If you’re interested in becoming a health insurance agent In California or Nevada. This content guide has you cover. Get the steps you need to get licensed and start selling.
If you’re interested in becoming a health insurance agent, one of the first things you need to do is take the licensing exam required by your state regulator. In California, that’s the California Department of Insurance (DOI). In Nevada, it’s the Nevada Division of Insurance (a part of the Department of Business and Industry).
You will need a license in every state where you do business. You can choose a business entity or individual license. In California, there are more than 30 types of license classifications issued by the Producer Licensing Bureau in the Department of Insurance. If you’ll be selling health insurance, you’ll need an Accident and Health Agent (A&H) license or a Full Life Agent license (which includes Life, Accident, and Health).
With an A&H license, you are generally allowed authority in California to sell products offering coverage for sickness, bodily injury, or accidental death (that may include disability income benefits). The licensee may also transact 24-hour care coverage and Long Term Care insurance.
Individuals applying for a license in many states must furnish a complete set of fingerprints, which may be shared with law enforcement authorities, including a state repository for criminal records and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. California and Nevada both require fingerprinting prior to taking the license examination – even before submitting your license application.
Here are the California guidelines on fingerprinting:
• If you would like to have your fingerprint impressions taken before your license examination, you may schedule your fingerprint impressions using the California Department of Insurance (CDI) contracted fingerprint vendor by calling Accurate Biometrics at (866) 361-9944, to find a fingerprint location near you. When you go to have your fingerprint impressions made, please take with you a completed Live Scan Request, form LIC 442-39A.
• At the time you take the license examination at the designated site, you may also have your fingerprint impressions made.
• While it is subject to change, the current total processing fee for the fingerprint impressions taken at the exam site is $58.30, which includes the FBI processing fee of $17.00, Department of Justice (DOJ) processing fee of $32.00, and the CDI’s contractor’s rolling fee of $9.30. An applicant may pay by money order, cashier’s check, personal check, or credit card (VISA, MasterCard, American Express, or Discover Card). Cash is not accepted.
• At PSI test centers, the fingerprint vendor will also have an authorized technician available to complete the fingerprint impression requirement. At these facilities, the total processing fee for the fingerprint impressions taken is $68.95, which includes the FBI processing fee of $17.00, DOJ processing fee of $32.00, and a rolling fee of $19.95. The $68.95 fee is to be paid at the PSI test center. Payment may be made via VISA or MasterCard or money order, cashier’s check, or company check payable to PSI. Personal checks and cash are not accepted at PSI’s test centers.
• The DOJ maintains a listing of authorized Live Scan Fingerprinting Vendors available to California resident license applicants.