Below is a listing of the types of insurance licenses offered by the California Department of Insurance:
- Accident and Health Agent
- Fire and Casualty Broker
- Fire and Casualty Agent
- Life-Only Agent
- Limited Lines Automobile Insurance Agent
- Personal Lines Broker
- Personal Lines Agent
- Surplus Lines Broker
- Special Lines' Surplus Lines Broker
To become a licensed agent, candidates must gain the necessary education (or experience), get fingerprinted, pass the licensing exam and submit the necessary paperwork to the Department of Insurance.
Pre-licensing Education
The California requires its insurance license candidates to take a set amount of pre-licensing courses. The number of hours varies depending on the type of license. All agents and brokers must take at least 12 hours on the topics of ethics and California insurance code. In addition to that, agents/brokers must take a number of general insurance courses also. For example, a fire and casualty agent or broker is required to take an additional 40 class hours while life, accident, personal lines and limited lines automobile insurance agents only have to take 20 additional general insurance class hours.