How to get an insurance license in California

A resident California license requires a 12-hour ethics and Insurance Code course, a passing PSI exam, an online application and Live Scan fingerprints.¹²³ To act for an insurer, you also need its appointment.⁴

As of October 2026, the exam fee is $55, the application fee is $188 and the fingerprint fee is $74.⁵³ Since January 1, 2026, the separate 20 hours of prelicensing study isn’t required.⁶⁷⁸ This page covers the resident Property and Casualty, Life-Only and Accident and Health licenses.

At a glance

Item	Detail
P&C licenses	Property Broker-Agent and Casualty Broker-Agent; check both for a Property and Casualty Broker-Agent license59
Life and A&H licenses	Life-Only Agent and Accident and Health Agent; check both for a “full Life Agent” license510
Minimum age	181112
Prelicensing education	12 hours of ethics and California Insurance Code study, taken once7
Exam vendor	PSI Services LLC113
P&C exam	Property and Casualty, 150 questions1413
Life and A&H exam	Life, Accident and Health or Sickness, 150 questions1413
Time for each	195 minutes in PSI’s bulletin; CDI’s chart says 3 hours (see below)1314
Passing score	60 percent1413
Exam fee	$55, as of October 2026, plus $43 at PSI sites or online5151617
Fingerprints	Live Scan through Capital Live Scan; $74, as of October 20263
Application	Online through Sircon or NIPR18
Application fee	$188, as of October 2026; one fee covers both P&C types, or Life and A&H, on one application5919
Continuing education	24 hours each two-year term, including 3 hours of ethics112021

The steps in order

The first five steps follow CDI’s resident application pages; the sixth comes from the Insurance Code.¹²⁴

1. Take the 12-hour ethics and Insurance Code course. You can take the exam first, but finish the course before your license is issued.²²¹³
2. Schedule and pass the PSI exam, online or by phone at (833) 518-7456.¹
3. Apply online after you pass.¹²
4. Get Live Scan fingerprints soon after you file your application.³ Two CDI documents say before; see below.⁸²²
5. Check your status on CDI’s CLASS service, starting 10 days after you apply.²
6. Get appointed by an insurer before you act as its agent.⁴

Prelicensing education

California requires 12 hours of study on ethics and the California Insurance Code, including one hour on insurance fraud.⁷ If you apply for more than one of these licenses, you take it once.⁷

Take an approved course, online or in a classroom; CDI links to its list of approved providers.¹³ Your certificate of completion expires three years after you finish, whether or not a license is issued.⁷

Assembly Bill 943 (Chapter 566, Statutes of 2025) removed the 20 hours of prelicensing study that applicants previously needed.⁶ The change took effect January 1, 2026, for property, casualty, life, and accident and health applicants, among others.⁸⁷ CDI encourages you to study its License Examination Objectives for your exam.²²

The exam

PSI runs the exams at its sites, at CDI’s Los Angeles test center and online with a remote proctor.¹³

• One exam for two licenses: Checking both Property and Casualty means one exam and one filing fee.⁹ The same goes for Life-Only and Accident and Health.¹⁰²³
• Questions: 150 on each combined exam and 75 on each single-line exam.¹⁴¹³
• Unscored questions: One to ten experimental questions may be added; they aren’t scored but count against your time.¹³
• Passing score: 60 percent.¹⁴¹³
• Fee: $55, as of October 2026.⁵ PSI lists a $55 retake fee for exams at CDI’s site.¹⁵¹⁶
• Convenience fee: $43 extra at PSI sites and for remote exams, as of October 2026, but not at CDI’s Los Angeles center.¹⁷¹³²⁴
• Your details: Use the same Social Security number and date of birth with PSI and on your license application.²⁴
• ID: Bring one valid government-issued ID with your photo and signature, matching your registration name.¹³
• Timing: Arrive at least 30 minutes early; late arrivals forfeit the fee.¹³ Cancel at least two business days ahead to keep your fee.¹³
• Retakes: You can sit at most 10 exams of the same type in 12 months; after the tenth, you wait 12 months.²⁵
• Shelf life: CDI can issue your license only if you passed within the 12 months before issue.²³

Fingerprints

All unlicensed applicants must submit fingerprints.³ You register, pay and book with CDI’s vendor, Capital Live Scan, through ApplicantServices.com/CADOI.³

Your prints go electronically to the California Department of Justice (DOJ) and the FBI.³ As of October 2026, the fee is $74: $17 for the FBI, $32 for DOJ and $25 for Capital Live Scan.³ Bring your Payment ID or QR code and your government-issued ID.³¹³

