How to check an insurance agent's license in Montana

Look the agent up in Montana

1. 1

   Ask for their full name and NPN

   Every licensed agent has a National Producer Number. A real agent will give it to you without hesitation.
2. 2

   Open the Office of the Montana State Auditor, Commissioner of Securities and Insurance's license lookup

   Montana agent license lookup. Montana uses the national lookup run by NAIC, the association of state insurance regulators. Choose Montana as the jurisdiction, "Licensee" as the search type and "Individual" as the entity type, then accept the terms and search.

3. 3

   Check four things

   The status is active, the license is for Montana (resident or nonresident), it includes a health line of authority (in Montana it's listed as "Accident and Health or Sickness"), and it hasn't expired.

What the results mean

Active

The license is current. This is what you want to see.

Inactive, expired or lapsed

The agent can't legally sell insurance in the state right now. Don't enroll through them.

Resident or nonresident

Resident means their home office is in Montana. Nonresident means they're based in another state and licensed to work here. Both are fine.

Line of authority

The kinds of insurance they can sell. For Medicare plans, look for Accident and Health or Sickness. Life-only isn't enough.

Regulatory or disciplinary actions

Some lookups list fines or other actions. One old, small action may not mean much; several, or a revoked license, is a reason to look elsewhere.

Extra steps for Medicare plans

A state license is the first check. For Medicare plans, two more things apply:

• Appointment: the agent must be appointed by the insurance company whose plan you're choosing. Ask which companies they represent in Montana.
• Yearly certification: agents who sell Medicare Advantage and Part D drug plans must complete each plan's training and testing every year.

Agents who sell for more than one company must also tell you, before discussing any plan's benefits, how many companies and plans they represent in your area. None of them works for Medicare.

Medigap if you're under 65 in Montana

Required, with limits. Montana insurers must sell any Medigap policy they offer to people who become eligible for Medicare because of a disability, with no health-based denial or pricing, but you must apply within 63 days of being told you qualify, and the rule does not mention kidney failure (ESRD).

Price: No health-based pricing; no limit on charging more than age-65 rates.

If you have Part B when you turn 65, you get a new 6-month Medigap open enrollment then. See every state's rule for people under 65.

If something looks wrong

• License not found or inactive: don't share your Medicare or Social Security number, and contact the Office of the Montana State Auditor, Commissioner of Securities and Insurance at 1-800-332-6148. You can also file a complaint online.
• Someone claiming to be from Medicare: hang up and call 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227, TTY 1-877-486-2048).
• A listing on this site looks wrong: report it and we'll look into it.

Free, unbiased help in Montana: SHIP

Every state has a free Medicare counseling program. In Montana it's the Montana State Health Insurance Assistance Program (SHIP). Its counselors are trained, don't sell anything, and can help you compare your options or check what an agent told you, for free.

Common questions

Nearby states

Agents often work across state lines. Check that they're licensed in the state where you live.

• Check a license in Idaho
• Check a license in North Dakota
• Check a license in South Dakota
• Check a license in Wyoming
• All states

Keep reading

• How to choose a local Medicare agentQuestions to ask, warning signs, and the dates to know.
• Medicare agent vs. broker: what's the difference?Agent, broker, producer: what the words mean, the one difference that really matters (how many companies they work with), and how to tell before you meet.