Insurance agents who hold a life and accident & sickness licence from another Canadian province or territory, can apply for the same licence in Ontario without completing the education requirement, with some exceptions. If you are applying from Quebec, you will need to complete additional courses.
The Financial Services Regulatory Authority of Ontario (FSRA) regulates and licenses all insurance agents in Ontario.
If you are an Ontario-licensed insurance agent and want to apply for a licence in a different province or territory, go to Canadian Council of Insurance Regulators to access links to the different regulators.
- About the Ontario licence
- What are the requirements to apply from another province or territory?
- Ready to apply for a new licence?
- What happens after the application is submitted – for all agents
About the Ontario licence
Sponsorship with an insurer may be required
All new life and accident & sickness agents in Ontario are required, to be sponsored by a licensed insurer for their first two years as an agent. If you are applying from outside of Ontario, this requirement will depend on your years of experience in your home province or territory.
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If you have less than two years of experience
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You must be sponsored by an Ontario-licensed insurer. This sponsor is required until you have reached two years of agent experience (in your home province and Ontario).
Once you’ve completed your first two years as an agent, you will move to a non-sponsored licence. |
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If you have more than two years of experience |
You do not need to be sponsored by an insurer.
As a non-sponsored agent, you are responsible for maintaining all aspects of your licence.
To qualify as a non-sponsored agent, you will need to get a letter from the regulator in your home province or territory, to provide a letter of status as proof. |
Fee for a new application
The fee to apply for a new life and accident & sickness licence is $170. This fee will cover your first two years as an Ontario-licensed agent.
- If you are applying as a sponsored agent, your sponsoring insurer may pay the fee OR you may be responsible for the fee. Check with your sponsoring insurer for details.
- If you are applying as non-sponsored agent, you are responsible for paying the fee.
What are the requirements to apply from another province or territory?
Ontario education program and exemptions
New agents in Ontario must complete the Life Licence Qualification Program (LLQP) before they can apply for a life and accident & sickness licence. Whether you need to take additional LLQP courses or not depends on your home province or territory.
For all provinces and territories (except Quebec)
If you hold an equivalent licence in good standing from any province or territory (except Quebec), you are exempt from having to complete any additional LLQP courses.
You will need to meet all other eligibility requirements to get an Ontario licence. See Apply for a new life and accident & sickness insurance licence for details.
For Quebec
If you hold a Quebec licence, there are additional LLQP courses you will need to complete before you can apply for an Ontario licence. What you will need to complete depends on two factors:
- The type of Quebec licence you hold
- When you completed the LLQP in Quebec
You will need to submit a copy of your LLQP transcript from the provincial regulator to FSRA to verify when your LLQP was completed.
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Quebec licence type |
LLQP completion in Quebec |
Additional LLQP courses |
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Insurance of Persons |
After January 1, 2016 |
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Group Insurance of Persons |
After January 1, 2016 |
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Group Insurance Plans |
Not Applicable |
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Group Annuity Plans |
Not Applicable |
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Go to About the LLQP course for a list of approved course providers.
What if my current licence is inactive?
If you have an inactive licence in your home province or territory (e.g., you’ve either surrendered your licence or you’ve let it lapse), you can apply for an Ontario licence. Whether you need to take additional LLQP courses or not depends on your home province or territory.
For all provinces and territories (except Quebec)
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If it has been less than two years since the inactive date |
You can apply for an Ontario licence without completing the education requirement.
If you held your licence for at least two years, you are also exempt from having to be sponsored by an insurer.
You will need to provide a letter of status from your home province or territory regulator as proof. Be sure to obtain this before you apply for an Ontario licence. |
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If it has been more than two years since the inactive date |
You can still apply for a licence in Ontario, but you will need to complete all of the same requirements for a new licence, including:
Go to Apply for a new life and accident & sickness insurance licence for details. |
For Quebec
If you are from Quebec, there are additional LLQP courses that you will need to complete before you can apply for an Ontario licence. You also need to have a sponsoring insurer.
The requirements depend on two factors:
- How long your Quebec licence has been inactive
- When you completed the LLQP in Quebec
You will need to provide a letter of status from the Quebec regulator to verify this information.
You will need to submit a copy of your LLQP transcript from the provincial regulator to FSRA to verify when your LLQP was completed.
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Inactive date |
LLQP timing in Quebec |
Additional LLQP courses |
Sponsor required? |
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Less than two years ago |
After January 1, 2016
Before January 1, 2016 |
Ethics and Professional Practice (Common Law) course and complete the exam with the provincial regulator
All four modules, including Ethics and Professional Practice (Common Law) courses and complete all four final exams with the provincial regulator |
Yes. Exception: you held the licence for at least two consecutive years prior to the inactive date.
Yes. Exception: you held the licence for at least two consecutive years prior to the inactive date. |
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More than two years ago |
After January 1, 2016
Before January 1, 2016 |
All four modules, including Ethics and Professional Practice (Common Law) courses and complete all four final exams with the provincial regulator
All four modules, including Ethics and Professional Practice (Common Law) courses and complete all four final exams with the provincial regulator |
Yes Go to Apply for a new insurance licence for details.
