California Insurance Codes 1676

(b) An applicant for a personal lines license pursuant to Section 1625.5 who has been continually employed by an admitted insurer or licensed fire and casualty broker-agent in a full-time position for at least three years immediately prior to January 1, 2001, shall be exempted, at the discretion of the commissioner, from having to take and pass an examination to obtain a personal lines license. An exempted applicant shall be required to comply with all other provisions of this article pertaining to the issuance and maintenance of a personal lines license. The curriculum board shall establish criteria, which shall be submitted to the commissioner for final approval, to allow experience or prior training to be substituted for prelicensing educational requirements for applicants applying for an exemption pursuant to this subdivision. A licensee exempted from examination pursuant to this subdivision shall remain subject to all continuing education requirements applicable to maintaining a personal lines license.

(c) An application for a personal lines license shall be submitted to the commissioner as provided for in Article 4 (commencing with Section 1652).

(d) The commissioner may deny any application for a personal lines license as provided in Article 6 (commencing with Section 1666).

(e) In addition to the application, any applicant for a personal lines license seeking exemption from the examination provisions of this chapter shall also submit, on a form prescribed by the commissioner, or if a form is not prescribed, in letter or resume form, information that will permit the commissioner to determine whether the previous experience of the applicant for a personal lines license warrants an exemption from having to take an examination to obtain a license.

(f) The commissioner shall require an applicant for a personal lines license to take an examination to obtain a license if the commissioner determines that the applicant has failed to demonstrate that previous experience warrants an exemption from examination. In the absence of making that determination, the request for exemption from examination shall be granted.

(g) This section shall not be applicable to any applicant for a nonresident license pursuant to subdivision (b) of Section 1639.

(h) This section shall not be applicable to any applicant for a personal lines license who has been refused a license or has had a license suspended or revoked by the commissioner.

(i) An applicant for a personal lines license pursuant to Section 1625.5 who seeks an exemption from an examination to obtain a license shall submit a request to that effect to the commissioner. An applicant who does not submit an application on or before December 31, 2001, shall be required to take an examination to obtain a license.

(j) An applicant for a life agent license pursuant to Section 1626 who is limited by the terms of a written agreement with an insurer which has filed on that life agent's behalf a notice of appointment with the commissioner to transact only specific life insurance policies or annuities having an initial face amount of fifteen thousand dollars ($15,000) or less that are designated by the purchaser for the payment of funeral and burial expenses, shall not be required to take the full life agent examination to obtain a license. The applicant shall be required to take an examination developed to test their knowledge of topics relevant to the type of policies that they are restricted to sell.

Amended by Statutes Chapter 740 (2006)