Oregon Insurance Exam Guides
Pick the license you're studying for. Each guide covers Oregon-specific requirements, fees, and official links — plus a free practice exam. Then scroll down to explore the Oregon exam's state-law material, mapped.
Free study resource
What's actually tested on the Oregon exam — the state regulations, mapped
Every Oregon insurance exam reserves a block of questions for Oregon-specific law — the fees, deadlines, limits, and rules that generic national study guides gloss over. This is that material: 150 facts from the TESTivity Oregon 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 18 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 for 2 years during the insured's lifetime (except for nonpayment of premium)
- Grace period for individual life tested30 days, or at the insurer's option one month of not less than 30 days, for every premium after the first, during which the policy continues in full force; unpaid premium may be deducted from the policy proceeds. Industrial life with premiums payable more often than monthly gets four weeks
- Window to reinstate a lapsed policy testedWithin 3 years after default (2 years for industrial life), on evidence of insurability and payment of overdue premiums and any indebtedness with interest
- Max interest chargeable on reinstatement, if capped testedOverdue premiums are paid with interest at a rate not exceeding the policy's maximum loan interest rate — Oregon does not fix a separate reinstatement rate
- Suicide exclusion period testedTwo years - but imposed through FORM APPROVAL, not by statute. No ORS section and no OAR rule contains a suicide provision; ORS 743.168(2) merely preserves defenses based on provisions that exclude or restrict coverage, which is what lets a suicide exclusion survive incontestability. DFR's product-standards checklist pegs the permissible exclusion at two years from date of issue with a refund of premiums paid less dividends and indebtedness
- Free look for individual life testedNo Oregon statute or current rule mandates one. ORS 743.159 scopes the required-provision run to ORS 743.162-743.243 and there is no right-to-return section inside it. Ten days is DFR's FORM-APPROVAL standard, not a statutory mandate - OAR 836-051-0015(1) treats a ten-day unconditional refund as a condition that relaxes a disclosure duty ("if the policy... contains an unconditional refund provision effective for at least ten days"), which presupposes some policies do not carry one
- Free look for annuities testedDISCLOSURE-TRIGGERED, and it is the only Oregon free look that varies by when paperwork arrived: no less than 10 days if the Buyer's Guide and disclosure document were delivered at or before application, no less than 15 days if they arrive with the contract. The rule runs concurrently with any free look the contract itself gives
- Free look when a policy is being replaced tested30 days when the policy or annuity replaces existing coverage
- Free look for long-term care tested30 days from delivery, with the refund made within 30 days of the return or denial, and a notice to that effect required on the policy or certificate
- Required nonforfeiture options testedCash surrender value, reduced paid-up insurance, and extended term insurance, under Oregon's Standard Nonforfeiture Law
- Registrations required to sell variable products testedVariable life and variable annuities require the Oregon Life line plus FINRA registration (the SIE with a Series 6 or 7, and a Series 63) — they are securities
- Does the state regulate viatical/life settlements? testedYes — Oregon regulates life settlements (including viatical settlements) under ORS 744.318 to 744.384, administered by DFR; providers and brokers must be licensed
- Viator's rescission window testedThe owner may rescind by the earlier of 60 days after the contract is executed or 30 days after the settlement proceeds are received; if the insured dies during the rescission period, the contract is deemed rescinded
- Has the state adopted the NAIC best interest standard? testedYES — Oregon adopted the NAIC 2020 best interest annuity standard, effective January 1, 2024 (Senate Bill 536; OAR 836-080-0170 to -0193), with a producer best-interest duty and a 4-hour training
- Remedy for a misstated age testedOregon gives TWO tracks where most states give one: "the amount payable or benefit accruing under the policy shall be such as the premium would have purchased at the correct age or ages, OR the premium may be adjusted and credit given to the insured or to the insurer, according to the insurer's published rate at date of issue"
- Which numeric replacement deadlines belong to the producer? testedNone. Every numeric clock in Oregon's replacement regulation belongs to an insurer - 30 days' right to return from the REPLACING insurer (OAR 836-080-0029(1)(d)), five BUSINESS days for the EXISTING insurer to write to the owner and five business days to supply requested information (OAR 836-080-0034). The producer's duties under OAR 836-080-0014 are qualitative and event-timed: present and read the notice "not later than at the time of taking the application," obtain both signatures, list every policy proposed to be replaced, leave the sales material
- Minimum period a life policy must allow for suit testedThree years - ORS 743.225 forbids a life policy provision limiting the time to sue to less than three years after the cause of action accrues. Contrast the standard FIRE policy, where ORS 742.240 cuts suit off at 24 months from inception of the loss
- Group life conversion right tested31 days from termination of employment or of membership in the eligible class, without evidence of insurability, into any form the insurer customarily issues EXCEPT TERM, at the customary rate for the attained age. On termination of the whole group policy a person insured at least five years may convert, capped at the smaller of the ceasing amount and $10,000
Health 20 facts
Health coverage rules — continuation, prompt pay, mandates, public programs.
