Obtaining an IL Surplus Line License

  • Illinois surplus line producer licenses are issued by the Illinois Department of Insurance, not by the Surplus Line Association.
  • You must first have an Illinois producer license in order to get a surplus line license. For information about getting a producer license, see the Illinois Department of Insurance producer licensing information page and the resident or nonresident Illinois state requirements page on the NIPR site.
  • There is no class, exam, fingerprinting, bond, or any other prelicensing requirement, and there is no annual continuing education requirement. There are, however, annual continuing education requirements for your required underlying Illinois producer license.
  • The fee is $400 and the license is good for one year.
  • Once you have submitted your application on NIPR, complete the SLAI Membership & EFS Registration Packet and send it to us at membership@slai.org.  Membership in the SLAI is a condition of licensure in Illinois.  There is no membership cost, but your license can be suspended or revoked if you fail to join, or fail to maintain your membership.
  • Illinois only licenses individuals for surplus line licenses, not corporations or business entities.
  • NIPR has posted helpful Illinois contact information and Frequently Asked Questions here.
  • Before getting an Illinois resident surplus line producer license, you must first have an Illinois resident producer license.  For information on obtaining the resident producer license, see the Illinois Department of Insurance producer licensing information page and the resident Illinois state requirements page on the NIPR site.
  • Visit the NIPR website and click “Apply for a New License.” Follow the instructions on the screen. You should contact NIPR support staff with any questions about using their website.
  • By law, as a surplus line producer, you are automatically a member of the Surplus Line Association so you will need to download the SLAI Membership & EFS Registration Package and fill it out.
  • Return the SLAI Membership Forms to membership@slai.org.  Membership in the Surplus Line Association is free and continues as long as your license is valid.
  • Surplus line licenses are $400 and expire one year from date of issue.
  • Before getting an Illinois nonresident surplus line producer license, you must first have an Illinois nonresident producer license.  For information on obtaining the nonresident producer license, see the Illinois Department of Insurance producer licensing information page and the nonresident Illinois state requirements page on the NIPR site.
  • Visit the NIPR website and click “Apply for a New License.” Follow the instructions on the screen. You should contact NIPR support staff with any questions about using their website.
  • By law, as a surplus line producer, you are automatically a member of the Surplus Line Association so you will need to download the SLAI Membership & EFS Registration Package and fill it out.
  • Return the SLAI Membership Forms to membership@slai.org.  Membership in the Surplus Line Association is free and continues as long as your license is valid.
  • Surplus line licenses are $400 and expire one year from date of issue.
  • To renew your Illinois surplus line producer license, visit www.nipr.com.
  • Click on “Renew an Existing License.” Follow the instructions on the screen.

The NIPR support staff will answer questions about renewing using their website, but feel free to contact this office with any questions about your SLAI membership.

If Your Expiration Date is Near, Act Now!!

If you let your Illinois surplus line producer license lapse, you cannot use the renewal feature in NIPR and will have to follow the links to reapply for an initial surplus line license.