As filed with the Securities Andand Exchange Commission on March 15,November 20, 2007

Registration No. 333-_______333-            



UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

_______________


FORM S-3


REGISTRATION STATEMENT

UnderUNDER

THE SECURITIES ACT OF 1933


PICO HOLDINGS, INC.

(Exact Namename of Registrantregistrant as Specifiedspecified in Its Charter)its charter)

_______________


California
94-2723335
California
94-2723335

(State or Other Jurisdictionother jurisdiction of Incorporation

incorporation or Organization)organization)

(IRS Employer Identification Number)
 

(I.R.S. Employer

Identification No.)


875 Prospect Street, Suite 301

La Jolla, California 92037

(858) 456-6022

(Address, Including Zip Code,zip code, and Telephone Number, Including

Area Code,telephone number, including area code, of Registrant’s Principal registrant’s principal executive offices)


Damian C. Georgino

Executive Offices)

_______________
Vice President - Corporate Development & Chief Legal Officer

James F. Mosier, Esq.PICO Holdings, Inc.

875 Prospect Street, Suite 301

La Jolla, California 92037

(858) 456-6022

(Name, Address, Including Zip Code,address, including zip code, and Telephone Number, Including

Area Code,telephone number, including area code, of Agentagent for Service)
_______________
service)

CopiesCopy to:

Marty B. Lorenzo,Gary J. Singer, Esq.

DLA Piper USJohn-Paul Motley, Esq.

O’Melveny & Myers LLP

4365 Executive610 Newport Center Drive, Suite 11001700

San Diego, CA 92121Newport Beach, California 92660-6429

Telephone: (858) 677-1400(949) 760-9600

Facsimile: (858) 677-1477

_______________
Approximate date of commencement of proposed sale to the public:
As soon as practicable

From time to time after the Effective Dateeffective date of this Registrationregistration statement.




If the only securities being registered on this Form are being offered pursuant to dividend or interest reinvestment plans, please check the following box.  *¨

If any of the securities being registered on this Form are to be offered on a delayed or continuous basis pursuant to Rule 415 under the Securities Act of 1933, other than securities offered only in connection with dividend or interest reinvestment plans, check the following box.  xT

If this Form is filed to register additional securities for an offering pursuant to Rule 462(b) under the Securities Act, please check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  *¨

If this Form is a post-effective amendment filed pursuant to Rule 462(c) under the Securities Act, check the following box and list the Securities Act registration statement number of the earlier effective registration statement for the same offering.  *¨

If this Form is a registration statement pursuant to General Instruction I.D. or a post-effective amendment thereto that shall become effective upon filing with the Commission pursuant to Rule 462(e) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  *¨


If deliverythis Form is a post-effective amendment to a registration statement filed pursuant to General Instruction I.D. filed to register additional securities or additional classes of the prospectus is expected to be madesecurities pursuant to Rule 434, please413(b) under the Securities Act, check the following box.  *¨


CALCULATION OF REGISTRATION FEE

 
 
Title of Shares
to be Registered
 
Amount
to be
Registered
Proposed
Maximum
Aggregate Price
Per Share (1)
Proposed
Maximum
Aggregate
Offering Price
 
Amount of
Registration
Fee
Common Stock ($0.001 par value)2,823,000$38.50$108,685,500$3,337

 
Title Of Each Class Of Securities To Be Registered (1) Proposed Maximum
Aggregate Offering Price (2)
 Amount Of
Registration Fee (3)

Common Stock, $0.001 par value per share

    

Debt Securities

    

Warrants

    

Total:

 $400,000,000 $12,280.00
 
 

(1)Estimated solelyThere are being registered hereunder such indeterminate number of shares of common stock, such indeterminate principal amount of debt securities and such indeterminate number of warrants to purchase common stock or debt securities as will have an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed $400,000,000. If any debt securities are issued at an original issue discount, then the offering price of such debt securities shall be in such greater principal amount as shall result in an aggregate initial offering price not to exceed $400,000,000, less the aggregate dollar amount of all securities previously issued hereunder. Any securities registered hereunder may be sold separately or as units with other securities registered hereunder. The securities registered also include such indeterminate amounts and numbers of shares of common stock and principal amounts of debt securities, as may be issued upon exercise of warrants, upon conversion of or exchange for the purposedebt securities that provide for conversion or exchange, or pursuant to anti-dilution provisions of computing theany such securities.
(2)Not specified as to each class of securities to be registered pursuant to General Instruction II.D. of Form S-3.
(3)The registration fee required by Section 6(b) of the Securities Act and computed pursuant tohas been calculated in accordance with Rule 457(c)457(o) under the Securities Act based upon the average of the high and low prices of our common stock on March 9, 2007, as reported on The NASDAQ Global Market.Act.


The Registrantregistrant hereby amends this Registration Statementregistration statement on such date or dates as may be necessary to delay its effective date until the Registrantregistrant shall file a further amendment which specifically states that this Registration Statementregistration statement shall thereafter become effective in accordance with Section 8(a) of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or until the Registration Statementregistration statement shall become effective on such date as the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, acting pursuant to said Section 8(a), may determine.







The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and we are not soliciting offers to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

The information in this prospectus is not complete and may be changed. We may not sell these securities until the registration statement filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission is effective. This prospectus is not an offer to sell these securities and it is not soliciting an offer to buy these securities in any state where the offer or sale is not permitted.

SUBJECT TO COMPLETION, DATED MARCH 15,NOVEMBER 20, 2007

PROSPECTUS

PICO Holdings, inc.$400,000,000

LOGO

2,823,000 shares of Common Stock

The shareholders of PICO Holdings, Inc. listed within

Debt Securities

Common Stock

Warrants

We may from time to time sell any combination of debt securities, common stock and warrants described in this prospectus are selling sharesin one or more offerings. The aggregate initial offering price of PICO common stockall securities sold under this prospectus will not exceed $400,000,000.

This prospectus provides a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we sell securities we will provide specific terms of the securities offered in a supplement to this prospectus. The selling shareholders are offering all of the 2,823,000 shares represented byprospectus supplement may also add, update or change information contained in this prospectus. We willYou should read this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement carefully before you invest in any securities. This prospectus may not receive any of the proceeds from thebe used to consummate a sale of sharessecurities unless accompanied by the selling shareholders. applicable prospectus supplement.

Our common stock is traded on The NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol “PICO.” On March 14 ,November 19, 2007, the last reported saleclosing price forof our common stock on The NASDAQ Global Market was $40.35 per share.

The shares$39.01.

See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 3 for information you should consider before buying these securities.

Neither the United States Securities and Exchange Commission nor any state securities commission has approved or disapproved of these securities or passed upon the adequacy or accuracy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.

We may offer and sell these securities directly to purchasers or through agents on our common stockbehalf or interests therein may be soldthrough underwriters or dealers as designated from time to time by the selling shareholders directly to one or more purchasers (including pledgees) or through brokers, dealers or underwriters who may act solely as agents or who may acquire shares as principals, at market prices prevailing at the time of sale, at prices related to such prevailing market prices, at negotiated prices, or at fixed prices, which may be changed. See “Plan of Distribution” in this prospectus. We may also describe the plan of distribution for any particular offering of these securities in any prospectus supplement.time. If any brokers, dealersagents or underwriters are involved in the sale of any of these securities, in respect of which this prospectus is being delivered, we will disclose their names and the nature or our arrangements with them in aapplicable prospectus supplement

Investing in our common stock involves risks. See “Risk Factors” beginning on page 2.

NEITHER THE SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES COMMISSION HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED OF THESE SECURITIES OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS PROSPECTUS. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY IS A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.
________________
will provide the names of the agents or underwriters and any applicable fees, commissions or discounts.

The date of this prospectus is                 ______, 2007.



, 200  .


TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page Number

  1
 PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
1
 RISK FACTORS

About PICO Holdings, Inc.

  2
 USE OF PROCEEDS

Risk Factors

  73
 PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

Forward-Looking Statements

  73
 SELLING SHAREHOLDERS

Use of Proceeds

  84
 LEGAL MATTERS

Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges

  104
 EXPERTS

Description of Capital Stock

  105
 INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

Anti-Takeover Effects of Our Charter Documents

  106
 WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

Description of Debt Securities

  106

Description of Warrants

  1014

Plan of Distribution

  15







SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTSABOUT THIS PROSPECTUS


This prospectus and the documents incorporated by reference into it contain “forward-looking statements” within the meaningis part of the private securities litigation reform act of 1995. Specifically, without limitation, forward-looking statements include statements regarding our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects, including statements about our expectations, beliefs, intentions, anticipated developments, and other information concerning future matters. Words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “seeks,” “estimates,” and similar expressions or variations of such words are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but are not the exclusive means of identifying forward-looking statements in this prospectus.

Although forward-looking statements in this prospectus and in the documents incorporated by reference into this prospectus, represent the good faith judgment of our management, such statements can only be baseda registration statement on facts and factors currently known by us. Consequently, forward-looking statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties, and the actual results and outcomes could differ from those discussed in or anticipated by the forward-looking statements. FactorsForm S-3 that could cause or contribute to such differences in results and outcomes include, without limitation, those discussed under the heading “risk factors” and elsewhere in our filingswe filed with the securities and exchange commission that are incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Readers are urged not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this prospectus. We undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement in order to reflect any event or circumstance which may arise after the date of this prospectus. Readers are urged to carefully review and consider the various disclosures made in this prospectus and our filings with theUnited States Securities and Exchange Commission which attempt to advise interested partiesutilizing a “shelf” registration process. Under this shelf process, we may offer any combination of the risks and factors which may affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.

PROSPECTUS SUMMARY
The items in the following summary aresecurities described in more detail in this prospectus in one or more offerings, up to a total dollar amount of $400,000,000. This prospectus provides you with a general description of the securities we may offer. Each time we use this prospectus to offer securities, we will provide a prospectus supplement that will contain specific information about the terms of that offering, including the specific amounts, process and terms of the offered securities. The prospectus supplement may also add, update or change the information contained in this prospectus. You should read carefully both this prospectus and any prospectus supplement together with additional information described below under the documents incorporatedheading “Where You Can Find More Information.”

