license through NIPR
- Temporary license duration and training requirement testedTemporary Work Authority: 60 days from the exam date, transacting only under a currently licensed producer's supervision, printed at the test center immediately after a passing result and activated per the instructions on the certificate (N.J.A.C. 11:17-2.5 caps it at 60 days from issuance). Separately, a sponsored Temporary Insurance Producer license runs through NIPR: sponsored by a New Jersey-admitted insurer for the same lines, no exam, and it cannot be applied for a second time.