What Can You Do With a Combined Insurance License?

Quick Answer

  • A combined license (both L&H and P&C) allows you to sell every major insurance product type, from auto and home to life insurance and annuities
  • Dual-licensed agents can serve complete client needs, increasing retention and creating powerful cross-selling opportunities
  • Combined license holders typically earn substantially more than single-line agents through expanded product offerings and client value

Holding both a life and health insurance license AND a property and casualty license gives you the most powerful credential combination in the insurance industry. This dual licensing, sometimes called "all-lines" or "combined" licensing, allows you to serve every insurance need your clients have, creating stronger relationships, higher retention, and significantly greater earning potential.

If you're deciding whether to get both licenses or wondering if the additional investment is worth it, this guide explains exactly what you can do with combined licensing, how it impacts your income, and why it's the smartest long-term career move.

What Does "Combined" or "All-Lines" Licensing Mean?

Combined licensing means you hold both major insurance license types:

  • Life and Health (L&H) license: Authorizes you to sell life insurance, health insurance, disability insurance, annuities, and long-term care insurance
  • Property and Casualty (P&C) license: Authorizes you to sell auto, homeowners, renters, commercial property, liability, and workers' compensation insurance

With both licenses, you're not limited to one category. You can offer every major insurance product, positioning yourself as a complete insurance resource for your clients rather than a specialist in just one area.

Complete Product Portfolio: What You Can Sell With Both Licenses

Dual licensing gives you access to the entire insurance product spectrum:

Personal Lines Coverage

  • Auto insurance
  • Homeowners and renters insurance
  • Umbrella liability policies
  • Recreational vehicle insurance (boats, RVs, motorcycles)
  • Life insurance (term, whole, universal, variable)
  • Health insurance (individual, family, Medicare, Medicare Supplement)
  • Disability insurance (short-term and long-term)
  • Long-term care insurance
  • Annuities for retirement planning

Commercial Lines Coverage

  • Commercial property insurance
  • General liability insurance
  • Commercial auto and fleet coverage
  • Workers' compensation
  • Business owners policies (BOPs)
  • Professional liability (E&O) insurance
  • Group health and life insurance for employees
  • Key person life insurance
  • Buy-sell agreements funded with life insurance

This comprehensive product portfolio means you never have to turn away a client or refer them to another agent because you can't help them.

Why Combined Licensing Creates a Competitive Advantage

Serve Complete Client Needs

When clients buy a home, they need homeowners insurance. But they probably also need life insurance to protect their mortgage and family. A young couple getting married needs auto insurance — and probably life insurance and disability coverage too. Business owners need commercial property and liability coverage — plus key person life insurance and employee benefits.

With both licenses, you solve all these needs. Single-license agents must refer clients elsewhere for products they can't sell, often losing those clients entirely to agents who can serve them comprehensively.

Maximize Client Retention

Clients stay with agents who handle multiple policies. When you're their go-to person for auto, home, AND life insurance, they're far less likely to shop around. You become their trusted advisor across their entire insurance portfolio.

According to industry research, clients who hold multiple policy types with the same agent have retention rates 40-60% higher than single-policy clients. That's powerful for building long-term residual income.

Create Natural Cross-Selling Opportunities

Every client interaction becomes an opportunity to review other insurance needs. When a client calls about renewing their auto policy, you can ask about their life insurance coverage. When reviewing a homeowners policy, you can discuss umbrella liability protection and disability income coverage.

These natural conversations lead to additional sales without cold prospecting. Successful agentsPre License Tips Becoming A Successful Insurance Agent Resources use policy reviews to identify coverage gaps and expand their client relationships.

Differentiate Yourself From Competitors

Many insurance agents specialize in one line of coverage. By offering both P&C and L&H products, you immediately differentiate yourself in the market. You can market yourself as a "full-service" agent who simplifies insurance for busy clients who don't want to deal with multiple agents.

Income Advantages of Combined Licensing

Dual-licensed agents consistently outearn single-line specialists. Here's why:

More Products Mean More Commissions

According to data from the Bureau of Labor StatisticsCurrent Oes413021.htm Oes, insurance sales agents earn a median of $60,370 annually, but agents selling multiple lines of insurance typically earn substantially more than this median.

Industry salary data shows that life and health agents average around $80,000 annually, while property and casualty agents average $50,000-$60,000. Agents with both licenses position themselves to capture income from both categories, with many earning $90,000-$150,000+ as they build their books of business.

Higher Average Revenue Per Client

Instead of earning one commission from a client's auto policy, you're earning commissions from their auto, home, life, disability, and umbrella policies. This dramatically increases your average revenue per client.

For example, a client might pay $1,500 annually for auto insurance and $1,200 for homeowners insurance — generating combined commissions of roughly $300-$400 at typical P&C rates. Add a $2,000 annual life insurance premium with 60% first-year commission, and you've earned an additional $1,200 from the same client relationship.

Diversified Income Streams

P&C insurance provides steady renewal income — policies renew every 6-12 months, creating predictable cash flow. Life insurance offers substantial upfront commissions plus smaller renewal commissions for years or decades.

This combination creates both immediate income (from life insurance first-year commissions) and long-term residual income (from P&C renewals and life insurance renewals). You're not dependent on one commission structure.

