Anyone can call themselves an insurance agent. Real licensing is public, easy to verify, and exactly the kind of thing you should look up before working with anyone in this industry — me included.
Opens the National Association of Insurance Commissioners' (NAIC) public license lookup. Search by name or NPN to confirm active status, lines of authority, and any disciplinary history. You can also look up agents through your state's Department of Insurance directly.
Make sure the license is current and not lapsed, suspended, or revoked. Status should read "Active" in the state where you live.
For life insurance, you want to see "Life" listed. Some agents are also licensed for Health, Variable, or Property & Casualty.
How long someone has been licensed isn't everything, but it's worth knowing. The lookup will show original license date in the issuing state.
Most agent records are clean. If there are formal complaints, fines, or disciplinary history, the public lookup will show it. Worth checking before you trust someone with your family's coverage.
You're trusting someone with information about your finances, your family, and your health. The least they can do — the least I can do — is make it easy for you to confirm I'm actually who I say I am, licensed in your state, and authorized to sell what we're discussing.
Every legitimate insurance agent should welcome verification. If anyone hesitates when you ask for their NPN, treats your verification request as offensive, or tries to wave you off the lookup, that's a signal to walk away. Real agents have nothing to hide here.
If you've checked the license and you're ready for a conversation, I'm ready when you are.