Insurance agents and agencies, city by city
Local agencies, each with the office address and phone number it publishes and the coverage shown on its page. Pick a city to see them.
Agencies by city
Each city page shows its agencies A to Z, with office address, phone and the coverage shown on each agency's page.
Agent or agency: the short version
An agent is a person. An agency is the business that person works for.
- An insurance agent holds a state insurance license and sells and services policies on behalf of insurance companies.
- An insurance agency is the firm: its office, its staff and the companies it has agreements with.
- A captive (or exclusive) agent places business with one company group.
- An independent agent can place business with several companies, so one conversation can cover more than one option.
Where brokers fit
In some states, such as California, the law treats a broker as acting for the buyer and an agent as acting for the insurance company. Many other states use one producer license for both roles, so the words get used loosely. What matters is the role the firm plays on your policy, so ask. See how brokers differ on the brokers page.
What a local agency does
More than the first sale.
- Explains the coverage options for your car, home, life, health or business.
- Collects your details and presents offers from the companies it works with.
- Handles changes during the year: a new car, a new driver, a move, a new employee.
- Reviews the policy at renewal and helps with questions when you file a claim.
How agencies are usually paid
Agencies are commonly paid a commission by the insurance company when a policy is sold or renewed. You can ask any agency how it is paid on your policy.
Questions worth asking
Five questions that tell you a lot in a short conversation.
- Which insurance companies do you work with for this kind of coverage?
- Are you independent, or do you place business with one company group?
- Who do I contact for changes, billing and claims questions?
- How do you review my coverage at renewal?
- Which languages does your office speak, and when is it open?
Check the license yourself
State insurance departments keep the official record.
Look up both the agency and the person you speak with on the state insurance department website, or through the NAIC State Based Systems lookup that many states use. Our license guide links to the lookup for all 50 states and DC.
Questions about this page
- What is the difference between an insurance agent and an insurance agency?
- An agent is a person with a state insurance license. An agency is the business the agent works for, with its own office and its own agreements with insurance companies.
- What is an independent insurance agent?
- An independent agent can place business with several insurance companies. A captive agent places business with one company group.
- How do I check an agent’s license?
- Use the lookup on your state insurance department website, or the NAIC State Based Systems lookup that many states use. Look up both the agency and the person you speak with.
- Does InsuranceFinder sell insurance?
- No. InsuranceFinder is a free online database of insurance agents, brokers and carriers. It does not sell policies, give prices or take applications. Each firm page shows the firm’s own published phone number and office address.
Related
Official sources
Sources checked Oct 2026. Rules change; your state insurance department has the current version.