Are you a US-based financial advisor or an insurance professional looking to become an MDRT member? The best time to start preparing is now.
MDRT membership reflects global trust, performance, and professionalism. It’s a mark your clients and peers will instantly recognise.
MDRT qualification is based on your production in the prior calendar year. For instance, eligibility for 2027 MDRT membership depends entirely on your performance in 2026. Every sale, policy, and client relationship you build today directly contributes to your chances of qualifying.
In this article, we’ll walk you through everything you need to know about becoming an MDRT member in the US, including eligibility requirements and production thresholds. You’ll learn how to build practical preparation strategies that can help you stay on track.
Who can qualify for MDRT in the US
You can qualify for MDRT in the US if you’re in the business of selling and/or servicing financial products and meet MDRT’s annual production requirements. The qualifications are based on your own measurable production.
Here is a breakdown of professionals who qualify for MDRT in the US:
1. Insurance agents (core MDRT audience)
Insurance professionals make up the largest share of MDRT members worldwide.
You may qualify if you are a:
- Life insurance agent
- Health insurance agent
- Disability insurance agent
- Long-term care insurance agent
Your business structure can be:
- Captive (career agent)
- Independent
- Brokerage-based
Key requirement: You must be the writing agent or the directly credited producer on the policies used for qualification. Production credited only through management overrides does not count.
2. Financial advisors / financial planners
Financial advisors and planners can qualify for MDRT if a meaningful portion of their income comes from MDRT-eligible products or services like:
- Life insurance
- Annuities
- Certain fee-based advisory services (as permitted under MDRT income rules)
Financial advisors who generate insurance-related income alongside planning services are well positioned to qualify.
3. Wealth managers with eligible production
Some US-based wealth managers may qualify for MDRT membership if they:
- Personally sell or place MDRT-eligible products
- Earn qualifying commissions or income as defined by MDRT guidelines
Keep in mind, pure asset-based management or Assets Under Management-only fee structures often do not qualify unless paired with eligible insurance or annuity production.
4. Producers in structured teams (with limitations)
MDRT recognises individual production within structured or collaborative teams, but with strict rules.
You may qualify if you are:
- A producing partner
- A joint work case producer
- A split-commission advisor
In all cases, production must be clearly documented and allocated to you, and you must meet the full MDRT qualification threshold on your individual share. Managers, recruiters, or firm owners cannot qualify based solely on overrides or team revenue without personal production.
MDRT production requirements in the US
To earn MDRT membership, you should meet specific annual production thresholds, which is calculated based on your performance in the previous calendar year. For 2026 MDRT membership, the US qualification thresholds are:
- Commission method: 87,000 USD
- Premium method: 174,000 USD
- Income method: 151,000 USD
You only need to qualify under one of these methods, depending on how your business is structured and how your compensation is reported.
Understanding the Three Qualification Methods
- The commission method is based on first-year commissions earned from eligible insurance and financial products.
- The premium method is based on qualifying annualised premiums. This is most commonly used by agents focused heavily on life insurance sales.
- The income method is based on qualifying earned income, including commissions and certain approved fee-based income, as defined by MDRT rules.
All production must be personally earned, fully documented, and fall within MDRT’s eligibility guidelines.
Higher MDRT Recognition Levels
MDRT also recognises two higher achievement tiers in addition to the standard MDRT membership. These tiers come with additional recognition, access, and prestige. Here are the recognitions and requirements :
- Court of the Table (COT): Approximately 3x the MDRT requirement
- Top of the Table (TOT): Approximately 6x the MDRT requirement
Certifying letters and verification
You must verify your reported production through official certifying letters when applying for MDRT membership using the commission or premium qualification methods.
These letters must follow the official MDRT certifying letter format, and be completed and validated by your insurance company, brokerage, or authorised firm representative. Additionally, these letters should also confirm your total qualifying commissions or premiums for the production year.
Here are some signature and submission guidelines:
- Electronic or stamped signatures are generally acceptable, provided they come from an authorised signer
- Handwritten signatures are not always required
- All information must be clear, complete, and verifiable
Incomplete or incorrectly formatted certifying letters can delay MDRT applications. Therefore, make sure you’ve submitted the correct documentation upfront for a smoother and faster verification process.
MDRT Code of Ethics that you should follow
In addition to meeting production requirements, you must agree to and uphold the MDRT Code of Ethics. This code sets the professional and ethical standards expected of MDRT members worldwide.
Key principles include:
- Put the client’s best interests first
- Maintain professional competence
- Protect confidential client information
- Make full and clear disclosure
- Follow all applicable laws and regulations
- Ensure replacements are in the client’s best interest
Adhering to the MDRT Code of Ethics is not optional. It is a core condition of membership and a key reason MDRT professionals are recognised as trusted leaders in the industry.
Fees
MDRT fees depend on the level you qualify for. At the time of writing, the MDRT application guidance page lists fees as:
- Member: $550 USD
- Court of the Table: $600 USD
- Top of the Table: $1,100 USD
Step-by-step guide to qualifying for MDRT in the US
Step 1: Pick your qualification target and method
Before the production year begins, you should first decide your MDRT target and how you plan to qualify. At this stage you want to make sure you know what you want so you can plan your sales strategy, product mix, and tracking approach from day one.
