Pennsylvania Slashes Insurance Licensing Fees, Speeds Up Application Reviews

The Pennsylvania Insurance Department (PID) announced the removal of certain fees associated with insurance licensing forms and faster review times for pending applications.

“Accelerating our review time for pending license applications and removing unnecessary fees will help PID better serve Pennsylvanians who are trying to make minor changes to their records,” said Insurance Commissioner Michael Humphreys.

As of January 1, anyone seeking licenses can now submit their forms electronically to the department. PID has also removed the $25 fee requirement for any of the following changes:

• Add or Remove Designated Licensee or Surplus Lines Affiliation
• Add or Remove Self Storage Service Location
• Add or Remove Fictitious or DBA Name
• Address Change Form for Business Entity
• Name Change form for Business Entity
• Name and Address Change for Individual
• Letter of Clearance or Voluntary Surrender Request

Additionally, PID has updated licensure procedures, a step that it claims has helped to reduce PID’s response time from an average of 20 days to less than eight days. These procedures include: receiving background checks electronically; updating our preliminary licensing determination process; clarifying information to applicants on information material and applications for better understanding; and increasing the overall staffing to manage the volume of new licensees.

The updated forms are available on PID’s website on the Maintain Your License page.

PID said it has also made licensing exams available in Spanish and Chinese. “The availability of these exams will not only increase access to testing but breakdown barriers that potentially prevent some Pennsylvanians from seeking career opportunities in the world of insurance,” the department stated..