1.2 Oregon Producer Licensing Requirements

Eligibility and Pre-Licensing Education

To hold an Oregon resident P&C producer license, an applicant must be at least 18 years old and complete state-approved pre-licensing education. DFR requires 20 hours per line of authority. Because a combined Property & Casualty license is two distinct lines (Property and Casualty), most candidates complete 40 hours total -- 20 for property, 20 for casualty -- through an Oregon-approved provider. The completion certificate must be presented when you apply, and the exam should be taken while the coursework is recent.

Background Check and Fingerprinting

Fingerprinting is mandatory for every new resident applicant. Oregon runs both an FBI and an Oregon State Police criminal-history check. You schedule prints through PSI at a testing center or through Fieldprint (FieldprintOregon.com). Convictions are not an automatic bar -- DFR weighs them under its character-and-fitness standards -- but failure to disclose a conviction is itself grounds for denial.

The PSI Series 12-04 Exam

The exam is administered by PSI on behalf of DFR. Verified 2026 logistics:

The content is weighted toward national P&C concepts with a dedicated Oregon statutes and rules section. A failing report gives diagnostic percentages by topic so you know where to re-study.

Retake Rules

If you fail, you may re-register and retake, paying the exam fee each time. PSI requires a short waiting interval between attempts (typically the next available day), and you must pass within the validity window of your pre-licensing certificate. There is no lifetime attempt cap, but each sitting is a separate fee.

Applying for the License

After passing, apply through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) -- Oregon's electronic licensing gateway -- and pay the application fee. You must apply within 12 months of passing the exam or the exam result expires. The application asks you to attest to your background and to designate your lines of authority.

License Renewal

Resident producer licenses run on a 2-year (biennial) cycle. DFR ties the renewal date to the licensee's birth month, so two producers licensed the same day can have different renewal deadlines. To renew you must have completed the required continuing education (covered in Section 1.3) and pay the renewal fee. A lapsed license can be reinstated within a grace window with additional fees, but you may not transact insurance while the license is inactive or expired.

Exam tip: Renewal is keyed to the licensee's birth date / birth-month cycle, not the date the license was first issued. Watch for distractor answers that use the issue date or a calendar year-end.

Nonresident Licensing

A producer already licensed in another U.S. state may obtain an Oregon nonresident license through reciprocity under the NAIC Producer Licensing Model Act:

• Must hold an active resident license in the home state in the same lines.
• No Oregon pre-licensing or exam is required.
• Apply through NIPR and pay the nonresident fee.
• The Oregon license stays valid only while the home-state license remains active; if the home license lapses or is revoked, Oregon may terminate the nonresident license.
• Nonresidents generally satisfy CE through their home-state CE (reciprocal recognition).

Lines of Authority and License Types

Oregon issues authority by line, not as one undifferentiated license. The most common P&C-related lines are:

A producer adds lines by completing the pre-licensing hours and exam content for each. The exam you sit (Series 12-04) blends Property and Casualty, which is why the combined license is the usual target.

A Worked Eligibility Example

Consider Maria, age 19, who wants a combined Oregon P&C license:

1. She completes 20 hours of property pre-licensing and 20 hours of casualty pre-licensing (40 total) with a DFR-approved school.
2. She schedules fingerprinting through PSI and authorizes the FBI/Oregon State Police background check.
3. She passes the 150-question Series 12-04 exam at 72% -- above the 70% bar -- in under the 2-hour-40-minute limit.
4. Within 12 months of passing, she submits her application and fee through NIPR and discloses a dismissed misdemeanor from age 17; DFR reviews and, finding full disclosure and no disqualifying conduct, issues the license.
5. Her renewal date is set by her birth month on a 2-year cycle.

Had Maria failed to disclose that misdemeanor, the omission itself -- not the underlying offense -- could have triggered denial.

Reinstatement and Lapse

If a producer misses the renewal deadline, the license becomes inactive/expired. Oregon allows reinstatement within a limited window upon completing any outstanding CE and paying the renewal plus a late fee. Transacting any insurance business while the license is lapsed is a violation of the Insurance Code, exposing the producer to penalties even if every other requirement is later cured.

Exam trap: Passing the exam does not make you a producer -- you are not authorized to solicit, negotiate, or sell until DFR actually issues the license. Distractors often imply the exam pass alone confers authority.