- Overview: What ND-PC Requirements Actually Cover
- Basic Eligibility Rules
- Prelicensing Education: What's Required (and What Isn't)
- Fingerprinting and Criminal History Check
- Exam Format, Fees, and Passing Score
- Domain Coverage You Must Prepare For
- Applying Through NIPR and Score Validity
- Getting Licensed After You Pass
- Renewal Requirements Every Two Years
- Building a Requirements-Based Prep Timeline
- FAQ
- You must be 18+ and reside or maintain a business location in North Dakota to qualify.
- No prelicensing course is mandated - but the exam still requires 70% (77 of 110 scored questions).
- Property and Casualty are separate $64 exams, each with 150 minutes and 110 scored items.
- A fingerprint-based criminal history check and NIPR application are required after passing.
Overview: What ND-PC Requirements Actually Cover
Before you can sell property or casualty insurance in North Dakota, you have to satisfy a specific set of state-defined requirements administered jointly by the North Dakota Insurance & Securities Department and the testing vendor, PSI Services LLC. These requirements determine who can sit for the exam, how the exam is structured, and what happens after you pass. Understanding them precisely - not generically - is the difference between a smooth path to licensure and wasted time chasing the wrong paperwork.
This guide breaks down every eligibility rule, prerequisite, and post-exam step tied specifically to the North Dakota Property & Casualty Insurance Producer Exam. If you haven't yet reviewed the exam's content structure, pair this with our ND-PC Exam Domains 2026 guide for a full breakdown of all 20 content areas.
Basic Eligibility Rules
North Dakota keeps its baseline eligibility criteria narrow but strict. To qualify to sit for either the Property or Casualty exam, you must:
- Be at least 18 years old
- Reside in North Dakota, or maintain a principal place of business in the state (non-resident applicants have separate pathways, but a physical or business tie to the state matters)
- Pass each line of authority you intend to hold - Property and Casualty are evaluated independently
- Complete a fingerprint-based criminal history background check
- Submit your license application through NIPR (the National Insurance Producer Registry)
Notice what's absent from that list: there is no requirement to complete a prelicensing education course. This surprises a lot of candidates coming from states with mandatory classroom hours, and it's a distinction worth understanding fully before you plan your prep timeline.
Prelicensing Education: What's Required (and What Isn't)
Because North Dakota does not mandate a prelicensing course, candidates are entirely responsible for their own preparation. That's a double-edged sword: it saves time and money upfront, but it also means the state provides no built-in safety net to ensure you're ready for a 110-question, 150-minute exam that demands 70% accuracy.
This is exactly why structured self-study matters so much for this particular exam. Without a mandatory course pushing you through the material, candidates who skip serious preparation often underestimate how dense the North Dakota Laws and Regulations domain is - it's the single largest content area on both exams (27.3% of Casualty and 23.6% of Property). If you want a practical roadmap for closing that gap, our ND-PC Study Guide 2026 lays out a first-attempt strategy built around this exact domain weighting.
Key Takeaway
Skipping prelicensing coursework is legal, but it shifts 100% of exam readiness onto your own study plan. Treat the absence of a mandated course as a reason to be more deliberate, not less.
Fingerprinting and Criminal History Check
Every applicant must complete a fingerprint-based criminal history check as part of the licensing process. This is a separate step from the exam itself and typically runs through a state-approved fingerprinting vendor. Plan for this early - it's not something you complete on exam day, and delays in fingerprint processing can hold up your license application even after you've passed both exams.
Practically speaking, most candidates handle fingerprinting either before or shortly after sitting for the exam, since the requirement is tied to the license application rather than exam eligibility itself. Keep documentation of your fingerprinting appointment so you're not scrambling when it's time to submit through NIPR.
Exam Format, Fees, and Passing Score
Property and Casualty are administered as two completely separate exams - passing one does not qualify you for the other line of authority. Each exam shares the same structural format:
- Cost: $64 per exam
- Scored questions: 110
- Unscored (experimental) questions: 5-10, mixed in without being identified
- Time allowed: 150 minutes
- Passing score: 70%, meaning 77 correct scored answers
- Format: Computer-based, multiple choice
- Retakes: Unlimited
The unlimited retake policy removes some pressure, but every retake still costs $64 and requires rescheduling through PSI. For a deeper dive into exactly what 77/110 means for your margin of error, see our dedicated ND-PC Passing Score 2026 breakdown. And if you're weighing how difficult this exam really is relative to the effort required, our How Hard Is the ND-PC Exam guide covers that in detail, while our ND-PC Pass Rate 2026 analysis looks at what the available data shows.
| Requirement | Property Exam | Casualty Exam |
|---|---|---|
| Exam Fee | $64 | $64 |
| Scored Questions | 110 | 110 |
| Unscored Questions | 5-10 | 5-10 |
| Time Limit | 150 minutes | 150 minutes |
| Passing Score | 70% (77 correct) | 70% (77 correct) |
| Largest Content Area | ND Laws & Regs (23.6%) | ND Laws & Regs (27.3%) |
Domain Coverage You Must Prepare For
Meeting the state's eligibility rules gets you to the testing center - but passing requires mastering content across 20 distinct domains split evenly between the two exams. Each exam covers ten domains, ranging from regulatory frameworks to product-specific policy mechanics.
