If you plan to sell life insurance in California, you need a California Life insurance license. California refers to this authority as the Life Agent license and requires applicants to pass the applicable licensing exam and complete the required 12-hour Ethics & California Insurance Code course before the license can be issued.
This guide explains what the California Life insurance license allows you to sell, how to prepare for the licensing exam, the required 12-hour course, and the steps to become licensed.
For the complete licensing process, including application, fingerprinting, fees, and other state requirements, review our California Insurance License Requirements page.
What Is the California Life Insurance License?
The California Life insurance license authorizes an agent to transact insurance on human lives, endowments, and annuities. Life policies may also include certain accidental death, dismemberment, and disability income benefits.
Life insurance products may include:
- Term life insurance
- Whole life insurance
- Universal life insurance
- Annuities
- Life policies with certain accident or disability income benefits
Additional authority or training may apply to certain products. For example, California requires specific annuity training before a Life agent may sell annuities to individual consumers.
Unlike agents who obtain both Life and Accident and Health or Sickness authority, a Life-only agent does not have broad authority to sell health insurance products. Review our California Life and Health Insurance License Guide if you plan to work across both lines.
California Life Insurance Exam
California applicants must pass the Life licensing examination administered by PSI.
The exam covers the insurance concepts and California-specific laws and regulations identified in the California Department of Insurance Life License Examination Objectives. California no longer requires the former product-specific pre-licensing education before applicants take the Life exam.
Exam preparation is separate from the state’s required 12-hour Ethics & California Insurance Code course. A state-specific exam prep course can help you learn the concepts tested on the licensing exam and practice applying them to exam-style questions.
Required 12-Hour Ethics & California Insurance Code Course
California requires Life license applicants to complete a 12-hour Ethics & California Insurance Code course that includes one hour of insurance fraud instruction. The course must be completed before the Life license can be issued.
The 12-hour course is separate from Life insurance exam preparation. It does not have to be completed before taking the licensing exam, although California recommends studying the material as part of exam preparation.
If you later apply for another California license type covered by the same requirement, you do not need to repeat the 12-hour Ethics & California Insurance Code course.
What California Life Insurance Exam Prep Covers
California Life exam preparation should follow the California Department of Insurance examination objectives for the Life Agent license.
Topics include:
- Life insurance fundamentals
- Policy provisions and riders
- Beneficiary designations
- Life insurance policy types
- Annuities
- California insurance laws and regulations
- Agent responsibilities and consumer protections
Our California Life exam prep also includes exam-style practice questions and timed practice exams to reinforce the material and help you determine when you are ready for the state licensing exam.
How Long Should You Prepare for the California Life Insurance Exam?
Many applicants prepare for the California Life insurance exam within one to three weeks when studying regularly.
Rather than scheduling the state exam based only on the number of days you have studied, use your understanding of the material and performance on comprehensive practice exams to determine when you are ready to test.
How to Get a California Life Insurance License
The licensing process includes these steps:
- Prepare for the California Life licensing exam
- Schedule and pass the Life licensing exam through PSI
- Complete the required 12-hour Ethics & California Insurance Code course before license issuance
- Submit the insurance license application
- Submit fingerprints after filing the application, or soon afterward
- Receive approval from the California Department of Insurance
California’s current Life Agent application instructions place the license application before fingerprint submission and direct new applicants to submit fingerprints after filing the application or soon afterward.
For detailed application, fingerprinting, fees, and licensing instructions, use the California License Requirements button at the top of this guide.
Choosing California Life Insurance Exam Prep
California no longer requires product-specific pre-licensing education before the Life exam, so exam preparation should be evaluated based on how effectively it prepares you for the state examination.
Look for California-specific instruction, exam-style practice questions, timed practice exams, detailed answer reviews, and progress tracking that helps you evaluate your preparation over time.
National Online Insurance School’s California Life exam prep includes the required 12-hour Ethics & California Insurance Code course within the same enrollment, allowing you to prepare for the licensing exam and complete the state education requirement together.
Frequently Asked Questions
What can you sell with a California Life insurance license?
A California Life Agent may transact life insurance, endowments, and annuities, along with certain accidental death, dismemberment, and disability income benefits associated with life policies. Additional training or authority may apply to particular products.
Is pre-licensing education required for a California Life insurance license?
California no longer requires the former product-specific pre-licensing education before taking the Life licensing exam. The required 12-hour Ethics & California Insurance Code course must still be completed before the license can be issued.
Do you have to complete the 12-hour course before taking the Life exam?
No. California does not require the 12-hour Ethics & California Insurance Code course to be completed before the licensing examination, but it must be completed before the Life license can be issued.
Can a California Life agent sell health insurance?
A Life Agent license does not provide broad Accident and Health or Sickness authority. Agents who plan to sell health insurance products need the appropriate Accident and Health or Sickness authority.
Can a California Life agent sell annuities?
Yes. The Life Agent authority includes annuities, but California requires additional annuity training before a Life agent may sell annuities to individual consumers.
Do you need another 12-hour Ethics course if you later add Health authority?
No. California requires the 12-hour Ethics & California Insurance Code course only once when an applicant seeks multiple license types covered by the requirement.
Next Steps
If you plan to become a Life insurance agent in California, the next step is preparing for the Life licensing exam and completing the required 12-hour Ethics & California Insurance Code course.
Review our California Life Insurance Exam Prep to begin preparing for the state exam and complete the required 12-hour course.
