How to Get Your Life and Health Insurance License in Illinois

Getting your life and health insurance license in Illinois is the first step in starting your new career as an insurance agent. The process isn't very complicated; you just have to follow a few steps. We'll break down the steps to get your life and health insurance license in Illinois in this easy-to-follow guide.

1. Complete Your Pre-Licensing Education

To sell life and health insurance in Illinois, you need to get your license. This process starts by completing the pre-licensing education. Illinois requires 20 hours of education per line of authority.

So to get your license for both life and health insurance, you need 40 hours of pre-licensing education. You must complete 15 of these 40 hours in a classroom or webinar. To find an approved course, search the approved course list or jump right to Aceable Insurance for an Illinois-approved course.

2. Take and Pass the Illinois Licensing Exam

Once you complete your pre-licensing education, the next step is to take the licensing exam. Start by registering for the exam through Pearson Vue. You can schedule your exam as soon as one day before taking it, depending on availability.

It costs $92 to take each exam. You must sign up for both the general and state exams for each line of authority. If you purchase general and state exams at the same time, you'll pay $92 for both. Otherwise, you'll have to buy each item separately. You must complete the general and state exams for each line of authority within 90 days of each other.

When you report to the license center, arrive at least 30 minutes early to complete your registration and bring the following:

• A signed copy of your pre-license course certificate.

• A primary ID, such as a driver's license, passport, military ID, or Green card.

• A secondary ID such as a Social Security card, debit or credit card, or second item from the primary ID list.

The exam itself consists of 50 scored questions plus 5 pretest questions. To pass it, you need to score at least 70% or higher on both the general and state exams.

Before you take it, learn how to ace the Illinois insurance exam. A few tips include studying the material a bit at a time, digging deep into state laws (this is almost half of the exam), and studying every topic that might be on the exam. On exam day itself, be sure to manage your time, read the questions carefully, and stay calm.

3. Apply for Your Life and Health Insurance Licenses

If you pass the examination, you'll receive both a pass sheet and an instruction sheet from your test administrator. Once you have these, you must wait five days before you can apply for your license. You can only submit your license application online through NIPR.

It costs $215 for your license, and there's a possible prorate depending on your birth month and the calculated expiration date. After submitting your application and paying the fee, you'll receive a confirmation email.

Continuing Education and Career Options in Illinois

When it comes time to renew your license every two years, you must complete 24 hours of education. Three of the required hours must cover ethics, while the other 21 hours must cover insurance concepts and solutions. Complete everything you need to renew with a 24-hour CE package from Aceable Insurance.

There are a few career options you can check out once you get your license:

• Salaried insurance sales — You'll work for a single company selling its insurance products. Typically, this comes with a base salary plus commissions on sales.

• Independent insurance sales — You'll work for an insurance broker or start your own brokerage, selling products from many insurance providers.

• Corporate leadership — Eventually you could get a promotion into corporate leadership for a large Illinois-based firm like State Farm or Allstate.

If you do well, the mean wage for insurance agents in Illinois is around $100,000. This all depends on what part of Illinois you live in and what your commission is.

Get Your Life and Health Insurance License in Illinois Today

Start your path to becoming a licensed life and health insurance agent in Illinois today. Our pre-licensing education comes with everything you need to become an insurance agent, entirely online. An engaging insurance expert runs each of our webinars. We even have a pass-the-test or get your money-back guarantee! Sign up for your Illinois insurance producer course at Aceable Insurance today.