West Virginia Insurance Licensing State Requirements

On this page, you will find all of the state-specific information for Insurance Licensing in the state of West Virginia. This information pertains to resident license applicants. For additional information for resident licensing, or for non-resident license information, please refer to the West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner website at http://www.wvinsurance.gov/. Information is subject to change, and we will do our very best to make the process of completing your licensing education requirements as simple as possible.

State of West Virginia Offices of the Insurance Commissioner

Agent Licensing and Education
1124 Smith St., Room 402  
Charleston, WV 25301
PO Box 50541  
Charleston, WV 25305-0541
Phone: 304-558-0610
Website: http://www.wvinsurance.gov
E-mail: agent.licensing@wvinsurance.gov

How to Get Your West Virginia Insurance License

1. Complete an Insurance Prelicensing Course

West Virginia requires those seeking an insurance license to complete prelicensing before taking the state licensing exam. Prelicensing courses with Kaplan give you the best chance to pass—our pass rates are among the highest in the industry. 

Prelicensing Education Hour Requirements

• Life: 20 Hours
• Accident & Health or Sickness: 20 Hours
• Life, Accident & Health or Sickness: 40 Hours
• Property & Casualty: 40 Hours
• Personal Lines: 20 Hours
• Adjuster: No Prelicensing Education Requirement

Acceptable Methods of Education

• Classroom
• Self-study*
• Online*

*Course final exam must be monitored by a disinterested third party (someone other than a relative, friend, or business associate).

Prelicensing Education Exemptions

An exam is not required as proof of competency with respect to the following lines of authority for candidates who hold one or more of the following designations, certifications, or degrees:

• Life: CEBS, ChFC®, CIC, CFP®, CLU®, FLMI, LUTCF
• Health: RHU, CEBS, REBC, HIA
• Property and Casualty: AAI, ARM, CIC, CPCU®
• All lines: College insurance degree

Note: Applicants who are not licensed within one year of passing an exam must complete prelicensing and must retake the exam.

Online Course Requirements

• Proctor: This state requires a disinterested 3rd party proctor be present for online certification exams. A disinterested third party is someone with no conflict of interest, financial or otherwise. An example of someone who is a disinterested third party is a librarian or test center employee. An example of someone who is not a disinterested third party is an immediate family member (in-laws included), a prospective employer, or a coworker who is above/below your line of supervision.

Adjuster License Requirements

All insurance adjusters in this state are required to be licensed. Check with the Department of Insurance in your resident state to see how to obtain an adjuster license.

Note: This information is based on state laws and regulations and is subject to change. Kaplan Financial Education makes every effort to make sure this information is current and accurate, however, Kaplan Financial Education is not engaged in rendering legal or professional advice and shall not be held responsible for inaccuracies contained herein.

2. Pass Your West Virginia Licensing Exam

Frequently Asked Questions About the West Virginia Licensing Exam

After completing my prelicensing, how should I prepare for exam day?

Exam Day

Candidates should report to the test center thirty (30) minutes before the examination and check in with the test center administrator. The candidate’s identification and other documentation will be reviewed and they will be photographed for the score report.

Required Identification

Candidates are required to bring identification that is deemed acceptable, listed under Acceptable Forms of Candidate Identification, to the test center on the day of examination. 

Acceptable forms of candidate identification: Candidates must present two forms of current signature identification. The name on the identification must exactly match the name on the registration. The primary identification must be government-issued and photo-bearing with a signature, and the secondary identification must contain a valid signature. Identification must be in English.

Primary Identification (with photo)

• Primary ID (photograph and signature, not expired) 
• Government-issued Driver’s License 
• U.S. Dept. of State Driver’s License 
• U.S. Learner’s Permit (plastic card only with photo and signature) 
• State-issued picture IDs including those non-federated driver’s licenses or licenses that say “Not For Federal Identification” are accepted in West Virginia. 

