Texas Insurance Exam Guides
Pick the license you're studying for. Each guide covers Texas-specific requirements, fees, and official links — plus a free practice exam. Then scroll down to explore the Texas exam's state-law material, mapped.
Free study resource
What's actually tested on the Texas exam — the state regulations, mapped
Every Texas insurance exam reserves a block of questions for Texas-specific law — the fees, deadlines, limits, and rules that generic national study guides gloss over. This is that material: 104 facts from the TESTivity Texas 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 July 2026) — and is re-checked on a schedule. Facts marked tested are ones you should expect to see on the exam.
Life 12 facts
The life insurance rules that differ by state — free look, grace, reinstatement.
- Incontestability period testedTwo years
- Grace period for individual life tested31 days
- Window to reinstate a lapsed policy tested3 years from lapse
- Suicide exclusion period testedUp to two years
- Free look for individual life tested10 days
- Free look for annuities tested20 days for a deferred annuity
- Free look when a policy is being replaced tested30 days, with an unconditional full refund of premium
- Free look for long-term care tested30 days
- Required nonforfeiture options testedCash surrender value, reduced paid-up insurance, extended term insurance
- Registrations required to sell variable products testedA Texas life license plus FINRA Series 6 or 7 and Series 63
- Does the state regulate viatical/life settlements? testedYes — life settlement contracts
- Has the state adopted the NAIC best interest standard? testedYes — NAIC best interest standard adopted
Health 13 facts
Health coverage rules — continuation, prompt pay, mandates, public programs.
- Has the state expanded Medicaid under the ACA? testedNO — Texas has not expanded Medicaid and remains a non-expansion state. It has the largest coverage gap in the country.
- Agency administering Medicaid testedTexas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC)
- Federal marketplace or state-based exchange testedFederal marketplace (healthcare.gov)
- Name of the state CHIP program testedChildren's Health Insurance Program (CHIP)
- Clean-claim payment deadline, electronic tested30 days
- Clean-claim payment deadline, paper tested45 days
- Does the state distinguish electronic vs paper claims? testedYES — Texas splits electronic (30 days) and paper (45 days)
- Interest / penalty on late claim payment testedPenalties calculated under TIC §§ 843.342 and 1301.137
- Is the IRO's external review decision binding on the plan? testedYes — the IRO's decision binds the plan
- Employer size at which federal COBRA applies tested20 or more employees
- Employer size range covered by state continuation testedFully insured plans; small employers not subject to COBRA, plus post-COBRA extension
- Duration of state continuation coverage testedUp to 9 months for those not eligible for federal COBRA; an additional 6 months after federal COBRA is exhausted
- Election period for state continuation tested60 days from the qualifying event or notification
Auto 11 facts
Auto insurance — minimum limits, fault system, required coverages.
- Fault-based (tort) or no-fault testedFault-based (tort)
- Minimum bodily injury liability per person tested$30,000
- Minimum bodily injury liability per occurrence tested$60,000
- Minimum property damage liability tested$25,000
- The memorizable shorthand (e.g. 30/60/25) tested30/60/25
- Uninsured motorist: mandatory / must be offered & rejectable / not required testedMust be OFFERED — the insured may reject it, but the rejection must be in writing
- Underinsured motorist status testedMust be offered; rejectable in writing
- Personal injury protection status testedAutomatically included in every Texas auto policy unless the insured rejects it IN WRITING. Pays regardless of fault.
- Contributory / pure comparative / modified comparative negligence testedModified comparative negligence — 'proportionate responsibility'
- The bar percentage, if modified comparative tested51% bar — a claimant more than 50% at fault recovers nothing; at 50% or less, damages are reduced by their share of fault
- Assigned risk / residual market plan for auto testedTexas Automobile Insurance Plan Association (TAIPA) — the assigned risk plan
CE & Renewal 9 facts
Continuing education and renewal rules — the numbers the exam loves.
- How long a license lasts before renewal testedTwo years
- What the renewal date keys off (flat term / birthday / birth year) testedFlat two-year term
- CE hours per renewal period, standard case tested24 credit hours every two years
- CE hours if holding multiple license types (if different) tested24 hours (10 hours for Limited Lines, County Mutual, and Life Insurance Not Exceeding $25,000)
- Ethics hours required per period tested3 hours
- Any classroom / in-person requirement testedAt least half of the required hours must be completed in a classroom setting
- What happens if CE is not completed (fine / expiry / cancellation) tested$50 fine per hour not completed, up to $500 per license. If CE is not completed, the fine not paid, and the license not renewed within 90 days of expiry, the license is CANCELED.
- Late renewal / reinstatement tiers testedExpired <90 days: renew with a late fee equal to half the renewal fee. 90 days–1 year: reinstate without retaking the exam, via new application plus a fee equal to half the license fee. >1 year: must obtain a new license from scratch.
- Any CE exemption (e.g. long-service agents) testedAgents licensed 20 years or more may qualify for a CE exemption
Property 8 facts
Property insurance — rate regulation, residual markets, catastrophe exposure.
- Rate regulation system (file-and-use / prior approval / use-and-file) testedFile-and-use
- Is insurance credit scoring permitted in personal lines? testedPermitted, subject to the FCRA and Texas adverse action requirements
- Does the state have a FAIR Plan? testedYES — the Texas FAIR Plan Association
- Name of the FAIR Plan, if any testedTexas FAIR Plan Association — residential property insurer of last resort
- Coastal windstorm pool, if any (e.g. TWIA) testedTexas Windstorm Insurance Association (TWIA) — windstorm and hail coverage for the designated Gulf Coast catastrophe area
- Dominant catastrophe perils in the state testedGulf hurricane, hail, tornado, wildfire
- What license you must already hold to write surplus lines testedA General Lines – Property and Casualty license, or a Managing General Agent license
- Is a diligent-effort search of the admitted market required first? testedYes
Guaranty 10 facts
The safety nets when an insurer fails — and their limits.
