California Insurance Continuing Education Requirements
A Complete Guide for 2025
If you're a licensed insurance producer, broker-agent, or adjuster in California, completing your continuing education (CE) is essential to maintain an active license. This guide covers the 2025 CE requirements, including mandatory subjects, deadlines, exam rules, and how NobleCE makes compliance easy and efficient.
What Is Insurance Continuing Education?
Insurance Continuing Education ensures that California licensees stay current with changing regulations, ethics, and industry standards. The California Department of Insurance sets these standards so professionals can serve their clients effectively and ethically.
Who Needs to Complete CE in California?
Resident licensees-such as life, health, property/casualty, and personal lines broker-agents-must complete CE every two years. Limited lines automobile agents also need CE, albeit at a slightly reduced total. Non-residents are exempt from general CE but must comply with California’s specific long-term care or annuity training if they transact those products in the state.
California Insurance CE Requirements Overview
- For most lines (life, A&H, P&C, personal lines): 24 total CE hours every two-year cycle, including 3 hours of ethics training.
- Limited-lines auto agents require 20 hours, also including 3 ethics hours.
- A new requirement adds 1 hour of anti-fraud training, which may count within the ethics component.
- You may carry over unused hours (up to 24) to the next renewal period; however, ethics, LTC, or annuity hours carry forward only as general credits.
- Repeating the same course in the same term is not allowed.
Special Requirements for Certain Licensees
- Annuity Training: One-time initial 8-hour annuity suitability course required before any annuity sales. Subsequent cycles require 4-hour annuity continuing education (“Best Interest”)
- Long-Term Care (LTC) Training: An initial 8-hour LTC training is required before selling LTC products; licensed producers must complete 8 hours annually during the first four years, then 8 hours every two years.
- LTC Partnership: Additional classroom and self-study requirements linked to Partnership products, including 16 total hours before marketing these products.
- Flood Insurance: A one-time 3-hour NFIP flood insurance course is required before selling flood policies.
- Homeowners Insurance Valuation: A mandatory one-time 3-hour training needed before estimating property values or advising on homeowners’ policies.
- Life Insurance Policies Training: New for 2025, producers licensed on or after January 1 , 2024 must complete a 4-hour course on non-term cash-value life policies before soliciting individual consumers.
- Variable Life Policies: Agents holding variable life authority must finish 2 hours of variable life training before each renewal cycle.
When Is the CE Deadline in California?
CE must be completed by the last day of your license issuance month every two years. Residents and non-residents must satisfy all requirements-including exams and hours-prior to renewal applications.
How to Find Approved CE Courses in California
NobleCE offers all mandatory and elective courses approved by the California Department of Insurance on a mobile-friendly platform. We provide relevant training for annuities, LTC, flood, homeowners valuation, ethics, life policies, and variable life. We offer bundle pricing options, including 24-hour packs and targeted short bundles to help you complete your CE fast.
Step-by-Step: How to Complete Your California Insurance CE
- Confirm renewal deadline via your license issue month.
- Identify required special training (annuity, LTC, flood, home valuation, life training).
- Select courses or bundles from NobleCE.
- Complete 24 hours (or 20 hours for auto-limited), including 3 ethics hours and 1 anti-fraud hour.
- Take closed-book final exams, no proctor required, and achieve at least 70% passing score. Unlimited retakes permitted.
- NobleCE reports instantly (within 1-2 business days) to Sircon/California (plus $0.65 reporting fee)
- Submit your renewal application through NIPR or CDI once CE is posted.
What Happens If You Miss the CE Deadline?
Failure to complete CE by your renewal date will cause your license to expire. You must then complete required CE, pay late renewal fees, and potentially provide proof of retraining. Continued failure could lead to more extensive reinstatement steps.
CE Exemptions and Extensions
- Producers over 70 with 30+ years of licensure are exempt from general CE but must complete required annuity or LTC education if selling those products.
- Cargo shippers, life-limited funeral-only agents, and non-resident agents (unless selling annuities or LTC) may qualify for exemptions.
- Hardship extensions may be granted by the California Department of Insurance upon application.
How to Check Your CE Transcript
Access your CE transcript through Sircon/NIPR. NobleCE also provides electronic completion certificates upon exam passing and confirms reporting to support your compliance tracking.
Best Practices for California Insurance CE Success
Complete CE early to avoid delays in reporting and renewal. Use NobleCE’s instant reporting to the state, mobile access, and bundle pricing options for efficiency. Note special training requirements like life policy and variable life courses, and don’t delay taking your closed-book final exams.
Stay Ahead with California CE Compliance
Staying compliant ensures uninterrupted licensure and keeps you at the top of your industry knowledge. NobleCE’s platform empowers you to meet California’s 2025 CE requirements seamlessly and effectively.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Are proctors required for California CE exams?
A: No. All final exams are closed-book, but no monitor or proctor is required.
Q: What score is needed to pass CA CE finals?
A: You must score 70% or higher, and you're allowed unlimited retakes.
Q: Can CE hours carry over?
A: Yes. Excess credit hours (up to 24) carry over once; ethics, annuity, LTC, and fraud hours roll over only as general credits.
Q: How long until course completions are reported?
A: Reporting occurs within 1-2 business days, often the next business day; Sircon passes those to the CDI .
Ready to Get Started?
Explore NobleCE’s courses to complete your CE fast, satisfy your California renewal, and stay compliant with confidence. With flexible bundles and a mobile-friendly platform, we make it easy to meet every requirement on your terms.
Disclaimer: The information provided by Noble regarding Continuing Education (CE) is intended as a courtesy and aims to be accurate and up to date. However, Noble and its employees do not guarantee the accuracy or current validity of the information. CE regulations are subject to change, so always verify details independently.
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