California

Comprehensive Guide to California Life Insurance Agent Training Changes in 2025

Posted on 12.11.24

Significant updates to insurance agent training requirements in California are coming in 2025. These changes, mandated by Senate Bill 263, reshape the continuing education landscape for licensed life insurance agents across the state. These changes apply to both resident and non-resident licensees selling certain life insurance products.

As a leading provider of California insurance CE courses, BetterCE is here to guide agents through these updates to ensure compliance and success. This article explores the four major insurance agent training changes agents need to understand to stay compliant.

1. New 4-Hour Life Insurance Policy Training Course

Starting January 1, 2025, a new four-hour training course will be required for agents licensed after January 1, 2024, who sell non-term life insurance policies with cash value. This course is mandatory for agents to understand product-specific features, sales ethics, and compliance regulations.

Who Does This Affect?

Any agents (both resident and non-resident) licensed in California after January 1, 2024, selling individual life insurance products other than term life without cash value. Agents licensed prior to January 1, 2024 do not have to meet this new training requirement.

Key Deadlines

Agents licensed in 2024 must complete this training by January 1, 2025.
Agents licensed after January 1, 2025, must complete this course before selling such products.

This new requirement ensures agents understand the nuances of non-term life policies, aligning with California’s efforts to enhance consumer protection and professional competency. BetterCE is here to make the process smooth for agents in California, USA.

The California Department of Insurance has issued a curriculum that provides a description of the new requirements, here: CA 4-HOUR ANNUITY TRAINING CURRICULUM

Agents can access the newly approved 4-Hour Life Insurance Policies Course, here: CA 4-HOUR LIFE INSURANCE POLICIES COURSE

2. New 2-Hour Variable Life Insurance Agent Training Course

All agents selling variable life insurance products will face a new two-hour training requirement tied to their license renewals starting in 2025. This course focuses on regulatory and ethical guidelines, as well as investment-related intricacies unique to variable life policies.

Who Is Affected?

All agents (resident and non-resident) engaged in the sale or solicitation of variable life insurance products in California. Agents must complete this training before every license renewal starting January 1, 2025.

This addition reinforces the importance of staying informed about variable product dynamics, helping agents provide compliant and well-suited recommendations to clients.

The California Department of Insurance has issued a curriculum that provides a description of the new requirements, here: CA 2-HOUR VARIABLE CURRICULUM

Agents can access the newly approved 2-Hour Variable Life Insurance Policies Course, here: CA 2-HOUR VARIABLE LIFE POLICIES COURSE

3. Updated 8-Hour Annuity Training Course for New “Best Interest” Standards

For life agents selling annuity products, the state has replaced the old eight-hour course with an updated version that incorporates the “Best Interest” standard. This ensures that agents are well-versed in aligning recommendations with consumer needs and priorities.

Who Needs to Complete This Course?

Any agent who sells or solicits variable life insurance policies in California are required to complete this insurance agent training.

Key Deadlines

Agents licensed before January 1, 2025, must complete this training by July 1, 2025.
Agents licensed after January 1, 2025, must complete it before soliciting or selling annuities.

The updated training builds on ethical sales practices and deeper knowledge of annuities, enhancing trust and transparency between agents and their clients.

A summary of this new training requirement can be viewed on the California Department of Insurance website, here: CA ANNUITY Q&A

Agents can access the newly approved 8-Hour Annuity Training Course, here: CA 8-HOUR ANNUITY TRAINING COURSE

4. Updated 4-Hour Annuity “Best Interest” Training

The state also revised the existing four-hour annuity insurance agent training course for those who have already completed the updated eight-hour course. This renewal training focuses on maintaining knowledge of the “Best Interest” standard in annuity transactions.

Who Does This Impact?

Agents who have completed the new eight-hour annuity course and continue selling annuity products in California. Agents must complete this training as part of every license renewal after their initial eight-hour annuity training.

This step ensures that agents keep their knowledge of ethical and compliant annuity sales practices fresh, which is critical for maintaining their California insurance license and meeting ongoing regulatory expectations.

A summary of this new training requirement can be viewed on the California Department of Insurance website, here: CA ANNUITY Q&A

Agents can access the newly approved 4-Hour Annuity Training Course, here: CA 4-HOUR ANNUITY TRAINING COURSE

Understanding the Impact of These Changes

These new and updated requirements highlight California’s commitment to safeguarding consumer interests while raising the bar for professional competence in the insurance industry. By introducing specific insurance agent training for different product lines, the state ensures that agents are well-prepared to handle the complexities of modern insurance sales.

For both resident and non-resident agents licensed in California, these changes mean staying vigilant about new deadlines and understanding the scope of updated curricula. Failing to comply could lead to lapses, or regulatory violations which may lead to fines or other actions affecting your ability to serve clients.