Property - North Dakota Laws and Regulations Pertinent to Property Insurance
This is the single heaviest topic on the Property exam at 23.6% of scored content. Candidates must understand state-specific regulatory requirements as they apply to property lines, not just generic insurance law.
- State licensing and conduct rules affecting property producers
- North Dakota-specific policy provisions and disclosure requirements
Casualty - North Dakota Laws and Regulations Pertinent to Casualty Insurance
At 27.3%, this is the largest domain across either exam. Expect detailed questions on state statutes governing casualty products, producer duties, and compliance obligations.
- Casualty-specific state regulatory provisions
- Producer responsibilities under North Dakota law
Beyond those two anchor domains, candidates need working knowledge of areas like Dwelling Policy Concepts, Homeowners Policy Concepts, Commercial Property Policies, and the Businessowners Policy on the Property side; and Personal Automobile Insurance, Commercial Automobile Policy, Commercial General Liability, and Workers' Compensation Laws on the Casualty side. Federal Laws and Regulations and General Insurance concepts round out both exams as foundational domains that intersect with almost every other topic.
For a domain-by-domain walkthrough of all 20 areas with study emphasis guidance, the ND-PC Exam Domains 2026 guide is the most efficient resource to work through before you build a study plan.
Key Takeaway
Because state-specific laws and regulations dominate both exams, generic national study materials alone won't be enough - you need North Dakota-specific content review.
Applying Through NIPR and Score Validity
Once you've passed your exam(s), the application for licensure is submitted through NIPR, the National Insurance Producer Registry. This centralized system is used across most states and lets North Dakota verify your exam results, background check status, and application details in one place.
One requirement candidates frequently overlook: exam scores remain valid for only one year. If you pass the exam but delay your NIPR application and fingerprinting past that window, you may need to retake the exam entirely. Don't treat passing as the finish line - treat it as the start of a one-year clock to complete the rest of the licensing process.
Getting Licensed After You Pass
Passing your exam(s) and clearing the background check doesn't automatically produce a license - you still need to complete the NIPR application and pay the applicable fee. The initial license fee is $100, separate from the $64 exam fee(s) you already paid to PSI.
If you're licensing in both Property and Casualty, budget for both exam fees plus the license fee, and factor in fingerprinting costs. For a full accounting of every cost involved from registration through licensure, see our ND-PC Certification Cost 2026 breakdown.
Once licensed, many producers use the credential to pursue roles at independent agencies, carriers, and brokerages that specifically seek North Dakota-licensed property and casualty producers. If you're evaluating career direction, our ND-PC Jobs overview and ND-PC Salary Guide 2026 cover what the credential opens up, and our Is the ND-PC Certification Worth It analysis weighs the investment against the return.
Renewal Requirements Every Two Years
Licensure isn't a one-time event. North Dakota producer licenses renew biennially, by the last day of your birth month. Renewal requirements include:
- A $25 renewal fee
- 24 hours of continuing education
- 3 of those hours specifically in ethics
Mark your renewal deadline well ahead of time - because it's tied to your birth month rather than a fixed calendar date, it's easy to lose track of relative to other business deadlines. Missing continuing education requirements can put your license into lapse status, creating avoidable administrative headaches.
Building a Requirements-Based Prep Timeline
Since North Dakota doesn't require a prelicensing course, your prep timeline is entirely self-directed. A practical approach is to sequence your study around domain weight and personal familiarity rather than working straight through the outline in order.
North Dakota Laws and Regulations
- Start with the highest-weighted domain on your chosen exam (23.6% Property / 27.3% Casualty)
- Review state-specific statutes and producer conduct rules
Core Product Domains
- Property: Dwelling and Homeowners Policy Concepts
- Casualty: Personal Automobile and Commercial Automobile Policy
Commercial and Specialty Lines
- Commercial Property Policies, Businessowners Policy, or Commercial General Liability and Workers' Compensation Laws
- Federal Laws and Regulations that intersect with commercial products
Full-Length Practice and Review
- Take timed practice exams matching the 150-minute, 110-question format
- Target consistent scores above 77/110 before scheduling
Running full-length, timed practice sessions on our practice test platform before exam day is one of the most reliable ways to confirm you're hitting the 70% threshold under realistic conditions. Combine that with domain-specific review from the ND-PC Cheat Sheet 2026 for quick fact recall in the final days before your test.
FAQ
No. North Dakota does not require a prelicensing course for either the Property or Casualty exam. However, you still need to independently prepare to meet the 70% passing threshold.
They are separate exams, each costing $64 with its own 110 scored questions and 150-minute time limit. You must pass each line separately to be licensed for both.
Exam scores remain valid for one year. You should complete your fingerprinting and NIPR application well within that window to avoid retaking the exam.
Beyond the $64 fee per exam, there's a $100 initial license fee. Renewal every two years costs $25 and requires 24 continuing education hours, including 3 in ethics.
No. Retakes are unlimited, though each attempt requires paying the $64 exam fee again and rescheduling through PSI.