Which New York life and health insurance license do you need?
New York's life, accident and health licenses compared: agent or broker, one line or both, and each exam's questions, time and course hours, from DFS and PSI.
The short answer
If you will sell both life insurance and accident and health insurance, you need the Life, Accident and Health license, with its 40-hour course and the combined 17-55 exam. New York also issues the two lines separately: Life only, or Accident and Health only, each with a 20-hour course and its own 100-question exam.1,3
Each line comes as an agent or a broker license, and both take the same exam. An agent represents the insurers that have appointed them. A broker represents the client and can place business with any insurer authorized in New York that will accept it.1,3
The licenses side by side
| License | Exam | Questions and time | Course | What it lets you sell |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Life, Accident and Health (agent or broker) | New York Life, Accident, and Health Insurance Agent/Broker (Series 17-55), given by PSI | 150 scored, plus 5 to 10 unscored experimental questions; 2.5 hours | 40 hours | Life insurance, annuities, and accident and health insurance.1,2,3 |
| Life (agent or broker) | Life Insurance Agent/Broker (Series 17-51), given by PSI | 100 questions; 2 hours | 20 hours | Life insurance and annuities, but not stand-alone accident and health insurance.1,2,3 |
| Accident and Health (agent or broker) | Accident and Health Insurance Agent/Broker (Series 17-52), given by PSI | 100 questions; 2 hours | 20 hours | Accident and health insurance only.1,2,3 |
The exam fee is $40 for any of them. Each exam also carries 5 to 10 unscored experimental questions, and each needs 70% to pass.3
To sell variable life insurance or variable annuities, you need the life line of authority and FINRA registration, and you must show you passed the FINRA Series 6, 7 or 63.1
What the choice depends on
- Will you sell both life and health coverage? Take the combined 17-55 exam: PSI offers it to people applying for both lines at once. It has 150 scored, plus 5 to 10 unscored experimental questions in 2.5 hours, and the course is 40 hours instead of two 20-hour courses.1,3
- Only one line? The Life (17-51) and Accident and Health (17-52) exams have 100 questions each, in 2 hours, after a 20-hour course.2,3
- Joining an insurer or its agency? Then you'll usually be an agent, appointed by that insurer. The appointment must be filed within 15 days of signing the agency contract or sending in your first application.1,3
- Placing clients' business with many insurers? That's a broker. A broker can sometimes waive the course with one year of qualifying insurance work in the last three years, documented on a Statement of Employer. Some insurers accept business only from appointed agents, though.1,3
- Hold a CLU or CLUA (for an agent license), or a CLU, ChFC or MSFS (for a broker license)? You can skip the course and take the 50-question Life and Health Laws and Regulations exam (17-73) instead.1,3
New York also licenses life insurance consultants (exam 17-57), who give expert advice on life insurance, annuities, and accident and health insurance. A consultant can't sell, solicit or negotiate a policy; doing that needs an agent or broker license.3
The rules above belong to DFS and PSI. They say what each license allows, not which one is better for a career. If an insurer or agency is recruiting you, ask which license it needs before you book an exam.1
What MilesToPass covers
MilesToPass prepares you for one of these exams: New York Life, Accident, and Health Insurance Agent/Broker (Series 17-55), given by PSI. Our lessons and questions follow its published content outline, section by section. PSI says a combined exam contains all of the content of the single-line exams it combines, but the 17-51 and 17-52 weight their sections differently, and we don't build practice tests to those weights. We also don't cover the 17-73 laws-and-regulations exam or the 17-57 consultant exam, yet.3
The New York license types, as the exam tests them
Frequently asked questions
Is there a health-only insurance license in New York?
Yes. The Accident and Health agent or broker license covers accident and health insurance only. It needs a 20-hour course and the 100-question 17-52 exam.2,3
Do agents and brokers take different exams in New York?
No. Agents and brokers take the same exam for each line: 17-51 for life, 17-52 for accident and health, or the combined 17-55.3
Can I sell annuities with a New York life license?
Yes. A life agent or broker may sell annuities. Variable annuities and variable life also need FINRA registration and a passing score on the Series 6, 7 or 63.1
Official sources
- New York State Department of Financial Services: Life, Accident and Health Agent and Broker Licensing - Individual and TBA
- New York State Department of Financial Services: Agent and Broker Prelicensing Education
- PSI Services LLC: New York Department of Financial Services Insurance Candidate Information Bulletin (updated 4/28/2023)
Checked against these sources as of .