Wisconsin Insurance Exam Guides
Pick the license you're studying for. Each guide covers Wisconsin-specific requirements, fees, and official links — plus a free practice exam. Then scroll down to explore the Wisconsin exam's state-law material, mapped.
Free study resource
What's actually tested on the Wisconsin exam — the state regulations, mapped
Every Wisconsin insurance exam reserves a block of questions for Wisconsin-specific law — the fees, deadlines, limits, and rules that generic national study guides gloss over. This is that material: 116 facts from the TESTivity Wisconsin 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 tested2 years from the date of issue, during the lifetime of the insured. Disability coverages and accident benefits attached to a life policy remain contestable AT ANY TIME for fraudulent misrepresentation
- Grace period for individual life testedNot less than 31 days for any premium after the first, and the DEATH BENEFIT CONTINUES IN FORCE throughout. §632.44 does not authorize deducting the overdue premium from a death claim — that is a policy term, not a Wisconsin statutory right
- Window to reinstate a lapsed life policy testedNONE fixed by Wisconsin statute. Subchapter V of ch. 632 (632.41–632.69) contains no mandatory reinstatement provision for life insurance — the familiar 3-year or 5-year window is a contract term, not Wisconsin law. Wisconsin DOES mandate reinstatement for individual and franchise DISABILITY policies at §632.74, which is a different rule entirely
- Interest chargeable on reinstatement testedWisconsin fixes no statutory reinstatement-interest cap for life insurance, because it mandates no reinstatement provision at all. Any interest term comes from the contract
- Suicide exclusion period testedWisconsin mandates NO statutory suicide-exclusion period for life insurance — no section of ch. 632 subch. V imposes one. The familiar 2-year suicide clause is a policy provision. What Wisconsin does fix at 2 years is INCONTESTABILITY (§632.46), and the two are commonly conflated
- Free look, new individual life policy testedNONE fixed by Wisconsin statute. §632.73 grants a right to return only for individual/franchise disability (10 days) and for Medicare supplement, Medicare replacement and long-term care (30 days) — it does not reach ordinary new life policies. The blanket "10-day free look on life" taught nationally has no Wisconsin statutory basis
- Free look, new annuity contract testedNONE fixed by Wisconsin statute for a non-replacement annuity. The confirmed 30-day return right applies to REPLACEMENT transactions under Ins 2.07(6)(a)4
- Free look when a life policy or annuity replaces existing coverage tested30 days — the replacing insurer must "provide to the policy or contract owner notice of the right to return the policy or contract within 30 days of the delivery of the contract and receive an unconditional full refund of all premiums or considerations paid on it, including any policy fees or charges"
- Free look for long-term care tested30 days of delivery for long-term care — and the same 30 days for Medicare supplement and Medicare replacement policies. Individual and franchise disability policies get 10 days
- Required nonforfeiture options testedCash surrender value, reduced paid-up insurance, and extended term insurance, under Wisconsin's Standard Nonforfeiture Law
- Registrations required to sell variable products testedVariable life and variable annuities require the Wisconsin Life line plus FINRA registration (a Series 6 or 7 with a Series 63) and a CRD number — they are securities; Wisconsin gives no separate variable exam
- Does the state regulate viatical/life settlements? testedYes — Wisconsin regulates viatical and life settlements; providers and brokers must be licensed by the OCI
- Viator's rescission window testedThe owner has a statutory right to rescind a life-settlement contract within the period fixed by Wisconsin law (commonly within a set number of days after execution or receipt of proceeds)
- Has the state adopted the NAIC best interest standard? testedYES — Wisconsin adopted the NAIC best interest annuity standard (Wis. Stat. §628.347): a producer recommending an annuity must act in the consumer's best interest and 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? testedNO — Wisconsin did NOT adopt the ACA Medicaid EXPANSION, but it is unusual: through BadgerCare Plus it covers adults up to 100% of the federal poverty level, so Wisconsin has NO coverage gap despite not expanding
- Effective date of expansion, if expanded testedNot applicable — Wisconsin did not take the ACA expansion; BadgerCare Plus instead covers adults up to 100% of the federal poverty level
- Agency administering Medicaid testedThe Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS); Wisconsin's Medicaid program is branded BadgerCare Plus