- Has the state expanded Medicaid under the ACA? testedYES — Oregon expanded Medicaid under the ACA (adults up to 138% of the federal poverty level), effective January 1, 2014, through the Oregon Health Plan
- Effective date of expansion, if expanded testedJanuary 1, 2014
- Agency administering Medicaid testedThe Oregon Health Authority (OHA), which runs the Oregon Health Plan (OHP)
- Federal marketplace or state-based exchange testedA STATE-BASED marketplace on the federal platform — the Oregon Health Insurance Marketplace runs outreach and oversight while consumers enroll through HealthCare.gov. Oregon is transitioning to a fully state-run exchange for the 2027 plan year.
- Name of the state CHIP program testedOregon's CHIP is administered as part of the Oregon Health Plan and marketed as Healthy Kids
- Clean-claim payment deadline, electronic tested30 days to pay or deny a clean claim
- Clean-claim payment deadline, paper tested30 days — Oregon uses a single clean-claim deadline for electronic and paper claims
- Does the state distinguish electronic vs paper claims? testedNo — Oregon applies a single 30-day clean-claim deadline to both electronic and paper claims
- Interest / penalty on late claim payment testedInterest of 12% per year (simple) accrues on a clean claim not paid on time, from the 31st day
- Is the IRO's external review decision binding on the plan? testedYES — Oregon's external review, conducted by an Independent Review Organization under contract with DFR, is BINDING on the insurer; if the insurer does not comply, the enrollee has a private right of action
- Employer size at which federal COBRA applies testedFederal COBRA applies at 20+ employees; ORS 743B.347(11) applies Oregon continuation "only to employers who are not required to make available continuation" under federal COBRA, so the state law fills the sub-20 gap rather than overlapping it
- Employer size range covered by state continuation testedEmployers below the federal COBRA threshold. It is a mandated policy PROVISION, not merely an offer duty: a group health policy covering one or more essential health benefits "must contain a provision allowing continuation of coverage"
- Duration of state continuation coverage testedUp to 9 months from the qualifying event - a flat term, well short of federal COBRA's 18 to 36 months
- Election period for state continuation testedAt least 10 days after the later of the qualifying event or the date the insurer gives notice; the insurer itself must give written notice within 10 days of learning of a qualifying event
- Max premium as % of group rate testedThe group rate, paid monthly in advance, offered "in the same manner as it is provided to other certificate holders"
- Free look on a health policy tested10 days from delivery, statutory, on every health insurance policy EXCEPT single premium nonrenewable policies. A returned policy is "void from the beginning and the parties shall be in the same position as if no policy had been issued." Medicare supplement is a separate and longer right at 30 days
- Grace period on an individual health policy testedOregon splits by PRODUCT TYPE, not by premium mode: at least 10 days for a policy other than an individual health benefit plan, and at least 30 days for an individual health benefit plan. A group LIFE policy is a separate 31 days
- External review decision deadline testedThe IRO issues its decision not later than the 30th day after the ENROLLEE APPLIES TO THE INSURER for review - 3 days for an expedited review. The anchor matters: the clock runs from the enrollee's application, not from the IRO's receipt of the file, which is why consumer-facing figures sometimes look longer
- Is prompt pay an individual-claim duty or a portfolio test? testedAn INDIVIDUAL-CLAIM duty - "pay a clean claim or deny the claim not later than 30 days after the date on which the insurer receives" it, per claim, in calendar days. Do not cross-cite OAR 836-052-0770: that is the long-term care rule, it uses 30 BUSINESS days, and it reaches only LTC policies issued or renewed after July 1, 2012
- How the late-payment interest works testedAutomatic, not discretionary, and not on request: 12% simple per annum, accruing from the 31st day after the insurer received the claim or the requested additional information, and "payable with the payment of the claim." No interest is owed where it would come to $2 or less
Auto 12 facts
Auto insurance — minimum limits, fault system, required coverages.
