Tennessee Insurance Exam Guides
Pick the license you're studying for. Each guide covers Tennessee-specific requirements, fees, and official links — plus a free practice exam. Then scroll down to explore the Tennessee exam's state-law material, mapped.
Free study resource
What's actually tested on the Tennessee exam — the state regulations, mapped
Every Tennessee insurance exam reserves a block of questions for Tennessee-specific law — the fees, deadlines, limits, and rules that generic national study guides gloss over. This is that material: 116 facts from the TESTivity Tennessee 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 testedNot more than 2 years - the statute requires a provision making the policy incontestable after it has been in force during the lifetime of the insured for a specified period 'not more than two (2) years from its date'. That is a statutory CEILING, not a fixed term. Two exceptions: nonpayment of premiums, and violations of conditions relating to naval and military service in time of war (T.C.A. 56-7-2307(3)).
- Grace period for individual life testedA grace of one month for the payment of every premium AFTER THE FIRST YEAR (T.C.A. 56-7-2307(2)), during which the policy stays in force; overdue premium may be deducted from the amount payable if the insured dies within the grace period. Note the statutory scope - 'after the first year', not the 'after the first premium' phrasing national outlines commonly use.
- Window to reinstate a lapsed policy testedWithin 3 years from the default - but the provision is conditional: it applies where the policy value was applied to the purchase of other insurance, that insurance is in force, and the original policy has not been surrendered to the company and cancelled. Evidence of insurability satisfactory to the company and payment of arrears of premiums with interest are required (T.C.A. 56-7-2307(10)).
- Max interest chargeable on reinstatement, if capped testedArrears of premiums are repaid 'with interest' at the rate stated in the policy - Tennessee fixes NO separate statutory reinstatement-interest cap, unlike states that set 6% or 8%.
- Suicide exclusion period testedBy policy provision (commonly two years) — if death is by suicide within the stated period, the insurer's liability is typically limited to a refund of the premiums paid
- Free look for individual life testedThere is NO general statutory free look for a new individual life policy in Tennessee. Title 56 chapter 7 part 23 contains no right-to-return section. The familiar 10-day right is a HEALTH provision - T.C.A. 56-26-129, applying to 'every individual accident and health policy or contract'. Treat any 10-day life free look as unsourced.
- Free look for annuities testedNo general statutory free look for a new annuity contract was located in Title 56 or in the variable contracts rules (0780-01-17). What does exist is the replacement refund right - see life.free_look_replacement.
- Free look when a policy is being replaced tested20 days. Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0780-01-24-.07(4) gives the applicant 'a right to an unconditional refund of all premiums paid, which right may be exercised within a period of twenty days commencing from the date of delivery of the policy', stated in the policy or in a separate written notice delivered with it.
- Free look for long-term care tested30 days for long-term care, from policy delivery - T.C.A. 56-42-105(f)(1).
- Required nonforfeiture options tested56-7-2307(8) cross-refers to T.C.A. 56-7-312 or 56-7-401. The Standard Nonforfeiture Law at 56-7-401 requires a cash surrender value and 'a paid-up nonforfeiture benefit on a plan stipulated in the policy', with actuarially equivalent alternatives - it does NOT enumerate cash surrender, reduced paid-up and extended term as a fixed statutory menu, though those are the usual forms.
- Registrations required to sell variable products testedVariable life and variable annuities require the Tennessee Life line plus a variable contracts qualification and FINRA registration (a Series 6 or 7 with a Series 63) and a CRD number — they are securities
- Does the state regulate viatical/life settlements? testedYes — Tennessee regulates viatical and life settlements; providers and brokers must be licensed
- Viator's rescission window testedThe owner has a statutory right to rescind a life-settlement contract within the period fixed by Tennessee law (commonly within a set number of days after execution or receipt of proceeds)
- Has the state adopted the NAIC best interest standard? testedYES - adopted at Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0780-01-86-.06, as amended effective 17 April 2023, with the obligations of care, disclosure, conflict of interest and documentation. Rule .07 requires a one-time FOUR-credit training course; producers trained before the amendment owe either a fresh four-credit course or an additional one-time one-credit course.
