Insurance license holders in California are required to complete pre-licensing prior to taking the state licensing exam. Therefore in this article, I will tell you How to Become Life Insurance Agent in California so read all the points carefully. It took me three days to research all the facts and information to collect and write an article.
To Become Life Insurance Agent in California, prelicensing education requirements for life insurance agents are set by the California Department of Insurance (CDI).
To become a licensed life insurance agent in California
You must complete a minimum of 20 hours of approved prelicensing education. This education must be completed at a CDI-approved school or provider, and it must include the following courses to be further eligible for How to Become Life Insurance Agent in California:
- California Life and Disability Insurance: Basic Principles (8 hours)
- California Life and Disability Insurance: State Law (4 hours)
- Ethics for Insurance Professionals (4 hours)
- Insurance Fraud and Consumer Protection (4 hours)
In addition to completing the prelicensing education requirements, you must also pass the California Life and Disability Insurance Examination before you can practice as a life insurance agent in California. And also after passing you need to maintain the active status by completing the continuing education requirements.
It's important to note that the prelicensing education and examination requirements may be waived for individuals who have prior insurance experience or certain insurance-related degrees or designations.
Check the California Department of Insurance (CDI) website for any updates or changes to the prelicensing education and examination requirements.
How to Complete an Insurance Prelicensing Course in California
To Become Life Insurance Agent in California, Prelicensing Education Hour Requirements are
- Ethics and California Insurance Code: 12 Hours
- Life: 20 Hours
- Accident and Health: 20 Hours
- Life / Accident & Health: 40 Hours
- Property: 20 Hours
- Casualty: 20 Hours
- Property and Casualty: 40 Hours
- Personal Lines: 20 Hours
Note: If you are applying for more than one license then it is not required to repeat the 12 hours of the Ethics and California Insurance course.
Time Tracking:
In California, it is mandatory to track the online study time for completing the course successfully. The required number of hours must be completed while studying the Course Contents Units of the online course. You can easily monitor the progress of your online course tracker displayed on the upper right corner of the page. This ensures that the time spent on the course is accurately recorded.
Forced Progression:
It is compulsory for all users to successfully complete each page of the online course before being allowed to proceed to the next.
What are Prelicensing Education Exemptions?
The applicants who hold more than one of the following designations or certifications are exempt from prelicensing education requirements for the indicated line of authority:
- Life Only, Accident and Health: CLU®, LUTCF
- Fire and Casualty, and Personal Lines: CPCU®, CIC, AAI
Note Make sure even if exempt from the prelicensing requirements of the above-mentioned list of authorized, however, applicants must complete the 12 hours of compulsory ethics and California code course.
Pass Your California Licensing Exam
So after the completion of your prelicensing course, you must pass a state-level licensing exam.
This Certificate of Completion is required
Applicant must maintain a duplicate copy of the certificate and submit the original certification of the completion with the license during the time of application
Prelicensing certificates of completion are valid for three years from the date of the course of completion
Exam Provider: PSI
Insurance license candidates who are required to take a licensing examination, now have the option of taking a remote online proctored examination for all insurance licensing exams. This offers more flexibility, particularly considering the current social distancing guidelines and public health orders in place due to the pandemic.
For scheduling a license examination or obtaining more information regarding the license examination provided by PSI including the technical requirements for taking a remote online examination, kindly visit www.psiexams.com or call (833) 518-7456.
Residents applying for any license for which an exam is required must pass the exam prior to applying for a license.
- The Online registration and exam information can be accessed from the official site of PSI's online services here
- Any queries regarding the examination schedule, do call on this number 877-392-6422
- Pursuant to section 1676(a) of the California Insurance Code, examinations are valid for one year from the date the test was passed.
FAQ: About the California Licensing Exam
Q. After completing my prelicensing, how should I prepare for the exam day?
Exam Registration:
To make the test scheduling process quick and easy, PSI suggests that candidates register for their examinations through the Internet.