- Fault-based (tort) or no-fault testedTORT (at-fault) with mandatory ADD-ON personal injury protection (PIP) — Oregon requires PIP, which pays the insured's own medical and wage costs regardless of fault, but it is NOT true no-fault (the right to sue the at-fault driver is fully preserved)
- Minimum bodily injury liability per person tested$25,000 per person
- Minimum bodily injury liability per occurrence tested$50,000 per accident
- Minimum property damage liability tested$20,000 per accident
- The memorizable shorthand (e.g. 30/60/25) tested25/50/20
- Uninsured motorist: mandatory / must be offered & rejectable / not required testedMANDATORY — every Oregon auto policy must include uninsured motorist bodily-injury coverage, defaulting to the insured's liability limits (at least the 25/50 minimum)
- Underinsured motorist status testedMANDATORY — underinsured motorist coverage is required and is built INTO the uninsured motorist coverage (it is not separately optional)
- Personal injury protection status testedMANDATORY — personal injury protection of up to $15,000 in medical expenses per person (within 2 years), plus 70% of lost wages (up to $3,000/month for 52 weeks), $30/day essential services, a $5,000 funeral benefit, and child-care benefits — paid regardless of fault
- Contributory / pure comparative / modified comparative negligence testedMODIFIED COMPARATIVE NEGLIGENCE with a 51% bar — a claimant recovers only if their fault is NOT GREATER THAN the combined fault of everyone 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 fault is greater than the combined fault of the others recovers nothing (a claimant exactly 50% at fault still recovers)
- Assigned risk / residual market plan for auto testedThe Oregon Automobile Insurance Plan - the assigned-risk mechanism for drivers who cannot obtain coverage in the voluntary market, administered under the national AIPSO service organization
- Any alternative to buying liability insurance (e.g. VA's UMV fee) testedFinancial responsibility may alternatively be met by qualified self-insurance for owners of more than 25 registered vehicles (a fleet certificate from ODOT); there is no cash-deposit or bond option for ordinary drivers
CE & Renewal 12 facts
Continuing education and renewal rules — the numbers the exam loves.
- How long a license lasts before renewal tested2 years (biennial), expiring in the month of the licensee's birthday anniversary
- What the renewal date keys off (flat term / birthday / birth year) testedBirthday-anniversary based — an individual producer license expires in the licensee's birthday-anniversary month, every two years; renew online at NIPR
- CE hours per renewal period, standard case tested24 hours per 2-year renewal cycle - the rule states it two ways, "12 hours of continuing education annually or 24 hours in each two-year renewal period"
- 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 testedAt least 3 hours of professional ethics AND at least 3 hours of Oregon statutes and administrative rules including recent changes - two separate 3-hour requirements, both INCLUDED IN the 24 rather than added to it. No more than 4 hours of agency management counts
- Limits on who may provide CE credits testedCourses must be registered or certified through DFR, delivery runs on NAIC State Based Systems (SBS); no more than 8 credit hours in any one day, and CARRYOVER IS BARRED - an hour counts "only if the hour for which credit is taken was completed during the license period immediately preceding the renewal date"
- Initial long-term care training requirement testedLong-term care: a one-time 8-hour course before selling LTC, then 4 hours every two years. Annuities: a one-time 4 credit hours, which must include Best Interest content for courses taken after June 30, 2024. Flood: a one-time 3 hours plus 2 hours per renewal cycle, and the recurring 2 hours sits INSIDE the 24
- What happens if CE is not completed (fine / expiry / cancellation) testedA resident producer cannot renew until CE is completed and posted; a late renewal costs $90 (versus $45 on time)
- Late renewal / reinstatement tiers testedA lapsed license may be reinstated within 12 months of the renewal due date without re-examination, by paying double the unpaid renewal fee and completing all outstanding CE
- Any CE exemption (e.g. long-service agents) testedConsultants require no CE at all. Non-residents satisfy Oregon CE by meeting their home state's requirement. Note the trap in ORS 744.072(4): its 45/24/12 hours-annually figures are statutory CEILINGS on what the Director may require, tiered by years licensed - they are not the requirement, which is the flat 24 per two-year cycle in OAR 836-071-0215(1)
- What a late renewal actually costs testedDouble. ORS 744.072 requires "an amount for the reinstatement that is equal to double the unpaid renewal fee for any renewal fee paid after the due date," and DFR's fee table prints $45 on time against $90 late - the statute and the table agree exactly. A lapsed licence may be reinstated within 12 months of the due date without re-examination
- How long a CE provider has to post your credits tested15 days - "not later than the 15th day after the date on which an insurance producer completes a course" - and DFR warns that transcript updates take at least another 24 hours to reach NIPR. CE must already appear on the transcript before a renewal will process, which is how an on-time producer ends up paying the late fee
Property 13 facts
Property insurance — rate regulation, residual markets, catastrophe exposure.