We have not authorized any dealer, salesperson or deemedother person to give any information or to make any representation other than those contained or incorporated by reference herein or therein. This summary provides an overview of selected information and does not contain all of the information that you should consider. Therefore, you should also read the more detailed information in this prospectus and the documentsaccompanying supplement to this prospectus. You must not rely upon any information or representation not contained or incorporated by reference hereinin this prospectus or therein. All referencesthe accompanying prospectus supplement. This prospectus and the accompanying supplement to “PICO,” “we,” “us,” “our,”this prospectus do not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities other than the registered securities to which they relate, nor do this prospectus and similar terms referthe accompanying supplement to PICO Holdings, Inc.this prospectus constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy securities in any jurisdiction to any person to whom it is unlawful to make such offer or solicitation in such jurisdiction. You should not assume that the information contained in this prospectus and its subsidiariesthe accompanying prospectus supplement is accurate on any date subsequent to the date set forth on the front of the document or that any information we have incorporated by reference is correct on any date subsequent to the date of the document incorporated by reference, even though this prospectus and any accompanying prospectus supplement is delivered or securities sold on a consolidated basis.

later date.

Our Company

ABOUT PICO Holdings, Inc. isHOLDINGS, INC.

We are a diversified holding company. We seek to build and operate businesses where significant value can be created from the development of unique assets, and to acquire businesses which we identify as undervalued and where our management participation in operations can aid in the recognition ofallow us to realize the business’s fair value, as well as create additional value.

Our objective is to maximize long-term shareholder value. We manage our operations to achieve a superior return on net assets over the long term, as opposed to short-term earnings.

Our business is separated into four major operatingreporting segments:

Water Resource and Water Storage Operations;

Real Estate Operations;

·  Water Resource and Water Storage Operations;

Business Acquisitions & Financing Operations (which contains businesses, interests in businesses, and other parent company assets); and

·  Real Estate Operations;

Insurance Operations in “Run Off”.

·  Business Acquisitions & Financing (which contains businesses, interests in businesses, and other parent company assets); and
·  Insurance Operations in “Run Off ”.

Each of these businessour segments is discussed in greater detail in the information incorporated by reference into this prospectus.


Currently our major consolidated subsidiaries are:

·  

Vidler Water Company, Inc. (“Vidler”), a business we started more than 10 years ago, which develops and owns water resources and water storage operations in the southwestern United States, primarily in Nevada and Arizona;

·  Nevada Land and Resource Company, LLC (“Nevada Land”), an operation that we have built since we acquired the company more than 10 years ago, which currently owns over 500,000 acres of land in Nevada, and certain mineral rights and water rights related to the property;
·  Physicians Insurance Company of Ohio (“Physicians”), which is “running off” its medical professional liability insurance loss reserves, and was our original business historically;
·  Citation Insurance Company (“Citation”), which is “running off’ its historical property & casualty and workers’ compensation loss reserves. Citation was acquired because it was complimentary to our other insurance operations at the time; and
·  Global Equity AG, which holds our interest in Jungfraubahn Holding AG (“Jungfraubahn”). Jungfraubahn is a public company, whose shares trade on the SWX Swiss Exchange, that operates railway and related tourism and transport activities in the Swiss Alps. We believed that Jungfraubahn was significantly undervalued at the time we acquired our interest, which was primarily acquired between 1999 and 2003.
During 2006, HyperFeed Technologies, Inc., a business which we started more than 10 years ago, which acquires and develops water resources and water storage operations in the southwestern United States, with assets in Nevada, Arizona, California, Colorado and Idaho;

Nevada Land & Resource Company, LLC, an 80% owned subsidiaryoperation that we built since we acquired the company more than 10 years ago, which owns approximately 493,000 acres of PICO, filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy protection. HyperFeedland in Nevada, and certain mineral rights and water rights related to the property;

Physicians Insurance Company of Ohio, which is accounted for“running off” its medical professional liability insurance loss reserves;

Citation Insurance Company, which is “running off” its historic property & casualty insurance and workers’ compensation loss reserves; and

Global Equity AG, which holds our interest in our consolidated financial statements for 2006Jungfraubahn Holding AG. Jungfraubahn Holding is a Swiss public company that operates railway and prior years as a discontinued operation. See “Discontinued Operations.”related tourism and transport activities in the Swiss Alps. Jungfraubahn Holding’s shares trade on the SWZ Swiss Exchange.

The address of our main office is 875 Prospect Street, Suite 301, La Jolla, California 92037,92037-4264, and our telephone number is (858) 456-6022.

PICO was

We were incorporated in 1981 and began operations in 1982. The company was known as Citation Insurance Group until a reverse merger with Physicians Insurance Company of Ohio on November 20, 1996. After the reverse merger, the former shareholders of Physicians Insurance Company of Ohio owned approximately 80% of Citation Insurance Group, the Boardboard of Directorsdirectors and management of Physicians Insurance Company of Ohio replaced their Citation Insurance Group counterparts, and Citation Insurance Group changed its name to PICO Holdings, Inc. You should be aware that some data on Bloomberg and other information services pre-dating the reverse merger relates to the old Citation Insurance Group only, and does not reflect the performance of Physicians Insurance Company of Ohio prior to thethat merger.

The Offering

Common stock offered by the Selling Shareholders
2,823,000 shares
Use of proceeds
We will not receive any of the proceeds from the sale of shares by the selling shareholders.
NASDAQ Global Market symbol
PICO


1



RISK FACTORS
The following information sets forth

You should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described under the heading “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006, as amended by our Form 10-K/A filed on April 12, 2007, and our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the nine months ended September 30, 2007 before making an investment decision in our company. Additional risks and uncertainties that we are unaware of, or that we currently deem immaterial, also may become important factors that affect us. All of these could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows and, thus, the value of an investment in our company.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained in this prospectus, any prospectus supplement and the documents we incorporate by reference into this prospectus and any prospectus supplement, including without limitation, statements containing the words “believes,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “expects,” “assumes,” “seeks,” “plans,” “may,” “will” and similar expressions, constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based upon our current plans, expectations and projections about future events. However, such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These are risks that we think could cause our actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward-looking statements we have made in this prospectus and those we may make from time to time. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully considerexpected or historical results. Such factors include, among others, the following risks, together with other matters described in this prospectus or incorporated herein by reference including our consolidated financial statements and related notes. If any of the following risks occurs, our business, financial condition or operating results could be harmed. In such case, the trading price of our securities could decline, in some cases significantly. The risks described below are not the only ones we face. Additional risks not presently known to us, or that we currently deem immaterial, may also impair our business operations. As a result of any of these risks, our business could be harmed, the trading price of our common stock could decline and you may lose all or part of your investment. The documents incorporated by reference may update or supplement these risk factors from time to time.

following:


Our future water revenues are uncertain and depend on a number of factors that may make our revenue streams and profitability volatile.
We engage in various water resource acquisition, management, development, and sale and lease activities. Accordingly, our future profitability will primarily be dependent on

our ability to develop and sell or lease water and water rights. Our long-term profitability will be affected by various factors, including the timing of water resource acquisitions, regulatory approvalsrights and permits associated with such acquisitions, transportation arrangements, and changing technology. We may also encounter unforeseen technical difficulties which could result in construction delays and cost increases with respect to our water resource and water storage development projects. Moreover, our profitability is significantly affected by changes in the market price of water. Future priceswater;

business disruption due to natural disasters;

our concentration of water may fluctuate widely as demand is affected by climatic, demographic and technological factors. Additionally, to the extent that we possess junior or conditional water rights, during extreme climatic conditions, such as periods of low flow or drought, our water rights could be subordinated to superior water rights holders. Many of the factors described above are not within our control. One or more of these factors could impact the profitability of our water resources and cause our results of operations to be volatile.

Our water activities may become concentrated in a limited number of assets, making our growth and profitability vulnerable to fluctuations in local economies and governmental regulations.
In the future, we anticipate that a significant amount of Vidler’s revenues and asset value will come from a limited number of assets, including our water resourcesprimarily in Nevada and Arizona and the Vidler Arizona Recharge Facility. Water resources in this region are scarce and we may not be successful in continuing to acquire and develop additional water assets. If we are unable to develop additional water assets, our revenues will be derived from a limited numberArizona;

effects of assets, primarily located in Arizona and Nevada. As a result of this concentration, our invested capital and results of operation will be vulnerable to fluctuations in local economies and governmental regulations.