Health 15 facts
Health coverage rules — continuation, prompt pay, mandates, public programs.
- Has the state expanded Medicaid under the ACA? testedNO — Tennessee has NOT expanded Medicaid under the ACA; it remains a non-expansion state. The Medicaid program is TennCare, administered by the Division of TennCare.
- Effective date of expansion, if expanded testedNot applicable — Tennessee has not expanded Medicaid
- Agency administering Medicaid testedThe Division of TennCare — Tennessee's Medicaid program is called TennCare
- Federal marketplace or state-based exchange testedA FEDERALLY-FACILITATED marketplace (HealthCare.gov) — Tennessee did not build a state exchange
- Name of the state CHIP program testedCoverKids — Tennessee's CHIP, administered within TennCare
- Clean-claim payment deadline, electronic tested21 calendar days to pay (or act on) a clean claim submitted electronically
- Clean-claim payment deadline, paper tested30 calendar days to pay (or act on) a clean claim submitted on paper
- Does the state distinguish electronic vs paper claims? testedYes — Tennessee uses different deadlines for electronic (21 days) and paper (30 days) clean claims
- Interest / penalty on late claim payment tested1% interest per month accrues on the unpaid amount of a clean claim not paid on time, from the day after payment was due
- Is the IRO's external review decision binding on the plan? testedYES — under the Tennessee Health Carrier Grievance and External Review Procedure Act, an external review decision is BINDING on the health carrier
- Employer size at which federal COBRA applies testedFederal COBRA applies at 20+ employees; Tennessee's state continuation reaches smaller groups (it applies regardless of employer size)
- Employer size range covered by state continuation testedTennessee state continuation applies to group health policies regardless of the number of employees — small and large groups alike
- Duration of state continuation coverage testedThe fractional policy month remaining at termination, plus THREE additional policy months. Where coverage ends through divorce or the death of the spouse: the fractional month plus up to FIFTEEN additional policy months. Where coverage terminates DURING PREGNANCY: the fractional month plus 'not less than six (6) months after the pregnancy ends', bounded at the end of the second three-month period following the three-month period in which it ends (56-7-2312(d)(1)). Not 18 months, and not counted the COBRA way.
- Election period for state continuation testedAvailable where group coverage terminates for a reason other than discontinuance of the whole policy, and only if the person was continuously insured for at least three months before termination; the full premium is paid in advance. THE PRINCIPAL EXCLUSION: no continuation where the group policy 'was terminated in its entirety or was terminated with respect to an insured class of which the employee was a member' - conversion rights only. Also excluded: those who failed to pay contributions, those eligible for Medicare, and those whose coverage was replaced within 31 days.
- Max premium as % of group rate testedThe individual pays the premium for continued coverage
Auto 12 facts
Auto insurance — minimum limits, fault system, required coverages.
- Fault-based (tort) or no-fault testedTORT (at-fault) — the at-fault driver's liability insurance pays the other party's damages. Tennessee does not mandate PIP, so it is not a no-fault state.
- 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$25,000 for damage to property in any one accident - raised from $15,000 for policies required after 31 December 2022
- The memorizable shorthand (e.g. 30/60/25) tested25/50/25 - the property damage minimum rose from $15,000 to $25,000 by Acts 2022, ch. 860, applicable to policies required after 31 December 2022. A single limit of $65,000 applicable to one accident is an alternative, as is a cash deposit or bond of $65,000 with the Commissioner of Safety.
- Uninsured motorist: mandatory / must be offered & rejectable / not required testedUninsured motorist coverage must be OFFERED at limits equal to the policy's bodily-injury limits, but the named insured may reject it in writing or select lower limits (not below the statutory minimum)
- Underinsured motorist status testedUnderinsured motorist coverage is part of Tennessee's uninsured motorist coverage; it must be OFFERED at the policy's bodily-injury limits but may be rejected in writing
- Personal injury protection status testedNot required — Tennessee does not mandate PIP; medical payments (MedPay) coverage is optional
- Contributory / pure comparative / modified comparative negligence testedMODIFIED COMPARATIVE NEGLIGENCE — a claimant recovers only if their fault is LESS THAN the defendant's (i.e., less than 50%); at exactly 50% or more they recover nothing. Recovery is reduced by the claimant's share.
