1.2 Tennessee P&C Producer Licensing

Pre-License Education

Tennessee does not impose a mandatory number of pre-license classroom hours for Property & Casualty producers. There is no state-required course you must sit through before testing. That said, the state-specific portion of the exam covers TCA Title 56 in detail, so candidates typically invest 40–60 hours of self-study. Do not confuse Tennessee's no-mandatory-hours rule with states that require, say, 20 or 40 statutory hours — that is a frequent multiple-choice trap.

The Licensing Examination (Pearson VUE)

Tennessee contracts with Pearson VUE to deliver producer exams at testing centers statewide and via online proctoring. Property and Casualty are two separate exams — passing one does not grant the other. Each exam blends national insurance concepts with a block of Tennessee-specific law.

The "scaled score" matters: a 70% scaled score is not simply 70% of raw questions correct. Pearson VUE equates forms so that every candidate faces the same difficulty bar regardless of which question set they drew. You also see unscored pretest questions mixed in that do not count — you cannot tell which, so answer every item.

Retake Rules and What to Bring

• Bring two forms of ID, one government-issued photo ID with signature.
• If you fail, you may reschedule and retest; there is no lifetime cap on attempts, though you pay the fee each time and must wait for the next available slot.
• Results print immediately at the center as pass/fail; a numeric diagnostic is given on a fail.

Exam Tip: Property and Casualty are separate licenses and separate exams. A candidate who passes only Property may sell property lines but cannot sell liability/casualty lines until the Casualty exam is also passed.

From Passing the Exam to Holding a License

Passing the exam does not, by itself, make you a producer. You must complete the application and clearing process within Tennessee's window:

1. Fingerprint-based background check. Tennessee requires electronic fingerprints submitted to the vendor for a state and FBI criminal history check. This screens for disqualifying felonies; under federal law (the Violent Crime Control Act, 18 U.S.C. 1033/1034) a felony involving breach of trust or dishonesty generally bars insurance employment absent written TDCI consent.
2. Apply electronically through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) or Sircon — Tennessee no longer accepts routine paper resident applications.
3. Pay the license fee and disclose any criminal, regulatory, or administrative action history truthfully. Lying on the application is itself grounds for denial or revocation.
4. Appointment. To place business with a specific insurer you generally must be appointed by that carrier, which the insurer files with TDCI.

License Term and Renewal Cycle

A Tennessee resident producer license renews on a two-year cycle tied to your birth month. You must renew on or before the last day of your birth month, and your cycle is odd/even based on your birth year — a producer born in an odd-numbered year renews in odd-numbered years; even-year births renew in even years. A license that lapses can usually be reinstated within a grace window (with late fees), but reinstatement is not guaranteed and CE must already be satisfied.

Continuing Education (CE)

Non-resident producers generally satisfy Tennessee CE by meeting their home-state CE (reciprocity). Active-duty military deployment can extend deadlines. Complete CE before your renewal date — TDCI does not waive the requirement for late filers.

Non-Resident Licensing and Reciprocity

A producer already licensed in another state can obtain a Tennessee non-resident license without retaking the exam, provided the home state grants Tennessee producers the same courtesy — this is reciprocity under the NAIC Producer Licensing Model Act. The non-resident applies through NIPR, pays the fee, and lists Tennessee as a non-resident state; the home-state license must stay in good standing. If the home-state license lapses or is revoked, the Tennessee non-resident license falls with it. This is why exam questions stress that a non-resident's eligibility depends on the home-state license remaining active.

Producer vs. Other License Types

Tennessee distinguishes several roles, and the exam expects you to keep them straight:

Note the adjuster split: a public adjuster works for the policyholder, while an independent/company adjuster works for the carrier. Confusing the two is a classic distractor.

Reporting Changes to TDCI

Producers must notify the TDCI of certain events, usually within 30 days: a change of legal name, residence, or mailing address; any administrative action taken against the license by another state or financial regulator; and any criminal prosecution (a guilty plea or conviction) in any jurisdiction. Failure to self-report is an independent licensing violation, separate from the underlying conduct.

Exam Tip: Remember the trio of numbers — 24 hours / 3 ethics / 2 years — that renewal is keyed to your birth month, and that address/administrative-action/criminal-charge changes must be reported to TDCI, typically within 30 days.