- Rate regulation system (file-and-use / prior approval / use-and-file) testedFILE-AND-USE (open competition) — rates are filed and take effect immediately, with no prior approval for most property/casualty lines; a rate is not 'excessive' unless it is too high AND a reasonable degree of competition does not exist
- Is insurance credit scoring permitted in personal lines? testedPERMITTED but heavily RESTRICTED — credit history may not be the SOLE basis for a decision, and an insurer may not use credit to cancel or nonrenew a policy that has been in force more than 60 days; no-hit/thin-file consumers are treated neutrally
- Does the state have a FAIR Plan? testedYES — Oregon has a FAIR Plan, the Oregon FAIR Plan Association, the insurer of last resort for basic property coverage
- Name of the FAIR Plan, if any testedThe Oregon FAIR Plan Association — the state's insurer of last resort for basic property (fire/dwelling) coverage
- Dominant catastrophe perils in the state testedWildfire (major and growing) and earthquake (the Cascadia Subduction Zone) lead, with winter and ice storms and flooding also significant. Earthquake is excluded from standard homeowners and bought separately.
- What license you must already hold to write surplus lines testedA surplus lines licence, and ORS 735.450 makes the gate specific: "A person may obtain a license to transact surplus lines insurance only if the person is licensed as an insurance producer under ORS chapter 744 to transact PROPERTY AND CASUALTY insurance." The P&C producer licence is a prerequisite, not a concurrent option
- Is a diligent-effort search of the admitted market required first? testedYes - a diligent search "among the insurers who are authorized to transact and are ACTUALLY WRITING the particular kind and class of insurance in this state," establishing that the full amount or kind cannot be obtained from them. Note what the statute does NOT do: it prescribes no number of declinations, and no rule in OAR 836 division 71 fixes one. It is waived for an exempt commercial purchaser who is told the admitted market may have coverage and then requests the placement in writing
- Does the state mandate a standard fire policy? testedYES - and it is assembled by INCORPORATION rather than printed as one form. ORS 742.202 bars any fire insurer from using or renewing a fire policy on Oregon property "unless it contains the provisions set forth in ORS 742.206 to 742.242." Reading ORS 742.200 alone - an anti-overinsurance rule - makes it look as though Oregon has no standard form
- Proof of loss deadline under the standard fire policy tested90 days, and the clock runs from RECEIPT OF THE FORMS FROM THE INSURER - not from the date of loss, and not the 60 days of the New York standard form. Extendable only in writing
- How the appraisal clause works testedOn the written demand of EITHER party, each side names a competent and disinterested appraiser and notifies the other within 20 days. The appraisers pick an umpire; failing for 15 days to agree, a judge of a court of record where the property sits appoints one. An award in writing by ANY TWO of the three fixes actual cash value and loss. Each party pays its own appraiser; the umpire and the expenses of appraisal are split equally. Appraisal settles AMOUNT, never coverage
- When loss becomes payable under the standard fire policy tested60 days after proof of loss is received AND the loss is ascertained - by written agreement between the insured and the insurer, or by the filing of an appraisal award. Both limbs are required; receipt of proof of loss alone does not start it
- Deadline to sue on a fire policy tested24 months next after INCEPTION OF THE LOSS - not from denial, and not the 12 months of many other states
- When an insured recovers attorney fees testedTwo conditions, both required: settlement was not made within SIX MONTHS from the date proof of loss is filed, and "the plaintiff's recovery exceeds the amount of any tender made by the defendant in such action." A timely tender that matches or beats the eventual recovery defeats the fee award entirely - the tender exception is the whole game
Guaranty 10 facts
The safety nets when an insurer fails — and their limits.
