Virginia Insurance Exam Guides
Pick the license you're studying for. Each guide covers Virginia-specific requirements, fees, and official links — plus a free practice exam. Then scroll down to explore the Virginia exam's state-law material, mapped.
Free study resource
What's actually tested on the Virginia exam — the state regulations, mapped
Every Virginia insurance exam reserves a block of questions for Virginia-specific law — the fees, deadlines, limits, and rules that generic national study guides gloss over. This is that material: 107 facts from the TESTivity Virginia 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 testedTwo years
- Grace period for individual life tested30 days (one month)
- Window to reinstate a lapsed policy tested3 years from lapse
- Max interest chargeable on reinstatement, if capped testedNot exceeding 6% per year
- Suicide exclusion period testedUp to two years
- Free look for individual life tested10 days
- Free look for annuities tested10 days
- Free look when a policy is being replaced tested30 days
- 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 Virginia Life license plus FINRA Series 6 or 7 and Series 63
- Does the state regulate viatical/life settlements? testedYes — Virginia Viatical Settlements Act
- Viator's rescission window tested15 days from execution, or 15 days after receiving proceeds — whichever is later
- Has the state adopted the NAIC best interest standard? testedYes — NAIC best interest standard adopted
Health 15 facts
Health coverage rules — continuation, prompt pay, mandates, public programs.
- Has the state expanded Medicaid under the ACA? testedYes
- Effective date of expansion, if expanded testedJanuary 1, 2019
- Agency administering Medicaid testedDepartment of Medical Assistance Services (DMAS)
- Federal marketplace or state-based exchange testedFederal marketplace (healthcare.gov)
- Name of the state CHIP program testedFAMIS — Family Access to Medical Insurance Security
- Clean-claim payment deadline, electronic tested40 days
- Clean-claim payment deadline, paper tested40 days
- Does the state distinguish electronic vs paper claims? testedNo — one uniform 40-day standard for both electronic and paper claims
- Interest / penalty on late claim payment testedPrime rate plus 1%
- Is the IRO's external review decision binding on the plan? testedYes — the IRO's decision binds the health plan
- Employer size at which federal COBRA applies tested20 or more employees
- Employer size range covered by state continuation testedEmployers with 2 to 19 employees
- Duration of state continuation coverage testedUp to 12 months
- Election period for state continuation tested31 days from receiving notice
- Max premium as % of group rate testedUp to 102% of the group rate
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$20,000
- The memorizable shorthand (e.g. 30/60/25) tested30/60/20
- Uninsured motorist: mandatory / must be offered & rejectable / not required testedMandatory — UM is required on every policy and CANNOT be rejected
- Underinsured motorist status testedMandatory, at the same limits as the insured's BI liability limits
- Personal injury protection status testedNot required
- Contributory / pure comparative / modified comparative negligence testedContributory negligence — any fault at all, even 1%, bars ALL recovery
- The bar percentage, if modified comparative testedAny fault bars recovery entirely
- Any alternative to buying liability insurance (e.g. VA's UMV fee) testedThe Uninsured Motor Vehicle (UMV) fee — an annual fee paid to the Virginia DMV in lieu of buying liability insurance. Provides NO coverage and NO liability protection.
CE & Renewal 8 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) testedBirth month and odd/even birth year — since January 1, 2021
- CE hours per renewal period, standard case tested16 credit hours per biennium (one license type, or both Life & Annuities and Health)
- CE hours if holding multiple license types (if different) tested24 credit hours if holding two or more license types, minimum 8 hours per license type
- Ethics hours required per period tested3 credit hours
- Limits on who may provide CE credits testedNo more than 75% of credits may come from insurer- or agency-provided courses
- Initial long-term care training requirement tested8 hours of initial LTC training before selling LTC products
- What happens if CE is not completed (fine / expiry / cancellation) testedFailure to complete CE by the renewal deadline results in license expiration
Property 6 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 adverse action notice requirements
- Does the state have a FAIR Plan? testedNo — Virginia has NO FAIR Plan
- Dominant catastrophe perils in the state testedCoastal hurricane and storm surge, inland tornado, winter storm and ice, river and tidal flooding
- What license you must already hold to write surplus lines testedA Virginia Property and Casualty license
- Is a diligent-effort search of the admitted market required first? testedYes — a diligent effort to place in the admitted market must come first
Guaranty 8 facts
The safety nets when an insurer fails — and their limits.