- The bar percentage, if modified comparative testedA claimant who is 50% or more at fault is barred; recovery requires the claimant's fault to be LESS THAN the defendant's
- Assigned risk / residual market plan for auto testedThe Tennessee Automobile Insurance Plan (the assigned-risk plan, administered by AIPSO) — a producer submits an application on the driver's behalf when voluntary coverage cannot be found
- Any alternative to buying liability insurance (e.g. VA's UMV fee) testedTennessee requires proof of financial responsibility; most people comply by buying auto insurance, though the Financial Responsibility Law also allows a cash deposit or bond in lieu of a policy
CE & Renewal 10 facts
Continuing education and renewal rules — the numbers the exam loves.
- How long a license lasts before renewal testedA Tennessee producer license runs on a two-year (biennial) term
- What the renewal date keys off (flat term / birthday / birth year) testedRenew every two years by the last day of the producer's birth month
- 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 regardless of how many lines you hold (Tennessee does not stack the requirement per line). Up to 12 credit hours may be carried into the next cycle, but carry-over does NOT apply to the 3-hour ethics requirement - those reset every biennium.
- Ethics hours required per period tested3 hours of ethics within the 24
- Limits on who may provide CE credits testedCourses and providers must be approved by the TDCI; an approved course may be repeated for credit only after two years. Rule 0780-01-56-.08(3)(e) requires providers to transmit a completion record electronically within 30 days.
- Initial long-term care training requirement testedLong-term care: a ONE-TIME EIGHT-HOUR course under T.C.A. 56-42-109(a)(1) before selling LTC, plus ongoing training every 24 months by rule (TDCI: no less than four hours). Annuities: a one-time FOUR-credit best-interest course under Tenn. Comp. R. & Regs. 0780-01-86-.07. Flood: rule 0780-01-56-.08(1)(c) requires a one-time 3-hour flood course of resident producers authorised to sell property insurance, or both property and casualty - it counts inside the 24 hours for one biennium.
- What happens if CE is not completed (fine / expiry / cancellation) testedA producer who fails to complete CE by the renewal deadline cannot renew, and the license lapses
- Late renewal / reinstatement tiers testedA producer who allows the license to lapse may, within 12 months from the due date of the renewal fee, reinstate the same license WITHOUT passing a written examination. T.C.A. 56-6-107 sets 'a penalty in the amount of double the unpaid renewal fee' for any renewal fee received after the due date, and TDCI reads that as an ADDITION: an expired license is reinstated 'by remitting the license fee plus a reinstatement penalty fee of double the renewal fee' - about $180 on a $60 renewal, not $120. Beyond 12 months the statutory exam waiver no longer applies. The Commissioner may waive renewal procedures and examination requirements for military service or other extenuating circumstances.
- Any CE exemption (e.g. long-service agents) testedA producer who has been continuously licensed since January 1, 1994 is exempt from continuing education - a grandfather clause, NOT a first-term or newly-licensed exemption. Nonresident producers satisfy Tennessee CE by satisfying their home state's requirements, where that state gives Tennessee residents credit on the same basis.
Property 8 facts
Property insurance — rate regulation, residual markets, catastrophe exposure.
- Rate regulation system (file-and-use / prior approval / use-and-file) testedTWO regimes, not one - Tennessee is NOT simply file-and-use. PERSONAL risk: T.C.A. 56-5-105 requires filing 'at least thirty (30) days before the proposed effective date', with a deemer - the filing is 'deemed to meet the requirements of this part and to become effective unless disapproved by the commissioner before the expiration of the waiting period'. COMMERCIAL risk: 56-5-106 requires filing 'not later than fifteen (15) days after the effective date'. Rates may not be excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory.
- Is insurance credit scoring permitted in personal lines? testedPERMITTED with restrictions under T.C.A. 56-5-201 to 56-5-207. The operative limit is 56-5-202: an insurer may not deny, cancel or non-renew personal insurance, or set renewal rates, 'solely on the basis of credit information, without consideration of any other applicable underwriting factor independent of credit information'.
