Vermont Insurance Exam Guides
Pick the license you're studying for. Each guide covers Vermont-specific requirements, fees, and official links — plus a free practice exam. Then scroll down to explore the Vermont exam's state-law material, mapped.
Free study resource
What's actually tested on the Vermont exam — the state regulations, mapped
Every Vermont insurance exam reserves a block of questions for Vermont-specific law — the fees, deadlines, limits, and rules that generic national study guides gloss over. This is that material: 116 facts from the TESTivity Vermont 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 14 facts
The life insurance rules that differ by state — free look, grace, reinstatement.
- Incontestability period tested2 years — a life policy is incontestable after it has been in force during the insured's lifetime for 2 years (except for nonpayment of premium)
- Grace period for individual life tested30 days (one month, not less than 30 days) for any premium after the first, during which the policy stays in force (a claim during the grace period is paid less the unpaid premium)
- Window to reinstate a lapsed policy testedWithin 3 years after the date of premium default, with evidence of insurability and payment of overdue premiums (unless the policy was surrendered for cash value)
- Max interest chargeable on reinstatement, if capped testedOverdue premiums are paid with interest at the rate stated in the policy — Vermont does not fix a separate statutory reinstatement-interest cap
- 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 testedAt least 10 days to return an individual life policy for a refund (longer on a replacement)
- Free look for annuities testedAt least 10 days for an annuity (longer on a replacement under Vermont's replacement rules)
- Free look when a policy is being replaced testedVermont's replacement rules extend the right to return when a life policy or annuity replaces existing coverage (commonly a longer period than a new sale)
- Free look for long-term care tested30 days for long-term care, from policy delivery
- Required nonforfeiture options testedCash surrender value, reduced paid-up insurance, and extended term insurance, under Vermont's Standard Nonforfeiture Law
- Registrations required to sell variable products testedVariable life and variable annuities require the Vermont 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 — Vermont regulates viatical and life settlements; providers and brokers must be licensed by the DFR
- Viator's rescission window testedThe owner has a statutory right to rescind a life-settlement contract within the period fixed by Vermont law (commonly within a set number of days after execution or receipt of proceeds)
- Has the state adopted the NAIC best interest standard? testedYES — Vermont adopted the NAIC 2020 best interest annuity standard as DFR Regulation I-2023-01, effective July 5, 2024, with the obligations of care, disclosure, conflict-of-interest, and documentation; a producer must complete a one-time annuity training
Health 15 facts
Health coverage rules — continuation, prompt pay, mandates, public programs.
- Has the state expanded Medicaid under the ACA? testedYES — Vermont EXPANDED Medicaid under the ACA (effective 2014); it covers adults up to 138% of the federal poverty level
- Effective date of expansion, if expanded testedEffective 2014, with Vermont's ACA implementation
- Agency administering Medicaid testedThe Department of Vermont Health Access (DVHA); Vermont's public coverage programs are branded Green Mountain Care
- Federal marketplace or state-based exchange testedA STATE-BASED marketplace — Vermont Health Connect — one of the few small states that built and runs its own ACA exchange rather than using HealthCare.gov
- Name of the state CHIP program testedDr. Dynasaur — Vermont's CHIP/children's and pregnant-persons coverage program, administered by DVHA
- Clean-claim payment deadline, electronic tested30 days — a health plan must pay, deny, or otherwise act on a clean claim within 30 days of receipt
- Clean-claim payment deadline, paper tested30 days — Vermont applies the same 30-day standard whether the claim is paper or electronic
- Does the state distinguish electronic vs paper claims? testedNo — Vermont uses a single 30-day clean-claim standard rather than splitting electronic from paper
- Interest / penalty on late claim payment testedInterest accrues on a clean claim not paid within the statutory period (8 V.S.A. §3665 provides for interest and, for bad-faith delay, damages)
- Is the IRO's external review decision binding on the plan? testedYES — Vermont provides an independent external review of adverse health benefit determinations, and the external review decision is binding on the insurer
- Employer size at which federal COBRA applies testedFederal COBRA applies at 20+ employees; Vermont's continuation law reaches smaller employers
- Employer size range covered by state continuation testedVermont continuation applies to group health policies of employers not subject to federal COBRA (fewer than 20 employees)
- Duration of state continuation coverage testedUp to 18 months of continued group coverage (Vermont continuation parallels the federal COBRA 18-month period for a small employer)
- Election period for state continuation testedElected after a qualifying event that ends group coverage; the individual pays the premium
- 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. Vermont 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$10,000 per accident
- The memorizable shorthand (e.g. 30/60/25) tested25/50/10
- Uninsured motorist: mandatory / must be offered & rejectable / not required testedMANDATORY — every Vermont auto policy must include uninsured motorist coverage, and the minimum UM/UIM limits (50/100/10) are HIGHER than the liability minimums (25/50/10)
- Underinsured motorist status testedMANDATORY — underinsured motorist coverage is required along with uninsured motorist coverage, at minimum limits of 50/100 bodily injury and $10,000 property damage
- Personal injury protection status testedNot required — Vermont 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 NOT GREATER THAN the defendant's (50% or less); at 51% or more they recover nothing. Recovery is reduced by the claimant's share.
