How to get a Life-Only Agent license in California

California insurance agent licenses

California issues 5 insurance agent credentials. Each has its own section below; the table shows what each one covers and its headline requirements.

Applies to every license level

These rules are the same for several of the California insurance agent licenses on this page, so they are shown once here, with the licenses they apply to. Each license's own section lists only what differs.

1. Every license level (all 5)

Requirements

Minimum age

18 years old^818191620

Education or training

12 clock hours²
12 hours of study on ethics and the California Insurance Code, including 1 hour on insurance fraud. One course covers all of the property, casualty, life, accident and health and personal lines licenses. Certificates expire 3 years after course completion.²
Who may teach it: Course curriculum approved by the curriculum board and the Commissioner (approved education providers).²
Alternative: The former 20-hour line-specific prelicensing course was repealed effective January 1, 2026 (AB 943); only the 12-hour ethics course remains.²¹

Background check

Background check required⁴
Fingerprints required²²
CDI reviews California DOJ and FBI criminal records from your fingerprints. Disclose all convictions and discipline with a signed statement, certified court documents, the arrest report and any evidence of rehabilitation; failing to disclose accurately is the top reason for denial. People with felonies involving dishonesty or breach of trust, or convictions under 18 U.S.C. 1033, need the Commissioner's written consent.⁴

Residency or citizenship

California residency is not required; non-residents apply as non-resident producers.^818191620

Business requirements

An agency (business entity) needs its own license, filed on form LIC 441-11, with at least one California-resident licensee of the same type endorsed on it.¹⁶

Also required

You must hold a valid license to solicit, negotiate or effect insurance in California.¹

Also required

You must report background changes to CDI in writing within 30 days.⁴

Fees

Some lines are combined figures, or parts of one; do not add the lines up.

How to apply

1. Complete the 12-hour course on ethics and the California Insurance Code from an approved provider (one course covers all of these lines). Study the CDI exam objectives for your line.¹²
2. Schedule and pass the CDI license exam with PSI. From January 1, 2027 producer exams are in person only, at a PSI test center or the CDI Los Angeles site.¹²
3. After passing, apply online at Sircon and pay the $188 filing fee. Upload any background documents with the application.¹² sircon.com¹²
4. Get fingerprinted by Live Scan through CDI's vendor Capital Live Scan ($74) after filing, or soon after.²²
5. Track the application in CDI's Check License Application Status Service (CLASS).¹²

Apply online

sircon.com¹²

Processing time

CDI publishes a weekly status. For the week beginning November 2, 2026, staff were working on individual electronic applications received October 23, 2026. Background referrals: wait 45 days before asking for an update.⁴

Renewal

How often

Every 2 years^727282930

When it expires

The first license runs from the issue date to the last day of the same calendar month two years later. Licenses added later expire with the first one. CDI e-mails renewal notices about 60-90 days before expiry; you must renew whether or not you receive one.⁷

Renewal fee

$188⁵ (Two-year renewal)

Continuing education

At least 24 hours each renewal period^831191620

Approved courses

Courses must be approved by the Commissioner and taken from an approved CE provider; check credits and search providers through CDI's education status and provider search services.³²

Exemptions

Licensees aged 70+ with 30 continuous years in good standing in California are exempt, but not anyone first licensed on or after January 1, 2010.³³
Non-residents who meet their home state's CE requirements are exempt from California CE.¹⁶

Late renewal

Late renewal fee: $282³⁴ (renewal or reinstatement within one year after expiry ($188 renewal + 50% penalty))

If it expires

Renewal is late if any requirement, including CE, is not met by the expiry date. You can reinstate for up to one year after expiry by paying the renewal fee plus a 50% penalty, but you cannot transact until reinstated and all insurer appointments are canceled. After one year you must file a new application.³⁵
CDI suggests finishing CE at least 60 days before expiry so providers can report it; on-time online renewal opens 90 days before expiry.³⁵

Renew online

insurance.ca.gov³⁵

From another state

Military service members, veterans and spouses: If you are called to active duty, send CDI your orders. Renewal requirements are waived while you serve, and the license stays in force until the end of the license year in which you are released, but at least six months.³⁷

2. Every license level except Life-Only Agent and Accident and Health Agent

Requirements

Surety bond

$10,000²⁰ (Broker authority only)

How to apply

1. Before selling, an insurer must file an appointment for you (or a licensed agency must endorse you), or for broker authority you file the $10,000 broker bond. The license itself is issued without an appointment.²³

Renewal

Required topics

3 hours of ethics within the 24 hours, including 1 hour on insurance fraud³³¹⁶²⁰

3. Life-Only Agent and Accident and Health Agent

Requirements

Also required

Life and Accident & Health can be taken together as one combined exam (3 hours, 150 questions) and one application, for one $188 fee (the "full Life Agent" license).³⁸

4. Casualty Broker-Agent and Property Broker-Agent

Requirements

Also required

Property and Casualty can be applied for together (combined exam 3 hours, 150 questions) for one $188 filing fee.²⁶

Who needs a Life-Only Agent license

Life insurance on human lives, including endowment and annuity benefits; may include accidental death or dismemberment and disability income benefits.¹³

Requirements for a Life-Only Agent license

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 and group 3 under Applies to every license level.