BetterCE: Your Partner in Meeting Insurance Agent Training Requirements

At BetterCE, we understand how overwhelming it can be to navigate changing California insurance agent training requirements. Our goal is to make your compliance journey straightforward and manageable. Our courses are easy to access, user-friendly, and designed for busy agents like you. If you have questions about insurance agent training obligations or need guidance, we are here to help. Contact us today for assistance or to enroll in a course.

New Annuity Training Requirements for California Insurance Agents in 2025

Posted on 10.08.24

The California Department of Insurance has issued new Annuity Training Requirements, which will become effective January 1, 2025. These changes are a result of the passage of Senate Bill 263, which adopts the new “Best Interest” standards for annuity sales practices. The new training requirements will replace the existing 8-Hour and 4-Hour Annuity Training requirements.

All licensed California insurance agents who sell or solicit annuity products must complete the new 8-Hour Annuity Training requirement prior to July 1, 2025. This applies to all agents, resident and non-resident, and even to agents who previously took the 8-Hour Annuity Training.

The new 4-Hour Annuity Training Course will need to be taken each renewal period following.

The California Department just recently issued the course curriculum 8-Hour course. We hope to have this developed and available by January 1, 2024.

These new training requirements are in addition to 2 other training requirements that will become effective in 2025: A 4-hour Life Insurance Policies Course and a 2-hour Variable Life Insurance Policies Training Course. Agents can read about these new requirements on our bulletin here: SPECIAL BULLETIN: New Training Requirements for California Life Insurance.

Prepare for California’s 2025 Annuity Training Changes with BetterCE

We are currently in the process of developing the new 8-Hour Annuity Course. BetterCE keeps you informed with the latest updates. Stay ahead of these changes and complete your training with BetterCE!

Contact us for further assistance. We are here to help you meet your California Insurance requirements.

SPECIAL BULLETIN: New Training Requirements for California Life Insurance Agents

Posted on 08.01.24

September 1, 2025

The California Department of Insurance has adopted two (2) new training requirements for California Life Insurance Agents who sell certain products. These new requirements are a result of SB 263, recently passed by the California legislature. Both training requirements will become effective January 1, 2025, and apply to both resident and non-resident life agents who sell certain products.

4-Hour Life Insurance Policy Training Course

Agents whose licenses were issued on or after 1-1-2024 and sell life insurance policies other than term life with no cash value shall be required to complete this new 4-hour training course prior January 1, 2025. Agents licensed on or after January 1, 2025 are required to take this training before soliciting or selling any non-term life insurance products. Per the California Department of Insurance, agents licensed prior to 1-1-2024 do not have to complete this requirement. This is a 1-time training requirement.

2-Hour Variable Life Insurance Training

A life agent who sells variable life insurance policies will have to complete two hours of training before each license renewal period. This is in addition to the current 4-hour annuity training requirement that agents must complete every 2 years.

The department has issued 2 separate notices related to these new requirements. The notice related to the 4-Hour Life Insurance Policies Training Course can be located here: CA 4-Hour DOI NOTICE. The notice related to the 2-Hour Variable Policies Training Course can be located here: CA 2-Hour Variable Training DOI NOTICE

The 4-Hour Life Insurance Policies course has been developed and approved by the California Department of Insurance, and is available here: 4-Hour Life Insurance Policies Course

The 2-Hour Variable Training Course has been developed and is available here: CA 2-Hour Variable Training Course

BULLETIN: New Anti-Fraud Training Requirement for California Insurance Agents and Brokers

Posted on 03.06.23

Please be advised that effective March 1, 2023 all California agents and brokers must complete a 1-hour Anti-Fraud Awareness Training Course as part of their ethics training requirement. This applies to all agents and brokers who renew, or late renew their license after March 1, 2023. It is important to point out that agents who have an expiration date occurring after March 1, 2023, and have already renewed their license, must still complete this training if they have not done so.

To comply with the new Agents and Brokers Anti-Fraud Training Requirements, agents must view a 1-hour Agents and Brokers Anti-Fraud Awareness Training Video developed by the California Department of Insurance. Agents must then complete and submit an Affidavit/Certificate of Completion and submit it via-email to the California Department of Insurance. Instructions are located on the Affidavit/Certificate of Completion form.

Additional information on this new requirement can be viewed on the California Department of Insurance website, here: CA NEW TRAINING REQS

This course is currently being offered for free by the California Department of Insurance. To better assist our clients, we have also included this course in all of our California-approved Ethics courses. So, customers of BetterCE will have access to this course in any ethics-approved course they enroll.

Instructions for complying with the new Anti-Fraud Training Requirement:

Access and view the video here: Anti-Fraud Awareness Video
Complete the Affidavit/Certificate of Completion, available here: Affidavit/Certificate of Completion
Print or save the form as a PDF and email to: SIU-Annualreport@insurance.ca.gov
Save a copy of the certificate for your records.

As always, please contact our office at 1-888-501-7330 should you have questions or need assistance.