Keep your copy of the Request for Live Scan Service form, BCIA 8016; you don’t have to send it to CDI.¹³ Your license can’t be issued until the fingerprint requirement is met.³ If it isn’t issued within 12 months of fingerprinting, you need new prints.³

The application

After you pass, apply online through Sircon or NIPR; CDI requires electronic applications.¹¹⁸ An application isn’t treated as filed until it’s submitted electronically and the fee is paid.²⁶

As of October 2026, the filing fee is $188 for each of these licenses, single or combined.⁵ Check both Property and Casualty, or both Life and Accident and Health, on one application to pay one fee.⁹¹⁹ Adding Accident and Health to a Life license later costs another $188, as of October 2026, and filing fees aren’t refundable.¹⁹⁵

Answer the background questions truthfully and completely.²⁷ Disclose all convictions other than juvenile offenses, however old, even if dismissed under Penal Code section 1203.4.²⁷ Failing to disclose all convictions is grounds for denial.²⁷

Send any required documents through Sircon or NIPR’s Attachments Warehouse, or by mail.¹ If your background information changes after you apply, tell CDI in writing within 30 days of learning of it.²⁸

After you’re licensed

Your license expires two years after it’s issued, on the last day of that calendar month.²⁹

You can’t act as an insurer’s agent until that insurer files a notice of appointment with CDI.⁴ The insurer submits it with a $32 filing fee, as of October 2026.¹¹⁵

Each two-year term, you need 24 hours of continuing education, including 3 hours of ethics with one hour on insurance fraud.¹¹²⁰²¹ To sell annuities on a Life license, you need an 8-hour annuity course first, then 4 hours within your CE before each renewal.¹⁹ As of October 2026, renewal costs $188, or $282 if late.⁵

Where the sources differ

• Fingerprint timing: CDI’s fingerprint page, its application steps and the March 2026 bulletin say after you apply.³¹²¹³ CDI’s November 2025 AB 943 notice and its AB 943 FAQ say before.⁸²² Follow the fingerprint page, which is CDI’s page on the requirement. If you’re unsure, call CDI’s Licensing Hotline at (800) 967-9331.³
• Exam time: CDI’s chart gives each combined exam 3 hours and each single-line exam 1.5 hours.¹⁴ The bulletin, revised March 2026, gives 195 minutes combined, 98 for Property or Casualty, and 105 for Life or A&H.¹³ Follow the bulletin: the undated chart itself refers you to it.¹⁴
• Old prelicensing form: CDI’s resident license page still links Form LIC 446-8 (Rev 1/2023), which predates AB 943 and lists 20 or 40 hours.³⁰³¹⁶ Follow amended section 1749: these licenses now need only the 12-hour course.⁷⁸

StudyWren is an independent study tool and isn’t affiliated with the California Department of Insurance, PSI or any insurer.

Sources

1. California Department of Insurance, “Application Procedures-Individual Residents,” Property section (no revision date shown). https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0050-renew-license/0200-requirements/property/app-proc-ind-res.cfm Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

2. California Department of Insurance, “Application Procedures-Individual Residents,” Life-Only section (no revision date shown). https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0050-renew-license/0200-requirements/Life/app-proc-ind-res.cfm Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

3. California Department of Insurance, “California Resident Licensing Fingerprint Requirements” (no revision date shown). https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0200-prod-licensing/0100-applicant-info/0300-ca-fingerprint/index.cfm Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³

4. California Insurance Code section 1704(a) (last amended by Stats. 2012, ch. 786, effective 2013-01-01), California Legislative Information. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=1704.&lawCode=INS Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

5. California Department of Insurance, “Licensing Fees,” Insurance License Fees & Schedule of Fees & Charges (effective 2019-03-03). https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0045-lic-fees/ Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰

6. California Legislative Information, “AB-943 Insurance agents: prelicensing education. (2025-2026),” bill text, chaptered version (Chapter 566, Statutes of 2025; approved by the Governor and filed with the Secretary of State 2025-10-10). https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202520260AB943 Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩² ↩³

7. California Insurance Code section 1749(a)(1) and (c) (last amended by Stats. 2025, ch. 566, sec. 5 (AB 943), effective 2026-01-01), California Legislative Information. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=1749.&lawCode=INS Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷

8. California Department of Insurance, “New Law Repeals the 20-Hour Prelicensing Requirements for Insurance Producers,” notice (PDF, dated 2025-11-10; file last modified 2025-11-12). https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0110-whats-new/upload/Notice1110253redo22.pdf Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵

9. California Department of Insurance, “Property and Casualty Broker-Agent” (no revision date shown). https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0050-renew-license/0200-requirements/property/fire-casualty.cfm Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