- Federal marketplace or state-based exchange testedA FEDERALLY-FACILITATED marketplace (HealthCare.gov) — Wisconsin did not build a state exchange
- Name of the state CHIP program testedBadgerCare Plus — Wisconsin's combined Medicaid/CHIP program covering children, pregnant persons, and adults, administered by DHS
- Clean-claim payment deadline, electronic tested30 days — a claim is overdue if not paid within 30 days after written notice of the claim is furnished to the insurer (Wisconsin's rule applies broadly, not just to health claims)
- Clean-claim payment deadline, paper tested30 days — Wisconsin applies the same 30-day standard whether the claim is paper or electronic
- Does the state distinguish electronic vs paper claims? testedNo — Wisconsin uses a single 30-day overdue standard rather than splitting electronic from paper
- Interest / penalty on late claim payment testedOverdue payments bear SIMPLE interest at 7.5% per year — not 12%. A claim is overdue if not paid within 30 days after the insurer is furnished written notice of the fact and the amount of the loss. The rule is broad: it covers all overdue insurance claims, not only health
- Is the IRO's external review decision binding on the plan? testedYES — Wisconsin provides an independent external review of adverse health benefit determinations by an Independent Review Organization (IRO), and the IRO's decision is binding on the insurer
- Employer size at which federal COBRA applies testedFederal COBRA applies at 20+ employees. Wisconsin’s §632.897 states no employee-count range of its own — it reaches employer group policies generally and is displaced where federal COBRA applies
- Employer size range covered by state continuation testedWisconsin group continuation (Wis. Stat. §632.897) applies to group health policies; state continuation chiefly reaches employers not subject to federal COBRA (fewer than 20 employees)
- Duration of state continuation coverage tested18 months — the insurer may require conversion to individual coverage 18 months after the terminated insured elects the group coverage
- Election period for state continuation tested30 days after receiving notice to elect and tender the premium — but the clock in front of it is the sharp one: the EMPLOYER must give notice not more than 5 DAYS after receiving notice to terminate coverage, an order of magnitude tighter than federal COBRA
- Max premium as % of group rate testedThe payment for continued group coverage "may not exceed the group rate in effect for a group member, including an employer’s contribution, if any" — so Wisconsin caps it at 100% of the group rate and permits NO percentage markup. Federal COBRA’s familiar 102% has no Wisconsin counterpart
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. Wisconsin 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 and not rejectable — every Wisconsin auto liability policy must include uninsured motorist coverage "in limits of at least $25,000 per person and $50,000 per accident." One carve-out, and it is obscure: a policy written by a TOWN MUTUAL organized under ch. 612 is excluded
- Underinsured motorist status testedNOT mandatory, but the insurer must give one named insured WRITTEN NOTICE of its availability. Acceptance or rejection by the insured "need not be in writing." If accepted, the insurer must include it in limits of at least $50,000 per person and $100,000 per accident — higher than the mandatory UM floor
- Personal injury protection and medical payments testedWisconsin mandates NO PIP. MEDICAL PAYMENTS coverage of at least $1,000 per person must be included by the insurer under §632.32(4)(a)2 — but §632.32(4)(bc) lets the named insured REJECT it, and rejection does not have to be in writing. Once one named insured rejects, the coverage need not appear on a renewal unless a named insured requests it IN WRITING. The writing requirement attaches to getting it back, not to giving it up
- Contributory / pure comparative / modified comparative negligence testedMODIFIED COMPARATIVE NEGLIGENCE — a claimant recovers only if their negligence is NOT GREATER THAN that of the person they seek recovery from; at 51% or more they recover nothing. Damages are reduced by the claimant's share. (Wisconsin compares the claimant to EACH tortfeasor individually.)
- The bar percentage, if modified comparative testedA claimant who is 51% or more at fault (compared with the person from whom recovery is sought) is barred; one who is 50% or less still recovers (reduced by their share)
- Assigned risk / residual market plan for auto testedThe Wisconsin Automobile Insurance Plan (WAIP, the assigned-risk plan) — 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) testedWisconsin requires proof of financial responsibility; most comply by buying auto insurance, though a bond or cash deposit is available under the Financial Responsibility framework (Wis. Stat. ch. 344)
CE & Renewal 10 facts
Continuing education and renewal rules — the numbers the exam loves.
