No rule sets a number. Start with your resident state plus non-resident states where your carriers will appoint you, your phone hours overlap callers' waking hours, and enough older adults live to keep your line busy. Add states in small batches, after checking each state's fee and extra requirements, and let results by state decide what you keep.
How many states should you be licensed in for Final Expense?
No rule sets a number of states for Final Expense telesales. The right count is the set of states where you hold an active license, have a carrier appointment for the product you sell, can answer during your callers' waking hours, and can expect enough calls or leads to justify the cost. Licensing is state by state: under the NAIC Producer Licensing Model Act, a person may not sell, solicit or negotiate insurance in a state without a license there for that line of authority. A non-resident license is issued when you are licensed and in good standing in your home state, apply, pay the fee, and your home state grants non-resident licenses to that state's residents on the same basis. Every state you add brings a fee, a renewal and appointments to manage. That is why a small first batch, expanded on results, is easier to run than licensing everywhere at once.
If you buy calls on Callmart, campaigns are national rather than sold by state, and each line accepts calls only from the states you choose, so delivery can match where you are licensed. A line with no states selected receives no calls. Callmart does not provide licensing; holding the right license in each state is the buyer's responsibility. Insurance licensing basics explains resident and non-resident licenses in more depth.
What should decide which states you choose?
| Factor | What to check | Where to look |
|---|---|---|
| Carrier appointments | Whether each carrier will appoint you and sells your product in that state | Your carriers or FMO |
| Time zones | How the state's hours line up with yours, including split states | 49 CFR Part 71 |
| Older population | How many residents are 65 and over, and their share | U.S. Census Bureau |
| License fees | State fee per license, plus NIPR transaction fees | NIPR state pages |
| Extra requirements | Fingerprints, processing fees, retaliatory fees | NIPR state pages and the state DOI |
| Call or lead supply | Whether your source delivers from that state | Your vendor's settings |
Carrier appointments come first because a license alone does not let you write a carrier's business. The model act says the license itself creates no authority to represent or commit an insurer. Appointments are filed by the insurer, which also pays the appointment fee in states that charge one.
How do time zones change your state list?
Time zones decide how much of your working day overlaps with your callers' day. Federal rules in 49 CFR Part 71 set nine standard time zones, and the boundary lines run through the middle of several states: Florida, Kentucky, Tennessee, Indiana and Michigan on the eastern and central line, Nebraska, Kansas, Texas and both Dakotas on the central and mountain line, and Idaho and Oregon on the mountain and Pacific line. A Florida license, for example, can bring callers from the part of the Panhandle that keeps Central time, and a Texas license can bring callers from the far western counties that keep Mountain time.
Work out the overlap with plain arithmetic. If you take calls from 9 AM to 6 PM Eastern, a Central caller reaches you between 8 AM and 5 PM local time and a Pacific caller between 6 AM and 3 PM. States that observe daylight saving time shift together, but 49 CFR 71.2 notes that a state may exempt itself, so the gap with a state that does not observe it changes twice a year.
On Callmart, optional campaign hours let you set one Eastern-time window per weekday, or the same window every day, for each campaign. If you add western states, convert their useful hours into Eastern time before you set the window. Dayparting covers hour windows in more detail.
Where do the most older adults live?
Final Expense is sold mainly to older adults, so the 65 and over population is a useful first sizing input. The 2020 Census counted 55.8 million people aged 65 and over, 16.8% of the U.S. population. These ten states had the most:
| State | Residents 65 and over (2020) | Share of state population |
|---|---|---|
| California | 6,017,164 | 15.2% |
| Florida | 4,568,026 | 21.2% |
| Texas | 3,921,135 | 13.5% |
| New York | 3,408,466 | 16.9% |
| Pennsylvania | 2,483,054 | 19.1% |
| Ohio | 2,118,737 | 18.0% |
| Illinois | 2,093,985 | 16.3% |
| Michigan | 1,805,780 | 17.9% |
| North Carolina | 1,789,448 | 17.1% |
| Georgia | 1,579,289 | 14.7% |
Share matters alongside count. Maine had the highest share at 21.8%, followed by Florida at 21.2%, Vermont at 20.6% and West Virginia at 20.5%, while Utah had the lowest at 11.7%. Use these figures to rank candidates, not to forecast volume, and read the state guides for Florida, Texas or Pennsylvania before you buy there. The states hub covers the rest.
