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

Look the agent up in New Hampshire

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 New Hampshire Insurance Department's license lookup

   New Hampshire agent license lookup. New Hampshire uses the national lookup run by NAIC, the association of state insurance regulators. Choose New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire (resident or nonresident), it includes a health line of authority (in New Hampshire 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 New Hampshire. 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 New Hampshire.
• 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 New Hampshire

Required. New Hampshire insurers must make every Medigap plan they sell available, at any age and with no health-based denial or pricing, to people who apply within 6 months of first enrolling in Part B, which includes people under 65 with a disability or kidney failure (ESRD).

Price: Insurers may charge an under-65 rate, but must drop it once you turn 65.

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 New Hampshire Insurance Department at 1-800-852-3416. 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 New Hampshire: SHIP

Every state has a free Medicare counseling program. In New Hampshire it's the New Hampshire 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 Maine
• Check a license in Massachusetts
• Check a license in Vermont
• 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.