North Carolina requires NIPR application first, Pearson authorization, standalone exam 02, and fingerprints within 30 days. PLE ended for applications on or after October 1, 2025.
Eligibility
- Minimum age
- 18
- Residency requirement / status
- Resident individual applicant
- General eligibility explanation
- Ordinary initial North Carolina resident applicant.
Prelicensing education
- Prelicensing education required
- No
- Education requirement explanation
- No PLE after 2025-10-01; the live 20-hour overview is stale and later sources control.
- Exemptions available
- Yes
- Exemption explanation
- Qualifying same-authority transfer within 90 days may avoid exam.
Background
- Fingerprints required
- Yes
- Background check required
- Yes
- Fingerprint / background instructions
- Fingerprint within 30 days. The $82 base includes $38 fingerprints; do not add it again.
Application
- Application required
- Yes
- Application fee
- $132 state total ($82 plus $50 line fee), including initial fingerprints; NIPR fee additional
- Application channel / system
- NIPR
- Application instructions
- Apply first, receive Pearson authorization, pass exam 02, and finish within six months.
- Official application reference
- https://nipr.com/licensing-center/state-requirements/north-carolina-resident-licensing-individual
Renewal & maintenance
- Renewal cycle
- Perpetual license; assigned biennial CE
- CE required
- Yes
- CE hours
- 24
- CE cycle
- Assigned two-year cycle
- Ethics hours
- 3
Portability
- Nonresident licensing available
- Yes
- Reciprocity / nonresident overview
- Qualifying same-authority transfer within 90 days may avoid exam.
Military / veteran / spouse
- Veteran-specific provisions
- Documented military CE waiver may apply; no additional applicant relief was found.
Source governance
- Primary authoritative source
- https://www.ncdoi.gov/north-carolina-ple-repeal-announcement/open
- Secondary official sources
- Current candidate guide; October 2025 PLE packet; NIPR; NCDOI fingerprint/CE pages
- Statute / regulation reference
- N.C.G.S. Chapter 58; 11 NCAC 06A
- Source reference URL
- https://www.ncdoi.gov/documents/agent-services/ple-packet-october-2025/open
- Last verified date
- 2026-08-21
- Verification status
- Verified
- Review / recheck date
- 2026-11-19
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