Individual General Insurance Licence

General insurance salesperson level 1 licence, agent level 2 or level 3 licence, sole-proprietor licence, and trainee registration qualifications and application information for first-time or returning individuals applying for an insurance licence in British Columbia.

Section 168 of the Act defines an insurance agent as: "a person, other than an insurance company or an extraprovincial insurance corporation, who solicits, obtains or takes an application for insurance, or negotiates for or procures insurance, or signs or delivers a policy, or collects or receives a premium."

Section 168 of the Act also defines an insurance salesperson as: "an individual who is employed by an insurance agent or by an insurer to solicit, obtain or take an application for general insurance, or to negotiate for or procure general insurance, or to collect or receive a premium for general insurance."

General Insurance Salesperson Level 1 Licence

Licence requirements, prerequisites and apply for a general insurance salesperson level 1 licence:

A general insurance salesperson level 1 licence is an entry-level licence that:

  • The licensee must only conduct general insurance business under the supervision of a general insurance agent (see Guidelines for Supervision of General Insurance Level 1 Salespersons for more information); 
  • Restricts where the licensee can work. The licensee must not carry on general insurance business in any place other than on the premises of the insurance agency the licensee is authorized to represent, except where the licensee has completed the Council Rules Course;
  • Prohibits the licensee from signing contracts of insurance;
  • Requires the licensee to meet education prerequisites; and
  • At least 60% of a salesperson licensee’s annual income from his or her employment at an insurance agency, must be comprised of a salary.

Successful completion of ONE of the four education options listed below. Results (including from courses granted under equivalency*) remain valid up to one year from successful course or exam completion date, after which the applicant is required to retake the course or exam.

Please note, the Insurance Council does not have any information about the course details, including costs, delivery methods, or scheduling:

*Equivalency: Level 1 General Insurance Licensing Program — ILS Learning Corporation (ILScorp), to qualify for a general insurance salesperson level 1 licence. The Insurance Council also accepts this program as part of the education prerequisites towards a general insurance agent level 2 or level 3 licence.

Courses must be completed within one year of submitting a licence application to the Insurance Council. We will consider courses completed outside of the one-year-limit, if you have completed additional courses, which lead to a CAIB or CIP designation, within the last year of the application date, and all the courses leading to the designation were completed within one year of each other. Please submit exam results for each course along with your licence application for review.

The Insurance Council Rules Course must be completed by all individuals, including non-residents, whose applications are received by the Insurance Council on or after March 1, 2019 to qualify for licensure, except those that qualify for licensure under Reinstatement Provision in Council Rule 2(19).

  • Complete the application yourself, following the instructions in the application package. 
  • Answer all questions and attach all required documents, including the application fee, before submitting your application, as incomplete applications may take longer to process.
  • If your application has been pending for more than our displayed processing times, please feel free to contact our Licensing Team.

Apply Online (See Instructions)
View and download the General Insurance Salesperson Level I Licence Application
View the General Insurance Salesperson Level I Licence Fee Schedule

General Insurance Agent Level 2 Licence

Licence requirements, education prerequisites and apply for a general insurance agent level 2 licence:

A general insurance agent level 2 licensee:
  • Can work without supervision.
  • Is not restricted to conducting insurance activities at the agency.
  • Can sign contracts of insurance.
  • Must be authorized to represent a licensed general insurance agency.
  • Must have met the educational prerequisites.

Successful completion of ONE of the four education options listed below. Results (including from courses granted under equivalency*) remain valid up to one year from successful course or exam completion date, after which the applicant is required to retake the course or exam.

Please note, the Insurance Council does not have any information about the course details, including costs, delivery methods, or scheduling:

*Equivalency: Level 1 General Insurance Licensing Program — ILS Learning Corporation (ILScorp), as part of the education prerequisites towards a general insurance salesperson level 1 licence, or a general insurance agent level 2 or level 3 licence.

Courses must be completed within one year of submitting a licence application to the Insurance Council. We will consider courses completed outside of the one-year-limit, if you have completed additional courses, which lead to a CAIB or CIP designation, within the last year of the application date, and all the courses leading to the designation were completed within one year of each other. Please submit exam results for each course along with your licence application for review.

The Insurance Council Rules Course must be completed by all individuals, including non-residents, whose applications are received by the Insurance Council on or after March 1, 2019 to qualify for licensure with the Insurance Council, except those that qualify for licensure under Reinstatement Provision in Council Rule 2(19). 

  • Complete the application yourself, following the instructions in the application package. 
  • Answer all questions and attach all required documents, including the application fee, before submitting your application, as incomplete applications may take longer to process.
  • If your application has been pending for more than our displayed processing times, please feel free to contact our Licensing Team.

Apply Online (See Instructions)
View and download the General Insurance Agent Level 2 Licence Application
View the General Insurance Agent Level 2 Licence Fee Schedule

General Insurance Agent Level 3 Licence

Licence requirements, education prerequisites and apply for a general insurance agent level 3 licence:

A general insurance agent level 3 licensee must have completed a higher level of education and experience than a level 2 licensee listed in the above requirements. Applicants must:
  • Have been licensed for 5 of the last 7 years.
  • Have a minimum of 3 years as a level 2 general insurance agent.
  • Must have met the educational prerequisites.

