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Life insurance license — California

What it costs, how long it takes, and every step in order. This page is one of fifty; the structure is identical for every state so you can compare them side by side.

California requires 52 hours of pre-licensing education before you can sit the exam — 20 hours of life, 20 of accident and health, and 12 of ethics and code. That requirement is what makes California one of the slower states to get licensed in.

Plan four to six weeks. The coursework is the long pole, not the exam.

The steps, in order

  1. Complete 52 hours of pre-licensing education with a CDI-approved provider. Keep the certificate — you'll need the number.
  2. Submit the license application through Sircon or NIPR before scheduling the exam.
  3. Get live-scanned. California uses live scan rather than card-based fingerprinting.
  4. Schedule with PSI and sit the exam. 60% to pass.
  5. Wait for the license to issue, then get appointed by your carrier or IMO.

What it costs

| Item | Cost | Paid to | | --- | --- | --- | | Pre-licensing course | $130–300 | Approved provider | | Exam | $64 | PSI | | Live scan | ~$70 | Scan location | | License application | $188 | CDI |

Figures change. Confirm current amounts with the California Department of Insurance before you pay anything.

What's on the exam

The California exam leans harder on state code than most. The ethics and code hours you sat through are not filler — a meaningful block of the exam comes straight from them.

After you're licensed

24 hours of continuing education every two years, including 3 hours of ethics. Renewal is biennial.

Exam prep is inside

A California-specific question bank, the sections that fail most candidates, and a study plan that fits around a job you still have.

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