What to have ready
- What you want insured: the vehicles, the address of the property, or what your business does.
- Your current policy's declarations page, if you have one. It lists what you carry today.
- When you need the cover to start, or when your current policy renews.
- For a trucking business, your USDOT number, the number of power units and the kind of freight.
- How you want to be contacted, and when.
The kinds of agent
A captive agent is appointed to sell for one insurance company or group. An independent agent is appointed with several insurers and can place a policy with any of them. Some insurers also sell directly, by phone or online, through their own licensed staff. Every one of them is licensed by the state in the same way, and the state's record shows which insurers an agent is appointed with where the department publishes appointments.
Confirm the license
- Ask for the agent's full name and national producer number (NPN).
- Open the insurance department's search for the state you live in, or where your business is.
- Read the license type, its lines of authority, whether it is active, and the expiration date.
How to check an insurance agent's license goes through what the record shows and links every state's own search.
How InsuranceAgentPick's list works
You say what you need insured. Published rules draft a list of up to three licensed agents whose license in your state was checked on the state's own records within the last 7 days, and a person reads your request, checks that list and sends it. No AI picks or orders agents.
For each agent on the list you tick whether they may email you, call you, both or neither. An agent you leave unticked never learns you asked, and one link takes back what you gave. Listing is free. Agents can pay to be promoted: a promoted agent is always labelled "Promoted" and may be shown first, but only if they already fit your request. Payment never changes a license check and never buys your contact details. Health insurance is a waitlist only.
The site's owner also owns an insurance agency. That agency never receives requests from this site and never appears on a shortlist. The full rules are on how matching works, and more about us is on who runs this.
Questions
What is the difference between a captive and an independent agent?
A captive agent is appointed to sell for one insurance company or group. An independent agent is appointed with several insurers and can place a policy with any of them. Both are licensed by the state in the same way.
How do I know an insurance agent is licensed?
Look them up on the insurance department's search for the state you live in, or where your business is based, by name or national producer number (NPN), and read the lines of authority and the expiration date.
Does InsuranceAgentPick sell insurance?
No. InsuranceAgentPick is not an insurance agency. We do not recommend coverage or quote prices. Any quote comes from the licensed agent you choose.
This guide was last revised on 2026-09-26.