How to check an insurance agent's license in New York

How to check

1. Open the Producer/Licensee Search, the New York Department of Financial Services's own search.
2. Search by the agent's name, or by their national producer number (NPN) or New York license number if you have it. The NPN is the steadier search: names repeat, and a producer has one NPN in every state.
3. Open the record and read the license type and its lines of authority, whether it is active, the expiration date, and the name on the record.
4. Compare it with what the agent told you: the same name, the same NPN, and a line of authority that covers the kind of insurance you asked about.

What the record shows

A producer record in any state is built from the same parts, though each department decides how much of it to publish:

• The license type and its lines of authority, such as property, casualty, life or personal lines.
• Whether the license is active, and the dates it was issued and expires.
• The insurers the agent is appointed with, where the department publishes appointments.
• Disciplinary actions, where the department publishes them.

In New York, insurance licenses are issued by the Department of Financial Services (DFS), and its public check is the Producer/Licensee Search on the DFS portal. The search asks you to type a CAPTCHA code before it runs. DFS does not mail paper licenses, so the same search is how a newly licensed agent or broker confirms that a license was issued and finds its number.

New York separates agents from brokers. A property and casualty agent, or a personal lines agent, represents the New York authorized insurers that have appointed them, and a notice of appointment is due at DFS within fifteen days of the agency contract or the first application. A property and casualty broker represents the insured and can place business with any authorized insurer that will accept it. A personal lines license is limited to non-commercial insurance for individuals and families.

An individual New York license runs for up to two years and ends on the holder's birthday: in even-numbered years for someone born in an even year, in odd-numbered years for someone born in an odd year. Once a license has been in effect for more than two years, each renewal needs 15 credits of continuing education under Insurance Law Section 2132, including at least one hour each of Insurance Law, ethics and professionalism, and diversity, inclusion and elimination of bias, plus one hour of flood insurance for property and casualty licensees (three hours of enhanced flood training for those who sell flood insurance through the NFIP).

What we checked for New York

Department

New York Department of Financial Services (DFS)Source: myportal.dfs.ny.gov, checked 2026-09-22

Official search

The Producer/Licensee Search on the DFS portal, which DFS links as myportal.dfs.ny.gov/nylinxext/elsearch.alice. The search page is headed Insurance License Search and asks for a CAPTCHA code before it runs.Source: dfs.ny.gov, checked 2026-09-26

Help line

(800) 342-3736, Monday to Friday, 8:30 AM to 4:30 PMSource: dfs.ny.gov, checked 2026-09-26

Licenses that sell property and casualty

Property and Casualty agent (PC, Insurance Law 2103(b)); Property and Casualty broker (BR, Insurance Law 2104); personal lines agent, limited to non-commercial insurance for individuals and familiesSource: dfs.ny.gov (P&C license application and instructions), checked 2026-09-26

Agent or broker

A P&C or personal lines agent represents the New York authorized insurers that appointed them; a P&C broker represents the insured and can place business with any authorized insurer that accepts itSource: dfs.ny.gov, checked 2026-09-26

Appointments

An agent license does not need a company appointment, but a notice of appointment is due at DFS within 15 days of the agency contract or the first applicationSource: dfs.ny.gov, checked 2026-09-26

Licenses that sell life and health

Life, Accident & Health, Variable Life/Variable Annuities agent (LA) and broker (LB)Source: dfs.ny.gov, checked 2026-09-26

Renewal cycle

Up to 2 years; an individual license expires on the holder's birthday in even years if born in an even year, odd years if born in an odd yearSource: dfs.ny.gov, checked 2026-09-26

Continuing education

15 credits per renewal under Insurance Law Section 2132, once a license has been in effect for more than 2 years, including at least one hour each of Insurance Law, ethics and professionalism, and diversity, inclusion and elimination of bias, plus one hour of flood insurance for P&C licensees (three hours of enhanced flood training for those selling NFIP flood)Source: dfs.ny.gov, checked 2026-09-26

Nonresident licensing

Holders of a valid license outside New York apply through NIPR, which sends the home state certification to DFSSource: dfs.ny.gov, checked 2026-09-26

Nonresident continuing education

A nonresident relicensing shows New York CE, or a home state certification that the home state's CE was metSource: dfs.ny.gov, checked 2026-09-26

Filing a complaint

DFS's online Consumer Complaint application on the DFS Portal, from dfs.ny.gov/complaintSource: dfs.ny.gov, checked 2026-09-26

Paper licenses

DFS does not mail paper licenses.Source: dfs.ny.gov, checked 2026-09-26

What a P&C broker license covers

Every line of authority except life, and variable life and variable annuitySource: dfs.ny.gov, checked 2026-09-26

Questions

Other ways to check

• The National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) assigns the NPN. Ask the agent for theirs; any licensed producer has one.
• For an agent licensed in several states, check each state on its own department's search. The fifty-state list has every department.

Lookup link last checked 2026-10-12; the department's entry in our list was confirmed on 2026-09-22.