Getting Your California Accident & Health License
The Health-only path is the direct route if medical, disability, Medicare supplement, and LTC are your market: prepare, pass the Accident & Health exam, file your application, fingerprint through Capital Live Scan, and finish the 12-hour Code & Ethics course before issuance. AB 943 removed the line-specific coursework that used to gate the exam.
If you also plan to sell life and annuities, weigh sitting the combined Life, Accident & Health exam once rather than adding the line later.
For the 12-hour Code & Ethics course California still requires before your license is issued, TESTivity recommends [Achievable](https://app.achievable.me/study/california-insurance-code-and-ethics/purchase#a_aid=getthelicense). The Achievable insurance courses were built by the same subject-matter expert behind TESTivity, so the two are designed to work together.
One important distinction: TESTivity is not an approved pre-licensing provider in California and does not issue certificates of completion. The TESTivity learning tools and study packages will absolutely help you pass the exam — but treat them as a supplement to your Achievable course, not a substitute for it.
Disclosure: TESTivity has a partnership with Achievable and may earn a commission if you enroll through links on this page.
The Accident & Health Agent Exam
The Accident & Health exam is 75 scored multiple-choice questions with a 105-minute (1 hr 45 min) limit, passing at 60%. PSI adds roughly 10% unscored experimental questions, and in California those count against your exam time.
Test at a PSI center, CDI's Los Angeles center, or by remote proctor. You may fail up to 10 times in a 12-month period before a 12-month bar applies, and a combined Life, Accident & Health attempt counts toward your Accident & Health total.
What It Costs
Budget about $360 in state and vendor fees for a first-time pass: roughly $98 exam at a PSI site ($55 base + $43 convenience), the $188 license filing fee, and $74 fingerprinting, plus the 12-hour Code & Ethics course.
The $43 convenience fee is waived at CDI's Los Angeles center, and exam fees are non-refundable.
Fingerprinting & Background Check
California's live-scan vendor is Capital Live Scan (CLS). Register at applicantservices.com/CADOI, choose from 800+ sites statewide, and pay the $74 total ($17 FBI + $32 DOJ + $25 CLS).
Submit fingerprints only after your license application is filed; keep your completed BCIA 8016 form in case prints need resubmitting.
Submitting Your Application
File through NIPR (nipr.com) or Sircon, paying $188. The 12-hour Code & Ethics course must be completed before the license issues.
You have one year from your pass date to apply. A license alone does not authorize sales — a carrier must file an appointment for you (the California appointment filing fee is $32).
Keeping Your License Active
Important CE details: 24 hours every 2 years, including at least 3 hours of ethics, for Accident & Health licensees. Renews on the last day of your birth month every 2 years; finish all CE before filing the renewal. Long-term care sales carry their own training requirement (see notes).
California requires 24 hours of CE every two years, including at least 3 hours of ethics, renewing on the last day of your birth month. Complete all CE before filing the renewal.
If you plan to sell long-term care, budget for the 8-hour initial LTC training course on top of your regular CE — the health line makes you eligible, but the training is what authorizes LTC sales.
Quick Reference
Official Links
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