- The bar percentage, if modified comparative testedA claimant who is 51% or more at fault is barred; one who is exactly 50% at fault still recovers (reduced by their share)
- Assigned risk / residual market plan for auto testedThe Vermont Automobile Insurance Plan (the assigned-risk plan, administered through 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) testedVermont requires proof of financial responsibility; most people comply by buying auto insurance, though a bond or cash deposit is available under the Financial Responsibility framework
CE & Renewal 10 facts
Continuing education and renewal rules — the numbers the exam loves.
- How long a license lasts before renewal testedA Vermont producer license runs on a two-year term
- What the renewal date keys off (flat term / birthday / birth year) testedRenew biennially by a COMMON expiration date — the license term ends March 31 in ODD-numbered years (not a birthday-based cycle)
- 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 — with no more than 6 of the 24 hours in insurance agency management
- Ethics hours required per period tested3 hours of ethics within the 24
- Limits on who may provide CE credits testedNo carry-over credits; a course may not be taken more than once in a period; and no more than 6 hours may be in insurance agency management. Prometric is the DFR's CE vendor.
- Initial long-term care training requirement testedLong-term care: producers must complete LTC training before selling LTC. Annuities: a one-time annuity best-interest training under DFR Regulation I-2023-01 (effective July 5, 2024).
- 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 lapsed license may be reinstated within the statutory window on completion of CE and payment of a penalty; after that, reapplication (and re-examination) may be required
- Any CE exemption (e.g. long-service agents) testedLimited-lines producers carry reduced or no CE, and nonresidents generally satisfy Vermont CE by meeting their home-state requirement
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 / competitive rating — Vermont insurers file property & casualty rates with the DFR and may use them; rates may not be excessive, inadequate, or unfairly discriminatory
- Is insurance credit scoring permitted in personal lines? testedPERMITTED with restrictions — Vermont allows credit-based insurance scoring in personal-lines underwriting and rating, subject to the consumer-protection limits of the state's insurance-scoring rules
- Does the state have a FAIR Plan? testedNO — Vermont has no FAIR Plan or state-run property insurer of last resort
- Name of the FAIR Plan, if any testedNone — Vermont does not operate a FAIR Plan; hard-to-place property risks rely on the surplus-lines/specialty market
- Coastal windstorm pool, if any (e.g. TWIA) testedNone — Vermont is landlocked and has no coastal wind pool or beach plan
- Dominant catastrophe perils in the state testedFLOODING is Vermont's signature exposure — river and flash flooding (Tropical Storm Irene in 2011 and the July 2023 and 2024 floods) — along with severe winter storms and ice, windstorm and severe thunderstorms, and spring snowmelt. Flood is EXCLUDED from a standard homeowners policy and needs NFIP or private flood coverage.
- What license you must already hold to write surplus lines testedA Vermont surplus lines broker license (a separate license), held on top of property & casualty producer authority
- Is a diligent-effort search of the admitted market required first? testedYes — before placing coverage with a nonadmitted insurer, the surplus lines broker must make a diligent search of the admitted market and document that the risk could not be placed with admitted insurers
Guaranty 10 facts
The safety nets when an insurer fails — and their limits.
