New York’s ordinary resident Life authority pathway is the Life portion of the Life, Accident & Health Agent class. It requires approved Life prelicensing education, standalone exam 17-51, and an application through NY LINX. The Life Broker route is separate.
Eligibility
- Minimum age
- 18
- Residency requirement / status
- Resident individual applicant
- General eligibility explanation
- Ordinary first-time New York resident individual seeking Life authority under the Life, Accident & Health Agent class; the LB broker route and Accident/Health authority are separate.
Prelicensing education
- Prelicensing education required
- Yes
- Required education hours
- 20
- Education requirement explanation
- Complete a DFS-approved 20-hour Life-only course. The school certificate remains valid for life. The combined Life/Accident & Health course is 40 hours and is outside this Life-only implementation.
- Exemptions available
- Yes
- Exemption explanation
- A CLU or CLUA agent applicant may use the designation route and laws-and-regulations exam 17-73. A qualifying same-line mover may receive PLE/exam relief. Broker-only waivers do not apply to this agent pathway.
Background
- Fingerprints required
- No
- Background check required
- No
- Fingerprint / background instructions
- The current NIPR applicant-class fingerprint list identifies other classes but not an ordinary LA applicant. No ordinary LA fingerprint step is shown; this is a scoped checklist conclusion, not a universal DFS rule.
Application
- Application required
- Yes
- Application fee
- $80 when the initial term exceeds one year; $40 when the term is one year or less. Any live-system transaction fee is additional and must be confirmed during filing.
- Application channel / system
- NY LINX
- Application instructions
- Complete approved education or a documented agent exemption, pass the applicable examination, then apply in NY LINX within two years of the exam. An insurer appointment is not required for issuance; later appointment notice timing is separate.
- Official application reference
- https://www.dfs.ny.gov/apps_and_licensing/agents_and_brokers/lic_app_la_lb
Renewal & maintenance
- Renewal cycle
- Up to two years; expires on the birthday in the odd/even year matching the licensee’s birth year
- Renewal fee
- $80 full term or $40 half term; $10 late-renewal filing fee and a conditional $10 CE relicensing filing fee; transaction fees may be additional
- CE required
- Yes
- CE hours
- 15
- CE cycle
- Each covered licensing period after the first-term rule
- Ethics hours
- At least 1 ethics/professionalism hour, plus 1 New York insurance-law hour and 1 diversity/inclusion/bias hour
- CE explanation
- The first term does not trigger CE unless the license has been effective more than two years.
Portability
- Nonresident licensing available
- Yes
- Reciprocity / nonresident overview
- A qualifying same-line mover who is currently licensed or applies within 90 days after cancellation in good standing may receive the statutory PLE/exam exception.
Military / veteran / spouse
- Veteran-specific provisions
- A qualifying discharged service member may receive a license-fee waiver for one current licensing period. Military service may extend a preexisting license, and narrow temporary business-continuation relief exists. No separate military-spouse initial-license preference was found.
Source governance
- Primary authoritative source
- https://www.dfs.ny.gov/apps_and_licensing/agents_and_brokers/lic_app_la_lb
- Secondary official sources
- PSI New York Insurance Candidate Information Bulletin 7217; NIPR New York resident individual requirements; DFS fee and CE pages
- Statute / regulation reference
- New York Insurance Law §§ 2103 and 2109; Military Law § 308-b
- Source reference URL
- https://www.dfs.ny.gov/apps_and_licensing/application_fee_schedule
- Last verified date
- 2026-08-22
- Verification status
- Verified
- Review / recheck date
- 2026-11-22
Compare education providers
Alphabetical options; compensation never determines eligibility or placement. Confirm the exact course and jurisdiction before enrolling. This directory is not exhaustive.
No currently verified published offerings match. Check official provider and regulator resources; additional options may exist.