Exam

California Life license examination³
Given by: PSI Services LLC (PSI)⁹
Passing score: 60 percent³
When you can take it: Resident applicants take and pass the exam before filing the license application. CDI says to complete the 12-hour ethics and Insurance Code course as part of preparing for the exam; the statute makes it a requirement for the license.¹⁶
Life: time allowed and number of questions as listed by CDI³
Time limit: Applications, examination results and fingerprints expire one year after submission.⁴
Exam waived: Non-residents do not take the exam unless their home state, commonwealth or Canadian province has no reciprocal agreement to waive it.¹⁶

Renewal and continuing education

Required topics

3 hours of ethics within the 24 hours, including 1 hour on insurance fraud³¹
Annuities: an initial 8-hour annuity course before selling annuities, then 4 hours of annuity training before each renewal (counts toward the 24 hours for residents).³⁹

Accident and Health Agent

Insurance for sickness, bodily injury or accidental death, which may include disability income benefits; also authorizes 24-hour care coverage after the required course.¹¹

Requirements

Exam

California Accident & Health or Sickness license examination³
Given by: PSI Services LLC (PSI)⁹
Passing score: 60 percent³
When you can take it: Resident applicants take and pass the exam before filing the license application. CDI says to complete the 12-hour ethics and Insurance Code course as part of preparing for the exam; the statute makes it a requirement for the license.¹⁶
Accident & Health or Sickness: time allowed and number of questions as listed by CDI³
Time limit: Applications, examination results and fingerprints expire one year after submission.⁴
Exam waived: Non-residents do not take the exam unless their home state, commonwealth or Canadian province has no reciprocal agreement to waive it.¹⁶

Renewal

Required topics

3 hours of ethics within the 24 hours, including 1 hour on insurance fraud³¹
Long-term care: 8 hours of LTC training in each of the first four 12-month periods you sell LTC, then 8 hours before each renewal (counts toward the 24 hours for residents). Partnership LTC sellers need an extra 8 hours of live-classroom Partnership training.³²
24-hour care coverage: a workers' compensation and employer liability course, finished by an approved proctored exam, before selling 24-hour care coverage.³¹

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 and group 3 under Applies to every license level.

Casualty Broker-Agent

Insurance against legal liability, including for death, injury, disability or damage to real or personal property, acting as agent, broker or solicitor depending on the documents filed.¹⁴

Requirements

Exam

California Casualty license examination³
Given by: PSI Services LLC (PSI)⁹
Passing score: 60 percent³
When you can take it: Resident applicants take and pass the exam before filing the license application. CDI says to complete the 12-hour ethics and Insurance Code course as part of preparing for the exam; the statute makes it a requirement for the license.¹⁶
Casualty: time allowed and number of questions as listed by CDI³
Time limit: Applications, examination results and fingerprints expire one year after submission.⁴
Exam waived: Non-residents do not take the exam unless their home state, commonwealth or Canadian province has no reciprocal agreement to waive it.¹⁶

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1, group 2 and group 4 under Applies to every license level.

Personal Lines Broker-Agent

Personal lines only: automobile (including non-commercial recreational vehicles), personal watercraft, residential property (including earthquake and flood), inland marine on personal property, and umbrella or excess liability written over those policies.¹⁵

Requirements

Exam

California Personal Lines license examination³
Given by: PSI Services LLC (PSI)⁹
Passing score: 60 percent³
When you can take it: Resident applicants take and pass the exam before filing the license application. CDI says to complete the 12-hour ethics and Insurance Code course as part of preparing for the exam; the statute makes it a requirement for the license.¹⁶
Personal Lines: time allowed and number of questions as listed by CDI³
Time limit: Applications, examination results and fingerprints expire one year after submission.⁴
Exam waived: Non-residents do not take the exam unless their home state, commonwealth or Canadian province has no reciprocal agreement to waive it.¹⁶

Also required

A Personal Lines licensee who later wants a full Property or Casualty license must file an application on the Commissioner's form, complete the prelicensing education in Ins. Code 1749 and pass that qualifying exam.¹⁵

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1 and group 2 under Applies to every license level.

Property Broker-Agent

Insurance on direct or consequential loss of or damage to property of every kind, acting as agent, broker or solicitor depending on the documents filed.¹⁷

Requirements

Exam

California Property license examination³
Given by: PSI Services LLC (PSI)⁹
Passing score: 60 percent³
When you can take it: Resident applicants take and pass the exam before filing the license application. CDI says to complete the 12-hour ethics and Insurance Code course as part of preparing for the exam; the statute makes it a requirement for the license.¹⁶
Property: time allowed and number of questions as listed by CDI³
Time limit: Applications, examination results and fingerprints expire one year after submission.⁴
Exam waived: Non-residents do not take the exam unless their home state, commonwealth or Canadian province has no reciprocal agreement to waive it.¹⁶

More rules for this license are shared with other levels: group 1, group 2 and group 4 under Applies to every license level.

Check a license or report a problem

Before you hire an insurance agent in California, you can confirm the license is current on the board's own search. Every board we cover in California is on the California license lookup page.

Look up a license

insurance.ca.gov⁴⁰

Laws and rules

The requirements above come from these laws and board rules.

• Cal. Ins. Code 1631
• Cal. Ins. Code 1749
• Cal. Ins. Code 1749.33
• Cal. Ins. Code 1630
• Cal. Ins. Code 1718
• Cal. Ins. Code 1638.5
• Cal. Ins. Code 1639
• Cal. Ins. Code 1750
• Cal. Ins. Code 1751
• Cal. Ins. Code 12978
• Cal. Ins. Code 1751.5
• Cal. Ins. Code 1704
• Cal. Ins. Code 1626
• Cal. Ins. Code 1749.8
• Cal. Ins. Code 1749.3
• Cal. Ins. Code 1625
• Cal. Ins. Code 1625.5

Rule changes since January 2024

• January 1, 2027: Remote online proctored producer exams end; producer exams must be taken in person (no new remote bookings from November 6, 2026).⁴¹
• January 1, 2026: AB 943 repealed the 20-hour line-specific prelicensing course; the 12-hour ethics and Insurance Code course remains.²¹

Common questions

Insurance agent licenses in other states

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