Estate Certificate of Convenience and Military Service Certificate of Convenience
Estate Certificates of Convenience and Military Service Certificate of Convenience
California Insurance Code sections 1685 through 1698 state the requirements for Certificates of Convenience, which include an Estate Certificate of Convenience and a Military Service Certificate of Convenience.
Estate Certificate of Convenience
California Insurance Code section 1685(a) states, in part, that the Commissioner may issue a certificate of convenience to act as a licensee to administer the existing book of business of a licensed person who has died or who has been declared incompetent by the judgment of a court of competent jurisdiction.
To be eligible for an Estate Certificate of Convenience (California Insurance Code section 1686(a)), a person must be one of the following:
- The executor or administrator of the estate of a deceased producer or bail agent
- If no executor or administrator has been appointed, the surviving spouse or heir otherwise entitled to conduct the business of the deceased licensee
- The conservator of the estate of a licensee
Applying for an Estate Certificate of Convenience - The following items are required to apply for an Estate Certificate of Convenience:
Item 1:A signed and dated letter from the executor, administrator, or conservator of the estate, or surviving spouse or heir requesting the license of the deceased licensee be canceled. The letter must include the licensee’s full name, license number, the reason for the cancellation and a certified copy of the licensee’s death certificate. The effective date of the license cancellation is the date of death and not the request date on the letter.
Item 2: Individual Application for Insurance License LIC 441-9 (“Certificate of Convenience” must be marked on this application)
Item 3: Supplementary Application for Certification of Convenience to Executor, Administrator, Widow or Heir, LIC 411-10
Item 4: Copy of the death certificate
Item 5: $39 processing fee paid by check or money order and payable to California Department of Insurance
The required forms and processing fee must be mailed to:
California Department of Insurance
Licensing and Administrative Business Bureau
Certificate of Convenience
300 Capitol Mall, 16th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
Certificate Expiration
California Insurance Code section 1693 states several events which can result in the expiration of the Estate Certificate of Convenience. The most frequent reason the certificate expires is the one (1) year timeline (California Insurance Code section 1693(d)).
Military Service Certificate of Convenience
California Insurance Code section 1685(b) states, in part, that an individual who holds a producer license or a bail agent license can “conserve the business of a licensed natural person who enters the military service of the United States or to conserve the business of an organization under the conditions specified in Section 1697.” This individual is issued a Military Service Certificate of Convenience.
California Insurance Code sections 1687,1694 , 1697, 1698, and 1722
To be eligible for a Military Service Certificate of Convenience (California Insurance Code section 1687), a person is required to be nominated by the holder of a permanent license who has entered into military services.
A Military Service Certificate of Convenience can be issued to an organization (California Insurance Code section 1697) if such organization is the holder of a permanent license and the person entering the military service is the only natural person named on such organization’s license.
The following items are required to apply for a Military Service Certificate of Convenience:
Item 1: A written, signed statement by the holder of a permanent license who is entering the military services of the United States. The statement should name the specific person or organization nominated to conserve the business of such license holder.
Item 2: A copy of the military enlistment document, along with a written statement by the license holder that provides date of enlistment and anticipated date of discharge.
Item 3: Individual Application for Insurance License LIC 441-9 (“Certificate of Convenience” must be marked on this application) or Business Entity Application for Insurance License LIC 441-11 (“Certificate of Convenience” must be written at the top of the application), whichever is applicable.
Item 4: $39 processing fee paid by check or money order and payable to CA Department of Insurance.
The required forms and processing fee must be mailed to:
California Department of Insurance
Licensing and Administrative Business Bureau
Certificates of Convenience
300 Capitol Mall, 16th Floor
Sacramento, CA 95814
Certificate Expiration:
A Military Certificate of Convenience issued to an individual shall terminate upon the relicensing of the nominating licensee, but in no event shall it remain in force beyond six (6) months after the nominating license holder is released from service (California Insurance Code section 1722).
A Military Certificate of Convenience issued to an organization shall terminate at one of the following times, whichever occurs first (California Insurance Code section 1698)
- Upon the qualification of a natural person to be named on the permanent license of the organization; or
- Six (6) months after the issuance of the Military Certificate of Convenience.
If you need further assistance, please call the California Department of Insurance's (Department) Licensing Hotline at (800) 967-9331 or send an e-mail to Licensing Services Division. Please be sure to include your name, telephone number, license number and e-mail address in all correspondence with the Department.