- Does the state have a FAIR Plan? testedNo FAIR Plan is operating and no property insurer of last resort has been activated - but the statute books are not empty, and the flat 'nothing in Title 56' claim is wrong. Chapter 56-41 authorises a voluntary risk-sharing or market-assistance plan where property and casualty insurance 'is not readily available in the voluntary market' (56-41-102), and lets the Commissioner create the Tennessee Property and Casualty Insurance Association after public hearing if that plan 'has failed, or ... no plan has been established' (56-41-103). Nothing indicates either has been stood up. In practice hard-to-place property goes to the surplus lines market. Tennessee does operate a LIVE auto residual market, the Tennessee Automobile Insurance Plan (T.C.A. 55-12-136).
- Name of the FAIR Plan, if any testedNone operating. The standby body the statute contemplates is the Tennessee Property and Casualty Insurance Association under T.C.A. 56-41-103, which the Commissioner may create after public hearing if a voluntary risk-sharing plan fails or is never established. There is no FAIR Plan by that name.
- Coastal windstorm pool, if any (e.g. TWIA) testedNone — Tennessee is landlocked and has no coastal wind pool or beach plan
- Dominant catastrophe perils in the state testedTornadoes and severe thunderstorms, hail and straight-line wind, flooding, and — in West Tennessee — earthquake exposure from the New Madrid Seismic Zone
- What license you must already hold to write surplus lines testedA current Tennessee insurance producer license. There is NO surplus lines examination - the credential is a filing rather than a test - and the fee is a $120 filing fee submitted through NIPR. Nonresident surplus lines producers are licensed on the same reciprocal footing under T.C.A. 56-6-108.
- Is a diligent-effort search of the admitted market required first? testedYes in substance, but Tennessee sets NO minimum number of declinations. T.C.A. 56-14-106 requires only an affidavit that the agent 'is, after diligent effort, unable to procure from an admitted company or admitted companies the full amount of insurance required to protect the interest of the insured' - unlike states that fix the number at three. The affidavit is filed within 30 days of placing a new or renewal contract, with quarterly sworn attestations due 15 May, 15 August, 15 November and 15 February. Placements for an exempt commercial purchaser do not require the diligent-search sworn statement. Premium tax is 5% of gross premiums, and TDCI's filing procedures add a SLAS Clearinghouse TRANSACTION FEE of 0.175% of gross premium - Tennessee has no stamping office, but it is not free of a second charge.
Guaranty 10 facts
The safety nets when an insurer fails — and their limits.
- Name of the life & health guaranty association testedThe Tennessee Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association
- Life death benefit limit tested$300,000 in life insurance death benefits per insured life
- Life cash surrender / withdrawal value limit tested$100,000 in net cash surrender or withdrawal value for life insurance
- Annuity benefit limit tested$250,000 in the present value of annuity benefits, including net cash surrender and net cash withdrawal values. Mind the unit: 56-12-204(c)(2)(A) opens 'with respect to one (1) life, regardless of the number of policies or contracts' - it is measured PER LIFE, not per contract owner.
- Health benefit limit testedFor insolvencies after 1 January 2010: $500,000 'for health benefit plans' (the statute's own phrase, not 'major medical'); $300,000 for disability income insurance and for long-term care insurance; and $100,000 for coverages that are 'not disability income insurance, health benefit plans, or long-term care insurance'.
- Aggregate per-individual cap, if any testedAn aggregate of $300,000 in benefits with respect to any one (1) life for all coverages, rising to $500,000 where health benefit plan coverage is involved. Every limit in 56-12-204(c)(2)(A) is measured per life, 'regardless of the number of policies or contracts'.
