California- Market Conduct and Agent Blunders

• Fire and Casualty Broker-Agent

  • 24 CE hours, including 4 hours of ethics, are required every 2 year license term regardless of years licensed.

• Life Only Agents and/or Accident and Health Agents

  • Complete a minimum of 24 approved credit hours for that license type per each two-year license term, including four hours of ethics continuing education training. If the licensee solicits individuals for the sale of long-term care (LTC) insurance, beginning with the 12-month period ending in 1994, 8 of 24 hours must be in specially designated LTC courses

• Dual Licenses

  • The CE requirement goes to the individual, not to each license held. The CE requirement can be met by taking courses approved for either license type.

• Personal Lines Broker-Agent

  • Complete a minimum of 24 hours of CE each license term, including two hours of ethics continuing education training. The license term is defined as the two-year period beginning on the date the license was originally issued and ends two years later on the last day of the month that the license was originally issued
  • The Personal Lines Broker-Agent Licensee may satisfy this requirement by taking any approved fire and casualty continuing education course

• Limited Lines Automobile Insurance Agent

  • Complete a minimum of 20 hours of CE each license term, including two hours of ethics continuing education training. The license term is defined as the two-year period beginning on the date the license was originally issued and ends two years later on the last day of the month that the license was originally issued.

• Long Term Care -LTC

  • Initial LTC training requirement: Agents selling Long Term Care must complete an 8-hour state approved Long Term Care course every year for the first 4-years
  • On-going LTC training requirement:After completing the initial 8-hour training requirement, producers licensed 4 years or less must complete 8 hours of state-approved LTC training annually for the first 4 years of having their license. Producers licensed more than 4 years must complete 8 hours of state-approved LTC training in every 2-year license term.

• Annuities

  • Initial training requirement: An approved 8 hour Annuity Training course must be completed prior to soliciting the sale of any annuity products.
  • On-going training requirement: An approved 4 hour Annuity Training Refresher course is required every renewal period thereafter.
  • These hours are part of, and not in addition to, the continuing education requirement.

• Flood Insurance Training

  An insurance producer who sells flood insurance may satisfy the minimum training and education requirements by completing a 3-hour course related to the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) which was approved by CDI’s Producer Licensing Bureau’s Education Section

• Homeowners Valuation

  • On or after June 27, 2011, prior to estimating the replacement value of structures or explaining the various levels of coverage under a homeowners' insurance policy, California resident agents and brokers who have not previously completed the homeowners' insurance valuation training, must do so. Completion of this course will fully meet the training requirements.
  • The training requirement is part of, and not in addition to, the agents and brokers’ continuing education requirements.

In California, we report to the DOI within one business day (except holidays, reporting will be done on next business day). The department recognizes the date you passed/completed the exam as the date of completion. It is not based upon the day we report the hours to them

• Fire and Casualty, Life and Health, Limited Lines: Last day of the month the license was issued in every 2 years. For example, Licensed on May 15th, 2010 your renewal date would be May 31st, 2012.
• Personal Lines:
  • On January 1, 2009, Section 1625.5 of the CIC was amended to restructure the dates that initial licenses for Personal Lines Broker-Agents are effective so that renewals are staggered throughout the year rather than all due at the same time at the beginning of every odd year as it is at present. However, the renewal date for an existing Personal Lines Broker-Agent will remain the same. If a Personal Lines Broker-Agent also holds an additional license qualification (e.g. Life-Only Agent, Accident and Health Agent) the Personal Lines Broker-Agent's renewal date will be changed so that these licensees will have one renewal date instead of two renewal dates as it is at present.
  • Note: If a Personal Lines Broker-Agent license is issued to a licensee with an existing license term, the Personal Lines license will be issued with the same license term as the existing license

• Online courses
• Independent Self-study
• Classroom Study

• Non-Monitored Open Book Exam
• Must answer at least 70% of the questions correct to pass.

• Courses may not be taken more than once in each renewal period.

California Department of Insurance

Check License Status

California Producer Licensing Section

California Department of Insurance
320 Capitol Mall
Sacramento, CA 95814-4309

(800) 967-9331 or (916) 322-3555
www.insurance.ca.gov