- How long a license lasts before renewal testedTwo years. Resident and nonresident licenses expire every two years on the last day of the licensee’s birth month
- What the renewal date keys off (flat term / birthday / birth year) testedBIRTH MONTH, biennially — "resident and nonresident licenses expire every two years on the last day of the licensee’s birth month." No even/odd birth-year split exists. Renewal opens 90 days before expiration; $35 resident, $70 nonresident. Beware a decoy: the January-to-March window on OCI’s site is the INSURER APPOINTMENT renewal invoice cycle, not agent license renewal
- CE hours per renewal period, standard case tested24 credit hours biennially, of which a minimum of 3 must cover ethics in insurance
- CE hours if holding multiple license types (if different) tested24 total each cycle regardless of how many lines you hold — and Wisconsin assigns NONE of them by line. A licensee "may fulfill the continuing education requirements by earning the required credit hours from courses taught in any or all of the major lines," so a life-only agent may satisfy all 24 with property courses
- Ethics hours required per period testedA minimum of 3 of the 24 credit hours must cover ethics in insurance
- How CE credit is reported and banked testedPROVIDER-BANKED, not self-reported. Under Ins 28.07(2) the registered provider submits an electronic list of course attendees within 10 days following the date of completion, and under Ins 28.04 courses are counted and banked in the order completed. Credits must be EARNED AND BANKED before the expiration date — OCI recommends finishing at least 30 days early, because a course you completed but the provider has not yet banked does not renew your license
- Product-specific training requirements testedLONG-TERM CARE: Wisconsin DOES require it, and the rule lives in the LTC chapter rather than the CE chapter, which is why it is easy to miss — Wis. Admin. Code Ins 3.46(26) requires initial training of no less than 8 HOURS, of which 2 HOURS must contain Wisconsin-specific Medicaid and long-term care information, followed by a 4-HOUR long-term care course every 24 MONTHS. ANNUITIES: a 4-credit best-interest training course before soliciting annuity sales, under Wisconsin’s adoption of the NAIC standard at §628.347(4m)
- What happens if CE is not completed (fine / expiry / cancellation) testedIf the required credit hours are not banked by the education provider before the license expiration date, "the license of the intermediary will expire and ALL APPOINTMENTS WILL BE TERMINATED." Wis. Stat. 628.10 requires 60 days’ notice before revocation for CE noncompliance
- Late renewal / reinstatement tiers testedA licensee revoked for CE, fee or tax noncompliance may reinstate WITHIN 12 MONTHS by meeting the requirements and paying TWICE the renewal fee — and §628.10(5)(a) waives "any prelicensing education OR EXAMINATION requirements," both, not just the coursework. Past 12 months §628.10(5)(b) allows an application for relicensing but the waiver is gone. Note also that OCI’s pages say the license will "expire" while §628.10(2)(a) calls it revocation — same event, and the revocation wording is what the reinstatement provision hangs on
- Any CE exemption (e.g. long-service agents) testedLicensees holding ONLY limited lines are exempt (credit, crop, legal expense, miscellaneous, MGA, surety, title, travel). Nonresidents are exempt where the home state grants a reciprocal exemption. Hardship waivers under Ins 28.05 for medical incapacity, military duty or another emergency must be submitted and APPROVED 90 days before expiration. There is no carryover of excess hours in any case
Property 8 facts
Property insurance — rate regulation, residual markets, catastrophe exposure.
- Rate regulation system (file-and-use / prior approval / use-and-file) testedUSE AND FILE — OCI’s own words: "Wisconsin is a ‘Use and File State.’ Rate filings are not approved, but rather their receipt is acknowledged." A filing is required within 30 days AFTER new rates and rules become effective (§625.13). Rates may not be excessive, inadequate or unfairly discriminatory (§625.11). The twist: for ONE YEAR after the effective date of a disapproval order, a rate promulgated to REPLACE the disapproved one may not be used until filed and not disapproved within 30 days — de facto prior approval, but time-limited (§625.22(2))
- Is insurance credit scoring permitted in personal lines? testedPERMITTED with restrictions — Wisconsin allows credit-based insurance scoring in personal-lines underwriting and rating, subject to consumer-protection limits (a credit score may not be the sole basis for an adverse action)
- Does the state have a FAIR Plan? testedYES — the Wisconsin Insurance Plan (WIP), the state’s basic-property residual mechanism for applicants who cannot obtain coverage in the voluntary market. A nonrenewal notice on a homeowner policy must explain how to apply to it
- Name of the FAIR Plan, if any testedThe Wisconsin Insurance Plan (WIP) — Wisconsin's property residual/last-resort program (its FAIR-Plan equivalent)
- Coastal windstorm pool, if any (e.g. TWIA) testedNone — Wisconsin is landlocked and has no coastal wind pool or beach plan; the Wisconsin Insurance Plan is its property residual mechanism
- Dominant catastrophe perils in the state testedTornadoes and severe thunderstorms, hail and straight-line wind, flooding, and severe winter storms and ice — Wisconsin's exposure is severe-convective and winter weather (no coastal hurricane risk)
- What license you must already hold to write surplus lines testedA Wisconsin surplus lines license, held to place business with nonadmitted insurers on top of property & casualty authority
- Is a diligent-effort search of the admitted market required first? testedYes — a diligent search of the admitted market must be made and documented before a risk is exported to a nonadmitted insurer under ch. 618
Guaranty 10 facts
The safety nets when an insurer fails — and their limits.
