MarinCountyGuide

Top 10 Best Insurance Agents in Marin County, California (Updated 2026)

This list shows the best insurance agents near you in Marin County, California, with the address, phone number and website for each.

By town

Insurance agents and brokers in California are licensed by the California Department of Insurance (CDI). Before you buy a policy in Marin County, look the person or agency up in CDI's Check a License tool, which shows license status and discipline history. An agent transacts insurance on behalf of an insurer, while a broker acts on behalf of the customer. CDI also takes complaints and answers insurance questions at 1-800-927-4357.

Who licenses insurance agents and brokers in California

The California Department of Insurance licenses the people and businesses that sell insurance in the state. That covers individual agents and brokers and also agencies, which CDI licenses as business entities. There is no separate Marin County license.

A license says which kinds of insurance a person may transact. The documents filed with it decide whether the person acts as an agent for an insurer or as a broker for the customer.

California insurance license types

CDI publishes a full list of license types and requirements. Five of them cover home, auto, liability, life and health policies.

License What the licensee may transact
Property Broker-Agent Coverage on the direct or consequential loss or damage to property of every kind
Casualty Broker-Agent Coverage against legal liability, including liability for death, injury, disability, or damage to real or personal property
Personal Lines Broker-Agent Automobile insurance, residential property insurance including earthquake and flood, personal watercraft insurance, and umbrella or excess liability written over an auto or residential policy
Life Coverage on human lives, including endowment and annuity benefits. It may include accidental death or dismemberment and disability income benefits
Accident and Health or Sickness Coverage for sickness, bodily injury or accidental death. It may include disability income benefits

Two pairs can be earned together. CDI lets an applicant take one examination for both the Property and Casualty licenses, and one for both the Life and the Accident and Health or Sickness licenses. CDI calls the second pairing a full Life Agent license.

The directory lists financial advisors and mortgage lenders on their own pages.

The difference between an insurance agent and a broker

CDI defines both words. Its page on the Property Broker-Agent license says the same license authorizes a person to act as an agent, a broker or a solicitor, and that the documents filed decide which.

An insurance agent is a person authorized by and on behalf of an insurer to transact insurance. An Action Notice of Appointment, filed with CDI, is what authorizes a licensee to act as an agent.

An insurance broker is a person who, for compensation and on behalf of another person, transacts insurance with, but not on behalf of, an insurer. A $10,000 Bond of Insurance Broker is what authorizes a licensee to act as a broker. The third role, an insurance solicitor, is a person employed to aid an agent or broker.

Ask a licensee whether they are acting as your broker or as an insurer's agent.

How to check a license and file a complaint

CDI's Check a License service is open to the public.

  1. Open the service and search by license number or by name.
  2. Read the license status and the discipline history on the record.
  3. Follow the links on the record for more license details.

The service covers agents, brokers, adjusters, bail agents and business entities, so an agency can be checked the same way as a person.

If something goes wrong, CDI's Getting Help page has an online complaint form for consumers and a consumer line for insurance information and questions at 1-800-927-4357.

Printable forms are available for health and for non-health insurance such as auto, home and life. CDI recommends the online form and says paper forms may delay the process. A dispute that turns into a legal claim is a matter for one of the county's attorneys.

Fire and earthquake coverage: the FAIR Plan, Safer from Wildfires and the CEA

Three programs affect home coverage in California, and each one runs through licensed agents, brokers or insurers.

The California FAIR Plan describes itself as an insurer of last resort. It provides basic fire insurance when coverage is not available from a traditional insurance company. It is not a state agency. It is an association of all insurers licensed to write property and casualty insurance in California, and CDI oversees it.

Any licensed agent or broker registered with the FAIR Plan can help you apply, and the FAIR Plan says there is no additional cost for using a broker. The broker first makes a diligent search of the traditional market. Because the policy covers basic fire insurance, a broker can also help find a Difference in Conditions policy to add other coverages.

Safer from Wildfires is CDI's framework for wildfire resilience. It has three layers of protection, for the structure, its immediate surroundings and the community. The steps include a Class A fire rated roof, a 5 foot ember resistant zone around the home, ember and fire resistant vents, enclosed eaves and defensible space.

At the community level it recognizes Firewise USA sites and Fire Risk Reduction Communities. CDI says every action under the framework qualifies a policyholder for an insurance discount. Ask an agent or broker how an insurer applies it. Work on the roof itself is a job for licensed roofers.

Earthquake damage is not covered by homeowners, renters or condominium policies, according to CDI. A company that sells you homeowners insurance in California must offer to sell you earthquake insurance, and must repeat the offer every other year.

The California Earthquake Authority sells its policies only through participating residential insurers. CDI adds that you need a residential property policy in place and must buy the CEA policy from the same company.

Agents and brokers are one part of the professional services section of the directory.

Questions about insurance agents in Marin County

Who licenses insurance agents in Marin County?

The California Department of Insurance (CDI) licenses insurance agents, brokers and agencies across the state, including in Marin County. There is no county license. The license classes a consumer is likely to meet are Property Broker-Agent, Casualty Broker-Agent, Personal Lines Broker-Agent, Life, and Accident and Health or Sickness.

How do I check an insurance agent's license in California?

Use the Check a License service on the California Department of Insurance website. Search by license number or by name. The record shows the license status and discipline history of an agent, broker, adjuster, bail agent or business entity, and links on the record lead to more license details.

What is the difference between an insurance agent and an insurance broker?

The California Department of Insurance describes an insurance agent as a person authorized by and on behalf of an insurer to transact insurance. An insurance broker transacts insurance for compensation on behalf of another person, with but not on behalf of an insurer. Both work under the same broker-agent license. A broker files a $10,000 bond.

How do I file a complaint against an insurance agent or company?

File a consumer complaint online with the California Department of Insurance. CDI also offers printable complaint forms for health and non-health insurance, but says paper forms may delay the process. For questions, call CDI at 1-800-927-4357. Its Investigation Division looks into suspected fraud by agents, brokers and insurance companies against consumers.

What is the California FAIR Plan?

The California FAIR Plan is an insurer of last resort that provides basic fire insurance when coverage is not available from a traditional insurance company. It is a private association of the property and casualty insurers licensed in California, not a state agency. A licensed agent or broker registered with the FAIR Plan can help you apply.

Can I buy earthquake insurance directly from the California Earthquake Authority?

No. The California Earthquake Authority (CEA) sells its policies only through participating residential insurance companies. The California Department of Insurance says you must have a residential property policy in place and buy the CEA policy from the same company. Homeowners, renters and condominium policies do not cover earthquake damage.

How this list is put together

Listings come from public business profiles and from businesses that add themselves. We leave out profiles that show signs of being lead-generation fronts and not local firms, and businesses that have closed. Listings marked "Claimed" are run by the business itself, which checked its own details, and they appear first. If your business is missing, add it here.

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