I Passed the California Insurance Exam. Now What?

First, take a breath. You did the hard part. A lot of people don't make it through that exam, and you did. Now let's get you licensed.

Here's exactly what comes next.

Step 1. Get Fingerprinted

Before the California Department of Insurance will issue your license, you need to complete a Live Scan background check. This is separate from everything you've already done, it's a state requirement and it needs to happen before your application can be processed.

Before you go, you need to bring form BCIA 8016 with you to the Live Scan location. This is the Request for Live Scan Service form from the DOI, and the location will not process you without it. You can download the BCIA 8016 form here. If you're a GTA student, it's also available directly from your student dashboard under the Ethics section once you've completed the course.

Live Scan is available at most UPS Stores, many police stations, and dedicated fingerprinting locations around California. Prices vary by location, the state fee is fixed but the rolling fee the location charges on top of it varies, so call ahead if cost matters. Budget somewhere between $50 and $90 total depending on where you go.

Get this done as soon as possible. Clearance can take a few weeks, and your license application won't process until it comes through.

Step 2. Submite your application to the DOI

Once you've been fingerprinted, submit your license application to the California Department of Insurance through the Sircon online portal. The application fee is $188 per license type, so if you're applying for both Property and Casualty and Life and Health, that's $188 for each one, filed separately.

You can track your application status directly on the CDI website once it's submitted. Processing typically takes three to five weeks from the time your fingerprint clearance and application are both in hand. Some people see it faster, some slower, but that's a reasonable range to plan around.

Step 3. Wait, then work

One more thing worth knowing now: CE isn't just about renewal hours: California requires 24 hours of continuing education before your first license renewal, and your renewal date is tied to your license issue date so keep an eye on when that comes up. But depending on what you're planning to sell, there are product-specific CE requirements that are beeded before you can even quote certain policies. Worth knowing now rather than finding out when a carrier blocks you from writing a policy.

Here's what's required:

Homeowners: The Homeowner Valuation 3-hour course is required before you can quote any homeowners policy. This isn't optional and it isn't something you do at renewal, it has to happen before you start writing business.

Life insurance: The 2025 Life Insurance 4-hour course is required before quoting life insurance.

Annuities: California's SB 263 law requires the Annuities 8-hour course before you can quote annuities at all. Then the Annuities 4-hour renewal training is required every renewal term going forward.

Long Term Care: The Long Term Care 8-hour course is required for anyone selling LTC policies, and it has to be repeated every single renewal period, not just once.

Ethics and Fraud: Everyone needs the Ethics and Fraud 3-hour course every renewal, no exceptions.

If you're getting licensed to sell any of these products, all of it, the standard renewal hours plus every product-specific requirement, can be knocked out through GTA's CE courses for $50 for the full two-year period. That covers everything California requires and it's the lowest price you'll find anywhere for the complete package.

That's the whole post-exam checklist. Fingerprints, application, license, and know your CE obligations before you start selling. The hard part is behind you.

This post is for informational purposes only and does not provide legal advice. Always check with the California Department of Insurance for the latest licensing and CE requirements.