- Name of the life & health guaranty association testedThe "insurance security fund" — Wisconsin’s statutory name, created at §646.11(1) and trading as the Wisconsin Insurance Security Fund. Wisconsin has NO "Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association" and NO separate property-casualty association: one fund covers life, annuity, health, property, casualty and worker’s compensation
- Life death benefit limit tested$300,000 — but read the structure, not the number. §646.31(4)(ap) caps the fund at $300,000 "on a single risk, loss, or life, regardless of the number of policies or contracts." It is one ceiling across products, not a life-specific limit
- Life cash surrender / withdrawal value limit testedNO separate sub-cap. Wisconsin does not carve cash surrender or withdrawal value out for its own lower limit the way the NAIC model does at $100,000 — it falls inside the single $300,000 per risk/loss/life ceiling
- Annuity benefit limit testedNO separate sub-cap. The NAIC model’s $250,000 annuity limit has no Wisconsin counterpart; annuity benefits sit inside the single $300,000 per risk/loss/life ceiling
- Health benefit limit tested$300,000 per risk, loss or life — the $500,000 figure is an AGGREGATE, available only where benefits for property insurance, liability insurance and "disability insurance" combine on the same risk, loss or life. And §646.31(4)(ag) defines "disability insurance" narrowly as comprehensive and major medical policies ONLY, expressly excluding hospital indemnity, loss of time, accident-only, limited or specified benefit, disability income, long-term care and Medicare supplement
- Aggregate per-individual cap, if any tested$300,000 on a single risk, loss or life regardless of the number of policies or contracts, rising to a $500,000 aggregate only for the property + liability + disability combination at §646.31(4)(ap). The fund is never obligated beyond the insolvent insurer’s own loss obligation under the policy
- Does the state follow the standard NAIC model limits? testedNo, and the deviation is structural as well as numerical. Wisconsin runs ONE unified fund for all lines instead of separate life-health and property-casualty associations, and it drops the model’s sub-caps entirely — no $100,000 cash surrender limit, no $250,000 annuity limit. A flat $300,000 per risk/loss/life, a $500,000 combination aggregate, and worker’s compensation excluded from the cap altogether
- Name of the P&C guaranty association testedThe Wisconsin Insurance Security Fund — the SAME unified fund also pays property & casualty (and workers' compensation) claims of insolvent admitted insurers
- Per-claim cap tested$300,000 per single risk, loss or life, with the $500,000 aggregate where property, liability and disability benefits combine — and WORKER’S COMPENSATION IS EXPRESSLY EXCLUDED from the cap by the opening words of §646.31(4)(ap), so comp claims are not subject to it. The fund never pays more than the liquidated insurer owed under the policy
- Is using the guaranty association as a sales inducement prohibited? testedYes — using insurance security fund protection as a reason to buy insurance is an unfair marketing practice. Note the cite: the prohibition sits in the producer conduct statute, not in the guaranty chapter
Workers Comp 7 facts
Who must carry workers' compensation and what it pays.