Vidler’s Arizona Recharge facility is one of the few private sector water storage sites in Arizona. To date, we have stored more than 100,000 acre feet at the facility for our own account. We have not stored any water on behalf of any customers, and have not as yet generated any revenue from the recharge facility. We believe that the best economic return on the asset will come from storing water in surplus years for sale in dry years; however we cannot assure you that we will ultimately be able sell the stored water at a price sufficient to provide an adequate return on the capital we have invested in the facility.
A subsidiary of Vidler’s is constructing a pipeline approximately 35 miles long, to deliver water from Fish Springs Ranch to the northern valleys of Reno, Nevada. Vidler estimates that the total cost of the pipeline will be in the $78 million to $83 million range, and completion is estimated to be late 2007competition or early 2008. To date, Vidler has only entered into sale agreements for a very small proportion of the total amount of water that will be conveyed through the pipeline to the northern valleys of Reno. By the time construction of the pipeline has been completed, we anticipate that negotiations will have begun with the principal buyers of this water, who will largely be real estate developers. Although the current market value of water in the area greatly exceeds the total estimated cost of the pipeline and the water to be supplied, we cannot assure you that the sales prices we obtain will provide an adequate return on capital employed in the project. Furthermore, if our negotiations do not result in prices that are acceptable to us, we may choose to monetize the water at a later time, which would have an adverse effect on our near-term revenues and cash flows.
Our water sales may meet with political opposition in certain locations, thereby limiting our growth in these areas.
The water rights we hold and the transferability of these rights to other uses and places of use are governed by the laws concerning the laws concerning water rights in the states of Arizona, California, and Nevada. Our sale of water resources is subject to the risks of delay associated with receiving all necessary regulatory approvals and permits. Additionally, the transfer of water rights from one use to another may affect the economic base of a community and will, in some instances, be met with local opposition. Moreover, certain of the end users of our water rights, namely municipalities, regulate the use of water in order to manage growth, thereby creating additional requirements that we must satisfy to sell and convey water resources. If we are unable to effectively sell and convey water rights, our liquidity will suffer and our revenues would decline.
The fair values of our real estate and water assets are linked to external growth factors.
The real estate and water assets we hold have fair values that are significantly affected by the growth in population and the general state of the local economies where our real estate and water assets are located, primarily in the states of Arizona and Nevada.
The current decline in the U.S. housing market, including the housing markets in Arizona and Nevada, may lead to a near-term slowdown in demand for our real estate and water assets, which could cause a decline in our revenues and income. While we do not expect long-term demand for our assets to decline, a slowdown in the housing market may impact the timing of our monetization of our real estate and water assets. Any prolonged delay in the monetization of our assets may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows.
Variances in physical availability of water, along with environmental and legal restrictions and legal impediments, could impact profitability from our water rights.
We value our water assets, in part, based upon the amounts of acre-feet of water we anticipate from water rights applications and permitted rights. The water rights held by us and the transferability of these rights to other uses and places of use are governed by the laws; concerning water rights in the states of Arizona, Colorado and Nevada. The volumes of water actually derived from the water rights applications or permitted rights may vary considerably based upon physical availability and may be further limited by applicable legal restrictions. As a result, the amounts of acre-feet anticipated from the water rights applications or permitted rights do not in every case represent a reliable, firm annual yield of water, but in some cases describe the face amount of the water right claims or management’s best estimate of such entitlement. Additionally, we may face legal restrictions on the sale or transfer of some of our water rights, which may affect their commercial value. If we were unable to transfer or sell our water rights, we may lose some or all of our value in our water rights acquisitions.
2

We may not receive all of the permitted water rights we expect from the water rights applications we have filed in Nevada.
We have filed certain water rights applications in Nevada, primarily as part of the water teaming agreement with Lincoln County. Vidler expends the capital required to enable the filed applications to be converted into permitted water rights. We only expend capital in those areas where our initial investigations lead us to believe that we can obtain a sufficient quantity of water to provide an adequate return on the capital employed in the project. These capital expenditures largely consist of drilling and engineering costs for water production, costs of monitoring wells, and legal and consulting costs for hearings with the State Engineer, and National Environmental Protection Act, or “NEPA”, compliance costs. Until the State Engineer permits the water rights, there can be no assurance that we will be awarded all of the water which we expect based on the results of our drilling and our legal position. Any significant reduction in the quantity of water awarded to us from our expectations could adversely affect our revenues, profitability, and cash flows.
Our sale of water may be subject to environmental regulations which would impact the profitability of such sales.
The quality of the water we lease or sell may be subject to regulation by the United States Environmental Protection Agency acting pursuant to the federal Safe Drinking Water Act. While environmental regulations do not directly affect us, the regulations regarding the quality of water distributed affects our intended customers and may, therefore, depending on the quality of our water, impact the price and terms upon which we may in the future sell our water rights. If we need to reduce the price of our water rights in order to make a sale to our intended customers, our results of operations could suffer.
Purchasers of our real estate and water assets may default on their obligations to us and adversely affect our results of operations and cash flow.
In certain circumstances., we finance sales of real estate and water assets, and we secure such financing through deeds of trust on the property, which are only released once the financing has been fully paid off. Purchasers of our real estate and water assets may default on their financing obligations. Such defaults may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and the results of operations and cash flows.
If we do not successfully locate, select and manage acquisitions and investments, or if our acquisitions or investments otherwise fail or decline in value, our financial condition could suffer.
We invest in businesses that we believe are undervalued or that will benefit from additional capital, restructuring of operations or improved competitiveness through operational efficiencies. If a business in which we invest fails or its fair value declines, we could experience a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, the results of operations and cash flows. Additionally, we may not be able to find sufficient opportunities to make our business strategy successful. Our failure to successfully locate, select and manage acquisition and investment opportunities could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, the results of operations and cash flows. Such business failures, declines in fair values, and/or failure to successfully locate, select and manage acquisitions or investments could result in an inferior return on shareholders’ equity. We could also lose part or all of our capital in these businesses and experience reductions in our net income, cash flows, assets and shareholders’ equity.
Failure to successfully manage newly acquired companies could adversely affect our business.
Our management of the operations of acquired businesses requires significant efforts, including the coordination of information technologies, research and development, sales and marketing, operations, and finance. These efforts result in additional expenses and involve significant amounts of our management’s time and could distract our management from the day-to-day operations of our business. The diversion of our management’s attention from the day-to-day operations, or difficulties encountered in the integration process, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and the results of operations and cash flows. If we fail to integrate acquired businesses into our operations successfully, we may be unable to achieve our strategic goals and the value of your investment could suffer.
3