Successful completion of the Insurance Council’s mandatory Level 3 Seminar, AND ONE of the four additional education options listed below.

Results (including from courses granted under equivalency*) remain valid up to one year from successful course or exam completion date, after which the applicant is required to retake the course or exam.

Please note, the Insurance Council does not have any information about the course details, including costs, delivery methods, or scheduling:

AND one of:

*Equivalency: Level 1 General Insurance Licensing Program — ILS Learning Corporation (ILScorp), as part of the education prerequisites towards a general insurance salesperson level 1 licence, or a general insurance agent level 2 or level 3 licence.

Courses must be completed within one year of submitting a licence application to the Insurance Council. We will consider courses completed outside of the one-year-limit, if you have completed additional courses, which lead to a CAIB or CIP designation, within the last year of the application date, and all the courses leading to the designation were completed within one year of each other. Please submit exam results for each course along with your licence application for review.

The Insurance Council Rules Course must be completed by all individuals, including non-residents, whose applications are received by the Insurance Council on or after March 1, 2019 to qualify for licensure, except those that qualify for licensure under Reinstatement Provision in Council Rule 2(19).

  • Complete the application yourself, along with the agent level 3 application supplement, following the instructions in the application package. 
  • Answer all questions and attach all required documents, including the application fee, before submitting your application, as incomplete applications may take longer to process.
  • If your application has been pending for more than our displayed processing times, please feel free to contact our Licensing Team.
Apply Online (See Instructions)
View and download the General Insurance Agent Level 3 Licence Application
View the General Insurance Agent Level 3 Licence Fee Schedule
 

General Insurance Sole-Proprietor Licence

Get a general insurance sole-proprietor licence if you are an individual wishing to act as an agency, without forming a corporation or partnership.  Licence requirements and apply for a sole-proprietor licence:

A general insurance sole-proprietor licence is subject to the same standard licence conditions as individual, corporate and partnership licences. An individual sole-proprietor must:
  • Complete the application yourself, following the instructions in the application package. 
  • Answer all questions and attach all required documents, including the application fee, before submitting your application, as incomplete applications may take longer to process.
  • If your application has been pending for more than our displayed processing times, please feel free to contact our Licensing Team.
Apply Online (See Instructions)
View and download the General Insurance Agent Sole-Proprietor Application 
View the General Insurance Agent Sole-Proprietor Licence Fee Schedule
 

General Insurance Trainee Registration

See licence requirements, education prerequisites and apply for a general insurance trainee registration:

General Insurance Trainee Registration: Requirements

General insurance trainee registration is granted to new applicants as a one-time, temporary exemption from licensing, and applicants:
  • Must never have previously held a general insurance salesperson or agent licence.
  • May only conduct ICBC transactions.
  • Must be under the direct supervision of a general insurance agent who initials or signs all transactions.
  • Must not conduct any form of insurance activities outside the premises of the employer under any circumstances.
  • May only hold a trainee registration for a total of six months.
  • Must have met the educational prerequisites. 

Successful completion of the course below. Results remain valid up to one year from successful course or exam completion date, after which the applicant is required to retake the course or exam.

Please note, the Insurance Council does not have any information about the course details, including costs, delivery methods, or scheduling:

Courses must be completed within one year of submitting a licence application to the Insurance Council. We will consider courses completed outside of the one-year-limit, if you have completed additional courses, which lead to a CAIB or CIP designation, within the last year of the application date, and all the courses leading to the designation were completed within one year of each other. Please submit exam results for each course along with your licence application for review.

 

  • Complete the application yourself, following the instructions in the application package. 
  • Answer all questions and attach all required documents before submitting your application to Council, as incomplete applications may take longer to process.
  • If your application has been pending for more than our displayed processing times, please feel free to contact Council's Licensing Department.
Apply Online (See Instructions)
View and download the General Insurance Trainee Registration

Individual Insurance Licences Limited to Specific Products

The Insurance Council no longer accept applications for insurance licences that are limited to the sale or adjusting of one or more specific products. This became effective March 2021.

The Ministry of Finance is proposing the introduction of a new restricted licence framework that would enable corporate entities to apply for a restricted licence that permits employees to sell specific insurance products under a corporate licence. Once government regulations and a process for the new restricted licence are in place, the Insurance Council will accept applications for this licence. Until then, no licences limited to the sale or adjusting of specific products will be issued. 

Insurance licensure remains available through our standard process of licensing. Those wishing to conduct general insurance, life and/or accident & sickness insurance or insurance adjusting should apply for an Individual General Insurance Licence (see above), Life Insurance Licence, Accident and Sickness Insurance Licence or Individual Adjuster Licence. Applicants must meet standard qualification requirements. 

Current product-limited licence holders: Existing licence holders can still carry out licence activities within the scope of their licence. Note that changes cannot be made to these existing licences, nor can they be reinstated if cancelled. 

Contact us at licensing@insurancecouncilofbc.com or 604-695-2007 for more information about licensing.