- Name of the life & health guaranty association testedThe Oregon Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association
- Life death benefit limit tested$300,000
- Life cash surrender / withdrawal value limit tested$100,000 net cash surrender value
- Annuity benefit limit tested$250,000 in the present value of annuity benefits, including net cash surrender and net cash withdrawal values
- Health benefit limit tested$500,000 for basic hospital, medical, or major medical; $300,000 for disability income and long-term care; $100,000 for other health
- Aggregate per-individual cap, if any tested$300,000 in benefits in the aggregate with respect to any one life, rising to $500,000 where basic hospital, medical and surgical or major medical insurance is involved
- Does the state follow the standard NAIC model limits? testedYes — Oregon follows the standard NAIC model limits ($300,000 death benefit, $100,000 cash value, $250,000 annuity, tiered health, $300,000 aggregate)
- Name of the P&C guaranty association testedThe Oregon Insurance Guaranty Association (OIGA)
- Per-claim cap testedTwo caps, split by the date the INSOLVENCY is determined: a covered claim from an insolvency between September 9, 1971 and December 31, 2024 is paid only in the amount that is LESS THAN $300,000 (so $300,000 exactly falls outside the band); a claim from an insolvency on or after January 1, 2025 MAY NOT EXCEED $600,000 (inclusive). Workers' compensation covered claims are paid IN FULL, less any Workers' Benefit Fund payment. First-party claims of an insured whose net worth exceeds $25 million are excluded
- 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 prohibited
Workers Comp 10 facts
Who must carry workers' compensation and what it pays.
- Is workers' compensation mandatory for private employers? testedYes — every employer with one or more subject workers must secure workers' compensation coverage by insuring (a carrier or SAIF) or qualifying to self-insure
- Employee count at which coverage is required testedCoverage is required for every employer with one or more subject workers (limited exemptions cover domestic, casual, federally-covered, and certain owner-officer workers)
- Agency administering workers' compensation testedThe Director of DCBS administers workers' compensation (ORS 656.726(4)), acting through the department's Workers' Compensation Division under OAR chapter 436. Adjudication is separate: the Hearings Division sits INSIDE the Workers' Compensation Board (ORS 656.708), a five-member board within DCBS that hears appeals from administrative law judges (ORS 656.712; 656.726(2))
- Temporary total disability wage replacement rate testedTwo-thirds (66 2/3%) of the worker's average weekly wage, subject to a maximum of 133% of the state average weekly wage and a statutory minimum, after a 3-day waiting period
- Maximum TTD duration testedTemporary total disability is paid until the worker is medically stationary or returns to (or is released for) work; the maximum weekly benefit is 133% of the state average weekly wage (about $1,943/week for injuries in the year to June 30, 2027)
- Deadline to file a claim testedGive the employer notice of a work injury within 90 days (extendable to 1 year for good cause); an occupational disease claim is filed within 1 year of discovery
- Ways an employer may comply (insure / self-insure / group) testedBuy from a private carrier, buy from SAIF Corporation, or qualify as an approved self-insurer under ORS 656.407. ORS 656.017(1) frames it as a duty to "maintain assurance with the Director" by qualifying one of those ways. Oregon is COMPETITIVE, not monopolistic - SAIF is an independent public corporation that may insure "as fully as any private insurance carrier" (ORS 656.752(1)), and it is the mandatory carrier for state employees under ORS 656.017(2)
- Waiting period before disability payments start testedThree CALENDAR days - "No disability payment is recoverable for temporary total or partial disability suffered during the first three calendar days after the worker leaves work or loses wages" - unless total disability then continues for 14 consecutive days, or the worker is admitted as a hospital inpatient within 14 days of the first onset of total disability
- The maximum and minimum on the TTD rate testedThe 66 2/3% rate is bounded on both sides in the same subsection: not more than 133% of the state average weekly wage, and not less than the LESSER of 90% of wages a week or $50 a week. The "whichever amount is less" on the floor is the part candidates drop
- Who the exclusive-remedy bar protects testedWider than the employer. ORS 656.018(1)(a) makes the complying employer's liability "exclusive and in place of all other liability," and (3) extends the same immunity to the employer's INSURER, the self-insured employer's claims administrator, DCBS, and contracted agents, employees, partners, LLC members, officers and directors. It falls away for willful and unprovoked aggression, and for negligence occurring outside the capacity that earned the exemption
Regulator 11 facts
Who regulates insurance here and what powers the office holds.