- Does the state follow the standard NAIC model limits? testedYes — Tennessee uses the standard NAIC model limits: $300,000 death benefit, $100,000 cash value, $250,000 annuity, and a $300,000 aggregate ($500,000 for major-medical health)
- Name of the P&C guaranty association testedThe Tennessee Insurance Guaranty Association (TIGA, the property & casualty guaranty fund)
- Per-claim cap testedThe amount of a covered claim in excess of $100 and LESS THAN $100,000 - Tennessee's P&C cap is $100,000, not the $300,000 some states use. Workers' compensation claims are paid IN FULL, and they are ALSO excepted from the $10,000,000 aggregate: the statute reads 'notwithstanding any other provisions of this part, except in the case of a claim for benefits under workers' compensation coverage, any obligation of the association to any and all persons shall cease when ten million dollars ($10,000,000) has been paid in the aggregate to or on behalf of any single insured and its affiliates'.
- Is using the guaranty association as a sales inducement prohibited? testedYes - T.C.A. 56-12-218, 'Sales promotions listing association prohibited - Disclaimer notice', bars any advertisement using the existence of the Tennessee life and health insurance guaranty association 'for the purpose of sales, solicitation, or inducement to purchase any form of insurance', and requires a disclaimer notice. NOTE: 56-12-217 is the stay-of-proceedings section and is a common mis-citation.
Workers Comp 7 facts
Who must carry workers' compensation and what it pays.
- Is workers' compensation mandatory for private employers? testedYes — a covered Tennessee employer must secure workers' compensation by insuring or qualifying to self-insure
- Employee count at which coverage is required testedCoverage is required once a non-construction employer is 'using the services of not less than five (5) persons for pay' (T.C.A. 50-6-102). An employer 'engaged in the mining and production of coal' is covered from ONE employee for pay. Construction reaches the same result by a different route: T.C.A. 50-6-902 requires all construction services providers to carry workers' compensation on themselves, subject to registry and other exemptions. The Bureau counts minors, working family members and part-time employees; business owners of sole proprietorships, partnerships and LLCs are not counted, and corporate officers count only if full-time.
- Agency administering workers' compensation testedThe Tennessee Bureau of Workers' Compensation (within the Department of Labor and Workforce Development)
- Temporary total disability wage replacement rate testedTwo-thirds (66 2/3%) of the employee's average weekly wage, subject to a statutory maximum tied to the state average weekly wage and a statutory minimum
- Maximum TTD duration testedTemporary total disability is paid while the worker remains temporarily and totally disabled; the maximum weekly benefit is capped at 110% of the state average weekly wage (set annually)
- Deadline to file a claim tested1
- Ways an employer may comply (insure / self-insure / group) testedBuy a policy from a private carrier, or qualify as an approved self-insurer — Tennessee has no monopolistic state fund
Regulator 5 facts
Who regulates insurance here and what powers the office holds.
- Name of the state insurance regulator testedThe Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance (TDCI)
- Title of the person who heads it testedCommissioner of Commerce and Insurance (who also serves as the State Fire Marshal)
- How the commissioner is chosen: elected / appointed by governor / appointed by other body testedAPPOINTED by the Governor and serving in the Governor's Cabinet at the Governor's pleasure (not elected)
- Where the state's insurance law is codified testedTitle 56 of the Tennessee Code Annotated (Insurance), with producer licensing in Chapter 56-6 and departmental rules in Title 0780 of the Rules of Tennessee
- Does the regulator sit somewhere unusual (e.g. inside a constitutional commission)? testedNo — a Commissioner appointed by the Governor heads the Department (the mainstream appointed-commissioner model). One Tennessee wrinkle: insurance sits inside a combined Department of Commerce and Insurance, and the Commissioner also serves as the State Fire Marshal.
Cancellation 8 facts
When and how policies can be canceled or nonrenewed — heavily tested.
- Initial window during which an insurer may cancel more freely testedAuto: 60 days — a new auto policy (less than 60 days old and not a renewal) may be canceled with 10 days' notice; after 60 days, cancellation is limited to stated grounds
- Notice days to cancel a homeowners policy inside the initial window testedProperty: Tennessee requires advance written notice before canceling or nonrenewing a homeowners policy; insurers may nonrenew with notice
- Notice days to cancel a personal auto policy inside the initial window testedAuto: at least 20 days' written notice to cancel after the first 60 days (10 days for nonpayment or for a policy less than 60 days old)
- Notice days for cancellation for nonpayment testedAuto: 10 days' notice for nonpayment of premium (also the notice period for a new policy less than 60 days old)
- Notice days for cancellation for other permitted causes testedPersonal auto: not less than 20 days' written notice to cancel after the first 60 days, reduced to 10 days for nonpayment or where the policy has been in effect less than 60 days and is not a renewal (T.C.A. 56-7-1303). Commercial risk: a uniform 10 days after the date of mailing, with no separate nonpayment split (T.C.A. 56-7-1804(b)).
