Insurance Agent Permit Requirements in Lewiston, ME

1. EIN (Employer Identification Number)

   Required if you have employees or operate as an LLC or corporation. Free from the IRS.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online application)

   Free

   Immediate (online application)

1. Maine Revenue Services — Sales Tax Registration

   Required for all businesses selling tangible personal property or taxable services in Maine. Maine charges a 5.5% state sales tax (food and lodging have different rates). Register with Maine Revenue Services online.

   Official government source

   Free·Immediate (online)

   Free

   Immediate (online)

2. Errors and Omissions (E&O) Insurance for Insurance Producers

   Errors and omissions insurance covers claims arising from professional mistakes, omissions or bad advice. Maine does not require it as a condition of an insurance producer licence - it is not among the requirements the Maine Bureau of Insurance sets for licensure under the Maine Producer Licensing Act. In practice, appointing carriers and agency employers commonly require producers to carry and maintain E&O coverage as a condition of appointment or affiliation, and independent agents generally carry it to protect personal assets.

   Official government source

   No state fee and no state mandate - premiums are set by the private insurer and vary with lines written, revenue and claims history·Not part of the licensing process; a policy can usually be bound within a few days when a carrier or agency requires it

   No state fee and no state mandate - premiums are set by the private insurer and vary with lines written, revenue and claims history

   Not part of the licensing process; a policy can usually be bound within a few days when a carrier or agency requires it

1. Maine Bureau of Insurance - Insurance Producer License

   Insurance agents in Maine are licensed as producers by the Maine Bureau of Insurance, which accepts the NAIC uniform application through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR); review the Matrix of Business Rules for Maine on that site before applying. Under 24-A MRSA section 1420-D a resident individual applicant must pass a written examination covering the lines of authority applied for and Maine insurance law, administered by the Bureau's outside testing service - Maine's statute imposes no pre-licensing course requirement. Producers are also appointed by each insurer they represent, and each appointment carries its own fee.

   Official government source

   Statutory maximums under 24-A MRSA section 601(5): $30 issuance fee for an original resident producer licence, $30 for each insurer appointment and $30 biennially to continue it, $30 for a resident agency licence. A nonresident producer licence is $70. NIPR charges its own transaction fee and the testing service charges for the exam.·Apply through NIPR after passing the exam; appointments are filed by the appointing insurer and renew biennially

   Statutory maximums under 24-A MRSA section 601(5): $30 issuance fee for an original resident producer licence, $30 for each insurer appointment and $30 biennially to continue it, $30 for a resident agency licence. A nonresident producer licence is $70. NIPR charges its own transaction fee and the testing service charges for the exam.

   Apply through NIPR after passing the exam; appointments are filed by the appointing insurer and renew biennially

2. City of Lewiston - Selective Business Licensing (City Clerk)

   Lewiston does not require a general business licence or registration, and licensing is run by the City Clerk's Department (207-513-3124), not the Finance Department. The Clerk licenses over 40 specific business types required by Maine statute or city ordinance - among them food service establishments, mobile units and roving diners, massage establishments and therapists, tattoo parlours, lodging houses, flea markets, pawnbrokers, peddlers, second-hand dealers, taxicab companies, junk collectors and adult businesses. Most other trades - cleaning, landscaping, handyman, photography, tutoring, pet sitting, notary, bookkeeping, real estate, insurance, plumbing, electrical and HVAC contracting - are not licensed by the City at all. Most licensed types require inspection by the Fire, Code (Health) or Police departments before issue.

   Official government source

   Fees are published per category in the City's Business License Applications Fees, Penalties and Inspection and Approval Schedule - for example food service establishment $150-$575 by class and size, mobile unit / roving diner $100, massage establishment $110 application plus $195 licence, tattooing $110 plus $195, second-hand dealer $88, peddler $56 in state. Most businesses pay nothing because they are not a licensed category.·File the application at least seven days before you begin operating, and allow time for any required Fire, Code (Health) or Police inspection

   Fees are published per category in the City's Business License Applications Fees, Penalties and Inspection and Approval Schedule - for example food service establishment $150-$575 by class and size, mobile unit / roving diner $100, massage establishment $110 application plus $195 licence, tattooing $110 plus $195, second-hand dealer $88, peddler $56 in state. Most businesses pay nothing because they are not a licensed category.

   File the application at least seven days before you begin operating, and allow time for any required Fire, Code (Health) or Police inspection

Official Sources

• Maine Bureau of Insurance — Insurance Producer License
• City of Lewiston Finance Department

Related Guides