California Life & Health Insurance Exam 2026

Getting Your California Life & Health License

The path: prepare, pass the PSI exam, file your application, get fingerprinted through Capital Live Scan, and complete the 12-hour Code & Ethics course before the license issues. Thanks to AB 943, no line-specific coursework gates the exam anymore — but the exam is broad, so treat preparation as essential even though it is no longer mandated.

California uses the term Broker-Agent for some lines and licenses Property and Casualty separately, but the Life, Accident & Health side works as a single combined license. You can also pursue Life-Only or Accident & Health on their own.

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 Life, Accident & Health Exam

The combined exam is 150 scored multiple-choice questions with a 195-minute (3 hr 15 min) limit, and you pass at 60% — California's bar is lower than the 70% most states require. PSI also adds roughly 10% unscored experimental questions; in California those DO count against your exam time, so pace yourself.

You can test at a PSI center, at CDI's Los Angeles test center, or by remote online proctoring. If you would rather narrow scope, the Life-Only (75 questions) and Accident & Health (75 questions) exams are available separately. You may fail up to 10 times in a 12-month period before a 12-month bar applies.

What It Costs

Plan on roughly $360 in state and vendor fees for a first-time pass: about $98 for the exam at a PSI site ($55 base + $43 convenience), the $188 license filing fee, and $74 for fingerprinting. On top of that is the required 12-hour Code & Ethics course, whose price varies by provider.

The $43 convenience fee is waived if you test at CDI's Los Angeles center. Exam fees are non-refundable, so only book when you are ready.

Fingerprinting & Background Check

California's live-scan vendor is Capital Live Scan (CLS). Register through the CDI portal at applicantservices.com/CADOI, pick a location from 800+ statewide, and pay the $74 total ($17 FBI + $32 DOJ + $25 CLS).

Timing matters: do not submit fingerprints until after your license application is filed. Keep your completed BCIA 8016 form in case prints are rejected and need resubmitting.

Submitting Your Application

File your license application through NIPR (nipr.com) or Sircon, paying the $188 filing fee. The 12-hour Code & Ethics course must be completed before the license can be issued, even though it is not required to test.

You have one year from your pass date to apply. A license alone does not authorize sales — a carrier must also file an appointment for you (the appointment filing fee in California is $32).

Keeping Your License Active

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 you file the renewal.

Two product-specific gates matter here: an 8-hour initial annuity training course before you sell annuities, and an 8-hour initial long-term care training course before you sell LTC — each with ongoing CE thereafter.

Quick Reference

Official Links