What does a non-resident license cost?
Non-resident license fees are set by each state and range widely. These are the state fees NIPR lists for a non-resident individual producer license; NIPR's own transaction fees are extra.
| State | State fee | Note from the NIPR page |
|---|---|---|
| Texas | $50 for a Life Agent license | Per application; the reinstatement fee is per line of authority |
| Florida | $50, plus $5 per line of authority | Applicants must be fingerprinted through IdentoGO |
| Georgia | $100 for Life and Accident & Sickness | Plus a $20 processing fee per license class |
| Pennsylvania | $110 for an Insurance Producer license | $25 amendment fee |
| Illinois | $380 for an Insurance Producer license | Prorated if the license runs less than two years; terms run 18 to 29 months |
Run the arithmetic for your own list. Texas, Georgia and Pennsylvania together come to $50 + $120 + $110 = $280 in state fees for one line each, before NIPR transaction fees; adding Illinois brings the total to as much as $660, since its $380 fee is prorated for a license shorter than two years. Then budget for renewals: under the model act, a license stays in effect as long as the renewal fee is paid and, for resident producers, continuing education is completed on time.
How do you choose your states, step by step?
- 01Start from your carriersList the states where each carrier will appoint you and offers the product you plan to quote.
- 02Price each state on NIPRCheck the fee and any extra requirement on the state's NIPR page, including fingerprints and processing or retaliatory fees.
- 03Map the hoursLine up each state's time zone, or zones, against the hours you will actually be on the phone.
- 04Size the marketUse Census older-population counts and shares to rank candidates, not to forecast sales.
- 05License a first batchApply for a small set that scores well on all four, and take no calls from a state until its license is active.
- 06Get appointedAsk each carrier to file your appointment. The model act has the insurer file the notice within 15 days of executing the contract or receiving the first application.
- 07Match your lines to your licensesOn Callmart, select only licensed and appointed states on each line, and remove a state as soon as its license lapses.
- 08Review by stateYour call history shows each caller's state, so compare close rate and persistency by state before you renew, add or drop one.
What mistakes cost agents money on state licensing?
- Licensing every state at once, before any state has proven itself.
- Paying for a license in a state where no carrier will appoint you.
- Taking calls from a state while the license is pending. The model act bars paying or accepting a commission for selling where a required license is missing.
- Missing a renewal date and letting a license lapse while calls still route from that state.
- Assuming every agent on a team holds the same states. Each agent's line needs its own state list.
Common questions
01Which states require fingerprints for a non-resident license?
It varies and changes, so check each state's NIPR page before you apply. Florida's page, for example, says applicants must be fingerprinted through IdentoGO, with exceptions such as fingerprints already submitted to Florida within the last 12 months. Budget for the fingerprint appointment when a state requires one.
02How much do non-resident licenses cost?
Among the five states checked on NIPR on November 2, 2026, state fees ranged from $50 in Texas to $380 in Illinois (prorated there for a license shorter than two years), before NIPR transaction fees. Some states add per-line or processing fees, so total the full cost for each state before you apply, and remember renewals.
03Do I need an appointment in every state?
You need an appointment from each insurer you represent in states that require appointments. Under the NAIC model act the insurer files the appointment and pays any appointment fee, and the act notes that some states do not require formal appointments at all. Ask your carrier or FMO how it handles each state.
04Can I buy calls from states where I am not licensed?
You should not sell to callers in a state where you are not licensed for that line. On Callmart, each line accepts calls only from the states you choose and a line with no states selected receives no calls, so set your states to match your active licenses.