Secondary Identification (valid signature)

• National/State/Country identification card 
• Passport
• Passport card 
• Military ID 
• Military ID for spouses and dependents Secondary ID (signature, not expired)
• U.S. Social Security Card 
• Debit (ATM) or Credit card 
• Any form of ID on the Primary list

Note: If the ID presented has an embedded signature that is not visible (microchip), or is difficult or impossible to read, the candidate must present another form of identification from the Primary ID or Secondary ID list that contains a visible signature. Pearson VUE does not recognize grace periods. For example, if a candidate’s driver’s license expired yesterday and the state allows a 30-day grace period for renewing the ID, the ID is considered to be expired.

What is the exam like? 

Security Procedures

The following policies are observed at each test center. Candidates who violate any of these policies will not be permitted to finish the examination and will be dismissed from the test center, forfeiting the examination fee.

• No personal items are allowed in the testing room. 
• Personal items include but are not limited to:
  • Cellular phones, hand-held computers or other electronic devices, pagers, watches, wallets, purses, firearms or other weapons, hats, bags, coats, books, and/ or notes, pens, or pencils. 
• Candidates must store all personal items in a secure area as indicated by the administrator, or return items to their vehicle. All electronic devices must be turned off before storing them in a locker. 
• The test center is not responsible for lost, stolen, or misplaced personal items.
• Studying is not allowed in the test center.
• Visitors, children, family, or friends are not allowed in the test center. 
• Dictionaries, books, papers (including scratch paper), and reference materials are not permitted in the examination room (unless permitted by the exam sponsor), and candidates are strongly urged not to bring such materials to the test center. 
• Upon entering and being seated in the testing room, the test administrator will provide the candidate with materials to make notes or calculations and any other items specified by the exam sponsor. 
• The candidate may not write on these items before the exam begins or remove these items from the testing room.
• Eating, drinking, chewing gum, smoking, and/or making noise that creates a disturbance for other candidates is prohibited during the exam. 
• Break policies are established by the exam sponsor. Most sponsors allow unscheduled breaks.
• To request an unscheduled break, the candidate must raise their hand to get the administrator’s attention. 
  • The exam clock will not stop while the candidate is taking a break. Candidates must leave the testing room for all breaks. However, candidates are not permitted to leave the floor or building for any reason during this time, unless specified by the administrator and the exam sponsor. 
  • If a candidate is discovered to have left the floor or building they will not be permitted to proceed with the examination and may forfeit the exam fees. 
  • While taking a break, candidates are permitted to access personal items that are being stored during the exam only if necessary—for example, personal medication that must be taken at a specific time. However, a candidate must receive permission from the administrator prior to accessing personal items that have been stored. 
  • Candidates are not allowed access to other items, including but not limited to cellular phones, exam notes, and study guides, unless the exam sponsor specifically permits this. 
• Any candidate discovered causing a disturbance of any kind or engaging in any kind of misconduct—giving or receiving help; using notes, books, or other aids; taking part in an act of impersonation; or removing examination materials or notes from the examination room—will be summarily dismissed from the examination and will be reported to the state licensing agency. Decisions regarding disciplinary measures are the responsibility of the state licensing agency

How is the exam scored?

Exam Evaluation

The passing score of an examination was set by the West Virginia Office of the Insurance Commissioner (in conjunction with Pearson VUE) after a comprehensive study was completed for each examination. Raw scores are converted into scaled scores that can range from 0 to 100. The scaled score that is reported to you is neither the number of questions you answered correctly nor the percentage of questions you answered correctly. With a passing score of 70, any score below 70 indicates how close the candidate came to passing, rather than the actual number or percentage of questions the candidates answered correctly. 

3. Get Fingerprinted and Apply for a West Virginia Insurance License

4. Plan to Complete Required Insurance Continuing Education (CE) Credits

Every insurance producer must adhere to their home state’s CE requirements. Stay on top of your CE and ahead of the competition with 365 days of unlimited course access when you enroll in a CE library with Kaplan. 

Learn how to renew a West Virginia insurance license by clicking here: https://www.kaplanfinancial.com/insurance-continuing-education/west-virginia