Agent (Insurance) License in Washington

The COS API returned 'Agent (Insurance)' in a reversed format for Washington rather than the standard listing, resulting in a partial match. Washington licenses insurance professionals as Insurance Producers through the Washington Office of the Insurance Commissioner (OIC). Washington is one of four states with a monopolistic state workers' compensation fund (through the Department of Labor and Industries), meaning private carriers cannot write workers' compensation in the state. This significantly impacts commercial insurance producers. Washington's insurance market is driven by the Seattle-Tacoma metropolitan area and its major technology employers including Amazon, Microsoft, and Boeing. The state's exposure to earthquakes along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, volcanic risk from Mount Rainier, and increasing wildfire activity in eastern Washington create distinctive property insurance needs. Pre-licensing education requires approximately 40 hours per major line of authority. Washington requires criminal background checks. Continuing education is 24 hours biennially, including 3 hours of ethics. Washington participates in NIPR for non-resident licensing.