Florida Property and Casualty Insurance License Guide
If you want to sell homeowners, auto, commercial, or liability insurance in Florida, you need a General Lines (Property and Casualty) license issued by the Florida Department of Financial Services. The process is straightforward — complete pre-licensing education, pass a state exam, submit your application, and get appointed by an insurer. This guide walks through every step so you know exactly what to expect.
What the License Lets You Do
A Florida General Lines license authorizes you to transact property and casualty insurance. That covers a wide range of products: homeowners, dwelling fire, commercial property, auto liability, general liability, workers' compensation, inland marine, surety bonds, and more.
The license matters beyond standard insurance sales, too. For example, anyone offering or soliciting insurance for a purchasing group or risk retention group to Florida residents must hold a resident general lines agent license (or a nonresident license if they live out of state) and is subject to all requirements of the Florida Insurance Code (Fla. Stat. §627.952). Likewise, financial institutions in Florida can only conduct insurance transactions through Florida-licensed agents representing authorized or eligible surplus lines insurers (Fla. Stat. §626.9885). In short, this license is the gateway to a large portion of the Florida insurance market.
Pre-Licensing Education
Before you can sit for the exam, Florida requires you to complete a 200-hour pre-licensing course approved by the Department of Financial Services. The course covers property insurance, casualty insurance, and Florida insurance law. You can take it in a classroom setting or through an approved online provider — whichever fits your schedule.
There is no shortcut around the 200 hours unless you hold certain professional designations (such as CPCU, CIC, or CLU) that may qualify you for an exemption. Check the Department's website for the current list of accepted designations.
The Florida General Lines Exam: What to Expect
The state exam is administered by Pearson VUE. Here are the key numbers:
- Scored questions: 160
- Time limit: 180 minutes (3 hours)
- Passing score: 70%
- Exam fee: $44
That gives you roughly 67 seconds per question — enough time if you've studied, but tight enough that you can't afford to dwell on any single item.
Content Breakdown
The 160 questions are spread across nine content areas. Understanding the weight of each section helps you allocate study time:
| Content Area | Approximate Questions |
|---|---|
| Types of Property Policies | ~22 |
| Property Insurance Terms and Concepts | ~15 |
| Property Policy Provisions and Contract Law | ~13 |
| Types of Casualty Policies, Bonds, and Related Terms | ~24 |
| Casualty Insurance Terms and Concepts | ~15 |
| Casualty Policy Provisions | ~13 |
| Florida Statutes, Rules and Regulations Common to All Lines | ~24 |
| Florida Statutes, Rules and Regulations Pertinent to General Lines Insurance | ~24 |
| Florida Statutes, Rules and Regulations Pertinent to Health Insurance | ~10 |
Two things jump out. First, casualty policies and bonds carry the single largest question count at roughly 24 questions — know your CGL, BOP, auto liability, and surety bond fundamentals cold. Second, Florida-specific law accounts for nearly 60 questions combined across the three statute sections. Many candidates underestimate this. The exam doesn't just test general insurance knowledge; it tests whether you understand how Florida regulates the industry.
For instance, you should know that property and casualty forms (other than workers' compensation and personal lines) can be exempt from the standard approval process if the insurer files them electronically through I-File at least 30 days before delivery, accompanied by a notarized certification of compliance with state laws (Fla. Stat. §627.4102). You should also understand Florida's insurance risk apportionment plans, which allow casualty and surety insurers to equitably share coverage for applicants who cannot obtain insurance through ordinary methods, subject to office approval (Fla. Stat. §627.351). These are the kinds of Florida-specific details that show up on the exam.
Additionally, be familiar with limited license categories. Florida law provides for limited lines licenses — such as motor vehicle physical damage and mechanical breakdown insurance — that cover narrower scopes of authority than the full General Lines license (Fla. Stat. §626.321). Understanding the distinction between a full General Lines license and these limited categories is fair game on the test.