The Texas Life insurance license is officially called the Life Agent license. It provides authority to sell life insurance, annuities, and certain related insurance benefits in Texas.
This guide explains what the Texas Life insurance license allows you to sell, how the state exam works, how to prepare, and the requirements to become licensed.
For the complete licensing process, including fingerprinting, application procedures, fees, and state requirements, review our Texas Insurance License Requirements page.
What Is the Texas Life Insurance License?
The Texas Life Agent license is designed for agents who want to sell life insurance and related products without obtaining the broader General Lines – Life, Accident, Health and HMO license.
The Life Agent license provides authority for products and benefits that may include:
- Term life insurance
- Whole life insurance
- Universal life insurance
- Annuities
- Accidental death and dismemberment benefits
- Disability income benefits
- Other life insurance products
Texas law also includes variable life and variable annuity contracts within the Life Agent authority. Additional securities registration and other requirements apply before an agent may sell variable products.
Unlike the Texas Life and Health Insurance License, the Life Agent license does not provide the broader Accident, Health and HMO authority included with the General Lines license.
Is Pre-Licensing Education Required for a Texas Life License?
No. Texas does not require applicants pursuing the standard permanent Life Agent license to complete a state-mandated pre-licensing education course before taking the licensing exam.
Applicants can choose how they prepare for the examination and are not required to complete a specific number of education hours before testing.
Because there is no required course-hour requirement, exam preparation should focus on the material contained in the Texas Life Agent examination content outline and developing consistent performance on exam-style questions.
Texas Life Insurance Exam
The Texas Life Agent licensing examination is administered by Pearson VUE.
The English Life Agent examination is exam series InsTX-Life01 and allows 120 minutes for completion.
The examination covers general Life insurance concepts and Texas-specific insurance laws and regulations. A scaled score of 70 is required to pass. The reported score is not the percentage of questions answered correctly.
What Texas Life Insurance Exam Prep Covers
Texas Life exam preparation should follow the state’s examination content outline and prepare applicants for both general Life insurance concepts and Texas-specific material.
Topics include:
- Life insurance fundamentals
- Life insurance policy types
- Policy provisions and riders
- Beneficiary designations
- Annuities
- Policy values and settlement options
- Underwriting and policy delivery
- Texas insurance laws and regulations
- Agent responsibilities and consumer protections
Our Texas Life Insurance Exam Prep includes exam-style practice questions and timed practice exams to reinforce the material and help you determine when you are ready for the licensing exam.
How Long Should You Prepare for the Texas Life Exam?
Many applicants prepare for the Texas Life insurance exam within one to three weeks when studying consistently.
Rather than scheduling the exam based only on the number of days you have studied, use your understanding of the material and performance on comprehensive practice exams to determine when you are ready to test.
Texas Life Insurance Licensing Requirements
The standard resident licensing process generally follows these steps:
- Prepare for the Texas Life Agent licensing exam
- Schedule and pass the Life Agent exam through Pearson VUE
- Begin the fingerprinting process through the Texas Department of Insurance portal
- Complete the required fingerprint background check
- Submit the resident Life Agent license application through Sircon or NIPR
- Receive approval from the Texas Department of Insurance
Texas requires resident applicants to pass the licensing examination before applying for the permanent Life Agent license.
For detailed fingerprinting, application, fees, and licensing instructions, review our Texas Insurance License Requirements page.
Texas Life vs. Life and Health
Texas has two primary options relevant to applicants entering the Life and Health insurance market:
- Life: Life Agent authority
- Life and Health: General Lines – Life, Accident, Health and HMO authority
The Life Agent license includes life insurance, annuities, accidental death or dismemberment benefits, and disability income benefits, but it does not provide the broad Health and HMO authority available under the General Lines license.
Applicants who plan to work across both Life and Health insurance markets should consider the broader General Lines license.
For more information, review our Texas Life and Health Insurance License Guide.
Choosing Texas Life Insurance Exam Prep
Because Texas does not require state-mandated pre-licensing education for the standard permanent Life Agent license, applicants can choose exam preparation based on how effectively it prepares them for the licensing examination.
Look for Texas-specific instruction, exam-style practice questions, timed practice exams, detailed answer reviews, and progress tracking that helps you evaluate your preparation over time.
National Online Insurance School’s Texas Life course is designed specifically for exam preparation and does not represent a state-required education-hour requirement.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Texas require pre-licensing education for a Life insurance license?
No. Texas does not require a specific pre-licensing education course or number of education hours for applicants pursuing the standard permanent Life Agent license.
What is the Texas Life insurance license officially called?
Texas officially calls it the Life Agent license.
What exam do you take for a Texas Life insurance license?
Applicants pursuing the Life Agent license take the Texas Life Agent examination. The English examination is Pearson VUE exam series InsTX-Life01.
How long is the Texas Life Agent exam?
The Texas Life Agent examination allows 120 minutes for completion.
What score do you need to pass the Texas Life insurance exam?
Texas uses a scaled passing score of 70. The scaled score is not the percentage of examination questions answered correctly.
What can you sell with a Texas Life Agent license?
The Texas Life Agent license provides authority for life insurance, annuities, accidental death or dismemberment benefits, disability income benefits, and other products authorized under the Life Agent license. Additional requirements apply to variable products.
Can you sell general health insurance with a Texas Life Agent license?
No. The Life Agent license does not provide the broad Accident, Health and HMO authority included with the General Lines – Life, Accident, Health and HMO license.
Does the Texas Life Agent license require 40 hours of training?
Not for the standard permanent-license path. Texas has a separate temporary Life Agent license option that requires 40 hours of training provided by the appointing company. That temporary-license requirement should not be confused with the requirements for a standard permanent Life Agent applicant.
Next Steps
If you plan to become a Life insurance agent in Texas, the next step is preparing for the Texas Life Agent licensing examination.
Review our Texas Life Insurance Exam Prep to prepare for the Texas state exam.