Q. How to register for the exam after prelicensing?
- To begin, access PSI's website and create an account. You will be prompted to enter your email address and the spelling of your name as it appears on the identification that you will present at the examination site.
- Next, select the examination you wish to take and enter your personal and contact information. Finally, proceed with payment and scheduling for the examination.
To schedule your appointment for the test, contact PSI registrars by phone at 877-392-6422 during the hours of operation, which are Monday through Friday between 4:30am and 7:00pm Pacific Time, and Saturday through Sunday between 6:00am and 2:30pm Pacific Time.
To apply for a retest, log into your account online and select "Apply for a retest." The number of exams taken is calculated based on the type of exam.
You can cancel and reschedule an examination appointment without losing your fee if you provide notice two days prior to the scheduled examination date. It's important to note that voicemails or email messages are not considered an acceptable form of cancellation.
Exam Day:
On the day of the examination, it is essential to arrive at least 30 minutes prior to your scheduled appointment time. This will provide enough time for check-in, identification verification and familiarize yourself with the examination process.
A valid form of government-issued identification with both a photo and signature is required. The name on the identification must match the name provided during registration.
- Driver’s license from any state
- California identification card
- Passport
- Passport card
- Military ID
- Employment Authorization card
- Permanent Resident card
- A Veteran Health Identification Card (VHID) with a photo
- An out-of-state ID card is NOT acceptable.
- California does allow candidates to bring in their expired ID along with the paper extension. The names and license numbers must match both the expired ID and the paper extension.
Q. What about Security Procedures
Candidates are not permitted to communicate with one another once they enter the examination area.
1. The following items are not permitted in the examination site:
- Head coverings (with the exception of religious apparel)
- Hats, baseball caps, visors
- Coats, shawls, hooded clothing, heavy jackets and overcoats
2. The following items are not allowed to enter PSI or CDI testing sites:
- Children
- Cell phones
- Calculators
- Pagers
- Cameras
- Programmable electronic devices
- Recording devices of any kind
3. Personal items are not permitted in the testing sites.
Weapons of any kind are not allowed in the testing room, including but not limited to:
- Guns
- Knives
- Clubs
- Sharp objects
4. Smoking, eating, and drinking are not allowed at the examination site.
The following items are not permitted in the examination room:
- Dictionaries
- Books
- Papers
- Study and reference materials
5. Candidates are not permitted to exit the building during the examination.
6. Copying or communicating examination content is a violation of PSI security policy and Section 1681.5 of the CIC. This can result in the disqualification of examination results and may lead to legal action and prosecution.
Q. Additional Security Measures during Exam
Before taking the examination, you will have your photo taken.
- Only sweaters without pockets are allowed in the examination room and no jackets, coats, or hooded clothing are permitted.
- Purses and backpacks are not allowed in the examination room and must be stored in your vehicle.
- PSI will provide accordion folders for any items, but will not be responsible for the security of those items.
- Wristwatches and items in your pockets will not be allowed in the examination room.
- Additionally, during the examination, it is prohibited to use vulgar, obscene, or denigrating language or actions toward examination staff or other candidates.
Q. How much by becoming a life insurance agent in California?
The earning potential is the main motive to write this article on How to Become Life Insurance Agent in California which can vary widely depending on factors such as experience, sales skills, and the specific company or agency they work for. According to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the median annual salary for life insurance agents in California is $59,750 as of 2019. However, some experienced agents may earn significantly more, while others may earn less. Additionally, commissions and bonuses can also play a significant role in an agent's earnings. It's worth noting that becoming a successful and high-earning agent also depends on your ability to build a client base, and how well you can market and sell life insurance policies.
This information is based on state laws and regulations and may be subject to change. Bgs Raw takes every effort to ensure that this information is up-to-date and accurate. However, Kaplan Financial Education is not providing legal or professional advice and cannot be held liable for any inaccuracies.
Conclusion: I hope you might find this article on How to Become Life Insurance Agent in California and earn upto $59,750 Annually to be helpful for your knowledge. Also do not forget to comment on what did you search for.