- Name of the state insurance regulator testedThe Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR), part of the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS)
- Title of the person who heads it testedThe Insurance Commissioner, who is also the Administrator of the Division of Financial Regulation - one person, two titles
- How the commissioner is chosen: elected / appointed by governor / appointed by other body testedAPPOINTED - the Insurance Commissioner/DFR Administrator is appointed by the DCBS Director, who is in turn appointed by the Governor. Oregon voters never see this office on a ballot
- Where the state's insurance law is codified testedThe Oregon Insurance Code, ORS Chapters 731-750, with rules in Chapter 836 of the Oregon Administrative Rules; producer licensing is in ORS Chapter 744
- Does the regulator sit somewhere unusual (e.g. inside a constitutional commission)? testedYES — insurance is regulated by the Division of Financial Regulation (DFR), nested inside the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS), rather than a standalone insurance department; the Insurance Commissioner is the appointed DFR Administrator
- Maximum civil penalty for a producer testedORS 731.988(1) sets a general ceiling of $10,000 per offense, then carves out a lower one: "The civil penalty for individual insurance producers, adjusters or insurance consultants may not exceed $1,000 for each offense." Each violation is a separate offense. The $10,000 is the insurer/general figure - a producer question answered with $10,000 is answered wrong
- Does one unfair claim act violate the law, or must it be a general business practice? testedBOTH tests exist, in adjoining subsections, and Oregon is a SINGLE-ACT state under the first. ORS 746.230(1) opens "An insurer OR OTHER PERSON may not commit or perform any of the following" and lists fourteen practices with no frequency qualifier - so one act by a producer or adjuster is enough. The "general business practice" standard appears only in ORS 746.230(2), a separate and narrower offense scoped to "No insurer"
- Do the claim-handling rules bind producers, or only insurers? testedBoth. OAR 836-080-0210(4) defines "insurer" to INCLUDE "any person authorized to represent the insurer with respect to a claim who is acting within the scope of the person's authority," so every clock in the claim-settlement rules reaches an adjuster or producer doing claim work
- Deadline to file a producer appointment testedThere is none - Oregon uses a maintain-a-list model. ORS 744.078(2): "Each insurer shall maintain a current list of insurance producers contractually authorized to accept applications on behalf of the insurer. Each insurer shall make the list available to the director upon request." One licence carries unlimited appointments, and ORS 744.078(4) makes the agent-of-the-insurer rule statutory and non-waivable
- Deadline to report a terminated producer testedA 30-15-30 ladder, and only FOR CAUSE. The insurer notifies the Director not later than the 30th day after the effective date of termination, but only if the reason is an ORS 744.074 ground; within 15 days after that it must mail a copy to the producer, by certified or overnight delivery for a for-cause termination; the producer then has 30 days from receipt to file written comments, which join the Director's file. A no-fault termination is not reportable at all. The report is confidential and inadmissible in private civil actions
- Notice an insurer owes a producer before ending an appointment tested90 days' written notice, stating the reasons - excused where the licence is revoked or restricted, the agency is sold or merged without successor appointment, the producer is insolvent or fails to remit balances, the producer commits fraud or intentional misconduct, the insurer drops the class or leaves Oregon, or by mutual agreement. A producer ending an appointment notifies the Director within 30 days
Cancellation 12 facts
When and how policies can be canceled or nonrenewed — heavily tested.
- Initial window during which an insurer may cancel more freely tested60 days. For homeowners, ORS 746.687(6) says the section "does not apply to a homeowner insurance policy that has been in effect fewer than 60 days... unless it is a renewal policy," so the grounds list and the notice days both fall away; the one carve-out is that a claim filed in that window may not be the basis for cancelling, re-rating or altering terms. Auto works the same way under ORS 742.562(2)
- Notice days to cancel a homeowners policy after the initial window testedAt least 30 days for a permitted ground, but only 10 days where the ground is NONPAYMENT OR FRAUD/MATERIAL MISREPRESENTATION - Oregon puts fraud on the short clock alongside nonpayment, where most states put only nonpayment there. Inside the first 60 days of a non-renewal policy the section does not apply at all
- Notice days to cancel a personal auto policy inside the initial window testedAt least 30 days' written notice to cancel a personal auto policy for a permitted cause (10 days for nonpayment), with the reason stated
- Notice days for cancellation for nonpayment tested10 days' notice for cancellation for nonpayment of premium (auto and homeowners)