Our acquisitions may result in dilution to our shareholders and increase liabilities.
We make selective acquisitions of companies that we believe could benefit from our resources of additional capital, business expertise or existing operations. We endeavor to enhance and realize additional value to these acquired companies through our influence and control. Any acquisition could result in the use of a significant portion of our available cash, significant dilution to you, and significant acquisition-related charges. Acquisitions may also result in the assumption of liabilities, including liabilities that are unknown or not fully known to us at the time of the acquisition, which could have a material adverse effect on us.
Our acquisitions and investments may yield low or negative returns for an extended period of time, which could temporarily or permanently depress our return on shareholders’ equity, and we may not realize the value of the funds we invest.
We generally make acquisitions and investments that tend to be long term in nature, and for the purpose of realizing additional value by means of appropriate levels of shareholder influence and control. We acquire businesses that we believe to be undervalued or may benefit from additional capital, restructuring of operations or management or improved competitiveness through operational efficiencies with our existing operations. We may not be able to develop acceptable revenue streams and investment returns through the businesses we acquire, and as a result we may lose part or all of our investment in these assets. Additionally, when any of our acquisitions do not achieve acceptable rates of return or we do not realize the value of the funds invested, we may write down the value of such acquisitions or sell the acquired businesses at a loss. Some of our prior acquisitions have lost either part or all of the capital we invested. Unsuccessful acquisitions could have negative impacts on our cash flows, income, assets and shareholders’ equity, which may be temporary or permanent. Moreover, the process we employ to enhance value in our acquisitions and investments can consume considerable amounts of time and resources. Consequently, costs incurred as a result of these acquisitions and investments may exceed their revenues and/or increases in their values for an extended period of time. Ultimately, however, we may not be able to develop the potential of these assets that we originally anticipated.
Our ability to achieve an acceptable rate of return on any particular investment is subject to a number of factors which may be beyond our control, including increased competition and loss of market share, quality of management, cyclical or uneven financial results, technological obsolescence, foreign currency risks and regulatory delays.
We may not be able to sell our investments when it is advantageous to do so and we may have to sell these investments at a discount to fair value.
No active market exists for some of the companies in which we invest. We acquire stakes in private companies that are not as liquid as investments in public companies. Additionally, some of our acquisitions may be in restricted or unregistered stock of U.S. public companies. Moreover, even our investments for which there is an established market are subject to dramatic fluctuations in their market price. These illiquidity factors may affect our ability to divest some of our acquisitions and could affect the value that we receive for the sale of such investments and have a negative impact on our results of operations.
Our acquisitions of and investments in foreign companies subject us to additional market and liquidity risks which could affect the value of our stock.
We have acquired, and may continue to acquire, shares of stock in foreign public companies. Typically, these foreign companies are not registered with the SEC and regulation of these companies is under the jurisdiction of the relevant foreign country. The respective foreign regulatory regime may limit our ability to obtain timely and comprehensive financial information for the foreign companies in which we have invested. In addition, if a foreign company in which we invest were to take actions which could be deleterious to its shareholders, foreign legal systems may make it difficult or time-consuming for us to challenge such actions. These factors may affect our ability to acquire controlling stakes, or to dispose of our foreign investments, or to realize the full fair value of our foreign investments. In addition, investments in foreign countries may give rise to complex cross-border tax issues. We aim to manage our tax affairs efficiently, but given the complexity of dealing with domestic and foreign tax jurisdictions, we may have to pay tax in both the U.S. and in foreign countries, and we may be unable to offset any U.S. tax liabilities with foreign tax credits. If we are unable to manage our foreign tax issues efficiently, our financial condition and the results of operations and cash flows could be adversely affected. In addition, we are subject to foreign exchange risk through our acquisitions of stocks in foreign public companies. We attempt to mitigate this foreign exchange risk by borrowing funds in the same currency to purchase the stocks. Significant fluctuations in the foreign currencies in which we hold investments or consummate transactions, could negatively impact our financial condition and the results of operations and cash flows.
Volatile fluctuations in our insurance reserves could cause our financial condition to be materially misstated.
Although we provide reserves that management believes are adequate, the actual losses could be greater. Our insurance subsidiaries may not have established reserves that are adequate to meet the ultimate cost of losses arising from claims. It has been, and will continue to be, necessary for our insurance subsidiaries to review and make appropriate adjustments to reserves for claims and expenses for settling claims. Inadequate reserves could cause our financial condition to fluctuate from period to period and cause our financial condition to appear to be better than it actually is for periods in which insurance claims reserves are understated. In subsequent periods when we discover the underestimation and pay the additional claims, our cash needs will be greater than expected and our financial results of operations for that period will be worse than they would have been had our reserves been accurately estimated originally.
The inherent uncertainties in estimating loss reserves are greater for some insurance products than for others, and are dependent on various factors including:
·  the length of time in reporting claims;
·  the diversity of historical losses among claims;
·  the amount of historical information available during the estimation process;
·  the degree of impact that changing regulations and legal precedents may have on open claims; and
·  the consistency of reinsurance programs over time.
Because medical malpractice liability, commercial property and casualty, and workers’ compensation claims may not be completely paid off for several years, estimating reserves for these types of claims can be more uncertain than estimating reserves for other types of insurance. As a result, precise reserve estimates cannot be made for several years following the year for which reserves were initially established. During the past several years, the levels of the reserves for our insurance subsidiaries have been very volatile. We have had to significantly increase and decrease these reserves in the past several years. Significant increases in the reserves may be necessary in the future, and the level of reserves for our insurance subsidiaries may be volatile in the future. These increases or volatility may have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and the results of operations and cash flows.
If we underestimate the amount of reinsurance we need or if the companies with which we have reinsurance agreements default on their obligations, we may be unable to cover claims made and that would have a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
We have reinsurance agreements on all of our insurance books of business with reinsurance companies. We purchase reinsurance based upon our assessment of the overall direct underwriting risk. It is possible that we may underestimate the amount of reinsurance required to achieve the desired level of net claims risk, and a claim may exceed the combined value of our reserve and the amount of reinsurance available. Additionally, our reinsurers could default on amounts owed to us for their portion of the direct insurance claim. Our insurance subsidiaries, as direct writers of lines of insurance, have ultimate responsibility for the payment of claims, and any defaults by reinsurers may result in our established reserves not being adequate to meet the ultimate cost of losses arising from claims. If claims made exceed the amount of our direct reserves and the available reinsurance, we may be subject to regulatory action or litigation and our results of operation would suffer as a result.
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State regulators could require changes to our capitalization and/or to the operations of our insurance subsidiaries, and/or place them into rehabilitation or liquidation.
Beginning in 1994, Physicians and Citation became subject to the provisions of the Risk-Based Capital for Insurers Model Act which has been adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners for the purpose of helping regulators identify insurers that may be in financial difficulty. The Model Act contains a formula which takes into account asset risk, credit risk, underwriting risk and all other relevant risks. Under this formula, each insurer is required to report to regulators using formulas which measure the quality of its capital and the relationship of its modified capital base to the level of risk assumed in specific aspects of its operations. The formula does not address all of the risks associated with the operations of an insurer. The formula is intended to provide a minimum threshold measure of capital adequacy by an individual insurance company and does not purport to compute a target level of capital. Companies which fall below the threshold will be placed into one of four categories: Company Action Level, where the insurer must submit a plan of corrective action; Regulatory Action Level, where the insurer must submit such a plan of corrective action, the regulator is required to perform such examination or analysis the Superintendent of Insurance considers necessary and the regulator must issue a corrective order; Authorized Control Level, which includes the above actions and may include rehabilitation or liquidation; and Mandatory Control Level, where the regulator must rehabilitate or liquidate the insurer. As of December 31, 2006, all of our insurance subsidiaries’ risk-based capital results exceeded the Company Action Level. However, we cannot assure you that insurance subsidiaries’ risk-based capital results will exceed the Company Action Level in the future. If the risk-based capital of any of our insurance subsidiaries fails to exceed the Company Action Level, we will be subject to the regulatory action described above and our results of operations could suffer.
If we are required to register as an investment company, we will be subject to a significant regulatory burden and our results of operations will suffer.
At all times we intend to conduct our business so as to avoid being regulated as an investment company under the Investment Company Act of 1940. However, if we were required to register as an investment company, our ability to use debt would be substantially reduced, and we would be subject to significant additional disclosure obligations and restrictions on our operational activities. Because of the additional requirements imposed on an investment company with regard to the distribution of earnings, operational activities and the use of debt, in addition to increased expenditures due to additional reporting responsibilities, our cash available for investments would be reduced. The additional expenses would reduce income. These factors would adversely affect our business, financial condition, and the results of operations and cash flows.
We are directly impacted by international affairs, which directly exposes us to the adverse effects of any foreign economic or governmental instability.
As a result of global investment diversification, our business, financial condition, the results of operations and cash flows may be adversely affected by:
·  exposure to fluctuations in exchange rates;
·  the imposition of governmental controls;
·  the need to comply with a wide variety of foreign and U.S. export laws;
·  political and economic instability;
·  trade restrictions;
·  changes in tariffs and taxes;
·  volatile interest rates;
·  changes in certain commodity prices;
·  exchange controls which may limit our ability to withdraw money;
·  the greater difficulty of administering business overseas; and
·  general economic conditions outside the United States.
Changes in any or all of these factors could result in reduced market values of investments, loss of assets, additional expenses, reduced investment income, reductions in shareholders’ equity due to foreign currency fluctuations and a reduction in our global diversification.
Because our operations are diverse, analysts and investors may not be able to evaluate us adequately, which may negatively influence our share price.
PICO is a diversified holding company with operations in real estate and related water rights and mineral rights; water resource development and water storage; insurance operations in run-off; and business acquisitions and financing. Each of these areas is unique, complex in nature, and difficult to understand. In particular, the water resource business is a developing industry within the western United States with very little historical data, very few experts and a limited following of analysts. Because we are complex, analysts and investors may not be able to adequately evaluate our operations and PICO in total. This could cause analysts and investors to make inaccurate evaluations of our stock, or to overlook PICO in general. As a result, the trading volume and price of our stock could suffer.
Fluctuations in the market price of our common stock may affect your ability to sell your shares.
The trading price of our common stock has historically been, and we expect to continue to be, subject to fluctuations. The market price of our common stock may be significantly impacted by:
·  quarterly variations in financial performance and condition;
·  shortfalls in revenue or earnings from levels forecast by securities analysts;
·  changes in estimates by such analysts;
·  product introductions;
·  our competitors’ announcements of extraordinary events such as acquisitions;
·  litigation; and
·  general economic conditions.
Our results of operations have been subject to significant fluctuations, particularly on a quarterly basis, and our future results of operations could fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter and from year to year. Causes of such fluctuations may include the inclusion or exclusion of operating earnings from newly acquired or sold operations. At December 31, 2006, the closing price of our common stock on the NASDAQ Global Market was $34.77 per share, compared to $20.77 at December 31, 2004. On a quarterly basis between these two dates, closing prices have ranged from a high of $35.53 to a low of $20.93. Statements or changes in opinions, ratings, or earnings estimates made by brokerage firms or industry analysts relating to the markets in which we dooperate;

demographic changes and general economic and business conditions, primarily in Nevada and Arizona;

changes in, or relatingfailure to us specifically could resultcomply with, existing governmental regulations, including environmental regulations;

our ability to successfully acquire and integrate new businesses and assets;

volatile fluctuations in an immediateour insurance reserves;

liability and adverse effect onother claims asserted against us;

ability to attract and retain qualified personnel; and

availability and terms of capital.

From time to time, we also may provide oral or written forward-looking statements in other materials we release to the market pricepublic. Forward-looking statements are only predictions that provide our current expectations or forecasts of future events. Any or all of our common stock. Such fluctuationsforward-looking statements in this prospectus and in any other public statements are subject to unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the market priceforward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, performance or achievements. You should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements.

We undertake no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law. You are advised, however, to consult any further disclosures we make on related subjects in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for the

quarterly periods ended March 31, 2007, June 30, 2007 and September 30, 2007, Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, as amended by our Form 10-K/A filed on April 12, 2007, and Current Reports on Form 8-K as may be updated from time to time by future filings under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act.

Investment in our securities involves a high degree of risk. You should consider carefully the risk factors described above, those described under “Risk Factors,” as well as other information in this prospectus and the prospectus supplement before purchasing any of our common stocksecurities. Each of these risk factors could adversely affect our business, operating results and financial condition, as well as adversely affect the value of youran investment in our securities.

USE OF PROCEEDS

Unless we indicate otherwise in the applicable prospectus supplement, we anticipate to use net proceeds for general corporate purposes, including property and your abilitybusiness acquisitions, repayment of amounts under our subsidiary’s bank borrowings, capital expenditures and working capital requirements. We will set forth in the prospectus supplement our intended use for the net proceeds received from the sale of any securities.

RATIO OF EARNINGS TO FIXED CHARGES

The following table sets forth our ratio of earnings to fixed charges.

   Fiscal Year Ended December 31,  Nine Months Ended
September 30,
   2002    2003      2004    2005  2006      2006          2007    

Ratio of earnings to fixed charges (1)

  4.94x  —    —    57.11x  102.10x  106.47x  —  

(1)“Earnings” is calculated as pre-tax income (loss) from continuing operations before minority interest plus fixed charges less interest capitalized. “Fixed charges” consists of the sum of interest expensed, interest capitalized and estimated interest within rental expense. Our earnings were insufficient to cover fixed charges by $10,488,000 and $13,159,000 for the years ended December 31, 2003 and 2004, respectively, and by $4,030,000 for the quarter ended September 30, 2007.

DESCRIPTION OF CAPITAL STOCK

General

This prospectus describes the general terms of our capital stock. For a more detailed description of these securities, you should read the applicable provisions of California law and our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and our Amended and Restated By-Laws. When we offer to sell your shares.

a particular series of these securities, we will describe the specific terms of the series in a supplement to this prospectus. Accordingly, for a description of the terms of any series of securities, you must refer to both the prospectus supplement relating to that series and the description of the securities described in this prospectus. To the extent the information contained in the prospectus supplement differs from this summary description, you should rely on the information in the prospectus supplement.

Under our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, we are authorized to issue up to 100,000,000 shares of common stock, par value $0.001 per share. As of November 15, 2007, there were 18,833,737 shares of common stock outstanding, excluding 3,218,408 shares of common stock held by our subsidiaries.

WeCommon Stock

Voting

For all matters submitted to a vote of shareholders, each holder of common stock is entitled to one vote for each share registered in the shareholder’s name. Cumulative voting for the election of directors is specifically authorized by our By-laws. Under cumulative voting for the election of directors, upon a proper and timely request by a shareholder, each shareholder is entitled to cast a number of votes equal to the number of shares held multiplied by the number of directors to be elected. The votes may be cast for one or more candidates. Thus, under cumulative voting, a majority of the outstanding shares will not necessarily be able to retain key management personnel we needelect all of the directors, and minority shareholders may be entitled to succeed, which could adversely affect our abilitygreater voting power with respect to successfully operate our businesses.

