California Insurance Pre-Licensing Requirements in 2026
Last updated October 31, 2026
Since January 1, 2026, California no longer requires the 20-hour pre-licensing course for property, casualty, personal lines, commercial lines, limited lines automobile, life, or accident and health licenses (AB 943). The only course left is the 12 hours of study on ethics and the California Insurance Code, and you do not need it to take the exam: it must be finished before your license is issued.
| License | Before 2026 | From January 1, 2026 |
|---|---|---|
| Property, Casualty, Personal Lines, Commercial Lines, Limited Lines Auto, Life, Accident and Health | 20-hour line course plus 12-hour ethics (32 hours; 52 for Life and Health) | 12-hour ethics and California Insurance Code only, before the license is issued |
| Public Insurance Adjuster | 20-hour pre-licensing course | Unchanged: 20-hour course |
| Bail Agent | 20-hour pre-licensing course | Unchanged: 20-hour course |
Questions and answers
Does California still require a pre-licensing course for an insurance license?
Not the 20-hour course. Assembly Bill 943 (Chapter 566, Statutes of 2025) removed the 20-hour pre-licensing requirement from California Insurance Code section 1749 effective January 1, 2026, for property, casualty, personal lines, commercial lines, limited lines automobile, life, and accident and health or sickness applicants. The 12 hours of study on ethics and the California Insurance Code is still required before the license is issued.
Do I need the 12-hour ethics course before I take the California insurance exam?
No. The California Department of Insurance says completing the 12 hours of study on ethics and the California Insurance Code is not a requirement to schedule and take the license examination. It must be completed before your license can be issued.
What happened to the 32-hour and 52-hour California pre-licensing courses?
They were made up of the old 20-hour line courses plus the 12-hour ethics course. The Department deactivated the 20-hour and 40-hour producer pre-licensing courses on January 12, 2026. Courses completed on or before December 31, 2025 still count, and a certificate of completion is good for three years.
Who still has to take a 20-hour pre-licensing course in California?
Bail agents and public insurance adjusters. AB 943 changed only the producer licenses listed in section 1749; bail agent and public insurance adjuster applicants must still complete a 20-hour pre-licensing course before their licenses can be issued.
Did the California insurance exams change in 2026?
No. The Department says the license examinations did not change; AB 943 applies only to pre-licensing education. What changed is the name of the study outline: the former Prelicensing Educational Objectives are now the License Examination Objectives.
How should I prepare for the California insurance exam now that the 20-hour course is gone?
The Department encourages applicants to study the License Examination Objectives for their exam and to find an education provider offering a study course on that exam. The Department no longer reviews or approves those study courses for property, casualty, personal lines, commercial lines, limited lines automobile, life, or accident and health.
What do I do after I pass the California insurance exam?
Submit your fingerprints before you submit your license application, then apply for every license type you qualify for (for example both property and casualty, or both life and accident and health or sickness). Complete the 12-hour ethics and California Insurance Code course before the license can be issued.
Do licensed agents moving to California need the 12-hour ethics course?
Yes. Non-resident licensees moving to California must complete the 12 hours of study on ethics and the California Insurance Code. From January 1, 2026 that requirement is in Insurance Code section 1749(a)(2).
Can a 12-hour ethics course also cover the exam material?
No. The Department says a course approved for the 12-hour ethics and California Insurance Code requirement may only contain topics from the 12-hour outline. Exam preparation is a separate course.
Does an exam prep course satisfy the California 12-hour requirement?
No. Only a course the Department has approved for the 12 hours of study on ethics and the California Insurance Code satisfies it. Exam prep, including ours, prepares you for the license exam and does not count toward the 12 hours.
How much are the California license and exam fees?
CDI's fee schedule (effective March 3, 2019) lists $55 per producer exam and $188 for the producer license.
Study for the exam itself
Our California exam prep courses follow CDI's License Examination Objectives, with lessons, section quizzes and full-length practice finals at the real question count. $49.99 per course. They are study courses and do not satisfy the 12-hour ethics requirement.
Related California guides
- How to get a California insurance license
- How many questions are on the California insurance exam
- How to become a California public adjuster
Sources
- CDI: exam times, number of questions and passing scores
- CDI: producer licensing fees (effective March 3, 2019)
- CDI notice: AB 943 repeals the 20-hour prelicensing requirement (Nov. 10, 2025)
- CDI: 12 hours of ethics and California Insurance Code FAQ
- CDI: license examination objectives (all lines)
- PSI Candidate Information Bulletin for California insurance license examinees (Feb. 13, 2025)
- CDI: form LIC 446-8, prelicensing program requirements (Dec. 24, 2025)
Last updated September 27, 2026. Checked against the California Department of Insurance pages listed above. Confirm current requirements at insurance.ca.gov before you apply. Elite Training Academy is certified by the California Department of Insurance as a continuing education provider. Our California exam prep courses are study courses, not CDI-approved pre-licensing courses, and do not satisfy the 12-hour Ethics and California Insurance Code requirement.