If you want to sell insurance in California or Nevada, you first need to get your license. But, even before that, you have to decide what kind of insurance license you want.
In California, there are more than two dozen license types – including Accident & Health Agent, Casualty Broker Agent, and Life Agent. In Nevada, there are nearly 20 license types, including a Producer license. Both states offer business entity and individual licenses.
Pre-License Training
Before you take your license exam, you’ll want to get some training, since both California and Nevada require completion of at least 20 hours of pre-license study. More may be required, based on the license you want, and both states do require added training hours on insurance code and ethics.
California’s Education Unit (within the Department of Insurance (DOI) Curriculum and Officer Review Bureau) analyzes applications for pre-licensing and Continuing Education (CE) providers and courses. (CE is important because you need earn a certain number of CE Course Credits to maintain your insurance license.) In addition, the unit also maintains class presentation records, provider roster information, inputs CE Credit hours for licensees, and processes renewals for pre-licensing and CE courses.
To learn more, click on any of the following links to the California DOI website:
- Pre-licensing Education Program Requirements
- Pre-licensing Educational Objectives
- Pre-licensing/Continuing Education Program Provider/Course Information
- Education – Frequently Asked Questions
In Nevada, you can search Sircon for pre-licensing courses. Then you can register for your license exam through Pearson VUE. The state’s Candidate Handbook includes a course content outline and information on studying for your exam. You can access the handbook online here.
Education Providers
Thirty-seven pre-licensing education providers are listed on the California Department of Insurance website. Go here, then select “Pre-Licensing Education” from the drop-down menu. (If you have a preferred vendor in mind, you can also type in a few letters of the provider name to limit your search results.)
Nevada requires courses and instructors to be approved before offering a course to a prospective license applicant. Pearson VUE is contracted with the state for insurance education. Link here for details.
To look up approved education courses and credits available, link here to visit the Sircon website.
Fingerprinting
Both California and Nevada require a background check and fingerprinting as part of your application for an insurance license. California fingerprinting guidelines can be found here; Nevada’s requirements are here.
Scheduling Your Exam
PSI Services, LLC, a California-based company, provides regulatory licensure services for the California DOI Producer Licensing Bureau. Applicants can schedule (or reschedule) an examination online and by telephone. Information is available here. (Click on Register or Schedule on the right to begin.)
Individuals in California have choices on the location and times for their license examinations. In addition to the California DOI examination site in Los Angeles, PSI offers 21 additional sites statewide where individuals can take a qualifying license examination and supply the required fingerprints.
Nevada insurance license candidates must apply online through the Nevada Division of Insurance website at www.doi.nv.gov. After submitting an online application, you need to log back in to the application system with your candidate transaction number to add supporting documentation. Be sure you carefully review all required materials and licensing fees before completing your submission. (Fees are not refundable.) After creating your account, you must schedule an exam reservation through
www.pearsonvue.com/nv/insurance.
Questions?
If you have any questions, contact your state’s producer licensing authority:
California: Call 800-967-9331 or visit the DOI website.
Nevada: Call 775-687-0700 or go online.
