New Mexico Property & Casualty Producer License at a Glance
To sell property & casualty insurance in New Mexico you must pass the Property & Casualty producer exam (Series 18-31), clear a fingerprint-based background check, and apply for your license through NIPR. The New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance (OSI) regulates producers, and PSI Services LLC administers the exam.
New Mexico does not require an approved pre-licensing course before you sit for the exam, so self-study or a prep program is entirely your call. The state simply wants you to pass the exam and clear your background check.
Exam Format and Scoring
The Property & Casualty exam (Series 18-31) is a single combined exam of 150 scored multiple-choice items with a 2.5-hour time limit. You need 70% correct to pass.
On top of the 150 scored items, PSI administers 5 to 10 unscored experimental questions that are mixed in and used to develop future exams - they do not count toward your score, and you won't know which ones they are.
The exam is delivered by computer at a PSI test center or by live remote online proctoring. Your pass/fail result appears on screen immediately, and a score report is emailed to you; a failing report includes a diagnostic breakdown by content area.
Fingerprint Background Check
New Mexico requires resident applicants to submit fingerprints electronically for a criminal background check run through both the NM Department of Public Safety and the FBI. The DPS has partnered with IDEMIA, which provides the service through IdentoGo.
Register online at the IdentoGo NM site using the insurance ORI number NM920210Z and pay the $59 service fee at registration. OSI will not issue a license until the background check results are received (NMSA 59A-11-2(E)), so schedule fingerprinting early - ideally right after you pass the exam.
Applying for Your License
Once you've passed the exam and been fingerprinted, apply online through NIPR at nipr.com. The resident producer license fee is $30, paid to OSI. OSI must receive all required application materials, including the correct non-refundable fee, within one year of passing your exam.
OSI has up to 10 days to determine whether your application is administratively complete, and processes most applications within 10 days. If you answered 'yes' to any background question, attach your written statement and the corresponding official court documents through the NIPR Attachments Warehouse (court website printouts are not accepted).
Renewal and Continuing Education
Your first license term runs 13 to 24 months and expires on the last day of your birth month. After that, renewals are a full two-year term, also ending on the last day of your birth month. You can renew up to 90 days before expiration through NIPR, and you alone are responsible for renewing on time - OSI may or may not send a reminder.
Continuing education is 24 hours per two-year cycle: 3 hours of ethics plus 21 general hours, with at least 3 hours each period earned through Classroom, Classroom-Equivalent, Webinar, or Seminar delivery.
Where and How You Test
You can test at a PSI center or by live remote online proctoring. New Mexico PSI test centers are in Albuquerque, Farmington, Las Cruces, Roswell, and Santa Fe, and you may also test at PSI centers in other states once you've paid.
Arrive 30 minutes early and bring one valid, current, government-issued photo ID with your signature (driver's license, state ID, passport, or military ID - note that military ID is not accepted for remote testing). No reference materials, scratch paper, calculators, or electronic devices are allowed, and breaks are not permitted during remote proctored exams.
Moving to New Mexico Already Licensed?
If you already hold an equivalent resident license in another state and are relocating to New Mexico, you can request an exam waiver. You must become a New Mexico resident, have held a valid resident license with the equivalent line(s) of authority, submit a written request detailing where and when you were licensed and which exam you took, and file the license application with fees within 90 days of becoming a resident - along with your fingerprint receipt.
What the P&C Exam Covers
The Series 18-31 exam leans heavily on coverage mechanics. The two biggest areas are Property & Casualty Insurance Basics (16%) and Commercial Property Policies (15%), followed by Homeowners (12%) and the Personal Auto Policy (12%). Commercial General Liability adds another 10% and Insurance Regulation 10%.
The remainder spreads across General Insurance Concepts (8%), Commercial Automobile (4%), Businessowners Policy (4%), Other Types of P&C - specialty liability, surety, umbrella, flood (3%), Dwelling Policy (2%), Workers' Compensation (2%), and Federal Laws & Regulations (2%).
P&C Covers Personal Lines
In New Mexico, the Property & Casualty line of authority already covers Personal Lines, and you cannot hold both a Personal Lines and a P&C license at the same time. If you plan to write both personal and commercial property/casualty business, the full P&C license (Series 18-31) is the one to pursue.
Quick Reference
Official Links
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