- Notice days required for nonrenewal testedPersonal risk: at least 30 days before expiration (T.C.A. 56-7-1901). Auto: not less than 30 days (56-7-1304) - and where the notice does not state the reason, the insured must request a written statement 'not later than fifteen (15) days after the effective date of the nonrenewal', and the insurer must then 'within twenty (20) days' mail a statement specifying it. Fifteen is the insured's window, twenty is the insurer's. COMMERCIAL risk is different - at least 60 days (56-7-1805).
- Must the reason be stated proactively, on request, or not at all? testedAuto cancellations after 60 days are limited to the enumerated grounds at T.C.A. 56-7-1302. For nonrenewal the reason is given ON REQUEST: the insured requests it within 15 days of the effective date of the nonrenewal, and the insurer answers within 20 days (56-7-1304).
- Restrictions on nonrenewing because of claims (e.g. weather claims excluded) testedAfter a Tennessee auto policy has been in force 60 days, it may be canceled only for the grounds listed in T.C.A. §56-7-1302 (such as nonpayment, license or registration suspension, or fraud) — not simply because a claim was filed
Licensing 27 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 annuities)
- Is there a standalone health license/exam? testedYes — a standalone Accident and Health (Accident & Health) exam and line of authority
- Is there a combined life+health license/exam? testedOnly through OnVUE. Tennessee offers no combined Life and Accident & Health sitting at a physical test center - the handbook's test-center table lists individual lines only. Its OnVUE table adds a combined 'Life and Accident & Health' exam at $80, and a 'Life, Accident & Health, and Title' combination at $125.
- Is there a personal lines license/exam? testedYes - a Personal Lines line and exam, covering property and casualty sold to individuals for personal, noncommercial purposes. 100 scored questions (75 General Knowledge + 25 Tennessee-Specific) in 2 hours for $55. NOTE: the handbook lists Personal Lines in the TEST-CENTER column only - there is no OnVUE delivery for this line, unlike Life, Accident & Health, Property and Casualty.
- Is P&C one combined license, or split into Property and Casualty? testedSPLIT into separate Property and Casualty lines with separate exams - and at a test center that is the only way to take them. A combined 'Property and Casualty' sitting is available through OnVUE at $80, with a 'Property, Casualty, and Title' combination at $125. A narrower Personal Lines exam is also offered.
- Does the life license cover annuities? testedYes — the Life line covers life insurance and annuities. VARIABLE life and variable annuities require the Life line plus FINRA registration (they are securities).
- Does the P&C license already include personal lines authority? testedYes — holding both the Property and the Casualty lines covers personal-lines risks; standalone Personal Lines is a narrower, personal-only line
- Full list of exam-based agent license types testedTennessee offers separate Life · Accident and Health · Property · Casualty · Personal Lines exams and lines — plus Title, Variable Contracts (with FINRA registration), Surplus Lines, and Adjuster. There are NO combined Life/Health or Property/Casualty exams.
- Exam administrator (Prometric / PSI / Pearson VUE) testedPearson VUE administers Tennessee producer exams under contract with the TDCI, at test centers and - for Life, Accident & Health, Property and Casualty only - through OnVUE online proctoring. Personal Lines, standalone Title and Public Adjuster are test-center only.
- Exam fee tested$55 per line, the same at a Pearson VUE test center and by OnVUE ($50 for public adjuster). Combined OnVUE sittings: $80 for Life plus Accident & Health, $80 for Property plus Casualty, $125 for either of those with Title added. Fees are nonrefundable and nontransferable and are owed for every attempt.