To run our day-to-day operations and to successfully manage newly acquired companies we must, among other things, continue to attract and retain key management. We rely on the serviceselection of several key executive officers. If they depart, it could have a significant adverse effect. Messrs. Langley and Hart, our Chairman and CEO, respectively, are key to the implementationdirectors than if cumulative voting did not apply.

Dividends

Holders of our strategic focus, and our ability to successfully develop our current strategy is dependent upon our ability to retain the services of Messrs. Langley and Hart.

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We use estimates and assumptions in preparing financial statements in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America.
The preparation of our financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent liabilities at the date of financial statements and the reported amount of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. We regularly evaluate our estimates, which are based on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under the circumstances. The result of these evaluations forms the basis for our judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities and the reported amount of revenues and expenses that are not readily apparent from other sources. The carrying values of assets and liabilities and the reported amount of revenues and expenses may differ by using different assumptions. In addition, in future periods, in order to incorporate all known experience at that time, we may have to revise assumptions previously made which may change the amount of previously reported assets and liabilities. This potential subsequent change in amount may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and the results of operations and cash flows.
Repurchases of our common stock could have a negative effect onare entitled to share ratably in any dividends declared by our cash flows and ourboard of directors. Dividends consisting of shares of common stock price.
Our Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $10 million of our common stock. The stock purchases may be made from timepaid to time at prevailing prices though open market,holders of shares of common stock or negotiated transactions, depending on market conditions, and will be funded from available cash resources of the company. Such repurchases may have a negative impact on our cash flows, and could result in market pressure to sell our common stock.
Future changes in financial accounting standards may cause adverse unexpected revenue fluctuations and affect our reported results of operations.
A change in accounting standards could have a significant effect on our reported results and may even affect our reporting transactions completed before the change is effective. New accounting pronouncements and varying interpretations of pronouncements have occurred and may occur in the future. Changes to existing rules or the questioning of current practices may adversely affect our reported financial results or the way we conduct our business.
Compliance with changing regulation of corporate governance and public disclosure may result in additional expenses.
Changing laws, regulations and standards relating to corporate governance and public disclosure, SEC regulations and NASDAQ Stock Market rules, are creating uncertainty for companies such as ours. These new or changed laws, regulations and standards are subject to varying interpretations in many cases due to their lack of specificity, and as a result, their application in practice may evolve over time as new guidance is provided by regulatory and governing bodies, which could result in continuing uncertainty regarding compliance matters and higher costs necessitated by ongoing revisions to disclosure and governance practices. We are committed to maintaining high standards of corporate governance and public disclosure. As a result, our efforts to comply with evolving laws, regulations and standards have resulted in, and are likely to continue to result in, increased general and administrative expenses and a diversion of management time and attention from revenue-generating activities to compliance activities. In particular, our efforts to maintain compliance with Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and the related regulations regarding our required assessment of our internal controls over financial reporting and our external auditors’ audit of that assessment has required the commitment of substantial financial and managerial resources. We expect these efforts to require the continued commitment of significant resources. Further, our board members, chief executive officer, and chief financial officer could face an increased risk of personal liability in connection with the performance of their duties and we may be required to indemnify them for any expenses incurred in defending against claims. As a result, we may have difficulty attracting and retaining qualified board members and executive officers, which could harm our business. If our efforts to comply with new or changes laws, regulations, and standards differ from the activities intended by regulatory or governing bodies due to ambiguities related to practice, our reputation could be harmed.
Absence of dividends could reduce our attractiveness to investors.
Some investors favor companies that pay dividends, particularly in market downturns.cash. We have never declared or paid any cash dividends on our common stock. We currentlydo not intend to retain any future earnings for funding growth and, therefore, we do not currently anticipate payingpay cash dividends on our common stock.
We may need additional capital in the future to fundforeseeable future.

Liquidation and Dissolution

If we are liquidated or dissolve, the growth of our business, and financing may not be available.

We currently anticipate that our available capital resources and operating income will be sufficient to meet our expected working capital and capital expenditure requirements for at least the next 12 months. However, we cannot assure you that such resources will be sufficient to fund the long-term growth of our business. We may raise additional funds through public or private debt or equity financings if such financings become available on favorable terms, but such financing may dilute the interests of our stockholders. We cannot assure you that any additional financing we need will be available on terms favorable to us, or at all. If adequate funds are not available or are not available on acceptable terms, we may not be able to take advantage of unanticipated opportunities or otherwise respond to competitive pressures. In any such case, our business, operating results or financial condition could be materially adversely affected.
Litigation may harm our business or otherwise distract our management.
Substantial, complex or extended litigation could cause us to incur large expenditures and distract our management. For example, lawsuits by employees, stockholders or customers could be very costly and substantially disrupt our business. Additionally, our subsidiaries may become involved in litigation that could necessitate our management’s attention and require us to expend our resources. We or our subsidiaries will have disputes from time to time with companies or individuals, and we cannot assure that that we will always be able to resolve such disputes out of court or on terms favorable to us.
THE FOREGOING FACTORS, INDIVIDUALLY OR IN AGGREGATE, COULD MATERIALLY ADVERSELY AFFECT OUR OPERATING RESULTS AND CASH FLOWS AND FINANCIAL CONDITION AND COULD MAKE COMPARISON OF HISTORIC OPERATING RESULTS AND CASH FLOWS AND BALANCES DIFFICULT OR NOT MEANINGFUL.


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USE OF PROCEEDS
We will not receive any proceeds from sales of the shares.

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION
The sharesholders of our common stock coveredwill be entitled to share ratably in all the assets that remain after we pay our liabilities.

Other Rights and Restrictions

Holders of our common stock do not have preemptive rights, and they have no right to convert their common stock into any other securities. Our common stock is not subject to redemption by us. Our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and By-laws do not restrict the ability of a holder of common stock to transfer the shareholder’s shares of common stock. When we issue shares of common stock under this prospectus, the shares will be fully paid and non-assessable and will not have, or be subject to, any preemptive or similar rights.

Listing

Our common stock is listed on The Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “PICO.” On November 19, 2007, the closing price of our common on The Nasdaq Global Market was $39.01 per share. As of November 15, 2007 we had approximately 603 shareholders of record.

Transfer Agent and Registrar

Computershare Trust Company, N.A. has been appointed as the transfer agent and registrar for our common stock.

Effects of Authorized but Unissued Stock

We have shares of common stock available for future issuance without shareholder approval, subject to any limitations imposed by the listing standards of The Nasdaq Global Market. We may utilize these additional shares for a variety of corporate purposes, including for future public offerings to raise additional capital or facilitate corporate acquisitions. The existence of unissued and unreserved common stock may enable our board of directors to issue shares to persons friendly to current management.

ANTI-TAKEOVER EFFECTS OF OUR CHARTER DOCUMENTS

Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation and By-law Provisions

Special Meeting Requirements

Our By-laws provide that special meetings of shareholders may be called at the request of our board of directors, the chairman of our board of directors, the president, or one or more shareholders entitled to cast not less than one-tenth of the votes at that meeting.

Advance Notice Requirement

Our By-laws establish an advance notice procedure for shareholder proposals to be brought before an annual meeting of shareholders, including proposed nominations of persons for election to the board of directors. Shareholders at an annual meeting may only consider proposals or nominations specified in the notice of meeting or brought before the meeting by or at the direction of the board of directors or by a shareholder of record on the record date for the meeting, who is entitled to vote at the meeting and who has delivered timely written notice in proper form to our secretary or other appropriate officer of the shareholder’s intention to bring such business before the meeting. These provisions could have the effect of delaying until the next shareholder meeting shareholder actions that are favored by the holders of a majority of our outstanding voting securities.

Indemnification

Our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, as amended, and By-laws provide that we may indemnify officers and directors for certain acts in excess of indemnification otherwise permitted by Section 317 of the California Corporate Code.

The above provisions may deter a hostile takeover or delay a change in control or management of us.

DESCRIPTION OF DEBT SECURITIES

The debt securities will be issued under an indenture between us and a trustee that we will name in a prospectus supplement.

The following is a summary of the material provisions of the form of indenture and the debt securities. This summary is not complete. We have filed the form of indenture with the SEC as an exhibit to the registration statement which includes this prospectus, and you should read the indenture for the provisions that may be important to you. In this description of debt securities, the words “PICO,” “we,” “us” or “our” refer only to PICO and not to any subsidiary.

General

The terms of each series of debt securities will be established by or pursuant to a resolution of our Board of Directors and set forth or determined in the manner provided in an officers’ certificate or by a supplemental indenture. Debt securities may be issued in separate series without limitation as to aggregate principal amount. We may specify a maximum aggregate principal amount for the debt securities of any series. The particular terms of each series of debt securities will be described in a prospectus supplement relating to such series, including any pricing supplement.

The prospectus supplement will set forth:

the offering price of the debt securities;

the title of the debt securities;

the total principal amount of the debt securities;

any limit on the aggregate principal amount;

the person who shall be entitled to receive interest, if other than the record holder on the record date;

the date the principal will be payable;

the interest rate or rates, if any, the date interest will accrue, the interest payment dates and the regular record dates;

the place where payments may be made;

any mandatory or optional redemption provisions;

if applicable, the method for determining how the principal, premium, if any, or interest will be calculated by reference to an index or formula;

if other than U.S. currency, the currency or currency units in which principal, premium, if any, or interest will be payable and whether we or the holder may elect payment to be made in a different currency;

the portion of the principal amount that will be payable upon acceleration of stated maturity, if other than the entire principal amount;

any defeasance provisions if different from those described below under “Satisfaction and Discharge; Defeasance;”

any conversion or exchange provisions;

any obligation to redeem or purchase the debt securities pursuant to a sinking fund;

whether the debt securities will be issuable in the form of a global security;

any ranking or subordination provisions as may apply;

the name and office of any trustee other than that signing the Indenture;

any guarantees and provisions related to guarantees;

any deletions of, or changes or additions to, the events of default or covenants; and

any other specific terms of such debt securities.

Unless otherwise specified in the prospectus supplement:

the debt securities will be registered debt securities; and

registered debt securities denominated in U.S. dollars will be issued in denominations of $1,000 or an integral multiple of $1,000.