- Is workers' compensation mandatory for private employers? testedYes — a covered Wisconsin employer must carry workers' compensation, purchased in a COMPETITIVE private market (Wisconsin has no monopolistic state fund); the program is administered by the Department of Workforce Development
- Employee count at which coverage is required testedTHREE triggers, any one of which requires coverage: (1) 3 or more full-time or part-time employees — and coverage is required on the DAY you employ the third person; (2) even ONE employee, if the employer paid combined gross wages of $500 or more in any calendar quarter; (3) FARMERS at 6 or more workers on the same day for any 20 days during the calendar year. Out-of-state employers with employees working in Wisconsin are covered too
- Agency administering workers' compensation testedThe Wisconsin DEPARTMENT OF WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT (DWD), Worker’s Compensation Division — not the Office of the Commissioner of Insurance, and not a standalone workers’ compensation commission
- 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. The maximum is reset annually by DWD — confirm the current figure with DWD rather than quoting a fixed number
- Maximum TTD duration testedTemporary total disability is paid during the healing period while the worker recovers; the maximum weekly benefit is tied to the state average weekly wage and set by statute
- Deadlines to notify and to file testedRead the captions carefully. §102.12 — "Notice of injury, exception, laches" — carries BOTH the notice-of-injury rule AND the 2-year bar on filing an application. §102.17 is a PROCEDURE section; its sub. (4) adds the longer outer limits (12 years for occupational disease, 6 years for traumatic injury). The 2-year clock lives in 102.12, not 102.17. Wisconsin’s program is administered by the Department of Workforce Development, so confirm current counts with DWD
- Ways an employer may comply (insure / self-insure / group) testedBuy a policy from a private carrier (the market is competitive), or qualify as an approved self-insurer — Wisconsin 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 Wisconsin Office of the Commissioner of Insurance (OCI)
- Title of the person who heads it testedCommissioner of Insurance
- How the commissioner is chosen: elected / appointed by governor / appointed by other body testedNOMINATED by the governor and APPOINTED WITH THE ADVICE AND CONSENT OF THE SENATE, serving at the governor’s pleasure. There is NO fixed term of years — unlike several other Wisconsin commissioners who serve six-year terms. Note the cite: the appointment provision is §15.06(1)(b), not §601.02, which is the definitions section
- Where the state's insurance law is codified testedChapters 600 to 655 of the Wisconsin Statutes (Insurance) — a distinctively reorganized, plain-language insurance code — with producer licensing in Chapter 628 and rules in Chapter Ins of the Wisconsin Administrative Code
- Does the regulator sit somewhere unusual (e.g. inside a constitutional commission)? testedNo — a standalone Office of the Commissioner of Insurance led by a Commissioner appointed by the Governor (the mainstream appointed-commissioner model)
Cancellation 8 facts
When and how policies can be canceled or nonrenewed — heavily tested.
- Initial window during which an insurer may cancel more freely testedThe first 60 days are genuinely free. §631.36(2)(c): "Paragraphs (a) and (b) do not apply to any insurance policy that has not been previously renewed if the policy has been in effect less than 60 days at the time the notice of cancellation is mailed or delivered." BOTH the permissible-grounds list AND the 10-day notice requirement drop away — OCI puts it plainly: the insurer may cancel "at any time within the first 59 days without providing you a reason"
- Notice days to cancel a homeowners policy inside the initial window testedProperty: a midterm cancellation is effective no sooner than 10 days after notice; NONRENEWAL takes at least 60 days' notice before expiration, and the notice must state the reason
- Notice days to cancel a personal auto policy inside the initial window testedAuto: a midterm cancellation is effective no sooner than 10 days after written notice (midterm cancellation is limited to statutory grounds, chiefly nonpayment)
- Notice days for cancellation for nonpayment testedTwo different rules. A MIDTERM cancellation for nonpayment takes at least 10 days after first-class mailing or delivery. A notice that the RENEWAL premium is due runs on a window instead: not more than 75 days nor less than 10 days before the due date
- Notice days for cancellation for other permitted causes testedPast the first 60 days, midterm cancellation is limited to nonpayment of premium or a policy ground within four statutory classes — material misrepresentation, substantial change in the risk assumed, substantial breaches of contractual duties/conditions/warranties, or attainment of the terminal age for coverage (with a proportional return of premium) — and takes at least 10 days after first-class mailing or delivery
- Notice days required for nonrenewal testedAt least 60 days before the expiration date (§631.36(4)(a)). The same 60 days applies to cancellation at an anniversary date and to renewal on ALTERED terms — except PERSONAL LINES property and casualty, where a renewal on less favourable terms or at a higher premium takes 45 days (§631.36(5)(a)2., and (5)(c)2. for an anniversary alteration). The notice must also give adequate instructions for applying through a ch. 619 risk-sharing plan where one exists (§631.36(7)(a))
- Must the reason be stated proactively, on request, or not at all? testedYes, and Wisconsin sets the standard higher than most: a notice of cancellation or nonrenewal "shall state with REASONABLE PRECISION THE FACTS on which the insurer’s decision is based" — followed by the sentence that gives it teeth, "No such notice is effective unless it so states the facts." A defective notice keeps coverage alive on the prior policy’s terms and premium for the policy term or one year, whichever is less. One carve-out: §631.36(8) switches subsections (6) and (7) off entirely where the ground is nonpayment of premium and the notice says so
- Restrictions on nonrenewing because of claims (e.g. weather claims excluded) testedAfter the initial underwriting window, a Wisconsin 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 (PSI Series 22-01) and line of authority (Life includes annuities)
- Is there a standalone health license/exam? testedYes — a standalone Accident and Health or Sickness exam (PSI Series 22-03) and line of authority
- Is there a combined life+health license/exam? testedNo — Wisconsin does NOT offer a combined Life & Accident/Health exam. Life (22-01) and Accident and Health or Sickness (22-03) are separate exams and separate lines of authority.