- Notice days for cancellation for other permitted causes testedAt least 30 days for cancellation on a permitted ground other than nonpayment (auto and homeowners); a homeowners cancellation for fraud or material misrepresentation runs on 10 days
- Notice days required for nonrenewal testedAt least 30 days before expiration for both homeowners and auto - but auto stretches to 45 days where the insurer offers a REPLACEMENT policy from an affiliate under the same ownership or control
- Must the reason be stated proactively, on request, or not at all? testedYes — a cancellation or nonrenewal notice must state the specific reason
- Restrictions on nonrenewing because of claims (e.g. weather claims excluded) testedStrong protections: an insurer may not use a homeowners claim more than 5 years old, or a first claim within the last 5 years, or a mere claim inquiry, to decline or nonrenew — and a 2023 law bars using the state WILDFIRE-RISK MAP to cancel, nonrenew, or raise homeowners premiums
- Notice days to cancel a commercial policy testedCommercial liability: "at least 10 WORKING days after the insured RECEIVES a written notice" - working days, measured from receipt rather than mailing. By rule, a commercial policy containing standard fire provisions gets 30 days instead, and other commercial policies 10 working days
- Commercial nonrenewal and adverse-renewal notice tested45 days in both directions: nonrenewal is effective only at least 45 days after the insured receives written notice, and renewal on less favourable terms or at higher rates needs 45 days' written notice to the insured AND the producer - failing which the insured may cancel within 45 days and pay pro rata at the lower rate
- Cancellation notice inside the standard fire policy tested10 days' written notice for nonpayment of premium, 30 days for any other reason - except where the fire coverage is written with commercial liability, in which case ORS 742.702 governs instead
- What a wildfire-based cancellation, nonrenewal or rate increase must disclose testedORS 742.277 adds no day count - it adds CONTENT. Before acting on wildfire-risk grounds the insurer must describe the property-specific characteristics driving the decision, the mitigation actions available, and how wildfire risk scores and classifications are determined and where this property sits among them; on a premium increase it must state which mitigation actions would earn a discount AND the amount of that adjustment
Licensing 32 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 (Series 12-01) and line of authority (Life includes annuities)
- Is there a standalone health license/exam? testedYes — a standalone Health exam (Series 12-02) and line of authority
- Is there a combined life+health license/exam? testedYes — Oregon offers a combined Life and Health exam (Series 12-03), in addition to the individual Life and Health exams
- Is there a personal lines license/exam? testedYes — a Personal Lines line and exam (Series 12-14), covering property and casualty sold to individuals
- Is P&C one combined license, or split into Property and Casualty? testedBoth — Oregon offers a combined Property & Casualty exam (Series 12-04) AND separate Property (12-12) and Casualty (12-13) exams, plus a narrower Personal Lines line (12-14)
- Does the life license cover annuities? testedYes — annuities are sold under the Life line. VARIABLE life and annuities require the Life line plus FINRA registration (they are securities); a producer selling annuities also completes a one-time annuity best-interest training.
- Does the P&C license already include personal lines authority? testedYes — the combined Property & Casualty license covers personal-lines risks; standalone Personal Lines is a narrower, personal-only line
- Full list of exam-based agent license types testedOregon puts all lines on ONE license, with a separate exam per line: Life · Health · combined Life & Health · Property & Casualty · Property · Casualty · Personal Lines — plus Surplus Lines and Variable (with FINRA registration)
- Exam administrator (Prometric / PSI / Pearson VUE) testedPSI Services (PSI) administers Oregon producer exams under contract with DFR
- Exam fee tested$45 for a single-line exam; $55 for a combined Life & Health or Property & Casualty exam
- License application fee tested$75 for an initial resident producer licence, filed through NIPR, plus NIPR's own transaction fee. It is a FLAT per-application fee, not per line - Oregon puts all lines of authority on ONE licence
- Passing score tested70% CORRECT - a raw percentage, not a scaled score. OAR 836-071-0127 says "a score of 70 percent or higher"; the bulletin says "You must get 70% correct to pass." Crop Insurance Adjuster is the only exception, at 80%
- Minimum age to be licensed tested18
- Is pre-licensing education required? testedYES — 20 hours of pre-licensing education per line of authority (Life, Health, Property, Casualty, Personal Lines); the completion certificate is valid for one year
- Pre-licensing hours and any exceptions (e.g. Title, adjusters) tested20 hours per line of authority, from an approved provider; the completion certificate is valid one year (you must pass the exam and apply within that window). WAIVED for adjusters, consultants, surplus lines, CLU (life/health) and CPCU (property/casualty) designees, and producers relocating from another state for the same lines who apply within 90 days.
