Texas offers different insurance agent licenses depending on the types of products you plan to sell. For agents entering the Life and Health insurance market, the two primary options are the Life Agent license and the General Lines Life, Accident, Health and HMO license.
This guide compares these Texas insurance license types so you can determine which license provides the authority you need.
For the complete licensing process, including the state exam, fingerprints, application, and other requirements, review our Texas Insurance License Requirements page.
Texas Life and Health Insurance License
The Texas General Lines Life, Accident, Health and HMO license provides the broadest Life and Health authority for agents who plan to sell products across both markets. Texas lists this as a separate license type from the Life Agent license.
This license is appropriate for agents who plan to work with products including:
- Life insurance
- Annuities
- Health insurance
- Disability income insurance
- Medicare supplement coverage
- Long-term care insurance
- HMO products
Agents selling certain products may also need additional product-specific certification or training. For example, Texas requires a Medicare-related product certification before an eligible agent may sell Medicare-related products.
Review our Texas Life and Health Insurance License Guide for more information about this license.
Texas Life Agent License
The Texas Life Agent license provides more limited authority than the General Lines Life, Accident, Health and HMO license.
Texas law authorizes a Life Agent to write insurance coverage on human lives, annuities, accidental death or dismemberment benefits, disability income benefits, and certain other Life-related products.
This license is suited to agents whose work is primarily focused on Life insurance and related products rather than the broader Health and HMO market.
Life Agent authority includes products such as:
- Term life insurance
- Whole life insurance
- Universal life insurance
- Fixed and variable annuities
- Variable life insurance
- Certain accidental death and disability income benefits
Review our Texas Life Insurance License Guide for more information about the Life Agent license.
Does Texas Have a Health-Only Insurance License?
Texas does not list a separate general Health-only agent license comparable to the Life Agent license. The Texas Department of Insurance lists the General Lines Life, Accident, Health and HMO license for agents seeking broad Health insurance authority.
This means someone whose goal is to sell general Health insurance products would typically pursue the General Lines Life, Accident, Health and HMO license rather than a separate Health-only license.
Which Texas Insurance License Should You Get?
The right Texas insurance license depends on the products you plan to sell.
- Life and Health: For agents who want broad authority across Life, Accident, Health and HMO products.
- Life Agent: For agents whose work is primarily focused on Life insurance, annuities, and the additional benefits authorized under the Life Agent license.
For agents who expect to work broadly in both the Life and Health insurance markets, the General Lines Life, Accident, Health and HMO license provides the broader authority.
Texas Insurance Exam Requirements by License Type
Texas does not require traditional pre-licensing education before applicants take these licensing exams. The Texas Department of Insurance’s resident application process begins with passing the applicable exam, followed by the fingerprint background check and license application.
Texas requires separate qualifying examinations for the applicable license type:
- General Lines Life, Accident, Health and HMO
- Life Agent
Applicants must pass the appropriate Texas licensing exam before submitting the resident license application. TDI warns that an applicant who applies before passing the exam will need to submit a new application and pay the application fee again after passing.
Although exam preparation is not a state education requirement, state-specific exam prep and exam-style practice questions can help you understand the material covered on the Texas licensing examination.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the main Texas Life and Health insurance license types?
For agents entering the Life and Health market, the primary options are the Texas General Lines Life, Accident, Health and HMO license and the Texas Life Agent license.
Does Texas require pre-licensing education?
Texas does not require traditional pre-licensing education before taking the General Lines Life, Accident, Health and HMO or Life Agent licensing exam. Applicants must pass the applicable exam before applying for the resident license.
Does Texas have a Health-only insurance license?
Texas does not list a separate general Health-only agent license. Agents seeking broad Health insurance authority pursue the General Lines Life, Accident, Health and HMO license.
What is the difference between a Texas Life Agent license and a Life and Health license?
The General Lines Life, Accident, Health and HMO license provides broader authority across Life and Health insurance markets. The Life Agent license primarily covers Life insurance, annuities, and certain accident and disability benefits specified under Texas law.
Can a Texas Life Agent sell disability income insurance?
Yes. Texas law specifically includes disability income benefits within the authority of a Life Agent license.
Which Texas insurance license provides the broadest Life and Health authority?
The General Lines Life, Accident, Health and HMO license provides broader authority across the Life and Health markets than the Life Agent license.
Next Steps
Once you know which Texas insurance license fits your goals, the next step is preparing for the applicable state licensing exam.
Review our Texas Insurance Exam Prep Courses to select the appropriate Life or Life and Health exam preparation and begin preparing for the Texas licensing exam.
