Article 2 - Comprehensive Definitions

California Insurance Code — §§ 1625-1630

Sections (10)

Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 411, Sec. 8. (AB 1416) Effective January 1, 2012.

(a)A property licensee or a casualty licensee is a person authorized to act as an insurance agent, broker, or solicitor, and a property broker-agent license or a casualty broker-agent license is a license so to act.

(b)Licenses to act as a property broker-agent under this chapter shall entitle the licensee to transact insurance coverage on the direct or consequential loss or damage to property of every kind.

(c)Licenses to act as a casualty broker-agent shall entitle the licensee to transact insurance coverage against legal liability, including that for death, injury, disability, or damage to real or personal property.

§ 1625.5

Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 411, Sec. 9. (AB 1416) Effective January 1, 2012.

(a)A personal lines licensee is a person authorized to transact automobile insurance, as defined in Section 660, including insurance for recreational vehicles used for noncommercial purposes, personal watercraft insurance, residential property insurance, as defined in Section 10087, including earthquake and flood insurance, inland marine insurance covering personal property, and umbrella or excess liability insurance providing coverage when written over one or more underlying automobile or residential property insurance policies, and a personal lines broker-agent license is a license to so act.

(b)A license under this section shall be applied for and renewed, following successful

completion of a qualifying examination on this code, ethics, and products sold under the license, in the same manner as is provided in this chapter for a license to act as a property broker-agent or a casualty broker-agent, except as provided in subdivision (c) or where provided otherwise.

(c)A person licensed as a personal lines agent who makes an application to the commissioner to become a property broker-agent or a casualty broker-agent pursuant to Section 1625 shall do all of the following:

(1)Submit an application on a form provided by the commissioner.

(2)Complete prelicensing education as specified in Section 1749.

(3)Take and pass a qualifying examination pursuant to Section 1676.

(d)Notwithstanding any other provision of law, for a personal lines license:

(1)“License term” for a personal lines license means all of that two-year period beginning as described in either subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 1629, as applicable, and ending the second succeeding year on the last calendar day of the month in which the initial license was issued.

(2)“License year” for a personal lines license shall be determined for each entity as follows:

(A)Upon initial licensing, the license year starts on the date the license is issued.

(B)Subsequently, each license year starts the first day of the month following the month in which the initial license was issued.

(C)A

license year ends the following calendar year on the last calendar day of the month in which the initial license was issued.

§ 1625.55

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 566, Sec. 2. (AB 943) Effective January 1, 2026.

(a)A limited lines automobile insurance agent is a person authorized to transact automobile insurance, as defined in Section 660. A limited lines automobile insurance agent license is a license to so act.

(b)A license under this section shall be applied for and renewed, following successful completion of a qualifying examination on this code, ethics, and products sold under the license, in the same manner as provided in this chapter for a license to act as a property broker-agent or a casualty broker-agent.

(c)The commissioner shall require in advance a fee for filing any applications, renewals thereof, or changes in

outstanding licenses, or for the filing of other required documents at an amount designated in this chapter for a personal lines licensee, and for filing any notice of appointment or notice of termination at an amount specified in Section 1751.3.

(d)A person licensed as a limited lines automobile insurance agent who makes an application to the commissioner to become a property broker-agent or a casualty broker-agent pursuant to Section 1625 or a personal lines agent pursuant to Section 1625.5 shall do all of the following:

(1)Submit an application on a form provided by the commissioner.

(2)Take and pass a qualifying examination pursuant to Section 1676.

§ 1625.56

Added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 271, Sec. 2. Effective January 1, 2008.

“License year” for a limited lines automobile insurance agent shall be determined as follows:

(a)Upon initial licensing, the license year starts on the date the license is issued.

(b)Subsequently, each license year starts the first day of the month following the month in which the initial license was issued.

(c)A license year ends the following calendar year on the last calendar day of the month in which the initial license was issued.

§ 1625.57

Added by Stats. 2007, Ch. 271, Sec. 3. Effective January 1, 2008.

“License term” for a limited lines automobile insurance agent means all of that two-year period beginning as described in subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 1625.56, as applicable, and ending the second succeeding year on the last calendar day of the month in which the initial license was issued.

§ 1626

Amended by Stats. 2025, Ch. 566, Sec. 3. (AB 943) Effective January 1, 2026.

(a)A life and accident and health or sickness licensee is a person authorized to act as a life and accident and health or sickness agent. Licenses to act as a life and accident and health or sickness agent under this chapter shall be of the following types:

(1)Life, which license shall entitle the licensee to transact insurance coverage on human lives, including benefits of endowment and annuities, and may include benefits in the event of death or dismemberment by accident and benefits for disability income.

(2)Accident and health or sickness, which license shall entitle the licensee to transact insurance coverage for

sickness, bodily injury, or accidental death and may include benefits for disability income.

(b)An accident and health or sickness agent licensee is authorized to transact 24-hour care coverage, as defined in Section 1749.02, pursuant to subdivision (d) of Section 1749.33.

§ 1627

Amended by Stats. 2011, Ch. 411, Sec. 11. (AB 1416) Effective January 1, 2012.

A license is a permit to act in the capacity specified therein. A person licensed is the holder of the license. In case of a license to act as a life agent, property broker-agent, or casualty broker-agent issued to an organization, the organization is the holder thereof, but the natural person or persons named thereon are thereby permitted to exercise the agency or brokerage powers of the organization in accordance with and subject to the provisions of this chapter and other applicable law. As used in this chapter, the term “license” includes a certificate of convenience and a permanent license, and the term “persons who are licensed” includes the holders of any such certificate or the license, but these definitions and the use of those terms in this chapter shall not

confer upon a certificate of convenience or any holder thereof any property right in or to the certificate, the certificate being and remaining only a temporary permit, issued as a matter of convenience, allowing the transaction of insurance without a permanent license, but within the limits, and subject to the conditions of the certificate of convenience issued and the laws applicable thereto.

§ 1628

Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 417, Sec. 11. (AB 1696) Effective January 1, 2018.

As used in this chapter, an “organization” means any legal entity other than a natural person. If reference is made to a natural person named on an organization license, the reference shall be to a person who is named to exercise the power and perform the duties under an organization license, pursuant to Section 1656. The natural person named on the organizational license shall meet the qualifications required for the type of license sought by the organization.

§ 1629

Repealed and added by Stats. 1985, Ch. 770, Sec. 8.5.

“License year” as used in this chapter shall be determined for each entity as follows:

(a)Upon initial licensing, the license year starts on the date the license is issued.

(b)Subsequently, each license year starts the first day of the month following the month in which the initial license was issued.

(c)A license year ends the following calendar year on the last calendar day of the month in which the initial license was issued.

§ 1630

Repealed and added by Stats. 1985, Ch. 770, Sec. 8.7.

“License term” as used in this chapter means all of that two-year period beginning as described in subdivision (a) or (b) of Section 1629, as applicable, and ending the second succeeding year on the last calendar day of the month in which the initial license was issued.