- Fingerprints, state police report, or none testedElectronic fingerprints for a state and national criminal background check, required of every initial resident applicant. $61.25 - "the State processing fee of $46.25, and the PSI processing fee of $15.00" - paid at the site on the day. Ink cards are not accepted and processing may take up to four weeks
- Who takes the prints / issues the report testedTwo vendors, not one: PSI, walk-in at an Oregon test centre during regular testing hours on exam day, or Fieldprint at FieldprintOregon.com. Fieldprint uses a SINGLE shared program code for all Oregon insurance applicants, FPORDeptConsumerBusServDAS - there are no per-applicant codes
- How long the background report stays valid testedFingerprints expire 6 months from the date taken; no new prints are required to add a line of authority to an existing active license
- Deadline to apply after passing the exam testedBefore the pre-licensing certificate's one-year anniversary - the bulletin binds the exam and the application to the same expiry. NIPR describes Oregon exam scores as valid 12 months from the exam, which is a different and later date; the certificate is the binding constraint
- How long exam eligibility and the course certificate stay valid testedThe pre-licensing Certificate of Completion "expires one year to the day from the date it is issued," and the candidate must pass the exam AND apply for licensure before that date. The clock runs from the certificate ISSUE date, not from the exam pass date, so the operative deadline is earlier than one year after passing
- Waiting period before retaking a failed exam testedNo mandated waiting period beyond next-day rebooking - the bulletin's own example is that a candidate who fails on a Wednesday can call Thursday and retest as soon as Friday, subject to seat availability. The full fee is payable per attempt. Neither the bulletin nor OAR 836-071-0120 or -0127 states an attempt limit
- Notice required to reschedule/cancel without forfeiting the fee testedCancel or reschedule at least 2 days before the exam to avoid forfeiting the fee
- Where you apply (Sircon / NIPR / state portal) testedNIPR (nipr.com) for resident and nonresident producer applications and renewals; paper applications are no longer accepted
- Are temporary licenses available? testedYes — a temporary producer license (up to 180 days, no exam) may be issued to service an existing business after the death, disability, or military induction of a producer; a military-spouse temporary license is also available
- Temporary license duration and training requirement testedUp to 180 days, with no written exam, for defined servicing situations under ORS 744.073 (may require a sponsor); a separate temporary license is available for a military spouse licensed in another state
- Designation exemptions: two lists that do not match testedThe PSI bulletin waives pre-licensing coursework for CLU (life/health) and CPCU (property & casualty) only. OAR 836-071-0180(7) lists fifteen designations with experience minimums - AAI, ACSR, ARM, CIC, CPSR (P&C), HIA, REBC, RHU (health), CFP, ChFC, FLMI (life), CEBS, LUTCF (life & health), CPIW, and a director-approved catch-all - and names NEITHER CLU nor CPCU. Neither list is a superset of the other, and every entry on both waives COURSEWORK ONLY, never the exam
- Experience-based exemption from pre-licensing testedThree years in an insurance agency or company as an UNLICENSED person, part of it within two years of application; or three years licensed as a resident agent in another state, Canadian province or Mexico within two years of application; or an insurance degree from an accredited college or university; or a combination totalling three years. Filed on DFR Form 2493
- Exam waiver for a producer moving to Oregon testedThree conditions, all required: the SAME lines of authority, an application received no more than 90 days after cancellation of the prior resident licence, and establishment of Oregon residency. It waives BOTH the education and the examination - one of only a handful of true exam waivers Oregon grants. Fingerprints are still required through an Oregon-authorised vendor
- Is remote online proctoring available? testedYes, as of the 8/5/2025 bulletin - but with two hard restrictions candidates miss: no breaks of any kind, and no scratch paper. The candidate may not change spaces or computers mid-exam. The launch window is stated twice and inconsistently, 30 minutes in one line and 15 in the forfeiture clause; the 15-minute figure is the one attached to losing your fee
- How many IDs to bring to the test centre testedONE - "one (1) form of valid (non-expired) signature bearing identification." There is no secondary-ID list. The six accepted items are a state issued driver's license, state issued identification card, US Government Issued Passport, US Government Issued Military Identification Card, US Government Issued Alien Registration Card, or Canadian Government Issued ID. The registration name must match it exactly. A SECOND document is separately required: the school Certificate of Completion, electronic or hard copy
- What forfeits the exam fee testedFour things: failing to cancel at least 2 days before the appointment, not appearing, ARRIVING AFTER THE EXAMINATION START TIME, and failing to present proper ID. Cancellation must be online or by phone on (855) 340-3901 - "A voice mail message is not an acceptable form of cancellation"
- Surplus lines premium tax and who remits it tested2% of gross premiums on Oregon home state risks plus an additional 0.3% of the premium or fees charged by the insurer - 2.3% all in - and it is the SURPLUS LINES LICENSEE who pays the Director, not the insured and not the nonadmitted insurer. Due quarterly, on the 45th day following the calendar quarter in which the premium is collected