- Name of the life & health guaranty association testedThe Vermont 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 per contract owner
- Health benefit limit tested$500,000 for basic hospital, medical, and surgical or major medical insurance; $300,000 for disability income and long-term care; $100,000 for other health coverage
- Aggregate per-individual cap, if any tested$300,000 aggregate per individual life for all coverages ($500,000 where basic hospital/medical/surgical or major medical health insurance is involved)
- Does the state follow the standard NAIC model limits? testedYes — Vermont 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 Vermont Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association
- Per-claim cap testedUp to $300,000 per covered claim, never more than the policy limit; workers' compensation claims are paid in full
- Is using the guaranty association as a sales inducement prohibited? testedYes — using the existence of the guaranty association to sell or induce the purchase of insurance is prohibited, and a disclaimer notice is required
Workers Comp 7 facts
Who must carry workers' compensation and what it pays.
- Is workers' compensation mandatory for private employers? testedYes — nearly every Vermont employer must carry workers' compensation for its employees, including full-time, part-time, and seasonal workers
- Employee count at which coverage is required testedCoverage is required for essentially ANY employer with one or more employees (full-time, part-time, or seasonal); narrow exceptions include sole proprietors/partners and very small farm payrolls (under $10,000/year)
- Agency administering workers' compensation testedThe Vermont Department of Labor (Workers' Compensation and Safety Division)
- Temporary total disability wage replacement rate testedTwo-thirds (66 2/3%) of the employee's average weekly wage, subject to a statutory maximum and minimum tied to the state average weekly wage
- Maximum TTD duration testedTemporary total disability is paid while the worker remains temporarily and totally disabled; the maximum and minimum weekly benefits are tied to the state average weekly wage and adjusted annually
- Deadline to file a claim tested6
- Ways an employer may comply (insure / self-insure / group) testedBuy a policy from a private carrier, or qualify as an approved self-insurer — Vermont 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 Vermont Department of Financial Regulation (DFR), Insurance Division
- Title of the person who heads it testedCommissioner of Financial Regulation
- How the commissioner is chosen: elected / appointed by governor / appointed by other body testedAPPOINTED by the Governor with the advice and consent of the Senate, to a two-year term (not elected)
- Where the state's insurance law is codified testedTitle 8 of the Vermont Statutes Annotated (Banking and Insurance), with producer licensing in Chapter 101 and departmental regulations issued by the DFR
- Does the regulator sit somewhere unusual (e.g. inside a constitutional commission)? testedSomewhat — insurance is one division of the Department of Financial Regulation, a combined regulator of banking, insurance, securities, and captive insurance, led by a Commissioner appointed by the Governor. Vermont is also the leading U.S. captive-insurance domicile.
Cancellation 8 facts
When and how policies can be canceled or nonrenewed — heavily tested.
