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An Official Vermont Government Website

Producer License

License Requirements

Vermont Law defines a Producer to mean a person who sells, solicits or negotiates insurance. See Title 8, §4791. In order to obtain a Producer license an individual must be at least 18 years of age; must be deemed by the commissioner to be competent, trustworthy and financially responsible; have passed a written examination and submit a license application and fees.

  • Check out the fee schedule for initial or renewal licenses. 
  • Vermont Licensing Handbook - provides information about the examination and licensing process for obtaining a resident insurance license.

How to Apply for a License

Nonresident

  • Nonresident producers must apply electronically using NIPR.
  • Complete the online application process and pay the relevant fees.
    • If your application is routine, and does not require any additional information, the license is generally issued within 48 hours.
    • If your application is not routine, you will be notified online that additional information must be submitted directly by you to the department. All additional information that must be submitted is outlined on the application, and can be faxed to 802-828-1633. Your license application will be reviewed after all required information has been received.

Resident

  • Apply Online
    • Residents must wait 48 hours after passing their producer examination before submitting an electronic application.
    • Complete the online application process using NIPR and pay the relevant fees.
    • Notes:
      • If your application is routine, and does not require any additional information, the license is generally issued within 48 hours.
      • If your application is not routine, you will be notified online that additional information must be submitted directly by you to the department. All additional information that must be submitted is outlined on the application, and can be faxed to 802-828-1633. Your license application will be reviewed after all required information has been received.
  • Paper Application
    • An applicant must also submit additional paperwork for the department, including:

How to Renew Your License

The Producer License term is April 1st to March 31st of odd years. The department will send out renewal notices for existing licensees at the beginning of the odd year. Note: license fees are not prorated and the license term is fixed, regardless of time of application.

Submit your renewal using NIPR. Once online, please use the following criteria below to find your license renewal. 

  • Choose renew your license; 
  • Enter your resident state; and
  • Enter your resident state license number.

Note: DFR does not send out a renewed license. A licensee can confirm that their license has been renewed or issued, by checking their License Status. Here you can print a copy of your license information for your records. The department does not require a licensee to possess a paper copy of their license.

Paper Renewals

Paper renewals are only accepted if the electronic renewal option is not available for your license type listed above, or you have requested, and been granted a Hardship Exception to the electronic processing. At the bottom of this page you will find the NAIC Uniform Renewal/Continuation Application. Checks should be made payable to the VT Dept of Financial Regulation. All paper renewal applications must be in our office prior to March 31, 2019. For answers to additional questions, send an email to dfr.producerlicensing@vermont.gov. Please be sure to provide a telephone number where we can contact you.

Submit to: 

Vermont Department of Financial Regulation
Insurance Division – Producer Licensing
89 Main Street
Montpelier, VT 05620-3101
802-828-3303 Telephone
802-828-1633 Fax

FAQs

What is a Producer license?
What is the license term?
What is the renewal fee?
Who must have a Producer license?
Does Vermont require qualifications by line of authority?
Is Vermont an appointment state?
When must a Producer be appointed as an insurer’s agent?
Does Vermont require Producers to complete Continuing Education (CE)?
Does Vermont require Producers to complete additional training in connection with the sale of Long Term Care Insurance (LTC)?
Does Vermont require Producers to have a trust account?
Can a Producer charge a policy fee?
Can a Producer pay a referral fee to a third party in connection with a sale or solicitation?

What is a Producer license?

A Producer license replaces the former agent and broker license types.  A Producer is a person licensed to sell, solicit or negotiate insurance. “Negotiate” means the act of conferring directly with or offering advice directly to a purchaser or prospective purchaser of a particular contract of insurance concerning any of the substantive benefits, terms or conditions of the contract, provided the person engaged in that act either sells insurance or obtains insurance from insurers for purchasers.  “Sell” means to exchange a contact of insurance by any means, for money or its equivalent, on behalf of an insurer.  “Solicit” means attempting to sell insurance or asking or urging a person to apply for a particular kind of insurance from a particular insurer.

What is the license term?

The license term is April 1st to March 31st of odd years.  The Department will send out renewal notices for existing licensees at the beginning of the odd year. Note, license fees are not prorated and the license term is fixed, regardless of time of application.

What is the renewal fee?

The 2017 renewal period begins on January 5th. The renewal fee chart is at the bottom of this page.

Who must have a Producer license?

