2023 Montana Code Annotated › Title 33. Insurance and Insurance Companies › Chapter 17. Insurance Producers, Adjusters, Consultants, and Administrators › Part 2. Licensing and Appointment of Insurance Producers and Navigators › 33-17-212. Examination required -- exceptions -- fees

33-17-212. Examination required -- exceptions -- fees.
(1) Except as provided in subsection (6), an individual applying for a license is required to pass a written examination. The examination must test the knowledge of the individual concerning each kind of insurance listed in subsection (5) for which application is made, the duties and responsibilities of an insurance producer, and the insurance laws and rules of this state. The examination must be developed and conducted under rules adopted by the commissioner.
(2) (a) The commissioner may conduct the examination or make arrangements, including contracting with an outside testing service, for administering the examination. The commissioner may arrange for the testing service to recover the cost of the examination from the applicant.
(b) The commissioner may not charge a fee for an applicant taking an examination pertaining to prepaid legal insurance. However, the commissioner may contract with an outside testing service for administering the examination, and the commissioner may arrange for the testing service to recover the cost of the examination from the applicant.
(3) An individual who fails to appear for the examination as scheduled or fails to pass the examination may reapply for an examination and shall remit all forms before being rescheduled for another examination.
(4) Except as provided in subsection (6), if the applicant is a business entity, each individual who is to be named in the license as having authority to act for the applicant in its insurance transactions under the license must meet the qualifications provided for in this section.
(5) Examination of an applicant for a license must cover only the kinds of insurance for which the applicant has applied to be licensed, as constituted by any one or more of the following classifications:
(a) life insurance;
(b) disability insurance;
(c) property insurance, which for the purposes of this provision includes marine insurance;
(d) casualty insurance;
(e) surety insurance;
(f) surety bail bond insurance;
(g) limited lines credit insurance;
(h) title insurance;
(i) prepaid legal insurance as provided for in 33-1-215.
(6) This section does not apply to and an examination is not required of:
(a) an individual lawfully licensed as an insurance producer as to the kind or kinds of insurance to be transacted as of or immediately prior to January 1, 1961, and who continues to be licensed;
(b) an applicant for a license covering the same kind or kinds of insurance as to which the applicant was licensed in this state, other than under a temporary license, within the 12 months immediately preceding the date of application unless the commissioner has suspended, revoked, or terminated the previous license;
(c) an applicant for a license as a nonresident insurance producer;
(d) a limited lines travel insurance producer and those registered under the limited lines travel insurance producer's license pursuant to 33-17-1402;
(e) an association applying for a license under 33-17-211; or
(f) a casualty insurance producer for the purposes of a separate exam for prepaid legal insurance if the casualty insurance producer sells prepaid legal insurance as of April 26, 2013, and continues to maintain a license in good standing as a casualty insurance producer.
(7) (a) Subject to the provisions of subsection (7)(b), an individual who applies for a nonresident insurance producer license in this state and who was previously licensed for the same lines of authority in another state may not be required to complete any prelicensing education or examination.
(b) The exemption in subsection (7)(a) is available only if the individual is currently licensed in the other state or the individual's application is received within 90 days of the cancellation of the individual's previous license and if the other state issues a certification that, at the time of the cancellation, the individual was in good standing in that state or the state's database records, maintained by the national association of insurance commissioners or any of the association's affiliates or subsidiaries that the association oversees, indicate that the insurance producer is or was licensed in good standing for the lines of authority requested.
History: En. Sec. 157, Ch. 286, L. 1959; amd. Sec. 11, Ch. 44, L. 1969; R.C.M. 1947, 40-3313; amd. Sec. 3, Ch. 345, L. 1979; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 211, L. 1981; amd. Sec. 18, Ch. 519, L. 1985; amd. Sec. 6, Ch. 409, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 480, L. 1987; amd. Sec. 22, Ch. 713, L. 1989; amd. Sec. 25, Ch. 531, L. 1997; amd. Sec. 9, Ch. 316, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 31, Ch. 472, L. 1999; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 106, L. 2001; amd. Sec. 14, Ch. 427, L. 2003; amd. Sec. 10, Ch. 271, L. 2009; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 313, L. 2009; amd. Sec. 1, Ch. 324, L. 2013; amd. Sec. 5, Ch. 359, L. 2013; amd. Sec. 4, Ch. 592, L. 2023.