Protecting Your Identity with National Producer Numbers (NPN)

What does a secure or protected internet page really mean? Do you really feel safe entering in your social security number to any secure website? While the internet brings with it the convenience and speed we’ve come to expect in this day and age, questions continue to loom about just how much privacy and security are we sacrificing for these technological benefits. When you send your credit card into the vast expanse of the internet, where does it really go and who really has access to see it? Is the internet really capable of protecting someone’s privacy?

It is always a good idea to take precaution when conducting business online. That being said, many insurance agents find that a difficult practice to maintain particularly when they turn to the internet every year to complete their CE training. Unfortunately in many states an agent’s license number is their social security number which means that every time an agent is required to provide their license number, they have no choice but to deliver their most private form of identification, their social security number.

The National Insurance Producer Registry was incorporated in 1996 as a non-profit affiliate to the NAIC. NIPR developed a Producer Database(PDB) which has become a national database where state regulatory agencies can connect and store licensing information. A benefit of the PDB is the creation of the NPN number. So what is an NPN number? An NPN is a licensed agent’s National Producer Number. Through the multi-state participation in the PDB, this number is linked to all applicable licenses an agent may have across the country and brings with it the benefit of a number that has no direct relationship to an agent’s license or social security number. While this program began more than 10 years ago, only recently has the Continuing Education system seeing a real upsurge in the use of this database. More and more states are converting to using NPN numbers when filing CE credits. The most recent state to do so is North Carolina who will begin using only NPN numbers on January 1, 2010.  North Carolina will be joining more than 20 other states who also currently use the NPN system to securely update agent license information.  Check to see if your state is one of them.

Don’t know your NPN? Go Here: NPN Search