State Licensing Guide
North Dakota Life & Health Insurance Exam Guide (2026)
Complete walkthrough for obtaining your North Dakota Life, Accident & Health insurance producer license. Unlike states with a single combined exam, North Dakota administers two separate PSI examinations: one for Life Insurance & Annuity and one for Accident & Health. Discover eligibility criteria, exam specifications, North Dakota Century Code Title 26.1 mandates, and step-by-step licensing instructions. Ready to practice? You can practice realistic North Dakota Insurance Exam Questions.
What This License Is
In North Dakota, an insurance producer license authorizing Life and Accident & Health lines allows you to legally market, solicit, negotiate, and sell individual and group life insurance, fixed and variable annuities, disability income, Medicare supplements, long-term care, and major medical insurance across the state.
Insurance licensing is governed by the North Dakota Insurance Department (NDID), headed by the elected Insurance Commissioner (currently Jon Godfread, elected to 4-year terms pursuant to N.D. Const. Art. V, § 2).
Most career agents and financial professionals acquire both lines of authority to offer comprehensive protection to their clients. In North Dakota, you qualify for these lines by passing the corresponding 110-question PSI examinations.
Eligibility Requirements
To qualify for a resident North Dakota insurance producer license under N.D.C.C. § 26.1-26, applicants must satisfy:
Age: Must be at least 18 years old.
Residency: Must be a bona fide resident of North Dakota or maintain a principal place of business in the state.
Character & Integrity: Must be deemed trustworthy, competent, and of good business reputation. Candidates with felony convictions or crimes involving fraud, theft, or breach of fiduciary duty must submit formal documentation and may require administrative approval under 18 U.S.C. § 1033.
Examination: Must achieve a passing score of at least 70% on the required PSI examination(s).
Pre-Licensing Education
While formal pre-licensing certification is not statutory in North Dakota, attempting the exam without structured study is strongly discouraged. The PSI exam covers complex technical principles, underwriting mechanics, federal tax codes, and specific North Dakota Century Code Title 26.1 statutes.
Candidates who utilize comprehensive practice question banks and exam simulators achieve significantly higher first-time pass rates than self-taught test takers.
Fingerprinting & Background Check
North Dakota requires all first-time resident producer applicants to undergo a state and federal criminal history background check.
Fingerprints are processed through the North Dakota Bureau of Criminal Investigation (BCI) and the FBI. Fingerprinting can be completed electronically at approved law enforcement agencies or participating digital vendor locations.
Results are transmitted securely to the NDID. You should arrange fingerprinting as soon as you pass your licensing exam to avoid delays in license issuance.
North Dakota Exam Structure: Two Separate PSI Exams
1. Life Insurance & Annuity
- • Questions: 110 multiple choice
- • Time Allowed: 150 minutes (2.5 hours)
- • Passing Score: 70% (77 correct answers)
- • Exam Fee: $64
- • Focus: Term, Whole Life, Universal Life, Annuities, Riders, and ND Life Law
2. Accident & Health
- • Questions: 110 multiple choice
- • Time Allowed: 150 minutes (2.5 hours)
- • Passing Score: 70% (77 correct answers)
- • Exam Fee: $64
- • Focus: Medical Expense, Disability, Medicare, LTC, CHAND, and ND Health Law
If you wish to sell both life insurance/annuities and health/disability policies, you must register for, take, and pass both exams. You may schedule them on the same day or on separate testing dates.
What the Exams Cover
Each exam is divided into two distinct sections: General/National Core Principles and North Dakota State-Specific Statutes.
National Life & Annuity Core
Types of policies (ordinary, group, credit), term vs. permanent contracts, policy provisions, options and riders, beneficiary designations, tax treatment of life insurance and annuities, fixed/variable/equity-indexed contracts, and suitability requirements.
National Accident & Health Core
Individual and group health coverages, disability income (own-occ vs. any-occ, elimination periods), medical plans (HMO, PPO, POS, HDHP/HSA), Medicare Supplement (standardized plans A–N), Long-Term Care (ADLs, cognitive impairment), and mandated policy provisions.
North Dakota Insurance Code (N.D.C.C. Title 26.1)
Powers of the Insurance Commissioner, producer licensing qualifications, continuing education (24 hours/2 years including 3 ethics), unfair trade practices (rebating, twisting, misrepresentation), 20-day Life Free-Look (N.D.C.C. § 26.1-33-02.1), 30-day Senior/LTC Free-Look, 5-year record retention, CHAND high-risk pool, and the Life & Health Guaranty Association.
Scheduling with PSI
PSI Services LLC administers all North Dakota insurance licensing tests. Registration is completed online via the PSI Candidate Portal.
When registering, ensure your name exactly matches two forms of unexpired government-issued identification you will present on exam day (such as a Driver's License and Passport or credit card with signature).
Fees & Estimated Licensing Costs
| Item | Cost | Payable To |
|---|---|---|
| Life Insurance & Annuity Exam | $64 | PSI Services |
| Accident & Health Exam | $64 | PSI Services |
| Criminal Background / Fingerprinting | ~$41.25 | ND BCI / FBI |
| Resident Producer License Application | $100 (plus NIPR fee) | NIPR / NDID |
In-Person vs. Remote Online Testing
Candidates may take their PSI examination at an authorized testing center (including test centers in Bismarck, Fargo, and surrounding regional hubs) or via live remote proctoring online.
