To become an insurance agent and sell insurance in California, you need to get licensed. Our step-by-step guide offers detailed instructions for obtaining and maintaining your license. We’ve also included information on renewal and reciprocity so you’ll have everything you need to start an exciting new career as an insurance producer. Keep reading to learn details on the following steps.
- Determine which California insurance license you want
- Take the required pre-licensing education hours from an approved provider
- Register for and pass the state exam
- Submit application and background check
- Stay compliant and renew your license
Let’s get started
#1: Take an Approved California Insurance Pre-Licensing Course
California insurance license candidates must take a certain number of pre-licensing education hours from an approved provider before they can take the state exam. The number of required depends on which license(s) you’ll be testing and applying for.
- Property license candidates must take 20 hours of property pre-licensing education plus a state-approved 12-Hour California Ethics & Insurance Code course. (All-Lines offers this course.)
- Casualty license candidates must take 20 hours of casualty pre-licensing education plus a state-approved 12-Hour California Ethics & Insurance Code course.
- If you want to get a combined P&C license, you must take the 20 hours of property and the 20 hours of casualty pre-licensing courses. You must also take the 12-Hour California Ethics & Insurance Code course once.
Once you’ve completed your mandatory pre-licensing education, you can move on to the state exam.
#2: Register for and Pass the California Insurance State Exam
When you’re ready to take the exam, register through PSI. Make sure you register for the exam that corresponds to your pre-licensing education. Applicants may take one examination and apply for a Property and Casualty Broker-Agent license by selecting both the ‘Property Broker-Agent’ and the ‘Casualty Broker-Agent’ license types
Detailed information on PSI’s testing policies, procedures, and scoring methods is available on their website. After you pass your exam, you can apply for your California Insurance License.
#3 Apply for your California Insurance License
Apply for your California license online through Sircon or through the National Insurance Producer Registry.
#4: Get a Fingerprint Background Check
All unlicensed applicants are required to submit fingerprint impressions. If you’re a new license applicant, you must submit your fingerprints after filing your insurance license application with the California Department of Insurance, or soon after, to ensure the Department receives your fingerprint results promptly from the California DOJ and the FBI.
Detailed instructions on how to obtain and submit your fingerprints are available on CDI’s website.
#5: Complete California’s Continuing Education and License Renewal Requirements
Resident insurance producers are required to complete 24 hours of continuing education (CE) every two years. You cannot repeat the same course within a two-year period and receive continuing education credit.
- Three hours must be an Ethics course
You can renew your license through Sircon.
Additional Information for California Insurance Professionals
- Pre-licensing Course(s): Fees vary
- Application Fee: $188
- Exam Fee: $58
- Fingerprinting Fee: $59 with Accurate Biometrics or $68.95 with PSI
- Renewal Fee: $188
California Insurance License Reciprocity
Insurance agent and producer license reciprocity refers to a mutual agreement between states that says a producer holding a license in his or her home state can successfully apply for a license in another state without having to take that state’s exam or pre-licensing course.
As an insurance producer, you can apply for a reciprocal license in any other state as long as the license you are applying for covers the same lines of authority. So, if you hold a Personal Lines license, for example, you will not qualify for a General Lines reciprocal license.
Your home state license needs to be in good standing, and you will need to apply for the license, pay the fees, and register the licenses with NIPR. But holding multiple licenses will allow you to sell insurance policies across state lines, increasing your customer base and your income.
California Department of Insurance Contact Information
Website: https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/
Mailing Address:
California Department of Insurance
Producer Licensing Bureau
320 Capitol Mall
Sacramento, CA 95814
Phone: (800) 967-9331
Email: https://interactive.web.insurance.ca.gov/pli/servlet/InformationRequest