Choose Your Target Level
Select the recognition level you are aiming for:
- ☐ MDRT Member
- ☐ Court of the Table (COT)
- ☐ Top of the Table (TOT)
Choose Your Qualification Method
Next, decide which production method best fits your business model:
- ☐ Commission method
- ☐ Premium method
- ☐ Income method
You only need to qualify under one method. Choose based on how you’re compensated, the products you sell, and how your firm reports production.
Step 2: Do the math to set your annual targets
Once you’ve decided your MDRT target and qualification method, break your annual goal down into weekly numbers. Your target becomes far more achievable when you simplify it into trackable metrics.
Build a simple tracking sheet and monitor the following:
- Running total towards your annual goal: Track your commissions, premiums, or income so you always know how close you are to your target.
- Case count, policies, or households: Measure the volume that drives your business model.
- Your personal conversion rates: Track ratios like leads to appointments, appointments to applications, applications to issued and paid cases.
Step 3: Track production in accordance with MDRT’s verification guidelines
Keep production records aligned to the method you chose (commission or premium or income). Then, store supporting statements and reports that match your company’s certifying letter totals. Keep in mind that MDRT qualification is typically about what’s paid/credited during the production year. Therefore, numbers and accurate reports matter the most.
Step 4: Prepare your certifying letter process early
MDRT supports companies sending automatic certifying letters after year-end close, and notes “mid-January” as a good mailing target for companies doing automatic letters.
Therefore, identify who in your company is responsible for certifying letters and confirm whether your company sends automatic letters or you must request manual letters. Also, ensure they use the official MDRT certifying letter format.
Step 5: Close the year strong
The final quarter is often the make-or-break period for your MDRT qualification. Plan a focused Q4 strategy to convert pending opportunities into credited production before the calendar year closes.
Audit your production tracker weekly
Review your production and pipeline at least once a week. Confirm what’s already credited, what’s pending, and what’s at risk. With a weekly audit, you can spot shortfalls early and adjust your activity levels or case priorities accordingly.
Prioritise cases likely to be paid or credited before year-end
To ensure your efforts translate into credited production, focus your time and energy on applications that:
- Are already submitted or close to submission
- Have minimal underwriting complexity
- Can realistically be issued and paid within the remaining weeks of the year
Clear underwriting and requirements bottlenecks
Delayed underwriting can harm your year-end qualification. Therefore, proactively follow up on outstanding medical exams, financial requirements, or client documents. Then, coordinate closely with carriers and underwriters, and set clear deadlines with clients, to avoid last-minute stalls. Remove these bottlenecks and unlock production that’s already in your pipeline.
Step 6: Get your documents ready
MDRT applications normally open in January. Preparing for this ahead of time can save you weeks of unnecessary stress. Organising your documents early allows you to submit your application quickly and respond promptly to any verification requests.
To complete your MDRT application, make sure you have the following ready:
- Your application information includes your personal details, licensing information, and business affiliation as required in the MDRT application form.
- Your production totals, which is your clearly documented commission, premium, or income totals for the qualification year, aligning with MDRT’s eligibility rules and your chosen qualification method.
- Official certifying letters. You need at least one official MDRT certifying letter to verify your reported production numbers. These letters must:
- Follow the MDRT-approved format
- Be completed and signed by your company or authorised representative
- Accurately reflect your qualifying production for the year
Step 7: Pay fees and apply
After you have verified your production and prepared your documents, the final step is to complete your MDRT application and pay the application fees. Your application will only be processed after all verification materials are submitted and payment is completed.
Application Checklist
- Application submitted with the correct qualification method and level
- Certifying letter(s) uploaded or attached as required
- Dues paid for your selected level (Member / COT / TOT)
- Ethics agreement acknowledged
Step 8: Maintain eligibility and renew every year
MDRT membership is not permanent and must be earned annually. To remain a member, you must continue meeting production requirements and ethical standards each year. Plan to run the same disciplined process every year by focusing on the following:
- Track production consistently:
Monitor your commissions, premiums, or income throughout the year so there are no surprises at year-end. This helps you course-correct early if you fall behind target. - Keep documentation clean and organised:
Maintain accurate records of production, statements, and certifying documents. Clean documentation makes annual verification faster. - Stay compliant:
Follow the MDRT Code of Ethics and all applicable laws and regulations. Ethical lapses or compliance issues can put your membership at risk, regardless of production levels.
Re-qualifying for MDRT each year becomes easier when you build these habits into your daily and weekly workflow. Over time, consistency becomes your biggest advantage.
Use Privyr to achieve your MDRT target
Achieving MDRT production targets requires consistent tracking, disciplined follow-ups, and the ability to turn daily activity into sales production. If you’re managing your process manually, this approach becomes hard to scale or maintain over time.
As you contact more prospects, the risk of missing follow-ups, forgetting promising leads, and losing deals that could have been closed easily increases, often due to delayed responses. Even if you’re a strong seller, you can fall short of MDRT targets because your process doesn’t support consistent execution at scale.
This is where Privyr can help you. Privyr is a mobile CRM and follow-up system that can play a much bigger role in your sales process than just tracking numbers. It helps you sell better and follow up automatically by running automations, organising leads, reminding you exactly when to follow up, and showing where deals are stuck so you can take quick action.
Privyr automates routine tasks and keeps every opportunity visible, reducing leakage in your sales process and improving conversion. Instead of spending time chasing information or managing spreadsheets, you can now focus on conversations, relationships, and closing business.
Create a smoother, more predictable path to MDRT-level production with Privyr. Try Privyr for free today!