Debt securities may be sold at a substantial discount below their stated principal amount, bearing no interest or interest at a rate which at the time of issuance is below market rates.

Exchange and Transfer

Debt securities may be transferred or exchanged at the office of the security registrar or at the office of any transfer agent designated by us.

We will not impose a service charge for any transfer or exchange, but we may require holders to pay any tax or other governmental charges associated with any transfer or exchange.

In the event of any potential redemption of debt securities of any series, we will not be required to:

issue, register the transfer of, or exchange, any debt security of that series during a period beginning at the opening of business 15 days before the day of mailing of a notice of redemption and ending at the close of business on the day of the mailing; or

register the transfer of, or exchange, any debt security of that series selected for redemption, in whole or in part, except the unredeemed portion being redeemed in part.

We may initially appoint the trustee as the security registrar. Any transfer agent, in addition to the security registrar, initially designated by us will be named in the prospectus supplement. We may designate additional transfer agents or change transfer agents or change the office of the transfer agent. However, we will be required to maintain a transfer agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of each series.

Global Securities

The debt securities of any series may be represented, in whole or in part, by one or more global securities. Each global security will:

be registered in the name of a depositary that we will identify in a prospectus supplement;

be deposited with the depositary or nominee or custodian; and

bear any required legends.

No global security may be exchanged in whole or in part for debt securities registered in the name of any person other than the depositary or any nominee unless:

the depositary has notified us that it is unwilling or unable to continue as depositary or has ceased to be qualified to act as depositary and no successor depositary has been appointed;

we determine that the debt securities will no longer be represented by a global note;

the depositary has requested us to exchange certain debt securities following the request of a beneficial owner seeking to exercise or enforce its rights under the debt securities; or

any other circumstances described in a prospectus supplement.

As long as the depositary, or its nominee, is the registered owner of a global security, the depositary or nominee will be considered the sole owner and holder of the debt securities represented by the global security for all purposes under the indenture. Except in the above limited circumstances, owners of beneficial interests in a global security:

will not be entitled to have the debt securities registered in their names;

will not be entitled to physical delivery of certificated debt securities; and

will not be considered to be holders of those debt securities under the indenture.

Payments on a global security will be made to the depositary or its nominee as the holder of the global security. Some jurisdictions have laws that require that certain purchasers of securities take physical delivery of such securities in definitive form. These laws may impair the ability to transfer beneficial interests in a global security.

Institutions that have accounts with the depositary or its nominee are referred to as “participants.” Ownership of beneficial interests in a global security will be limited to participants and to persons that may hold beneficial interests through participants. The depositary will credit, on its book-entry registration and transfer system, the respective principal amounts of debt securities represented by the global security to the accounts of its participants.

Ownership of beneficial interests in a global security will be shown on and effected through records maintained by the depositary, with respect to participants’ interests, or any participant, with respect to interests of persons held by participants on their behalf.

Payments, transfers and exchanges relating to beneficial interests in a global security will be subject to policies and procedures of the depositary.

The depositary policies and procedures may change from time to time. Neither we nor the trustee will have any responsibility or liability for the depositary’s or any participant’s records with respect to beneficial interests in a global security.

Payment and Paying Agent

The provisions of this paragraph will apply to the debt securities unless otherwise indicated in the prospectus supplement. Payment of interest on a debt security on any interest payment date will be made to the person in whose name the debt security is registered at the close of business on the regular record date. Payment on debt securities of a particular series will be payable at the office of a paying agent or paying agents designated by us. However, at our option, we may pay interest by mailing a check to the record holder. The corporate trust office will be designated as our sole paying agent.

We may also name any other paying agents in the prospectus supplement. We may designate additional paying agents, change paying agents or change the office of any paying agent. However, we will be required to maintain a paying agent in each place of payment for the debt securities of a particular series.

All moneys paid by us to a paying agent for payment on any debt security which remain unclaimed at the end of two years after such payment was due will be repaid to us. Thereafter, the holder may look only to us for such payment.

Consolidation, Merger and Sale of Assets

Except as otherwise set forth in the prospectus supplement, we may consolidate or merge with or into any other person, or have any other person merge with and into us, or sell our assets as, or substantially as, an entirety to any person, or otherwise;provided,however, that

(a) in case of any such consolidation or merger the corporation resulting from such consolidation or any person other than us into which such merger shall be made shall succeed to and be substituted for us with the same effect as if it has been named herein as a party hereto and shall become liable and be bound for, and shall expressly assume, by a supplemental indenture hereto, executed and delivered to the trustee, the due and punctual payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest, if any, on all the debt securities of each series, if any, appertaining thereto and the performance and observance of each and every covenant and condition of the indenture that are to be performed or observed by us,

(b) as a condition of any such sale of our assets as, or substantially as, an entirety, the person to which such assets shall be sold shall

(i) expressly assume the due and punctual payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest, if any, on all the debt securities of each series, if any, appertaining thereto and the performance and observance of all the covenants and conditions of the indenture that are to be performed or observed by us and

(ii) simultaneously with the delivery to it of the conveyances or instruments of transfer of such assets, execute and deliver to the trustee a supplemental indenture thereto, in form satisfactory to the trustee, whereby such purchasing person shall so assume the due and punctual payment of the principal of, premium, if any, and interest, if any, on all the debt securities of each series and the performance and observance of each and every covenant and condition of the indenture that are to be performed or observed by us, to the same extent that we are bound and liable,

(c) either we are the continuing corporation or the successor corporation is a corporation or limited liability company organized under the laws of the United States of America or any state thereof or the District of Columbia, and

(d) we are not, or such successor corporation is not, immediately after such merger, consolidation or sale, in default in the performance of any obligations under the indenture.

Events of Default

Unless we inform you otherwise in the prospectus supplement, the indenture will define an event of default with respect to any series of debt securities as one or more of the following events:

(1)failure to pay principal of, or any premium on, any debt security of that series when due;

(2)failure to pay any interest on any debt security of that series for 30 days when due;

(3)failure to deposit any sinking fund payment within 30 days of when due;

(4)failure to perform any other covenant in the indenture continued for 60 days after being given the notice required in the indenture;

(5)our bankruptcy, insolvency or reorganization; and

(6)any other event of default specified in the prospectus supplement.

An event of default of one series of debt securities is not necessarily an event of default for any other series of debt securities.

If an event of default, other than an event of default described in clause (5) above, shall occur and be continuing, either the trustee or the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding securities of that series may declare the principal amount of the debt securities of that series to be due and payable immediately.

If an event of default described in clause (5) above shall occur, the principal amount of all the debt securities of that series will automatically become immediately due and payable.

After acceleration the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding securities of that series may, under certain circumstances, rescind and annul such acceleration if all events of default, other than the non-payment of accelerated principal and accrued interest, or other specified amount, have been cured or waived.

Other than the duty to act with the required care during an event of default, the trustee will not be obligated to exercise any of its rights or powers at the request of the holders unless the holders shall have offered to the trustee reasonable indemnity. Generally, the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of any series will have the right to direct the time, method and place of conducting any proceeding for any remedy available to the trustee or exercising any trust or power conferred on the trustee.

A holder will not have any right to institute any proceeding under the indenture, or for the appointment of a receiver or a trustee, or for any other remedy under the indenture, unless:

(1) the holder has previously given to the trustee written notice of a continuing event of default with respect to the debt securities of that series;

(2) the holders of at least 25% in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series have made a written request and have offered reasonable indemnity to the trustee to institute the proceeding; and

(3) the trustee has failed to institute the proceeding and has not received direction inconsistent with the original request from the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding debt securities of that series within 60 days after the original request.

Holders may, however, sue to enforce the payment of principal, premium, if any, or interest on any debt security on or after the due date or to enforce the right, if any, to convert any debt security without following the procedures listed in (1) through (3) above.

We will furnish the trustee an annual statement by our officers as to whether or not we are in default in the performance of the indenture and, if so, specifying all known defaults.

Modification and Waiver

Except as provided in the next two succeeding paragraphs, we and the trustee may make modifications and amendments to the indenture (including, without limitation, through consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, outstanding securities) and may waive any existing default or event of default (including, without limitation, through consents obtained in connection with a purchase of, or tender offer or exchange offer for, outstanding securities) with the consent of the holders of a majority in aggregate principal amount of the outstanding securities of each series affected by the modification or amendment.

However, neither we nor the trustee may make any modification or amendment without the consent of the holder of each outstanding security of that series affected by the modification or amendment if such modification or amendment would:

change the stated maturity of any debt security;

reduce the principal, premium, if any, or interest on any debt security;

reduce the principal of an original issue discount security or any other debt security payable on acceleration of maturity;

reduce the percent in principal amount of holders of any debt security required to consent to a supplemental indenture or waiver of default or event of default;

change the place of payment where a debt security or interest on a debt security is payable;

change the currency in which any debt security is payable; or

impair the right to enforce any payment due to the holder.

Notwithstanding the preceding, without the consent of any holder of outstanding securities, we and the trustee may amend or supplement the indenture:

to cure any ambiguity, defect or inconsistency;

to provide for uncertificated securities in addition to, or in place of, certificated securities;

to provide for the assumption of our obligations to holders of any debt security in the case of a merger or consolidation or sale of all or substantially all of our assets;

to make any change that would provide any additional rights or benefits to the holders of securities or that does not adversely affect the legal rights under the indenture of any such holders;

to comply with requirements of the SEC in order to effect or maintain the qualification of an indenture under the Trust Indenture Act;

to conform the text of the indenture to any provision of the “Description of Debt Securities”;

to provide for the forms or terms of debt securities in accordance with the limitations set forth in the indenture;

to add additional events of default;

to provide for the issuance of debt securities in coupon form and to provide for the exchangeability of those debt securities with securities of the same series in fully registered form, making all appropriate changes as necessary;

to provide that bearer debt securities may be registrable as to principal, to change or eliminate any restrictions on payment of principal or premium on registered debt securities or on principal, premium or interest on bearer debt securities, or to allow for the exchange of registered debt securities for bearer debt securities, subject to certain limitations;

to provide for the appointment of a successor or separate trustee;

to add guarantees or to secure any series of debt securities; or

to amend or eliminate any provision of the indenture to the extent that no debt security then outstanding is entitled to the benefit of that provision.

