How to get licensed in Virginia
The Virginia State Corporation Commission, Bureau of Insurance licenses insurance agents in Virginia. Here is the path to a resident license that covers health insurance, then the steps to sell Medicare and ACA plans.
01Resident license
Get the right license line
In Virginia, the resident license that lets you sell health insurance is Health. The Virginia State Corporation Commission, Bureau of Insurance issues it.
02Not required
No pre-licensing course required
Virginia does not require a pre-licensing course for this license (only the Title license requires a 16-hour course).
03Prometric
Pass the state exam
In Virginia, insurance licensing exams are run by Prometric. You schedule your health line exam with them.
04Required
Get fingerprinted
Virginia requires fingerprints for a background check for new resident applicants, through Fieldprint.
05
Apply for your license
Apply for your Virginia resident license through Sircon or NIPR. You receive your National Producer Number (NPN), a unique ID that follows you to every state, during the application process.
06Every plan year
Certify for Medicare
To sell Medicare Advantage and Part D plans with us, complete the AHIP Medicare + Fraud, Waste, and Abuse course for the current plan year (AHIP updates it every year), plus each carrier's certification.
07Every plan year
Register with CMS for ACA plans
Complete Marketplace registration and training with CMS each plan year through the Marketplace Learning Management System (MLMS). You need this for HealthCare.gov states, which you reach with non-resident licenses. CMS ties Marketplace access to the health line of authority on your resident license, so your Virginia license comes first.
08State exchange
Register with Virginia's Insurance Marketplace
For 2027 coverage, Virginia runs its own exchange, Virginia's Insurance Marketplace, instead of HealthCare.gov. Agents register with Virginia's Insurance Marketplace as well. Agents also complete certification with Virginia's Insurance Marketplace.
09
Keep your license active
To renew, Virginia requires 16 hours of continuing education every 2 years, including 3 hours of ethics, for Health alone or with Life and Annuities.