- Initial window during which an insurer may cancel more freely tested60 days — after a policy has been in effect 60 days, cancellation is limited to statutory grounds (nonpayment, fraud/material misrepresentation, substantial change in the risk, license/registration suspension, and similar)
- Notice days to cancel a homeowners policy inside the initial window testedProperty/homeowners: at least 45 days' written notice (by certified mail) to cancel or nonrenew a personal-lines policy — 15 days when the reason is nonpayment of premium
- Notice days to cancel a personal auto policy inside the initial window testedAuto (personal lines): at least 45 days' written notice to cancel (15 days for nonpayment); after 60 days cancellation is limited to statutory grounds
- Notice days for cancellation for nonpayment testedAt least 15 days' written notice for a cancellation based on nonpayment of premium
- Notice days for cancellation for other permitted causes testedA cancellation for a permitted cause other than nonpayment takes at least 45 days' written notice stating the reason
- Notice days required for nonrenewal testedNonrenewal takes at least 45 days' advance written notice before expiration, stating the reason
- Must the reason be stated proactively, on request, or not at all? testedYes — a Vermont cancellation or nonrenewal notice must state the actual reason, and midterm cancellation is limited to statutory grounds
- Restrictions on nonrenewing because of claims (e.g. weather claims excluded) testedAfter the initial underwriting window, a Vermont personal-lines policy may be canceled midterm only for the grounds allowed by statute (nonpayment, material misrepresentation, substantial change in the risk, license/registration suspension, and similar) — not merely 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 (Prometric series 14-25) and line of authority (Life includes annuities)
- Is there a standalone health license/exam? testedYes — a standalone Accident, Health and HMO exam (Prometric series 14-27) and line of authority
- Is there a combined life+health license/exam? testedYes — Vermont offers a combined Life, Accident, Health and HMO exam (Prometric series 14-29) in addition to the standalone Life and Accident/Health exams
- Is there a personal lines license/exam? testedYes — a Personal Lines exam (Prometric series 14-39) and line, covering property and casualty sold to individuals for personal, noncommercial purposes
- Is P&C one combined license, or split into Property and Casualty? testedBOTH — Vermont offers a combined Property and Casualty exam (series 14-31) AND standalone Property (14-41) and Casualty (14-42) exams; a narrower Personal Lines exam (14-39) 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 the Property and Casualty lines (or the combined P&C exam) covers personal-lines risks; standalone Personal Lines is a narrower, personal-only line
- Full list of exam-based agent license types testedVermont offers Life · Accident, Health & HMO · Property · Casualty · Personal Lines exams — with combined Life/Accident/Health/HMO (14-29) and combined Property & Casualty (14-31) exams available — plus Title, Variable Contracts (with FINRA registration), Surplus Lines, Bail Bond, and Adjuster
- Exam administrator (Prometric / PSI / Pearson VUE) testedPrometric administers Vermont producer exams (at a test center or via remote online proctoring)
- Exam fee testedThe Prometric examination fee (paid to Prometric when you reserve the exam) — see the Prometric Vermont License Information Bulletin for the current amount
- License application fee testedThe DFR resident producer license fee, paid through NIPR when you apply
- Fee per insurer appointment testedAppointments are filed by the insurer through NIPR; Vermont charges a per-appointment fee paid by the appointing insurer
- Passing score tested70% (Vermont producer exams are scored; 70% is the passing standard)
- Minimum age to be licensed tested18
- Is pre-licensing education required? testedNO — Vermont has no pre-licensing education requirement; you may take the exam directly for any line
- Pre-licensing hours and any exceptions (e.g. Title, adjusters) testedNone — Vermont requires no pre-licensing hours for any line. A study course (like this one) is strongly recommended, but not legally required.
- Fingerprints, state police report, or none testedNONE — Vermont does NOT require fingerprinting for a resident producer license. The Commissioner reviews the applicant's background disclosures and must find the applicant trustworthy, competent, and financially responsible.
- Who takes the prints / issues the report testedThere is no fingerprint vendor — the DFR relies on the application's background-disclosure questions and its trustworthy/competent/financially-responsible standard
- How long the background report stays valid testedBackground disclosures are submitted with the application; a producer who stays continuously licensed simply keeps their disclosures current
- Deadline to apply after passing the exam testedApply through NIPR after passing your exam; apply within the score-validity window shown in the Prometric bulletin
- How long a passed exam remains valid testedExam results are valid for the period stated in the Prometric bulletin (apply promptly after passing)
- Waiting period before retaking a failed exam testedIf you fail, you must re-register with Prometric and pay the exam fee again before retaking
- Limit on number of attempts, if any testedVermont does not publish a fixed cap on attempts; you re-register and pay the fee for each attempt
- Notice required to reschedule/cancel without forfeiting the fee testedChange or cancel an exam appointment in advance under Prometric's standard policy to avoid forfeiting the fee
- Where you apply (Sircon / NIPR / state portal) testedNIPR (nipr.com) — apply online and pay the fees; Sircon is also used. Exam scheduling is through Prometric.
- Are temporary licenses available? testedYes — Vermont provides temporary producer licenses in limited business-servicing situations (such as the death or disability of a producer), not as a general 'work while you study' license
- Temporary license duration and training requirement testedIssued without an exam to service an existing insurance business (for example after a producer's death or disability); the Commissioner may limit its authority and duration