The consent of holders is not necessary under the indenture to approve the particular form of any proposed amendment. It is sufficient if such consent approves the substance of the proposed amendment.

Satisfaction and Discharge; Defeasance

We may be discharged from our obligations on the debt securities of any series that have matured or will mature or be redeemed within one year if we deposit with the trustee enough cash to pay all the principal, interest and any premium due to the stated maturity date or redemption date of the debt securities.

The indenture contains a provision that permits us to elect:

to be discharged from all of our obligations, subject to limited exceptions, with respect to any series of debt securities then outstanding (“legal defeasance”); or

to be released from our obligations under the consolidation, merger and sale of assets covenant and other specified covenants and the related events of default resulting from a breach of these covenants (“covenant defeasance”).

To make either of the above elections, we must deposit in trust with the trustee enough money to pay in full the principal, interest and any premium on the debt securities. This amount may be made in cash and/or U.S. government obligations. As a condition to either of the above elections, we must deliver to the trustee an opinion of counsel that the holders of the debt securities will not recognize income, gain or loss for Federal income tax purposes as a result of the action.

If any of the above events occurs, the holders of the debt securities of the series will not be entitled to the benefits of the indenture, except for the rights of holders to receive payments on debt securities or the registration of transfer and exchange of debt securities and replacement of lost, stolen or mutilated debt securities.

Notices

Notices to holders will be given by mail to the addresses of the holders in the security register.

Governing Law

The indenture, any supplemental indenture and the debt securities will be governed by, and construed under, the law of the State of New York, except to the extent that the Trust Indenture Act is applicable.

Regarding the Trustee

The indenture limits the right of the trustee, should it become a creditor of us, to obtain payment of claims or secure its claims.

The trustee is permitted to engage in certain other transactions. However, if the trustee acquires any conflicting interest, and there is a default under the debt securities of any series for which they are trustee, the trustee must eliminate the conflict or resign.

DESCRIPTION OF WARRANTS

We may issue warrants for the purchase of debt securities or common stock. We may issue warrants independently or together with any other securities offered by any prospectus supplement, and warrants may be attached to or separate from the other offered securities. Each series of warrants will be issued under a separate warrant agreement to be entered into by us with a warrant agent. The warrant agent will act solely as our agent in connection with the series of warrants and will not assume any obligation or relationship of agency or trust for or with any holders or beneficial owners of the warrants. Further terms of the warrants and the applicable warrant agreements will be set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement.

The applicable prospectus supplement will describe the terms of the warrants in respect of which this prospectus is a part, are being offered on behalfdelivered, including, where applicable, the following:

the title of the selling shareholders,warrants;

the aggregate number of the warrants;

the price or prices at which as used herein includes donees, pledgees, transferees or other successors-in-interest disposingthe warrants will be issued;

the designation, terms and number of shares of ourdebt securities or common stock or interests therein received after purchasable upon exercise of the warrants;

the designation and terms of the offered securities, if any, with which the warrants are issued and the number of the warrants issued with each offered security;

the date, if any, on and after which the warrants and the related debt securities or common stock will be separately transferable;

the price at which each share of debt securities or common stock purchasable upon exercise of the warrants may be purchased;

the date on which the right to exercise the warrants shall commence and the date on which that right shall expire;

the minimum or maximum amount of the warrants which may be exercised at any one time;

information with respect to book-entry procedures, if any;

a discussion of certain federal income tax considerations; and

any other terms of the warrants, including terms, procedures and limitations relating to the exchange and exercise of the warrants.

PLAN OF DISTRIBUTION

We may sell the securities covered by this prospectus from a selling shareholder as a gift, pledge, partnership distribution or other transfer. We will not receive any proceeds fromtime to time. Registration of the sale of shares of our common stocksecurities covered by the registration statement, of which this prospectus isdoes not mean, however, that those securities will necessarily be offered or sold.

We may sell the securities separately or together:

through one or more underwriters or dealers in a part,public offering and sale by them;

directly to investors; or interests therein. The shares of our common stock or interests therein

through agents.

We may be soldsell the securities from time to time by the selling shareholders directly totime:

in one or more purchasers (including pledgees)transactions at a fixed price or through brokers, dealers or underwriters whoprices, which may act solely as agents or who may acquire shares as principals, be changed from time to time;

at market prices prevailing at the timetimes of sale, sale;

at prices related to such prevailing market prices, prices; or

at negotiated prices, or at fixed prices, whichprices.

We will describe the method of distribution of the securities and the terms of the offering in the prospectus supplement.

If underwriters are used in the sale of any securities, the securities will be acquired by the underwriters for their own account and may be changed. The shares of our common stock may be sold by one or more of, or a combination of, the following methods, to the extent permitted by applicable law:

·  a block trade in which the selling shareholder’s broker or dealer will attempt to sell the shares as agent, but may position and resell all or a portion of the block as a principal to facilitate the transaction;
·  a broker or dealer may purchase the common stock as a principal and then resell the common stock for its own account pursuant to this prospectus;
·  an exchange distribution in accordance with the rules of the applicable exchange;
·  ordinary brokerage transactions and transactions in which the broker solicits purchasers;
·  privately negotiated transactions;
·  by pledge to secure debts or other obligations;
·  put or call transactions;
·  to cover hedging transactions;
·  underwritten offerings; or
·  any other legally available means.
To the extent required, this prospectus may be amended or supplementedresold from time to time in one or more transactions described above. The securities may be either offered to describethe public through underwriting syndicates represented by managing underwriters, or directly by underwriters. Generally, the underwriters’ obligations to purchase the securities will be subject to conditions precedent and the underwriters will be obligated to purchase all of the securities being distributed if they purchase any of the securities.

We may authorize underwriters, dealers or agents to solicit offers by certain purchasers to purchase the securities from us at the public offering price set forth in the prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a specific planspecified date in the future. The contracts will be subject only to those conditions set forth in the prospectus supplement, and the prospectus supplement will set forth any commissions we pay for solicitation of distribution.these contracts.

We may enter into derivative transactions with third parties, or sell securities not covered by this prospectus to third parties in privately negotiated transactions. If the planapplicable prospectus supplement indicates, in connection with those derivatives, the third parties may sell securities covered by this prospectus and the applicable prospectus supplement, including in short sale transactions. If so, the third party may use securities pledged by us or borrowed from us or others to settle those sales or to close out any related open borrowings of distribution involvesstock, and may use securities received from us in settlement of those derivatives to close out any related open borrowings of stock. The third party in such sale transactions will be an arrangementunderwriter and will be identified in the applicable prospectus supplement or in a post-effective amendment.

If so indicated in the applicable prospectus supplement, we will authorize underwriters, dealers or other persons to solicit offers by certain institutions to purchase offered securities from us at the public offering price set forth in the applicable prospectus supplement pursuant to delayed delivery contracts providing for payment and delivery on a future date or dates. Institutions with a broker-dealerwhich these contracts may be made include commercial and savings banks, insurance companies, pension funds, investment companies, educational and charitable institutions and others. The obligations of any purchasers under any delayed delivery contract will not be subject to any conditions except:

the purchase of the offered securities must not at the time of delivery be prohibited under the laws of the jurisdiction to which the purchaser is subject; and

if the offered securities are also being sold to underwriters, we will have sold to the underwriters the offered securities not sold for delayed delivery.

The underwriters, dealers and other persons will not have any responsibility for the salevalidity or performance of shares through a block trade, special offering, exchange distributionthese contracts. The prospectus supplement relating to the contracts will set forth the price to be paid for securities under the contracts, the commission payable for solicitation of the contracts and the date or secondary distributiondates in the future for delivery of offered securities under the contracts.

Underwriters, dealers and agents may be entitled to indemnification by us against certain civil liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act, or a purchase by a broker or dealer, the supplement will disclose:

·  the name of the selling shareholder and of the participating broker-dealer(s);
·  the number of shares involved;
·  the price at which the shares were sold;
·  the commissions paid or discounts or concessions allowed to such broker-dealer(s), where applicable;
   ·    that such broker-dealer(s) did not conduct any investigation to verify the information set out or incorporated by reference in this prospectus; and
·  other facts material to the transaction.
In effecting sales, broker-dealers engagedto contribution with respect to payments made by the selling shareholdersunderwriters, dealers or agents, under agreements between us and the underwriters, dealers and agents.

We may arrange for other broker-dealers togrant underwriters who participate in the resales.

The selling shareholders may enter into hedging transactions with broker-dealersdistribution of securities an option to purchase additional securities in connection with distributions of the shares or otherwise. In these transactions, broker-dealers may engage in short sales of the shares in the course of hedging the positions they assume with the selling shareholders. The selling shareholders may also sell shares short and redeliver the shares to close out such short positions. The selling shareholders may enter into options or other transactions with broker-dealers that require the delivery to the broker-dealer of the shares. The broker-dealer may then resell or otherwise transfer such shares pursuant to this prospectus. The selling shareholders also may loan or pledge the shares to a broker-dealer. The broker-dealer may sell the shares so loaned, or upon default, the broker-dealer may sell the pledged shares pursuant to this prospectus.
Broker-dealersdistribution.

Underwriters, dealers or agents may receive compensation in the form of discounts, concessions or commissions discountsfrom us or concessions from the selling shareholder. Broker-dealers orour purchasers, as their agents may also receive compensation from the purchasers of the shares for whom they act as agents or to whom they sell as principal, or both. Compensation as to a particular broker-dealer might be in excess of customary commissions and will be in amounts to be negotiated in connection with the sale. Broker-dealerssale of securities. These underwriters, dealers or agents and any other participating broker-dealers or the selling shareholders may be deemedconsidered to be “underwriters” within the meaning of Section 2(11) ofunderwriters under the Securities Act of 1933 (the “Securities Act”) in connection with sales ofAct. As a result, discounts, commissions or profits on resale received by the shares. Accordingly,underwriters, dealers or agents may be treated as underwriting discounts and commissions. The prospectus supplement will identify any such commission, discountunderwriter, dealer or concessionagent and describe any compensation received by them from us. In no event will the aggregate discounts, concessions and commissions to any profit on the resaleunderwriters, dealers or agents exceed eight percent of the shares purchased by them may be deemed to be underwritinggross proceeds. Any initial public offering price and any discounts or concessions underallowed or reallowed or paid to dealers may be changed from time to time.