BULLETIN: NEW REQUIREMENT FOR CALIFORNIA INSURANCE AGENTS – LICENSE NUMBER REQUIRED IN EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS

Posted on 11.15.22

November 15, 2022: The California Department of Insurance has issued a Notice advising all California agents, adjusters, agencies, and others of new legal requirements pertaining to email communications. Effective January 1, 2023, California licensed insurance agents, adjusters, brokers, and other licensees will be required to include their license number on email communications. This applies to any email from any account that pertains to any activity for which the licensee must hold a license. The license number must be displayed below or adjacent to the licensee’s title in a font no smaller than the licensees other contact information. If the agent is representing one or more agencies, then the agency’s license number needs to be listed as well.

A copy of the Notice issued by the California Department of Insurance can be viewed here: CA EMAIL REQUIRMENT NOTICE

This bulletin is issued as a service to assist California insurance agents with maintaining compliance and should not be relied upon for specific legal advice. Agents are strongly advised to review this new requirement and comply accordingly.

What If I Don’t Renew My California Insurance License On Time?

Posted on 11.14.22

To keep a resident insurance license active in California, all major-lines licensed insurance agents are required to do two things every two years: 1) complete the required continuing education of 24 credits, and 2) renew their insurance license. This must be done prior to the licensee’s expiration date. Specific renewal requirements can be viewed in our article: How to Keep Your Insurance License Active in California.

So, what happens if you don’t complete your California insurance continuing education before your license expiration date? You won’t be able to renew your license, and it will be put into inactive status. As a result, you cannot transact insurance business until the license is reinstated. Fortunately, you still have the ability to reinstate your license, but the timeframe is limited, and additional fees must be paid. This article provides further insight into how to reinstate your California insurance license.

California Insurance License Expiration and Reinstatement

California insurance agents who do not complete their CE requirements and renew their insurance license prior to their expiration date will have their license inactivated by the California Department of Insurance. Unfortunately, California does not have any provisions for granting an extension of time for a renewal after the expiration date. If you wish to keep your license active, the only option is to apply for a license reinstatement.

Agents have up to one year after their license expiration date to have their license reinstated. To do so, they must first complete any outstanding continuing education requirements. Next, they need to submit a reinstatement application and pay their initial renewal fee ($188 per line of authority) plus a reinstatement fee equal to 50% of their renewal fees ($94 per line of authority). The reinstatement application can be located here: Sircon Renew or Reinstate CA License.

Keep in mind that agents only have up to 1 year following their expiration date to reinstate their license. After this, the license is canceled, and the agent must relicense if they wish to hold the same license again. This includes paying for and undergoing all of the pre-license course training, paying for and passing the pre-licensing exam, fingerprinting, and paying the license application fees.

It’s pretty clear that it’s smartest and most affordable to keep your California insurance license active by completing your CE requirements and paying your renewal fees on time. But if you aren’t able to do so, it’s still more affordable to reinstate your license within the 1-year timeframe. Otherwise, you’ll be starting the licensing process over again, which is a much more expensive and time-consuming endeavor.

California Insurance Agent Continuing Education and Renewal Requirements

Don’t Let This Happen to You — Sign Up for Continuing Education Now

Whether you’re able to renew before expiration or have to apply for reinstatement, you’ll need to complete all the continuing education requirements. We’ve got you covered with both online training and webinars.

The online training is self-paced and delivered to your computer, tablet, and smartphone. The quizzes and exams are scored instantly, and you can take them as many times as necessary to pass. Plus, you can return to the training whenever it is convenient. The course progress bar tells you exactly where you left off. This is a relatively quick way to accomplish your CE requirements.

Our webinar courses are instructor-led and delivered live using video conferencing. You’re required to be in attendance for the entire class time, with check-ins at random times throughout the webinar to confirm your attendance. Students can interact and ask questions. The advantages of webinars include no required reading and no quizzes or final exams.

We’ve got you covered with all the courses you need. You can find the complete listing in our California Insurance Continuing Education Course Catalog.

Completion Reported the Same Day

Note that your continuing education course credits will be reported directly to the California Department of Insurance on the same day you complete the training. So, we’ve got you covered when you’re trying to complete your training quickly.

BetterCE Is Here to Help

We’re confident that the continuing education you need to renew or reinstate your license is easily accessible through our website. If not, call our office, and we’ll happily assist you.

At BetterCE, we provide more than the most convenient and affordable solution for insurance continuing education. Our agent support services are provided by experienced insurance licensing professionals who have helped thousands of agents easily navigate the renewal process.

Have a question or need assistance? Call 1-888-501-7330 for our customer care team. We also respond to emails and via our Contact Form. On our contact page, you can also sign up for convenient license renewal reminders so that you never have to deal with an expired license.

BULLETIN: NEW REQUIREMENT FOR CALIFORNIA INSURANCE AGENTS – LICENSE NUMBER REQUIRED IN EMAIL COMMUNICATIONS