- You must be at least 18 years of age.
- You must be a bona fide resident of Florida.
- You will have a place of business in Florida, will actively engage in the business, and maintain a place of business identifiable and accessible to the public.
- You are not seeking the license for the purpose of writing"controlled business" (more than 50% of income is from business for your or your family's interests or other organizations in which you are associated or interested).
- You are qualified by knowledge, experience or instruction through one of the following:
- Taught or successfully completed a Department of Insurance approved course within 4 years immediately preceding the date of application – 200-hour classroom course.
- Complete an approved correspondence course AND have 6 months"all-lines" insurance duties as a full time employee of an agency or company within 4 years immediately preceding the date of application.
- Been a licensed Customer Representative (4-40) for at least one year and successfully completed a 40-hour classroom course.
- Been a licensed company Service Representative (0-55) for at least one year and successfully completed an 80-hour classroom course.
- Have at least one year of experience in"all-lines" insurance duties as a full time employee of an agency or company within 4 years immediately preceding the date of application without the education requirement.
- Successfully completed at least 15 semester hours of credit or
its equivalent in property and casualty courses from an accredited
college or university. An official transcript is required.
It is important to understand that the term "all-lines" refers to all of the lines of insurance that you will be licensed to handle by the issuance of this license. Those lines of insurance as outlined by the Department of Insurance include:
Marine
Health
Casualty
Property
Surety Bonds
Having had experience means the person applying for the license has performed all of the tasks relating to the types of insurance listed. Those tasks include:
Incidental taking of applications
Quoting premiums
Receiving payments
Handling declarations pages
If you're planning to sit for the exam based on experience our advice is to gain the experience by way of spending time with someone in the agency who does that specific task. For example, to gain the proper health insurance experience, sit with the health insurance specialist in the agency when a client is being interviewed. Then, next time have the health specialist show you how to quote the policy and complete the application with the client. When the policy arrives from the company, review it with the health specialist and be present when the policy is delivered to the client. By doing these tasks on an"incidental" basis you'll have gained the required experience and will be able to honestly complete the application for exam.
- Obtain a 4-year degree with at least 15 semester hours in Property and Casualty insurance from an accredited college or university.
- Hold the Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation and having been engaged in the insurance business within the past 4 years. An original letter from the American Institute for Chartered Property and Casualty Underwriters certifying your designation status is required. While an exam is required for situations 5.a. through 5.d. above, no examination is required when you qualify by this means.
A copy of the licensing procedures established by the Florida Department of Financial Services (DFS) can be found at the DFS website, www.fldfs.com or by calling the Bureau of Agent and Agency Licensing at 850-413-3137, ext 1101. Applications can be printed from the website. There will be additional information that may be required, such as fingerprint cards. The application instructions will instruct you as to the handling of these items.
If you have moved to Florida from another state and were licensed as an agent in that state it is important to note that if you apply for your Florida license within 60 days, the State Examination can be by-passed. If you wait longer than 60 days then you will have to meet the qualifications outlined above.
| | How Can FAIA Assist You In Obtaining This License? |
You're in luck! Here at FAIA, we can supply you with everything you will need to help you pass the General Lines Agent exam. We write, publish and sell the Florida General Lines Agent and Customer Representative Study Manual. In addition, study materials, such as flash cards and test simulator software, are also available from FAIA. Here is a brief description and cost:
Florida General Lines Agent & Customer Representative Study Manual: This is the complete study information guide. All of the information contained in this manual is covered in a 200-hour licensing class. The state insurance test is developed from the information contained in this manual. It is available in printed form or on a CD-ROM. The cost is as follows:
Book $35
CD $30
Book & CD $50
Florida 2-20 Licensing Exam Simulator: This software program enhances your study of insurance by offering you simulation of the state licensing exam. It's interactive capability allows you to use it over and over again to perfect your knowledge of insurance.
Licensing Exam Simulator Software $39.95
Florida 2-20 Exam Flash Cards: The flash cards can be used as a study aid when you don't have access to your computer. You can take them with you anywhere you go. There are 221 questions relating to information contained in the study guide. The format is multiple choice with the correct answer on the back of each card. With the flash cards you can study anywhere, anytime.
2-20 Exam Flash Cards $35
These items can be purchased from our web site, www.faia.com, or by calling FAIA at 850-893-4155, ext 351. |
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