- Name of the life & health guaranty association testedVirginia Life, Accident and Sickness Insurance Guaranty Association (VLASIGA)
- Life death benefit limit tested$300,000
- Life cash surrender / withdrawal value limit tested$100,000
- Annuity benefit limit tested$250,000
- Health benefit limit tested$500,000
- Does the state follow the standard NAIC model limits? testedYes — standard NAIC model limits
- Name of the P&C guaranty association testedVirginia Property and Casualty Insurance Guaranty Association
- Is using the guaranty association as a sales inducement prohibited? testedYes — prohibited
Workers Comp 7 facts
Who must carry workers' compensation and what it pays.
- Is workers' compensation mandatory for private employers? testedYes
- Employee count at which coverage is required testedTwo or more employees
- Agency administering workers' compensation testedVirginia Workers' Compensation Commission (VWC)
- Temporary total disability wage replacement rate tested66⅔% of average weekly wage
- Maximum TTD duration tested500 weeks
- Deadline to file a claim tested2 years from the accident
- Ways an employer may comply (insure / self-insure / group) testedBuy coverage from a licensed insurer, qualify as a licensed self-insurer, or join a licensed workers' compensation insurance group
Regulator 5 facts
Who regulates insurance here and what powers the office holds.
- Name of the state insurance regulator testedThe Bureau of Insurance, within the State Corporation Commission (SCC)
- 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 and accountable to the State Corporation Commission — not elected, and not appointed by the Governor
- Where the state's insurance law is codified testedTitle 38.2 of the Code of Virginia
- Does the regulator sit somewhere unusual (e.g. inside a constitutional commission)? testedYes — the regulator sits inside a constitutional commission that is also a court of record
Cancellation 7 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 tested10 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 tested30 days
- Notice days required for nonrenewal tested45 days
- Must the reason be stated proactively, on request, or not at all? testedYes — the specific reason must be stated in the nonrenewal notice
Licensing 26 facts
How you get and keep the license — exams, fees, applications, background checks.
- Is there a standalone life license/exam? testedYes — Life and Annuities
- Is there a standalone health license/exam? testedYes — Health
- Is there a combined life+health license/exam? testedYes — Life, Annuities & Health (combined)
- Is there a personal lines license/exam? testedYes — Personal Lines
- Is P&C one combined license, or split into Property and Casualty? testedOne combined Property and Casualty license
- Does the life license cover annuities? testedYes — the life line is 'Life and Annuities'
- Does the P&C license already include personal lines authority? testedYes — the P&C license already includes Personal Lines authority; do not apply for both
- Full list of exam-based agent license types testedLife and Annuities · Health · Property and Casualty · Personal Lines · Title
- Exam administrator (Prometric / PSI / Pearson VUE) testedPrometric
- Exam fee tested$35
- License application fee tested$15
- Passing score tested70%
- Minimum age to be licensed tested18
- Is pre-licensing education required? testedNo — Virginia requires NO pre-licensing education for Life & Annuities, Health, P&C, or Personal Lines
- Pre-licensing hours and any exceptions (e.g. Title, adjusters) testedNone required, except Title insurance which requires a 16-hour pre-licensing course
- Fingerprints, state police report, or none testedCriminal History Record Report (CHRR) from the Virginia State Police — Virginia does NOT fingerprint resident agent applicants
- Who takes the prints / issues the report testedVirginia State Police (expedited option via IIAV or NAIFA)
- How long the background report stays valid tested90 days
- Deadline to apply after passing the exam tested183 calendar days after passing the exam
- How long a passed exam remains valid tested183 calendar days
- Waiting period before retaking a failed exam tested24 hours
- Limit on number of attempts, if any testedAfter a third failure, a 30-calendar-day waiting period applies
- Notice required to reschedule/cancel without forfeiting the fee testedAt least 24 hours before the appointment
- Where you apply (Sircon / NIPR / state portal) testedSircon or NIPR
- Are temporary licenses available? testedYes — on death/incapacity of an agent, sale of a business, or for a home service insurer's debit agent
- Temporary license duration and training requirement testedIssued only in specific statutory circumstances; no general pre-exam temporary license