Anyone who intends to sell, solicit or negotiate insurance must be licensed as a Producer.  Specific exemptions to the license requirement are set forth in Title 8, §4813d. 

Does Vermont require qualifications by line of authority?

Yes, a Producer must possess active qualifications by line of authority before he or she can act as a Producer in that line of insurance.   The recognized qualifications include:  Life, Accident and Health or Sickness, Property, Casualty, Variable Life and Variable Annuity and Personal lines.

Is Vermont an appointment state?

Yes, Vermont is an appointment state.  If an insurer does business with a Producer as its agent, the insurer must appoint the Producer as its agent for each qualification for which the Producer will be acting as the agent of the insurer.

When must a Producer be appointed as an insurer’s agent?

A Producer must be appointed within 15 days from the date an agency contract is executed or the first insurance application is submitted, whichever is sooner.

Does Vermont require Producers to complete Continuing Education (CE)?

Yes.  For more information about CE, see Continuing Education Requirements page. 

Does Vermont require Producers to complete additional training in connection with the sale of Long Term Care Insurance (LTC)?

Yes. An individual may not sell, solicit or negotiate (sell) long-term care insurance (LTC) unless the individual is licensed as an insurance producer for accident and health and has completed the LTC training requirements set forth below.

For resident licensees, this training can count towards the twenty-four (24) hours continuing education requirement if the training satisfies all requirements for continuing education, including course approval and provider registration.

Training Requirements

An agent or producer selling LTC insurance must complete one, eight (8) hour course specific to long-term care, not less than two hours of which shall contain Vermont-specific information, including Vermont Medicaid information. The Vermont-specific information can be part of an eight-hour course or may be provided as a separate course. Run an Inquiry of Approved Courses available to satisfy the LTC Training requirement.

The initial training requirement shall apply as follows:

Insurance producers licensed to sell long-term care insurance policies after March 31, 2010 must complete the one-time eight-hour training before the producer may sell any LTC insurance.

Insurance producers licensed to sell LTC insurance on or before March 31, 2010 must complete the one-time eight-hour training before March 31, 2011.

A producer selling LTC must also complete no less than four (4) hours of ongoing training every 24 months ending March 31st of odd-numbered calendar years.

Insurer’s Obligations

An Insurer shall obtain verification that a producer has completed the required training before a producer can sell long-term care insurance. Each insurer shall maintain the training records that demonstrate that a producer has received the required training. For more information about LTC training requirements see Rule H-2009-01.

Does Vermont require Producers to have a trust account?

Yes, in most instances a Producer will need a trust account.  For more information about trust account requirements you should read Regulation 95-1.

Can a Producer charge a policy fee?

A Producer acting as the agent of an insurer should not be charging a fee in conjunction with negotiating, selling or soliciting a policy of insurance.  The agent’s costs and fees in that instance are already paid for by the receipt of commission from the insurer by the Producer as part of the sale.  In instances where additional services are provided to the insured, a Producer can charge a fee that is reasonable in relationship to the service provided.  In addition, where a Producer is acting as a broker, representing the purchaser, additional fees to any commission received by the issuing insurer can be charged, so long as the fees are reasonable in connection to the service or expense and all commission received by the Producer is clearly disclosed prior to entering into the agreement.  Note, Vermont law requires a Producer to obtain a prior written agreement with a client, policyholder, or other member of the public concerning the fees or charges made by that Producer for procuring, servicing, or providing advice on insurance contracts.

Can a Producer pay a referral fee to a third party in connection with a sale or solicitation?

A Producer can pay referral fee to a third party so long as the third party is not negotiating, selling or soliciting insurance and is not a licensed Producer.  Referral fees should be incidental to an existing relationship between the third party and the sales prospect and should not be so large as to create an incentive for a third party to actively find sales opportunities to refer.  In the latter instance the third party will likely start selling on behalf of the Producer.  The sharing of commission or payment of a referral fee to an unlicensed person who urged or advised a consumer to buy insurance is a violation of Vermont law.

For answers to additional questions that have not been addressed in the FAQs above, send an email to dfr.producerlicensing@vermont.gov. Please be sure to provide a telephone number where we can contact you.

Vermont Department of Financial Regulation
Insurance Division – Producer Licensing
89 Main Street
Montpelier, VT 05620-3101
(802) 828-3303 Telephone
(802) 828-1633 Fax