What Type of Insurance License Should I Get in South Carolina?
Built for the Pearson VUE Exam
South Carolina specific prep, mobile and self-paced.
Quick Answer
- South Carolina's main producer licenses are Life, Accident and Health, Property, Casualty, and Personal Lines, and most new agents pair them into Life and Health or Property and Casualty.
- For most first-time agents, we'd start with Property and Casualty, because South Carolina law requires every driver to carry liability and uninsured motorist coverage.
- Choose Life and Health first if your employer sells life, health, or Medicare products, and get both if you're joining an agency that writes every line.
Start with Property and Casualty unless a job is already pulling you toward Life and Health. South Carolina requires every driver to carry liability and uninsured motorist coverage, so P&C clients exist before you make your first call. If a life, benefits, or Medicare focused agency has hired you, flip that order.
Which South Carolina License Fits Your Situation?
You're New and Nobody Has Hired You Yet
Get Property and Casualty. The SCDOI auto guideAutomobile Insurance 690 says South Carolina drivers must carry liability coverage of at least 25/50/25, plus uninsured motorist coverage at the same minimum limits. Every registered car needs a policy, and the household that owns the car usually owns a home or rents one, too. That's two policies from one conversation, and a P&C book can pay you again as those policies renew.
The price is a long exam. The combined Property, Casualty, Surety and Marine exam runs 140 items in 165 minutes, and South Carolina law shows up throughout, from the Valued Policy Law to uninsured motorist rules. Our take on whether a P&C careerPre License Is Becoming A Licensed Property And Casualty Insurance Agent Worth It Resources fits you goes deeper.
A Life, Benefits, or Medicare Agency Hired You
Get Life and Health first, because you can't write anything for that employer without it. The combined Life, Accident and Health exam runs 140 items in 150 minutes. If you'd rather start smaller, Aceable Insurance's South Carolina Life and Health course also prepares you for Life Only. This path also suits people who prefer fewer, longer client relationships to a high-volume auto book.
Your Agency Writes Every Line
Get both. You'll be able to cross-sell, so the family whose car and home you insure can come to you for life coverage too. The tradeoff is two exams and more continuing education. South Carolina requires 24 hours of CE every two years, including 3 hours of ethics, with hours required in each line of authority you hold, as our guide to SC CE requirementsContinuing Education What Are The Continuing Education Requirements For South Carolina Insurance Agents Resources explains. If pay is your tiebreaker, compare SC agent payPre License How Much Do Insurance Agents Make In South Carolina Resources by line.
Choose a State and Course
Your Type of License, By Numbers
Put figures behind the decision before you sign anything.
What Licenses Does South Carolina Issue?
The South Carolina Department of Insurance (SCDOI) licenses producers by line of authority. The major lines are Life, Accident and Health, Property, Casualty, and Personal Lines, which covers auto and homeowners for individuals and families. Narrower lines such as Crop, Surety, and Title serve specialized roles, and the NIPR requirements page lists them all.
What Are the South Carolina Exams Like?
The SC candidate handbook lists the major line exams this way.
- Life or Accident and Health alone: 85 items in 120 minutes.
- Property or Casualty alone: 80 items in 120 minutes.
- Life, Accident and Health combined: 140 items in 150 minutes.
- Property, Casualty, Surety and Marine combined: 140 items in 165 minutes.
Two rules make these exams stricter than they look. Each exam has a general section and a state section, and if you pass one and fail the other, you retake the whole exam. Combined exams are reported as one score, and you can't be licensed for either line unless you pass the complete exam. Passing is a scaled 70, which isn't 70 percent correct.
North Carolina, by contrast, scores its general and state sections together, so a strong general section can carry you; see North Carolina's exam. The Massachusetts exams don't offer combined versions at all. For more detail on South Carolina, read our guides to the SC passing score and the full exam breakdown.
What Can Slow Down the Licensing Process in South Carolina?
- Applying through NIPR too soon. Wait at least 48 hours after you pass so your result can load.
- Missing the fingerprint email. SCDOI emails IdentoGO scheduling instructions after you apply.
- Using up attempts. Each exam may be taken only six times in one year, with at least 24 hours between attempts.
- Waiting too long to apply. Passing results are valid for one year.
- Booking a combined exam when one line's practice scores are lagging.
Our SC licensing steps guide and the walkthrough on how to apply through NIPR cover each stage.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Add a Second License Line Later in South Carolina?
Yes. NIPR lets you add lines of authority to an active South Carolina license. You pass the exam for the new line first, then submit the addition through NIPR.
Do You Need a Separate Exam for Each License in South Carolina?
Each line of authority requires a passing exam, but South Carolina's combined exams let you cover Life and Accident and Health, or Property and Casualty, in one sitting.
Which South Carolina Course Matches Your Pick?
If you're new and unattached, start with SC P&C prep. If you've been hired into life, benefits, or Medicare, start with SC L&H prep. If your agency sells everything, the All-in-One course covers both exams. Every Aceable Insurance South Carolina course is built to the state exam outline and includes a Pass Guarantee.
Charleston to Myrtle Beach
Your future in the insurance industry starts now.