- Is there a personal lines license/exam? testedYes — a Personal Lines exam (PSI Series 22-09) 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? testedSEPARATE — Wisconsin gives Property (22-05) and Casualty (22-07) their own separate exams and lines of authority; there is NO combined Property & Casualty exam. A narrower Personal Lines exam (22-09) 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; Wisconsin issues no separate Variable exam).
- 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 testedWisconsin offers separate Life · Accident and Health or Sickness · Property · Casualty · Personal Lines exams — plus Title, Credit, Navigator, Public Adjuster, and (no-exam) Crop, Legal Expense, Surety, Travel, and Variable Life & Annuity lines. There is NO combined Life & Health or Property & Casualty exam.
- Exam administrator (Prometric / PSI / Pearson VUE) testedPSI Services LLC administers every Wisconsin producer exam, at a PSI test center or by remote proctoring. Register at test-takers.psiexams.com/wiins or (888) 818-5805. Two traps: it is NOT Pearson VUE, and OCI’s own site still hosts a superseded bulletin revised January 18, 2023 — the current one is revised December 10, 2025
- Exam fee tested$75 per exam for every line except the Public Adjuster exam, which is $50. The fee is per attempt and non-transferable; a paid fee is valid one year from the date of payment. Because Wisconsin has no combined exams, a producer who wants both Life and Accident & Health pays $75 twice
- License application fee tested$75 initial license fee PER LINE OF AUTHORITY, plus a one-time $10 application fee for residents. Renewal is $35 resident and $70 nonresident, biennially
- Appointment rules and fee testedWisconsin says APPOINTMENT, not "listing" — §628.11 is titled "Appointment of agents" and Ins 6.57 is "Appointment of insurance agents by insurers." The fee is $16 annually for resident agents and $30 for nonresident agents, "unless the commissioner sets a higher fee by rule" (§601.31(1)(n)). The insurer files, and the request "shall be made in a manner prescribed by the commissioner within 15 days of the date the agent contract is executed OR THE DATE THE FIRST INSURANCE APPLICATION IS SUBMITTED" — two alternative triggers, so the first application may legitimately precede the appointment. An appointment is valid only for the lines requested. Termination notices are filed prior to or within 30 calendar days of the termination date, and the insurer must notify the agent in writing prior to or within 15 days of that filing
- Passing score tested70%, and Wisconsin reports it as a RAW PERCENTAGE — the PSI bulletin says flatly "You must get 70% correct to pass the examination." The scaled-score disclaimer national prep teaches ("neither the number nor the percentage of questions answered correctly") does not describe Wisconsin
- Minimum age to be licensed tested18. Wisconsin’s substantive gate is §628.04, which requires the commissioner to find the applicant "is competent and trustworthy" and intends in good faith to act as an intermediary
- Is pre-licensing education required? testedYES — 20 hours with an OCI-approved provider, completed not more than one year before the date tested, for every resident applying for a property, personal lines, casualty, life, or accident and health or sickness license
- Pre-licensing hours and any exceptions (e.g. Title, adjusters) tested20 hours, structured 8 + 12: 8 hours on principles of insurance, general Wisconsin insurance laws and ethics, plus 12 hours on policies, terms and concepts and line-specific law. The 8-hour block "needs not be repeated for each line of authority as long as it is within a 12-month period," so a second major line inside 12 months costs only 12 hours. SELF-STUDY, CORRESPONDENCE, AUDIO, VIDEO AND ON-LINE COURSES MUST END IN A CERTIFIED PROCTORED EXAMINATION passed at 70% or greater — minimum 25 questions for section A and 50 per line for section B, with a disinterested proctor’s affidavit (Ins 26.09); classroom courses are attendance-based instead (Ins 26.08). The certificate is valid one year and MUST be presented at the test center. Exempt: all limited lines, nonresidents, reinsurance intermediaries and MGAs, 2-year Wisconsin vocational insurance degrees, 4-year business degrees with an insurance emphasis, prior resident agents relicensing within 12 months, insurance instruction obtained through military service, and designation holders — Life: CLU, ChFC, CFP, CIC, CEBS, FLMI, LUTCF; A&H: RHU, CEBS, REBC, HIA; Property/Casualty/Personal Lines: CPCU, ARM, AAI, CIC. Designations waive PRE-LICENSING ONLY, never the exam, and the request must be filed 90 days before the exam date