Access to Higher-Value Client Segments

High-net-worth individuals need comprehensive insurance solutions. They want one sophisticated advisor who understands how their auto, home, umbrella, life, disability, and estate planning all work together.

Without combined licensing, you can't serve this lucrative market segment effectively. With both licenses, you can pursue affluent clients who generate significant premium volume across multiple product lines.

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Real-World Scenarios: How Combined Licensing Serves Clients Better

New Homebuyers

When a young couple buys their first home, they need homeowners insurance immediately. But they also probably need:

  • Auto insurance (possibly bundling for discounts)
  • Life insurance to cover the mortgage if something happens
  • Disability insurance to protect their income
  • Umbrella liability beyond their home and auto policies

A dual-licensed agent captures all this business. A P&C-only agent sells the home and auto, then watches the client buy life and disability from someone else.

Small Business Owners

Business owners need property and liability coverage for their companies. But they also need:

  • Life insurance for business continuation planning
  • Key person life insurance protecting against the loss of critical employees
  • Buy-sell agreements funded with life insurance
  • Group health insurance for employees
  • Disability insurance protecting the owner's income

Serving small business owners comprehensively requires both licenses. This market segment generates substantial premium volume and long-term client relationships.

Families With Children

Parents need auto insurance, homeowners or renters insurance, and life insurance to protect their children's financial security. They may also need:

  • Disability income protection
  • 529 college savings plans (may require securities licensing)
  • Umbrella liability as their assets grow
  • Long-term care planning as they age

Combined licensing allows you to grow with families throughout their lifecycle, continually serving new needs as they arise.

Career Flexibility With Combined Licensing

More Employment Opportunities

Many insurance agencies prefer hiring dual-licensed agents because they're more valuable to the organization. You can serve more clients, handle more situations, and generate more revenue per desk.

Job postings for insurance agents often list "P&C and L&H licenses preferred" because dual-licensed candidates are more versatile and productive from day one.

Easier Path to Agency Ownership

If you want to own your own agency eventually, combined licensing is almost essential. Agency owners need to serve complete client needs to compete effectively. Building an agency around both personal and commercial lines, plus life and health products, creates a more valuable and sustainable business.

Geographic Flexibility

With both licenses, you can succeed in any market. Rural areas, suburbs, and urban markets all need comprehensive insurance services. You're not limited to markets where one line of insurance dominates.

Getting Both Licenses: Investment and Timeline

Education Requirements

Most states require 20-40 hours of pre-licensing education per license type. To get both licenses, you'll complete separate courses for P&C and L&H, totaling 40-80 hours of instruction.

Many career changersPre License How To Become An Insurance Agent With No Experience Resources complete both courses within 4-8 weeks studying part-time.

Exam Requirements

You'll take separate licensing exams for each license type. Most states require passing scores of 70% on both the national and state-specific portions of each exam.

With proper preparation and study strategiesPre License How To Study Insurance Licensing Exam Resources, most candidates pass both exams within their first attempts.

Cost Investment

Total licensing costs for both licenses typically range from $400-$1,000, including:

  • Pre-licensing education for both licenses
  • Exam fees for both exams
  • License application fees
  • Background check and fingerprinting

This is a modest investment that pays for itself quickly through increased earning potential.

Sequential vs Simultaneous Approach

You can pursue both licenses simultaneously or get one first, then add the second later. Many agents start with whichever license matches their immediate job opportunity, then add the second license within their first year.

There's no wrong approach — both work. However, getting both licenses earlier in your career maximizes your earning years with full product access.

Ready to take your insurance career to the next level?
If you’re eager to learn how to not only get licensed but also thrive in your insurance career, check out our Tips for Becoming a Successful Insurance Agent.

Is Combined Licensing Right for You?

Dual licensing makes sense if you:

  • Want maximum income potential: More products mean more ways to earn
  • Prefer long-term client relationships: Serving complete needs builds lasting connections
  • Have agency ownership goals: Comprehensive services create more valuable agencies
  • Enjoy variety in your work: Different product types keep the job interesting
  • Want competitive advantages: Full-service capabilities differentiate you from specialists
  • Are willing to continue learning: Both license types require ongoing education

Start Building Your Combined Insurance Career

Combined licensing isn't just about having more products to sell — it's about building a more valuable, sustainable insurance career. When you can serve every client need, you create stronger relationships, generate more income per client, and build a business that grows through referrals and retention rather than constant cold prospecting.

The insurance industry rewards agents who can deliver comprehensive solutions. Clients want trusted advisors who understand their complete insurance picture, not specialists who can only help with part of their needs. With both P&C and L&H licenses, you become that complete resource.

According to the Bureau of Labor StatisticsSales Insurance Sales Agents.htm Ooh, employment of insurance sales agents is projected to grow 4% through 2034, with approximately 47,000 job openings annually. Dual-licensed agents will be best positioned to capture these opportunities.

Ready to maximize your insurance career potential? Aceable Insurance offers comprehensive, state-approved courses for both property & casualty and life & health licensing. Our flexible online format lets you complete both licenses on your schedule, with practice exams and expert support ensuring first-time exam success. Don't limit your career to one license type — build the versatile skill setPre License Career Opportunities Insurance Producers Illinois Resources that leads to higher income and greater career satisfaction. Start your dual-licensing journey with Aceable Insurance today.