The BBS has published the following announcement:

• License Renewals: Individuals holding a professional license with December 2015 or January 2016 expiration dates who wish to renew their licenses are strongly encouraged to renew as early as possible, preferably before the end of November 2015.
• New Licenses: Individuals seeking a new license are strongly encouraged to apply before November 23, 2015 or after January 2016 to help avoid delays in license issuance.

Original source:  http://www.dca.ca.gov/about_dca/renew_early.shtml