District of Columbia Insurance License
The District of Columbia insurance license exam, in plain numbers.
Everything below is specific to District of Columbia — the pass mark, the question counts, who runs the exam, and what the state requires before and after you sit it.
What you need to pass in District of Columbia
| Edition | Scored questions | Correct to pass | Pass mark | Misses allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life & Health | 75 | 53 | 70% | 22 |
| Life only | 75 | 53 | 70% | 22 |
Administered by Pearson VUE for the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking. Time limit: 2 hours. Roughly 20 of the scored questions (27%) come from District of Columbia law — the block national courses cover most lightly.
Prelicensing
NOT required. The District of Columbia does not require prelicensing education, though a study course is strongly recommended given the difficulty of the exams.
Continuing education
24 credit hours per renewal period expressed as 21 GENERAL plus 3 ETHICS. Additional credit hours do NOT roll over to the next year, and additional ethics hours will NOT roll over into general credit hours. Resident Title Producers who are attorneys complete 8 credit hours and non-attorneys 16. ALL non-resident producers complete 4 DC-specific credit hours. Complete CE at least 60 days before expiration so the provider has time to report to DISB.
License term
2 years, by the last day of the birth month
Regulator
The District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking oversees licensing, headed by a Commissioner leading the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking, which regulates insurance, securities and banking together.
District of Columbia Life and Health Insurance Guaranty Association
If an insurer fails, these are the limits that apply to District of Columbia policyholders. Verified against the NOLHGA state-by-state table dated 1 June 2025.
| What is protected | Limit |
|---|---|
| Life insurance death benefit | $300,000 |
| Life insurance cash surrender value | $100,000 |
| Hospital, medical, surgical, or major medical | $500,000 |
| Disability income and long-term care | $300,000 |
| Other health insurance benefits | $100,000 |
| Annuity benefits (present value) | $300,000 |
The Study Guide
Written for District of Columbia, not for everyone.
Every rule explained in ordinary English before the terminology arrives. If two things are easy to confuse, we tell them apart in a sentence. No insurance background assumed.
You get two PDFs: a study guide that teaches the material, and a practice exam whose answer key explains why each answer is right. Printable flashcards, a master sheet of every number worth memorizing, and a four-week study plan are included.
Twisting versus churning. Twisting involves lying to move a customer, usually to a different company. Churning happens inside the same company and is about generating commission. If the question mentions misrepresentation, it is twisting. If it mentions the same insurer, it is churning.
District of Columbia insurance exam questions, answered
How many questions are on the District of Columbia insurance license exam?
The combined life and health exam has 75 scored questions. You need 53 correct to pass at 70%, which means you can miss 22.
What is the passing score for the District of Columbia insurance exam?
70%. That works out to 53 correct answers out of 75 scored questions.
Who administers the District of Columbia insurance license exam?
Pearson VUE, on behalf of the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking.
Does District of Columbia require prelicensing education?
NOT required. The District of Columbia does not require prelicensing education, though a study course is strongly recommended given the difficulty of the exams.
How much continuing education does District of Columbia require?
24 credit hours per renewal period expressed as 21 GENERAL plus 3 ETHICS. Additional credit hours do NOT roll over to the next year, and additional ethics hours will NOT roll over into general credit hours. Resident Title Producers who are attorneys complete 8 credit hours and non-attorneys 16. ALL non-resident producers complete 4 DC-specific credit hours. Complete CE at least 60 days before expiration so the provider has time to report to DISB.
Is there a District of Columbia life-only or health-only exam?
Yes. Life only is 75 scored questions, 53 to pass.
How much does a District of Columbia study guide cost?
A single-line guide is $9.99 and the combined life and health guide is $19.99. Each includes a study guide and a practice exam with a full answer key.
These are independent study aids. They are not state-approved prelicensing education courses and do not satisfy any state prelicensing requirement. They are not affiliated with any exam vendor or state insurance regulator. All practice questions are original. We publish no pass-rate claim and make no guarantee of any exam result. Content verified as of August 2026 — confirm current requirements with the District of Columbia Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking.