Reciprocity · State-by-state guide

Expand before AEP, one state at a time

A practical read of the current-cycle reciprocity map for the ten Medicare-licensing states in AEPWatch — with directional pair checks, carrier appointment gates, and a sequence for adding a new market before the readiness window closes.

See the state mapRead the licensing playbook
Start with the rule

Reciprocity is a directional license decision

An equivalent resident license is the starting point, not a universal passport. The target state's reciprocity list controls whether that home-state license can be used to request a non-resident license without a target-state exam. If the target state does not list the home state, plan for a direct target-state license and any required re-exam instead.

Always check the list in both directions. A home state can list a target state while the target state declines to list the home state, so a pair that looks reciprocal at a glance may not be mutual. The cross-state licensing playbook shows the same distinction with worked examples.

State-by-state map

Ten home states, every target listed

These are the full RECIPROCITY records currently shipped in the app. Each row is directional: the home state is the license you hold, and the targets are the states whose rules it may satisfy.

Home state
California
CA
5 reciprocal targets in the current-cycle map
Target states
  • GeorgiaGA
  • IllinoisIL
  • MichiganMI
  • OhioOH
  • PennsylvaniaPA
Home state
Florida
FL
7 reciprocal targets in the current-cycle map
Target states
  • GeorgiaGA
  • IllinoisIL
  • MichiganMI
  • New JerseyNJ
  • OhioOH
  • PennsylvaniaPA
  • TexasTX
Home state
Texas
TX
7 reciprocal targets in the current-cycle map
Target states
  • FloridaFL
  • GeorgiaGA
  • IllinoisIL
  • MichiganMI
  • New JerseyNJ
  • OhioOH
  • PennsylvaniaPA
Home state
New York
NY
4 reciprocal targets in the current-cycle map
Target states
  • IllinoisIL
  • New JerseyNJ
  • OhioOH
  • PennsylvaniaPA
Home state
Pennsylvania
PA
8 reciprocal targets in the current-cycle map
Target states
  • CaliforniaCA
  • FloridaFL
  • GeorgiaGA
  • IllinoisIL
  • MichiganMI
  • New JerseyNJ
  • New YorkNY
  • OhioOH
Home state
Illinois
IL
8 reciprocal targets in the current-cycle map
Target states
  • CaliforniaCA
  • FloridaFL
  • GeorgiaGA
  • MichiganMI
  • New JerseyNJ
  • New YorkNY
  • OhioOH
  • PennsylvaniaPA
Home state
Ohio
OH
8 reciprocal targets in the current-cycle map
Target states
  • FloridaFL
  • GeorgiaGA
  • IllinoisIL
  • MichiganMI
  • New JerseyNJ
  • New YorkNY
  • PennsylvaniaPA
  • TexasTX
Home state
Michigan
MI
8 reciprocal targets in the current-cycle map
Target states
  • FloridaFL
  • GeorgiaGA
  • IllinoisIL
  • New JerseyNJ
  • New YorkNY
  • OhioOH
  • PennsylvaniaPA
  • TexasTX
Home state
Georgia
GA
8 reciprocal targets in the current-cycle map
Target states
  • CaliforniaCA
  • FloridaFL
  • IllinoisIL
  • MichiganMI
  • New JerseyNJ
  • New YorkNY
  • OhioOH
  • PennsylvaniaPA
Home state
New Jersey
NJ
6 reciprocal targets in the current-cycle map
Target states
  • GeorgiaGA
  • IllinoisIL
  • MichiganMI
  • OhioOH
  • PennsylvaniaPA
  • TexasTX
Current-cycle caveat:the map is an operational planning aid, not a substitute for the filing authority. Verify the target state's current DOI requirements and each carrier's appointment rules before submitting paperwork.
Directional pairs

Check both arrows before you file

The examples below are derived from the two relevant target lists, not assumed from geography. Each one appears in both directions in the source map.

Representative mutual pairs
A pair is mutual only when the first state targets the second and the second targets the first. This is why PA ↔ IL is a useful yes, while a one-way hit should stay a review item.
  • Pennsylvania ↔ IllinoisPA ↔ IL
    mutual
  • Pennsylvania ↔ OhioPA ↔ OH
    mutual
  • Illinois ↔ OhioIL ↔ OH
    mutual
  • Florida ↔ TexasFL ↔ TX
    mutual
  • Texas ↔ New JerseyTX ↔ NJ
    mutual
  • Pennsylvania ↔ GeorgiaPA ↔ GA
    mutual
  • Illinois ↔ MichiganIL ↔ MI
    mutual
  • Ohio ↔ MichiganOH ↔ MI
    mutual
Eligibility gates

A reciprocal license is only the first gate

State reciprocity and carrier appointment are separate decisions. The source data models carrier outcomes as immediate, paperwork, or not_appointed for the current cycle.

Immediate
The reciprocal path is accepted and the standard carrier contract applies with the required paperwork.
Paperwork
Reciprocity is accepted, but the carrier requires its own reappointment packet before binding.
Not appointed
The carrier does not appoint this reciprocity transfer in the current cycle; a direct target-state license path may be required.

The state list decides whether the reciprocal license path is available. A carrier appointment then decides whether you can actually write that carrier's business in the target market. Treat the two checks as separate rows in your expansion plan.

Preserve the source convention when you read the map: an absent carrier entry is treated as not_appointed. A blank carrier result is therefore not evidence of an appointment — it is a prompt to verify the direct-license and carrier path before filing.

Pre-AEP expansion sequence

Six moves before the window closes

Use this sequence to turn a target state into a tracked, appointment-ready market before the AEP checklist audit runs.

  1. 1.
    Inventory your current licenses.Record every resident and non-resident license, its issue date, renewal cycle, CE status, and the carriers you expect to write with before AEP.
  2. 2.
    Check the target-state rule.Start with the equivalent resident license, then confirm that your home state appears on the target state's current reciprocity list. The target state controls the grant.
  3. 3.
    Confirm each carrier path separately.A state grant does not create a carrier appointment. Confirm whether each carrier is immediate, requires paperwork, or is not_appointed for the transfer.
  4. 4.
    File state and carrier paperwork in parallel.State processing and carrier review are separate queues. Run both at once so a new market does not become an October surprise.
  5. 5.
    Add the issued license to /workspace.Put the target state, renewal date, and appointment status into the license cell as soon as the license issues so the readiness view can include it.
  6. 6.
    Re-run the /blog/aep-checklist audit.Reconcile the newly issued license and carrier appointment against the pre-AEP checklist, then close any remaining gaps before the October 15 audit cutoff.
Read next

From state rules to an AEP-ready book

Pair the map with the playbook, the audit, the license workspace, and the plan that fits your book of business.

Cross-state licensing
Work through the NY, NJ, and PA examples and see how a state rule interacts with the carrier appointment flow.
Read the playbook
AEP checklist
Reconcile the October 15 audit cutoff, license renewals, and carrier appointments after a new state issues.
Run the checklist
License workspace
Keep each issued license, target-state rule, renewal date, and appointment status in one tracked workspace.
Open /workspace
Pricing plans
Compare the plans that keep the state map, license cells, and pre-AEP operating rhythm together.
See pricing
Ready when you are

Get your state book ready before October

The waitlist cohort gets the license-tracking cells enabled during the August and September readiness window, with no card required.

Join the waitlistSee pricing