California Insurance Producer License: Requirements, Cost & How to Apply (2026)

California Department of Insurance

California Department of Insurance

California Department of Insurance

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

Open the official agency page

https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0050-renew-license/0200-requirements/life-agent/index.cfm

filing their new license application

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

18 years old

18

Minimum Age: 18 years

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

12 hours

12

12 Hours of Study on Ethics and the California Insurance Code

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

Effective January 1, 2026, the insurance license applicants who will no longer be required to complete this requirement include property, casualty, personal lines, commercial lines, limited lines automobile, life, and accident and health or sickness license applicants. However, the 12-hour ethics course must be completed before the individual’s license can be issued.

Complete the 12-hour ethics and California Insurance Code course before license issuance. Line-specific 20-hour prelicensing requirements ended January 1, 2026.

Effective January 1, 2026, the insurance license applicants who will no longer be required to complete this requirement include property, casualty, personal lines, commercial lines, limited lines automobile, life, and accident and health or sickness license applicants. However, the 12-hour ethics course must be completed before the individual’s license can be issued.

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

A combined full life-agent examination is available for life-only plus accident and health authority.

A combined full life-agent examination is available for life-only plus accident and health authority.

Applicants may take one examination and apply for a "full Life Agent" license

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

A casualty broker-agent acting as an insurance broker must file a $10,000 insurance broker bond.

A casualty broker-agent acting as an insurance broker must file a $10,000 insurance broker bond.

A $10,000 Bond of Insurance Broker, Form LIC 417-5, authorizes the licensee to act as an insurance broker.

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

$188

188

$188

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

$55

55

$55

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

2 years

2

licenses are issued for two year terms

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

The term of the first license begins the date the license is issued and expires the last day of that same calendar month two years later. Any additional licenses issued at a later date will expire at the same time as the initial license.

the term of the first license begins the date the license is issued and expires the last day of that same calendar month two years later. Any additional licenses issued at a later date will expire at the same time as the initial license. Applies to: Life-agent licenses; additional licenses share the original expiration.

the term of the first license begins the date the license is issued and expires the last day of that same calendar month two years later. Any additional licenses issued at a later date will expire at the same time as the initial license.

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

24 hours

24

24 hours of instruction during each two-year license period

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

At least three (3) hours of ethics training

At least 3 ethics hours within the two-year CE requirement.

at least three (3) hours of ethics training

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

The published filing and exam fees are $188 and $55 for life/health and for property/casualty; these are separate license groupings.

The published filing and exam fees are $188 and $55 for life/health and for property/casualty; these are separate license groupings.

Life Agent – Life-Only Agent (LO), Accident and Health Agent (AH) | $188 | $188 | $282 | $55 Property and Casualty Broker-Agent - Property Broker-Agent (PR) and Casualty Broker-Agent (CA) | $188 | $188 | $282 | $55

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

Renew their license online by following the prompts

Renewal instructions and Sircon link: https://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0050-renew-license/0200-requirements/Life/renewal.cfm

renew their license online by following the prompts

Last verified Oct 25, 2026

Agents moving to California may receive an examination waiver if licensed in good standing in another state and already holding a California nonresident license. They must complete the 12-hour California Code and Ethics course and apply within 90 days after canceling the former resident license.

Agents moving to California may receive an examination waiver if licensed in good standing in another state and already holding a California nonresident license. They must complete the 12-hour California Code and Ethics course and apply within 90 days after canceling the former resident license.

Section 1675 of the CIC allows licensed agents in good standing in another state, who move to California, to waive the examination requirement as a condition to obtaining a California resident license. To qualify for the waiver, the agent or broker must hold a non-resident license in California. However, agents and brokers currently licensed as non-residents who move to California must still complete the 12-hour California Code and Ethics course before the license can be issued. The agent must apply for the resident license within 90 days of canceling the license in their previous home state.

Last verified Oct 25, 2026