10. California Department of Insurance, “Life Agent” (no revision date shown). https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0050-renew-license/0200-requirements/life-agent/index.cfm Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩²

11. California Department of Insurance, “Qualifications,” Property section (no revision date shown). https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0050-renew-license/0200-requirements/property/quals.cfm Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

12. California Department of Insurance, “Qualifications,” Life-Only section (no revision date shown). https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0050-renew-license/0200-requirements/Life/quals.cfm Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩

13. PSI Services LLC and California Department of Insurance, “Candidate Information Bulletin for California Insurance License Examinees” (PDF; page footers “Revised March 2026”, p. 3 “Revised February 2026”; file last modified 2026-03-12). https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0020-apply-license/0100-indiv-resident/upload/CA-State-License-Board3.pdf Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸ ↩⁹ ↩¹⁰ ↩¹¹ ↩¹² ↩¹³ ↩¹⁴ ↩¹⁵ ↩¹⁶ ↩¹⁷ ↩¹⁸ ↩¹⁹

14. California Department of Insurance, “Examinations: Time Limit and Number of Questions” (no revision date shown). https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0010-producer-online-services/0200-exam-info/ExamTimesandQuestion.cfm Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴ ↩⁵ ↩⁶ ↩⁷ ↩⁸

15. PSI Services LLC, “CDI Site - Property and Casualty Examination,” test details (no revision date shown). https://test-takers.psiexams.com/cadi/test/QXGUBW7Z Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩²

16. PSI Services LLC, “CDI Site - Life, Accident and Health or Sickness Examination,” test details (no revision date shown). https://test-takers.psiexams.com/cadi/test/SBFGKLVH Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩²

17. California Department of Insurance, “Insurance License Exam Info” (no revision date shown). https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0010-producer-online-services/0200-exam-info/index.cfm Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩²

18. California Department of Insurance, “Online Application” (no revision date shown). https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0010-producer-online-services/0100-flash/index.cfm Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩²

19. California Department of Insurance, “Life Agent and Accident and Health or Sickness Agent Frequently Asked Questions” (no revision date shown). https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0200-prod-licensing/0400-other-info/0800-questions-answers/lo-ahfaq.cfm Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

20. California Insurance Code section 1749.3(a) (last amended by Stats. 2022, ch. 424, effective 2023-01-01), California Legislative Information. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=1749.3.&lawCode=INS Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩²

21. California Insurance Code section 1749.33(a)–(c) (last amended by Stats. 2025, ch. 566 (AB 943), effective 2026-01-01), California Legislative Information. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=1749.33.&lawCode=INS Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩²

22. California Department of Insurance, “12 Hours of Ethics and California Insurance Code – Frequently Asked Questions” (no revision date shown). https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0030-seek-pre-lic/0400-prelicensing-faq/0100-12-hours-of-ethics-california-insurance-code-frequent-questions/index.cfm Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩² ↩³ ↩⁴

23. California Insurance Code section 1676(a) and (b) (last amended by Stats. 2020, ch. 184, effective 2021-01-01), California Legislative Information. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=1676.&lawCode=INS Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩²

24. PSI Services LLC, “Insurance exams offered for California Department of Insurance,” program overview (no revision date shown). https://test-takers.psiexams.com/cadi Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩²

25. California Insurance Code section 1682(a) (last amended by Stats. 2020, ch. 184, effective 2021-01-01), California Legislative Information. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=1682.&lawCode=INS Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩

26. California Insurance Code section 1655 (last amended by Stats. 2009, ch. 254, effective 2010-01-01), California Legislative Information. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=1655.&lawCode=INS Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩

27. California Department of Insurance, “Applying for a License” (no revision date shown). https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0020-apply-license/ Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩ ↩² ↩³

28. California Insurance Code section 1729.2(a) and (d) (last amended by Stats. 2025, ch. 558 (AB 487), effective 2026-01-01), California Legislative Information. https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/codes_displaySection.xhtml?sectionNum=1729.2.&lawCode=INS Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩

29. California Department of Insurance, “License Term,” Property section (no revision date shown). https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0050-renew-license/0200-requirements/property/term.cfm Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩

30. California Department of Insurance, “Individual Resident License” (no revision date shown). https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0020-apply-license/0100-indiv-resident/index.cfm Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩

31. California Department of Insurance, “Prelicensing Program Requirements,” Form LIC 446-8 (PDF, Rev 1/2023; file last modified 2023-01-12). https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0040-seek-producer-forms/0100-broker-agents/upload/Form-LIC-446-8.pdf Accessed 2026-10-25. ↩