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The Texas P&C license guide

Get your Texas P&C license.

To sell property and casualty insurance in Texas, you need the General Lines – Property and Casualty license from the Texas Department of Insurance (TDI). It takes five steps: study, reserve the exam, pass it, get fingerprinted, and apply online.

State fees total about $145. Texas requires no prelicensing course and no insurance experience.

Five steps, in this order.

The order matters. TDI won't accept your application until you've passed the exam, and an application filed early has to be paid for twice.

Study

A course is optional in Texas, but TDI recommends one because candidates who take one pass more often. Use the official topic list in the exam section below as your syllabus.

Reserve your exam with Pearson VUE

Book online at Pearson VUE or by phone at (888) 754-7667, at least 24 hours ahead. The exam is General Lines – Property & Casualty, code InsTX-PC06. You pay the $49 fee when you reserve; the test center does not take payment.

Pass the exam

It's 145 questions in 2 hours 30 minutes, and you need a scaled score of 70. You leave the test center with your official score report. If you don't pass, you can reserve a new exam as soon as the next day, with no limit on attempts.

Get fingerprinted

Start on TDI's fingerprint portal to get your service code, then book a digital fingerprint appointment with IdentoGO. Keep your receipt — you'll attach a copy to your application.

Apply for your license

Apply online through Sircon or NIPR and pay the $50 application fee. You have 12 months from passing to apply. Miss that window and you retake the exam.

What it costs.

Expect about $145 in fees, plus whatever you choose to spend on study materials.

Fees to get licensed
ItemPaid toCost
State examPearson VUE, when you reserve$49 per attempt
Fingerprints & background checkIdentoGOAbout $40
License applicationTDI, through Sircon or NIPR$50 + $5.60 fee
Prep courseYour choiceOptional
Total state feesAbout $145

Veterans may be reimbursed for exam fees through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, per TDI. Some companies also pay the exam fee for candidates they plan to hire.

The exam.

One multiple-choice test in two parts — general P&C knowledge and Texas law — scored as a whole. In August 2026, 61% of first-time takers passed, and only 38% of people retaking it did (Pearson VUE). Prepare to pass it the first time.

Exam at a glance
Questions145 — 130 scored, plus 15 unscored "pretest" questions mixed in and not marked
Time2 hours 30 minutes
Passing score70 on a 0–100 scaled score. It is not the percentage you got right.
Fee$49, paid when you reserve
BringTwo forms of current signature ID. One must be a government-issued photo ID, and the names must match your registration exactly. Arrive 30 minutes early.
ResultsYou leave with your official score report
What's on it · scored questions by section
SectionWhat it coversQuestions
Property: types of policiesHomeowners (HO-2 to HO-8), dwelling (DP-1 to DP-3), commercial property, inland marine, flood, earthquake, windstorm22
Property: terms & conceptsInsurable interest, risk, hazard, peril, loss valuation, coinsurance, liability, binders15
Property: provisions & contract lawDeclarations, conditions, exclusions, duties after loss, appraisal, subrogation, Fair Credit Reporting Act13
Casualty: policies & bondsCommercial general liability, personal and business auto, workers' comp, crime, surety and fidelity bonds, professional liability, umbrella, BOP23
Casualty: terms & conceptsHazards, indemnity, negligence, occurrence, warranties, representations, damages15
Casualty: policy provisionsInsuring agreement, cancellation, supplementary payments, other insurance, loss settlement, TRIA12
Texas: rules common to P&CCommissioner powers, license types, appointments, continuing education, unfair trade practices, rebating18
Texas: rules specific to P&CSurplus lines, rate and form approval, homeowners and auto rules, TWIA, FAIR Plan, workers' comp, guaranty association12
Total scored questions130

Weights from Pearson VUE's Texas content outline, effective September 1, 2026. The full outline and candidate handbook are on Pearson VUE's Texas insurance page.

After you're licensed.

The license lasts two years. Keeping it takes continuing education, and selling under it takes an appointment.

Common questions.

Texas P&C license — common questions

Do I need insurance experience or a course?

No. Texas sets no experience requirement and no required prelicensing course for this license. TDI does recommend a prep course, because candidates who take one pass more often.

How much does it cost?

About $145 in fees: $49 for the exam, about $40 for fingerprinting, and $50 plus a $5.60 transaction fee for the application.

Can I start working before I pass the exam?

Possibly. TDI offers a one-time, 180-day temporary license if an insurer or agency sponsors you, trains you for at least 40 hours, and is considering you for full-time appointment. You must pass the exam within those 180 days.

What if I fail?

You can reserve a new exam as soon as the next day, with no limit on attempts. You pay the exam fee each time.

Can I apply before I pass?

No. An application filed before you pass has to be refiled and paid for again.

Is "General Lines" the same as a P&C license?

Yes. General Lines – Property and Casualty is TDI's official name for the property and casualty agent license.

Do veterans get help with exam fees?

Yes. Per TDI, veterans may be reimbursed for exam fees on exams taken on or after February 1, 2019, by applying to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Licensed, or getting there? Pick your route.

Most of the agency owners we've brought on from outside the industry didn't have a license when they first called. A license is the on-ramp — here are the four ways to ownership in North Texas.

Questions about getting licensed?

Ask anything about the exam, the course, or what you can do with the license once you have it.

Text or call Jim · 972-207-3077

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