- Name of the life & health guaranty association testedTexas Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association (TLHIGA)
- Life death benefit limit tested$300,000
- Life cash surrender / withdrawal value limit tested$100,000
- Annuity benefit limit tested$250,000 (present value)
- Health benefit limit tested$500,000
- Aggregate per-individual cap, if any tested$300,000 per individual regardless of number of policies — except up to $500,000 where a health benefit plan is involved
- Does the state follow the standard NAIC model limits? testedYes — standard NAIC model limits
- Name of the P&C guaranty association testedTexas Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association (TPCIGA)
- Per-claim cap tested$300,000 per claim, or the policy limits, whichever is less
- Is using the guaranty association as a sales inducement prohibited? testedYes — prohibited
Workers Comp 3 facts
Who must carry workers' compensation and what it pays.
- Is workers' compensation mandatory for private employers? testedNO — Texas is the ONLY state where private employers may decline workers' compensation entirely. An employer that opts out is a 'nonsubscriber'.
- Agency administering workers' compensation testedTexas Department of Insurance, Division of Workers' Compensation
- Ways an employer may comply (insure / self-insure / group) testedBuy coverage, qualify as a self-insurer, or decline coverage entirely as a nonsubscriber — forfeiting the common-law defenses of contributory negligence, assumption of risk, and the fellow-servant rule
Regulator 5 facts
Who regulates insurance here and what powers the office holds.
- Name of the state insurance regulator testedThe Texas Department of Insurance (TDI)
- Title of the person who heads it testedCommissioner of Insurance
- How the commissioner is chosen: elected / appointed by governor / appointed by other body testedAppointed by the Governor with the consent of the Texas Senate
- Where the state's insurance law is codified testedThe Texas Insurance Code (TIC) and Title 28 of the Texas Administrative Code (TAC)
- Does the regulator sit somewhere unusual (e.g. inside a constitutional commission)? testedNo — a conventional executive-branch department
Cancellation 8 facts
When and how policies can be canceled or nonrenewed — heavily tested.
- Initial window during which an insurer may cancel more freely testedFirst 60 days of a new policy
- Notice days to cancel a homeowners policy inside the initial window tested30 days
- Notice days to cancel a personal auto policy inside the initial window tested10 days
- Notice days for cancellation for nonpayment tested10 days
- Notice days for cancellation for other permitted causes tested10 days
- Notice days required for nonrenewal tested60 days
- Must the reason be stated proactively, on request, or not at all? testedPersonal lines: in writing at the insured's request. Commercial lines: the reason must be stated in the notice itself.
- Restrictions on nonrenewing because of claims (e.g. weather claims excluded) testedResidential: may not nonrenew for losses caused by natural causes; otherwise 3+ claims in 3 years, with a warning after 2, and claims closed without payment do not count. Auto: weather, animal, falling-object, and towing claims may not be the sole basis; other not-at-fault claims only if 2+ in 12 months.
Licensing 25 facts
How you get and keep the license — exams, fees, applications, background checks.
- Is there a standalone life license/exam? testedYes — Life Agent
- Is there a standalone health license/exam? testedNO — Texas has no standalone health license or exam. Health authority comes only with the General Lines – Life, Accident & Health license.
- Is there a combined life+health license/exam? testedYes — General Lines – Life, Accident & Health
- Is there a personal lines license/exam? testedYes — Personal Lines Property & Casualty
- Is P&C one combined license, or split into Property and Casualty? testedOne combined General Lines – Property & Casualty license
- Does the life license cover annuities? testedYes — the Life Agent license covers life and annuities, but NOT health
- Does the P&C license already include personal lines authority? testedYes — General Lines P&C covers personal and commercial risks
- Full list of exam-based agent license types testedLife Agent · General Lines – Life, Accident & Health · General Lines – Property & Casualty · Personal Lines P&C · Title
- Exam administrator (Prometric / PSI / Pearson VUE) testedPearson VUE
- Exam fee tested$39–$49 depending on exam
- License application fee tested$50 per license type
- Fee per insurer appointment tested$10 per additional company appointment
- Passing score tested70 (scaled score, 0–100 — NOT a percentage correct)
- Minimum age to be licensed tested18
- Is pre-licensing education required? testedNo — Texas requires NO pre-licensing education for Life, General Lines, or Personal Lines
- Pre-licensing hours and any exceptions (e.g. Title, adjusters) testedNone for agents. Adjusters must complete a TDI-approved course; temporary licensees must complete 40 hours of sponsor training within 30 days of application.
- Fingerprints, state police report, or none testedFingerprints — transmitted to the Texas DPS and the FBI
- Who takes the prints / issues the report testedIdentoGO by IDEMIA — appointment required, no same-day walk-ins
- Deadline to apply after passing the exam tested12 months after passing the exam — miss it and you retake the exam
- How long a passed exam remains valid tested12 months
- Waiting period before retaking a failed exam tested1 day
- Notice required to reschedule/cancel without forfeiting the fee testedAt least 48 hours before the exam
- Where you apply (Sircon / NIPR / state portal) testedWww.sircon.com/texas
- Are temporary licenses available? testedYes — a 180-day temporary license before passing the exam, sponsor required
- Temporary license duration and training requirement tested180 days, non-renewable; 40 hours of sponsor training within 30 days of application; exam must be passed within the 180 days; temporary licensees may not obtain additional appointments