You passed the Texas life and health exam. Now what?
Passing the exam is not the license. A few more steps stand between you and selling, and one of them has a deadline that catches people out.
⏳ Apply within 12 months
Pearson VUE's Texas handbook is explicit: if you do not submit a completed license application within 12 months of passing, you have to retake the exam and pay the $49 again.
Get fingerprinted and apply to TDI
Fingerprints are taken through the state's vendor and sent electronically to the Department of Public Safety and the FBI. The application goes to the Texas Department of Insurance online, with the $50 license fee.
⏳ A license alone does not let you sell
TIC 4001.201 says a licensed person may not engage in business as an agent unless an authorized insurer appoints them. The appointment comes from the company you write business for.
Continuing education starts its clock
You owe 24 hours of continuing education every two-year license period, 3 of them in ethics and at least half in a classroom or approved classroom-equivalent setting. Agents licensed continuously for 20 years are exempt.
Licenses that build on this one
The General Lines Life, Accident and Health license is the broadest life and health license Texas issues to a resident. These are the usual next moves.
General Lines — Property & Casualty
Auto, homeowners and commercial insurance. A separate Pearson VUE exam, also offered in Spanish, and holding both makes an agent full-service.
Variable products registration
Selling variable life or variable annuities also requires securities registration through FINRA, on top of this license.
Licensing steps summarized from the Pearson VUE Texas Insurance Licensing Candidate Handbook (October 2024) and the Texas Insurance Code. Confirm current requirements with the Texas Department of Insurance before applying.