- Fingerprints, state police report, or none testedFingerprint-based criminal background check — every resident applicant is fingerprinted through Fieldprint (code FPWIOCIINSURANCE) for a state and federal (FBI) criminal history check
- Who takes the prints / issues the report testedFIELDPRINT is the exclusive contracted vendor — fieldprintwisconsin.com, code FPWIOCIInsurance (case-insensitive). ON THE FEE, WISCONSIN’S TWO PRIMARY SOURCES DISAGREE: OCI’s fingerprinting page says $34.75, while PSI’s current bulletin prints $36.00 — budget the higher figure. OCI does NOT accept paper or ink cards taken at a police department, county office, or any other vendor. Allow 24 to 72 hours for OCI to receive results electronically. Legal expense applicants must be printed too, despite taking no exam
- How long the background report stays valid testedFingerprints are valid for 180 days (6 months), and Ins 6.59 requires them submitted no more than 180 days before the test date. Schedule them close to the exam — this is one of three clocks that can quietly expire on a slow candidate
- Deadline to apply after passing the exam testedApply through NIPR within 180 DAYS of passing — "examination scores are valid for 180 days. Failure to apply for a license within 180 days will require candidate to re-take the examination." And you cannot apply immediately: wait 48 to 72 hours after passing for scores to post to NIPR
- How long a passed exam remains valid tested180 days (six months). Wisconsin runs three separate clocks a candidate can trip over: the pre-licensing certificate is good for 1 year, the fingerprints for 180 days, and the exam score for 180 days
- Waiting period before retaking a failed exam testedNo mandatory waiting period, but you cannot rebook the same day: "It is not possible to make a new examination appointment on the same day you have taken an examination." A candidate who fails on a Wednesday can call Thursday and retest as soon as Friday, subject to seat availability. Each attempt is a fresh $75
- Limit on number of attempts, if any testedNone — "there is no limit to the number of times a candidate may retake an examination if necessary, to pass"
- Notice required to reschedule/cancel without forfeiting the fee testedCancellation notice must be RECEIVED 2 days before the scheduled examination date to avoid forfeiting the fee. A no-show, a failure to check in by the scheduled start time, or improper identification also forfeits it
- Where you apply (Sircon / NIPR / state portal) testedNIPR (nipr.com) or an NIPR-authorized business partner such as Sircon. OCI runs no standalone consumer-facing application system. Exam scheduling is separate, through PSI
- Are temporary licenses available? testedYes, narrowly — the commissioner may issue a temporary intermediary license to the personal representative of a DECEASED intermediary, the designee of a DISABLED intermediary, or someone in ACTIVE MILITARY SERVICE. It exists to allow sale of the business, recovery, or orderly training of new personnel, not to let a candidate work while studying
- Temporary license duration and training requirement testedNot more than 12 MONTHS, and no exam. The commissioner may restrict the authority granted, require a licensed sponsor who assumes full responsibility for the temporary licensee, require bonding, and administer examinations. The license cannot be extended beyond its initial period and cannot continue after the business is disposed of. Fee is $75 per line of authority