Yes Go to Apply for a new insurance licence for details. |
Errors and omissions insurance
As a life and accident & insurance agent in Ontario, you must have an active errors and omissions (E&O) insurance policy. The policy must:
- be in the same legal name that you will use for your agent licence
- include at least a $1 million limit for a single occurrence
- include extended coverage for loss resulting in fraudulent acts
You will need to keep the E&O coverage for as long as you have the Ontario licence, regardless of whether you’re actively selling insurance in Ontario. FSRA will conduct random audits to ensure agents are complying with this regulation.
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Sponsored agent |
As a newly licensed agent, you may be covered by your sponsoring insurer’s E&O policy.
Ask your sponsoring insurer for the following:
It is your responsibility to provide any changes to the E&O information to FSRA. |
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Non-sponsored agent
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You will need to obtain your own E&O insurance in your legal name.
There are several E&O insurance providers in Ontario. FSRA cannot endorse or recommend a specific provider. You must do your own research and determine which provider is best for you.
Consider contacting an insurer that you have a contract with or an industry association for recommendations. |
Checklist for a new licence
Review this checklist to ensure you are ready to apply for a new licence in Ontario.
Requirements:
- Ensure you have the appropriate E&O insurance in the same legal name that you use for your licence.
- Verify that you have an equivalent licence in your home province or territory. You will need to get a letter from your regulator.
- If you are applying to be a non-sponsored agent, verify that you have more than two years of experience in your home province or territory. You will need a letter from your regulator.
- If you have less than two years of experience in your home province or territory, be sponsored by a licensed insurer.
- Have an Ontario mailing address that can receive registered mail (e.g., not a post office box).
- Have a personal email address that FSRA can use to contact you.
Once you have met all of these requirements, you are ready to begin the application process.
Ready to apply for a new licence?
For sponsored agents who live outside of Ontario:
1. Ask your sponsoring insurer to set up the new application on your behalf through Licensing Link.
- Your sponsoring insurer will be asked to verify that you are suitable to have a licence and disclose any details that may be important for the regulator to know.
- Depending on the arrangement, they may pay the application fee.
2. Your sponsoring insurer will send you an email with two (2) links:
- In the first link, you will be required to complete a criminal background check through FSRA’s approved vendor Triton Canada (Triton).
New Criminal Record check process
FSRA is changing its licensing process for criminal background checks to ensure the processes remain up to date. Criminal record checks are part of FSRA’s rigorous licence qualification process to protect consumers by ensuring only suitable individuals sell or offer financial products and services in Ontario.
FSRA now requires licence applicants to complete their criminal record checks through our approved vendor Triton. You must use FSRA’s link directing you to Triton’s website. After completing the background check, you will then return to your sponsoring application email and complete your licensing application on FSRA’s website. Please note that a fee of $19.15 applies for Triton’s service, and the background check is valid for 90 days.
If you have any further questions about the new background check process, please contact us.
- You will then return to the sponsoring application email and use the second link to continue your application process.
- You will need to verify your suitability to have a licence by confirming:
- You are familiar with the laws of Ontario relating to the licensing of life insurance agents.
- You will hold yourself out publicly and carry out business in good faith as a life and accident & sickness insurance agent in the name in which you are licensed.
- You are not engaged in any other business or occupation that would jeopardize your integrity, independence or competence.
- You are of good character and reputation.
- You have provided information about bankruptcies, lawsuits, criminal records, decisions from other regulators or licensing bodies and other employment information.
- You are a suitable person to receive a licence and meet all licensing requirements.
- If you need to pay the fee yourself, you can do so on Licensing Link with credit card (VISA, Mastercard) or debit cards (VISA Debit or Mastercard Debit).
- You will then submit the application to FSRA through Licensing Link.
For other scenarios, including:
- Application for a non-sponsored licence (life agent licensed for more than 2 years in another province)
- Sponsored agents who live in Ontario, but are licensed in a different province or territory
- Agents with inactive Ontario licences whose licence was terminated or surrendered before it expired
1. Go to Canadian Council of Insurance Regulators to find the application and detailed instructions.
2. Print and fill out the application.
- Complete pages 1-4 and page 9
- If you are a sponsored agent, you will need to get your sponsoring insurer to fill out page 5 (Sponsor’s Attestation: Notice of Appointment of Agent by Sponsoring Company)
3. Complete a background check through Triton
4. Submit the application form and a copy of your Triton invoice to FSRA through the Online Services Portal.
5. You can make the payment through the Online Services Portal with credit card (VISA, Mastercard) or select debit cards (RBC, TD, First Nations Bank of Canada, most credit unions).
What happens after the application is submitted – for all agents
FSRA will send you an email to confirm it has received your application.
Note: out-of-province applications often do require additional reviews so be aware that the process will likely take longer than 10 business days.
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For most applications |
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If the application requires additional review |
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