PSI Test Center
Provided workstation, verified quiet room, on-site proctors, no technical equipment requirements or bandwidth worries.
Remote Online Proctoring
Requires high-speed internet, private room with closed doors, functioning webcam/mic, and strict room scans prior to launch.
Exam Day Protocol
Arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled start time. You must present two forms of valid identification, one with a government-issued photo. No cell phones, watches, notes, or personal materials are permitted in the exam room. Lockers are provided at physical testing centers.
Passing Score & Retake Policy
The passing score on all North Dakota insurance exams is 70%. That means you must answer at least 77 out of the 110 questions correctly.
Results are delivered immediately upon completion. If you do not pass, you receive a diagnostic score report breaking down performance by content category. You may re-register through PSI and pay the $64 exam fee to test again.
If You Pass
Congratulations! PSI automatically transmits your passing score to the North Dakota Insurance Department within 48 to 72 hours. Once reported, you may proceed to submit your formal license application online.
If You Fail
Don't panic. Many successful insurance professionals required more than one attempt. Review your PSI diagnostic report to identify weak areas—often state law, annuity tax treatment, or policy provisions—and focus targeted practice questions on those sections.
Applying for Your License via NIPR
Once you pass your exam(s), apply for your Resident Insurance Producer license through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR).
Complete the Uniform Application for Individual Producer License, pay the $100 state license fee plus NIPR processing charge, and ensure your fingerprint records have been submitted. The NDID typically reviews and issues approved licenses within 5 to 10 business days.
Lines of Authority
In North Dakota, you can hold either or both lines of authority:
- Life Insurance: Covers life insurance policies, endowments, and annuity contracts.
- Accident & Health: Covers medical expense, disability income, accidental death and dismemberment, Medicare supplement, and long-term care products.
Continuing Education (CE) Requirements
- • Total Requirement: 24 hours of approved CE every 2 years.
- • Ethics Mandatory: At least 3 hours must be in approved ethics courses.
- • Renewal Deadline: Biennial renewal occurs by the last day of the licensee's birth month.
- • LTC & Annuity Training: One-time 4-hour annuity suitability course and 8-hour initial LTC training (with 4 hours recurring) before soliciting those lines.
Key North Dakota Statutes (High-Yield Exam Points)
Insurer Appointments
Holding a license authorizes you to act as an insurance producer, but to act as an agent of an insurance company, the insurer must appoint you. The appointing company files notice with the NDID within 15 days from the date the agency contract is executed.
Effective Study Strategy
Follow a 3-week study framework to master North Dakota Life & Health content:
- Week 1 (Core Concepts): Focus on General Insurance, Life contract mechanics, and Health policy provisions.
- Week 2 (Specialized Products): Deep dive into Annuities (fixed, variable, indexed), Medicare supplements, LTC, and disability elimination periods.
- Week 3 (ND Century Code Title 26.1): Memorize state-specific numbers: 20-day life free look, 24 CE hours (3 ethics), 180-day temp license, 5-year records, and guaranty limits. Complete full timed practice tests.
North Dakota Practice Tests
Our test engine separates questions strictly by discipline so you never see health questions when practicing for your Life exam, or life questions when preparing for your Health exam:
Common Exam Pitfalls
• Assuming a 10-day free look: Remember North Dakota law specifies 20 days for life insurance (N.D.C.C. § 26.1-33-02.1).
• Confusing Guaranty Association caps: Life death benefits cap at $300,000, but basic health benefit plans cap at $500,000.
• Misunderstanding CE deadlines: CE is due biennially by the last day of the producer's birth month, not December 31.
• Failing to distinguish between exams: Remember that Life and Health are two distinct 110-question tests with separate fees and schedules.
Quick Reference Matrix
| Parameter | North Dakota Rule / Specification |
|---|---|
| Life Exam Size & Time | 110 Questions | 150 Minutes | 70% Pass |
| Health Exam Size & Time | 110 Questions | 150 Minutes | 70% Pass |
| Standard Life Free-Look | 20 Days (N.D.C.C. § 26.1-33-02.1) |
| Senior / LTC Free-Look | 30 Days |
| Life Grace Period | 31 Days |
| Incontestable Period | 2 Years |
| Policy Reinstatement | 3 Years |
| Continuing Education (CE) | 24 Hours every 2 years (minimum 3 Ethics) |
| Address / Email Change | 30 Days notice to Commissioner via NIPR |
| Record Retention | 5 Years |
| Temporary License | Up to 180 Days without exam |
| Guaranty Limits | Life: $300k / Health: $500k / Annuity: $250k |
Official State & Testing Links
- • North Dakota Insurance Department (NDID) — Official state insurance regulatory authority.
- • PSI Candidate Services — Exam scheduling, testing center locations, and candidate bulletin.
- • National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) — Electronic producer license application and address updates.