- License application fee tested$50 for a resident producer license, paid through NIPR (biennial)
- Fee per insurer appointment testedAppointments are filed by the insurer through NIPR; Tennessee charges a per-appointment fee paid by the appointing insurer
- Passing score testedA SCALED score of 70, not a percentage. The handbook states the reported score 'is neither the number of questions answered correctly (the raw score) nor the percentage of questions answered correctly', that raw scores are converted to a scale running 0 to 100, and that the Department 'has selected 70 as the passing score for reporting purposes'. Numeric scores are reported only to failing candidates; a passing report reads simply 'pass'.
- Minimum age to be licensed tested18
- Is pre-licensing education required? testedNO for Life, Accident & Health, Property, Casualty and Personal Lines - you may schedule the exam directly. YES for TITLE insurance: Tenn. Code Ann. 56-6-106 requires 'a pre-licensing course of study that consists of a minimum of thirty (30) hours of course work for title insurance'.
- Pre-licensing hours and any exceptions (e.g. Title, adjusters) testedNone for the five major producer lines. Title insurance requires a statutory 30 hours through an approved education provider. Note that the absence of pre-licensing does not eliminate product-specific training: annuity best interest, long-term care under 56-42-109, and a one-time 3-hour flood course for property producers under rule 0780-01-56-.08(1)(c) all still apply.
- Fingerprints, state police report, or none testedFingerprint-based criminal background check — every applicant is fingerprinted for a state (TBI) and federal (FBI) criminal history check; the applicant bears the cost
- Who takes the prints / issues the report testedIdentoGO captures the prints; the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation runs the state check and forwards to the FBI. The ORI is published and UNIVERSAL rather than per-applicant: TN920680Z for insurance producers (transaction type IP), TN920560Z for public adjusters, TN920783Z for navigators and certified application counselors. TDCI directs applicants to complete fingerprinting at least 2 business days BEFORE submitting the application at nipr.com.
- How long the background report stays valid testedFingerprints are submitted with the initial application; a producer who stays continuously licensed is not re-fingerprinted at renewal
- Deadline to apply after passing the exam testedApply through NIPR after passing; application and filing fees are good for one year from receipt by the Department, and there is a mandatory 48-hour wait after the exam before filing electronically.
- How long a passed exam remains valid testedApplication and filing fees are good for one year from the date received by the Department. Separately, TDCI requires a 48-hour wait after taking the examination before the application may be submitted electronically at NIPR.
- Waiting period before retaking a failed exam testedTiered, and statutory: T.C.A. 56-6-105 requires an individual failing at the first attempt to wait at least 10 calendar days, and at least 30 calendar days before any subsequent attempt. All candidates must wait 24 hours before making a reservation to retake. Public adjuster candidates who fail three times wait a year. OnVUE is capped at 2 attempts per exam line, after which the retake must be at a test center.
- Limit on number of attempts, if any testedNo overall cap for producer lines - but OnVUE is limited to 2 attempts per exam line ('any additional attempts will need to be taken in a testing center'), and public adjuster candidates who fail three times must wait one year.
- Notice required to reschedule/cancel without forfeiting the fee testedReservations must be made online at least 24 hours before the desired examination date. Changes and cancellations require at least 48 hours' notice before the examination; candidates absent from or late to an exam who have not changed or cancelled within that window forfeit the fee.
- Where you apply (Sircon / NIPR / state portal) testedNIPR (nipr.com) — apply online and pay the fees; exam scheduling is through Pearson VUE
- Are temporary licenses available? testedYes - T.C.A. 56-6-111 lets the Commissioner issue a temporary producer license without an examination to the surviving spouse, next of kin or personal representative of a deceased or disabled producer; to a member or employee of a business entity on the death or disability of its designated individual; to the designee of a producer entering active military service; and in any other circumstance the Commissioner considers to be in the public interest.
- Temporary license duration and training requirement testedFor a period not to exceed 180 days, with no examination. The Commissioner may limit the authority granted, may 'require the temporary licensee to have a suitable sponsor who is a licensed producer or insurer and who assumes responsibility for all acts' of the temporary licensee, and the license may not continue after the owner or personal representative disposes of the business.