Producer License Info

In order to obtain a Producer license an individual must be at least 18 years of age; must be deemed by the Commissioner to be competent, trustworthy and financially responsible; have passed a written examination and submit a license application and fees.

Resident and Nonresident - Electronic Application

Nonresident Producers MUST apply electronically using ONE of the third party vendor services of NIPR or SIRCON  

Residents must wait 48 hours after passing their producer examination before submitting an electronic application.

• Complete the online application process and pay the relevant fees.
• If your application is routine, and does not require any additional information, the license is generally issued within 48 hours.
• If your application is not routine, you will be notified on-line that additional information must be submitted directly by you to the Department. All additional information that must be submitted is outlined on the application, and can be faxed to (802) 828-1633. Your license application will be reviewed after all required information has been received.

Resident - Paper Application

An applicant must submit to the Department the following:

1. NAIC Uniform Individual Application;
2. Resident
3. The original score report showing passage of the Producer examination for the line(s) of insurance applying for;
4. Resident Fees: Application fee of $30.00 and a license fee of $30.00. Checks may be made payable to VT Dept of Financial Regulation.

Attachment #1 Social Security Disclosure is for your information.

• What is a Producer license?
• What is the license term?
• What is the renewal fee?
• Who must have a Producer license?
• Does Vermont require qualifications by line of authority?
• Is Vermont an appointment state?
• When must a Producer be appointed as an insurer’s agent?
• Does Vermont require Producers to complete Continuing Education (CE)?
• Does Vermont require Producers to complete additional training in connection with the sale of Long Term Care Insurance (LTC)?
• Does Vermont require Producers to have a trust account?
• Can a Producer charge a policy fee?
• Can a Producer pay a referral fee to a third party in connection with a sale or solicitation?

What is a Producer license?

A Producer license replaces the former agent and broker license types.  A Producer is a person licensed to sell, solicit or negotiate insurance. “Negotiate” means the act of conferring directly with or offering advice directly to a purchaser or prospective purchaser of a particular contract of insurance concerning any of the substantive benefits, terms or conditions of the contract, provided the person engaged in that act either sells insurance or obtains insurance from insurers for purchasers.  “Sell” means to exchange a contact of insurance by any means, for money or its equivalent, on behalf of an insurer.  “Solicit” means attempting to sell insurance or asking or urging a person to apply for a particular kind of insurance from a particular insurer.

What is the license term?

The license term is April 1st to March 31st of odd years.  The Department will send out renewal notices for existing licensees at the beginning of the odd year. Note, license fees are not prorated and the license term is fixed, regardless of time of application.

What is the renewal fee?

2013 renewal fee chart.

Who must have a Producer license?

Anyone who intends to sell, solicit or negotiate insurance must be licensed as a Producer.  Specific exemptions to the license requirement are set forth in Title 8, §4813d. 

Does Vermont require qualifications by line of authority?

Yes, a Producer must possess active qualifications by line of authority before he or she can act as a Producer in that line of insurance.   The recognized qualifications include:  Life, Accident and Health or Sickness, Property, Casualty, Variable Life and Variable Annuity and Personal lines.

Is Vermont an appointment state?

Yes, Vermont is an appointment state.  If an insurer does business with a Producer as its agent, the insurer must appoint the Producer as its agent for each qualification for which the Producer will be acting as the agent of the insurer.

When must a Producer be appointed as an insurer’s agent?

A Producer must be appointed within 15 days from the date an agency contract is executed or the first insurance application is submitted, whichever is sooner.

Does Vermont require Producers to complete Continuing Education (CE)?

Yes.  For more information about CE, see Continuing Education Requirements page. 

Does Vermont require Producers to complete additional training in connection with the sale of Long Term Care Insurance (LTC)?

Yes. An individual may not sell, solicit or negotiate (sell) long-term care insurance (LTC) unless the individual is licensed as an insurance producer for accident and health and has completed the LTC training requirements set forth below.

For resident licensees, this training can count towards the twenty-four (24) hours continuing education requirement if the training satisfies all requirements for continuing education, including course approval and provider registration.

Training Requirements

An agent or producer selling LTC insurance must complete one, eight (8) hour course specific to long-term care, not less than two hours of which shall contain Vermont-specific information, including Vermont Medicaid information. The Vermont-specific information can be part of an eight-hour course or may be provided as a separate course. Run an Inquiry of Approved Courses available to satisfy the LTC Training requirement.

The initial training requirement shall apply as follows:

• Insurance producers licensed to sell long-term care insurance policies after March 31, 2010 must complete the one-time eight-hour training before the producer may sell any LTC insurance.
• Insurance producers licensed to sell LTC insurance on or before March 31, 2010 must complete the one-time eight-hour training before March 31, 2011.

A producer selling LTC must also complete no less than four (4) hours of ongoing training every 24 months ending March 31st of odd-numbered calendar years.

Insurer’s Obligations

Does Vermont require Producers to have a trust account?

Yes, in most instances a Producer will need a trust account.  For more information about trust account requirements you should read Regulation 95-1.

Can a Producer charge a policy fee?

A Producer acting as the agent of an insurer, should not be charging a fee in conjunction with negotiating, selling or soliciting a policy of insurance.  The agent’s costs and fees in that instance are already paid for by the receipt of commission from the insurer by the Producer as part of the sale.  In instances where additional services are provided to the insured, a Producer can charge a fee that is reasonable in relationship to the service provided.  In addition, where a Producer is acting as a broker, representing the purchaser, additional fees to any commission received by the issuing insurer can be charged, so long as the fees are reasonable in connection to the service or expense and all commission received by the Producer is clearly disclosed prior to entering into the agreement.  Note, Vermont law requires a Producer to obtain a prior written agreement with a client, policyholder, or other member of the public concerning the fees or charges made by that Producer for procuring, servicing, or providing advice on insurance contracts.

Can a Producer pay a referral fee to a third party in connection with a sale or solicitation?

A Producer can pay referral fee to a third party so long as the third party is not negotiating, selling or soliciting insurance and is not a licensed Producer.  Referral fees should be incidental to an existing relationship between the third party and the sales prospect and should not be so large as to create an incentive for a third party to actively find sales opportunities to refer.  In the latter instance the third party will likely start selling on behalf of the Producer.  The sharing of commission or payment of a referral fee to an unlicensed person who urged or advised a consumer to buy insurance is a violation of Vermont law.