Getting A California Life Insurance License: A Step-By-Step Guide

If you're looking to become a life insurance agent in California, you'll need to get a life insurance license. The process is relatively straightforward and can be completed in a few weeks. Here's a step-by-step guide to obtaining your California life insurance license and starting your career as an insurance agent.

Complete a pre-licensing course

To obtain a California life insurance license, you must complete a pre-licensing course. This is the first step in the process and will give you the knowledge you need to pass the state licensing exam.

California requires 20 hours of life insurance pre-licensing education, as well as 12 hours of ethics and California Insurance Code training, to satisfy the state's 32-hour pre-licensing education requirement. Pre-licensing education courses are self-paced and include study materials like practice exams and flashcards.

Kaplan is a popular choice for pre-licensing courses, with over 81% of readers of one source using their online courses, which come with a 93% pass rate. Their courses cover:

• Ethics and California Insurance Code: 12 Hours
• Accident and Health: 20 Hours
• Life / Accident & Health: 40 Hours
• Property and Casualty: 40 Hours
• Personal Lines: 20 Hours

Other providers of pre-licensing courses include the National Online Insurance School and A.D. Banker. After completing the pre-licensing course, you will be issued a Certificate of Completion, which is valid for three years and must be submitted to the California Department of Insurance (CDI) upon request.

Get fingerprinted

The State of California and the California Department of Insurance (CDI) require fingerprint impressions from all unlicensed applicants. This is to ensure that applicants do not have a criminal or social services background that would prevent them from becoming a licensed insurance agent.

You can complete this step before the exam with CDI's vendor Accurate Biometrics, or at a PSI test centre. The total processing fee for Accurate Biometrics is $118, including a $59 service fee, a $17 FBI processing fee, a $32 Department of Justice processing fee, and a $10 CDI contractor rolling fee. The total processing fee for PSI's fingerprint impressions is $68.95, including the $17 FBI processing fee, the $32 Department of Justice processing fee, and a $19.95 CDI contractor rolling fee charged at PSI's test centres.

To get fingerprinted, you must pay the applicable fees and follow these steps:

• Complete the Request for Live Scan Service (Form BCIA 8016) and print the Licensing Applicant Instructions (Form LIC 442-39A).
• Take your completed Request for Live Scan Service form to an authorized live scan fingerprint vendor.
• Complete the fingerprint impressions.
• Keep a copy of your completed Request for Live Scan Service form for your records. Give the copy of the form to the live scan service vendor that’ll provide you with the Automated Transaction Identifier (ATI) number assigned to your fingerprint impressions. If your fingerprint impressions are rejected, the ATI number will allow for you to have your fingerprint impressions redone at no charge.

You should also be aware that if you have already submitted electronic fingerprints within the past 12 months for a previous insurance exam, you may not be required to submit a new set of fingerprints.

Pass the California Life Insurance Licensing Exam

The California Life Insurance Licensing Exam is administered by PSI Exams and contains a total of 75 scored questions across two sections: general and state-specific. The general section covers basic life insurance product knowledge, while the state-specific section deals with insurance concepts, rules, regulations, and practices unique to California.

To pass the exam, you need to score at least 60%. You will have 105 minutes to complete it. The exam fee is $88, which must be paid at the time of reservation by credit or debit card, voucher, or electronic check. It is a proctored exam, meaning an official proctor will closely monitor you in a controlled environment.

You can take the exam either at a PSI testing center or remotely online. If you opt for the PSI testing center, you will have to pay an additional provider fee. The exam times are typically available in the morning, afternoon, and early evening on weekdays at various locations across California.

It is important to arrive at least 30 minutes before your scheduled appointment to allow time for check-in procedures. If you arrive late, you will not be permitted to take the exam and will forfeit your exam fee.

If you fail the exam, you can retake it as soon as 24 hours after your first attempt. However, you are only allowed to retake the same exam up to 10 times within a 12-month period. If you exceed this limit, the California Department of Insurance (CDI) will ban you from retaking the exam for a year from the date of your last failed attempt.

To increase your chances of passing on the first try, it is highly recommended that you complete a pre-license education course, which provides specific industry knowledge that will be tested during the exam. These courses are self-paced and often include study materials like practice exams and flashcards.

Kaplan is a popular choice for pre-license education, with an impressive 93% pass rate among its students. Their courses cover the required pre-licensing education hours: 20 hours of life insurance pre-licensing education and 12 hours of ethics and California Insurance Code, totaling 32 hours.

Other providers, such as A.D. Banker and National Online Insurance School, also offer pre-licensing courses that can help you prepare for the exam effectively.

Complete a California Life Insurance License Application

To complete a California Life Insurance License Application, you must follow these steps:

Step 1: Choose your application method

You can apply for your California Life Insurance License through the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) or Sircon. The application fee is $188 for both options, but NIPR charges an additional $5.60 transaction fee, whereas Sircon does not charge a service fee.

Step 2: Submit your application

You can submit your application to the NIPR's Attachment Warehouse or the California Department of Insurance by mail. The address is:

> California Department of Insurance

> Producer Licensing Bureau

> 320 Capitol Mall

> Sacramento, CA 95814

Step 3: Wait for your results

The CDI will review your application and background check. This process usually takes two to three weeks from the date you send your application.

Step 4: Print your license

You can print your license from the Sircon or NIPR websites. Sircon charges a $5.60 fee to print a license.

Step 5: Check your application status

You can check the status of your license application by visiting the CDI Check License Application Status Service (CLASS) page.

Watch for your application results

After you've completed the previous four steps, the California Department of Insurance (CDI) will review your application and background check. The CDI reviews filings in the order they are received, and this process usually takes two to three weeks from the date you send your application.

You can check the status of your license application by visiting the CDI Check License Application Status Service (CLASS) page. If your application is approved, you will receive an email that includes a link to the Department's website, where you can view and print your insurance license.

You can print your license from the Sircon or NIPR websites, although Sircon charges a $5.60 fee for this service.

You are required to complete your application and fingerprints, and receive your insurance license from the Department of Insurance within 12 months of passing your state licensing exam.

Frequently asked questions