Shares of our common stock are listed on the Securities Act.

The selling shareholders and any broker-dealers, agents or underwriters that participate with the selling shareholdersNasdaq Global Market. Unless otherwise specified in the distributionrelated prospectus supplement, all securities we offer, other than common stock, will be new issues of securities with no established trading market. Any underwriter may make a market in these securities, but will not be obligated to do so and may discontinue any market making at any time without notice. We may apply to list any series of debt securities or warrants on an exchange, but we are not obligated to do so. Therefore, there may not be liquidity or a trading market for any series of securities.

In connection with an offering, the underwriters may purchase and sell securities in the open market. These transactions may include short sales, stabilizing transactions and purchases to cover positions created by short sales. Short sales involve the sale by the underwriters of a greater number of securities than they are required to purchase in an offering. Stabilizing transactions consist of certain bids or purchases made for the purpose of preventing or retarding a decline in the market price of the issued and outstanding shares of common stocksecurities while an offering is in progress.

The underwriters may be deemedalso impose a penalty bid. This occurs when a particular underwriter repays to be “underwriters” within the meaningunderwriters a portion of the Securities Act, in which event any commissionsunderwriting discount received by these broker-dealers, agentsit because the underwriters have repurchased securities sold by or underwriters and any profits realizedfor the account of that underwriter in stabilizing or short-covering transactions.

These activities by the selling shareholders onunderwriters may stabilize, maintain or otherwise affect the resalesmarket price of the securities. As a result, the price of the securities may be deemed to be underwriting commissions or discounts underhigher than the Securities Act.price that otherwise might exist in the open market. If the selling shareholdersthese activities are deemed to be underwriters, the selling shareholderscommenced, they may be subject to certain statutory and regulatory liabilities, including liabilities imposed pursuant to Sections 11, 12 and 17 ofdiscontinued by the Securities Act and Rule 10b-5 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. In addition, the selling shareholdersunderwriters at any time. These transactions may be subject toeffected on an exchange or automated quotation system, if the prospectus delivery requirements of the Securities Act, unless an exemption therefrom is available.

Any shares covered by the registration statement, of which this prospectus is a part,securities are listed on that qualifyexchange or admitted for sale pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act may be sold under Rule 144 rather than pursuant to this prospectus. The shares may only be sold through registeredtrading on that automated quotation system, or licensed brokers or dealers if required under applicable state securities laws. In addition, in certain states the shares may not be sold unless they have been registered or qualified for sale in the applicable stateover-the-counter market or an exemption from the registrationotherwise.

Underwriters, dealers or qualification requirement is available and is complied with.

The selling stockholdersagents who may pledge or grant a security interest in some or all of the shares of Common Stock owned by them and, if they defaultbecome involved in the performancesale of their secured obligations, the pledgees or secured partiesour securities may offer and sell the shares of Common Stock from time to time pursuant to this prospectus or any amendment to this prospectus under Rule 424(b)(3) or other applicable provision of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, amending, if necessary, the list of selling stockholders to include the pledgee, transferee or other successors in interest as selling stockholders under this prospectus. The selling stockholders also may transfer and donate the shares of Common Stock in other circumstances in which case the transferees, donees, pledgees or other successors in interest will be the selling beneficial owners for purposes of this prospectus.
We will bear all costs, expenses and fees in connection with the registration of the shares, including registration and filing fees, printing and duplication expenses, administrative expenses, legal fees and accounting fees. If the shares are sold through underwriters or broker-dealers, the selling shareholders will be responsible for underwriting discounts, underwriting commissions and agent commissions. The selling shareholders may agree to indemnify any broker-dealer or agent that participatesengage in transactions involving sales of the shares against certain liabilities, including liabilities arising under the Securities Act. We have agreed to indemnify the selling shareholders against specified liabilities, including specified liabilities under the Securities Act,with and such selling shareholders agreed to indemnify us against certain liabilities, including liabilities under the Securities Act. The selling shareholders may sell all, some or none of the shares offered by this prospectus or interests therein.

7



SELLING SHAREHOLDERS
We are registering the shares of common stock covered by this prospectus on behalf of the selling shareholders named in the following table. We issued the shares to the selling shareholder in a private placement transaction in February 2007. The following table sets forth certain information known to us regarding the ownership of our common stock as of February 28, 2007.
Name and Address
of Beneficial Owner
Shares Beneficially
Owned Before Offering (1)
Number of Shares Offered
Number of Shares Owned After the Offering (2)
Altairis Offshore
c/o Polar Securities, Inc.
372 Bay St. 21st floor
Toronto, Ontario, M5H-2W9
Canada
51,30051,3000
Altairis Offshore Levered
c/o Polar Securities, Inc.
372 Bay St. 21st floor
Toronto, Ontario, M5H-2W9
Canada
41,70041,7000
Altairis Investments L.P.
372 Bay St. 21st. Floor
Toronto, Ontario M5H-2W9
Canada
7,0007,0000
BMO/PICO Partners
c/o Huddleston Bolen, LLP.
611 Third Ave.
Huntington, WV 25701
540,000540,0000
Capital Ventures International
101 California St. Suite 3250
San Francisco, CA 94111
100,000100,0000
Fidelity Advisor Series I: Fidelity Advisor Balanced Fund
82 Devonshire Street, E31C
Boston, MA 02109
170,41621,150149,266
Fidelity Puritan Trust: Fidelity Balanced Fund
82 Devonshire Street, E31C
Boston, MA 02109
2,557,728393,390
2,164,338(3)
Highbridge International LLC.
c/o Highbridge Capital Management, LLC.
9 West 57th Street; 27th Floor
New York, NY 10019
270,000270,0000

8



Investcorp Interlachen Multi Strategy Master Fund Limited
c/o Interlachen Capital Group LP
800 Nicollet Mall, Suite 2500
Minneapolis, MN 55402
75,00075,0000
Iroquois Master Fund Ltd.
641 Lexington Ave. 26th Floor
New York, NY 10022
170,000170,0000
Mercury Global Alpha Fund, LP.
c/o Mercury Partners, LLC.
3 River Road
Greewich, CT 06807
81,75050,00031,750
Mercury Real Estate Securities Fund, LP.
c/o Mercury Partners, LLC.
3 River Road
Greewich, CT 06807
30,00030,0000
Mercury Real Estate Securities Offshore Fund Ltd.
c/o Mercury Partners, LLC.
3 River Road
Greewich, CT 06807
70,00070,0000
Mercury Special Situations Fund, LP.
c/o Mercury Partners, LLC.
3 River Road
Greewich, CT 06807
104,33770,00034,337
Mercury Special Situations Offshore Fund, Ltd.
c/o Mercury Partners, LLC.
3 River Road
Greewich, CT 06807
151,507105,00046,507
Morgan Stanley & Co. Inc.
1585 Broadway, 38th Floor
New York, NY 10036
249,447225,00024,447
Radcliffe SPC, Ltd. for and on behalf of the Class A Segregated Portfolio
c/o RG Capital Management, LP
3 Bala Plaza-East, Suite 501
Bala Cynwyd, PA 19004
200,000200,0000
The Dalrymple Global Resources Master Fund, LP.
3300 Oak Lawn Ave. Ste. 650
Dallas, TX 75219
50,00050,0000
UBS O’Connor LLC. fbo O’Connor Global Convertible Arbitrage II Master Ltd.
One North Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606
10,66510,6650

9



UBS O’Connor LLC. fbo O’Connor Global Convertible Arbitrage Master Ltd.
One North Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606
124,335124,3350
UBS O’Connor LLC. fbo O’Connor PIPES Corporate Strategies Master Ltd.
One North Wacker Drive
Chicago, IL 60606
135,000135,0000
Variable Insurance Products Fund III: Balanced Portfolio
82 Devonshire Street, E31C
Boston, MA 02109
49,8568,46041,396
ZLP Master Opportunity Fund, Ltd.
Harborside Financial Center, Plaza 10, Suite 301
Jersey City, NJ 07311
75,00075,0000
____________________________
(1) Except as indicated pursuant to applicable community property laws, the persons named in the table have sole voting and investment power with respect to all shares of common stock, which they each hold.
(2) Assumes that all shares registered pursuant to this Registration Statement are sold. The selling shareholders may sell all, some or none of their shares pursuant to this Registration Statement. The Registration Statement is being filed to register the shares purchased by the selling shareholders. None of the selling shareholders has informed us of their intent to sell their shares.
(3) Represents 11.6% of Registrant’s total number of outstanding shares of common stock.
Each of the selling shareholders represented that it acquired the sharesperform other services for investment and with no present intention of public sale or distribution of such shares. In recognition of the fact that investors, even though purchasing common stock without a view to distribution, may wish to be legally permitted to sell their shares when they deem the sale to be appropriate, we have filed with the Commission a registration statement, with respect to the resale of the shares from time to time and we have agreed to prepare and file such amendments and supplements to the Registration statement as may be necessary to keep the Registration statement effective until the shares are no longer required to be registered for the sale by the selling shareholders. The selling shareholders may sell all, some or none of their shares pursuant to this Registration Statement. Except as set forth in the table, none of the selling shareholders has had a material relationship with us in the past three years.
ordinary course of their business for which they receive compensation.

LEGAL MATTERS

The validity of the shares is beingsecurities offered hereby will be passed upon for us by DLA Piper US LLP, San Diego, California.

O’Melveny & Myers LLP.

EXPERTS

The financial statements and management'smanagement’s report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting incorporated in this prospectus by reference from the Company'sCompany’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006 have been audited by Deloitte & Touche LLP, an independent registered public accounting firm, as stated in their reports (which reportreports (1) express an unqualified opinion on the financial statements expresses an unqualified opinion and includesinclude an explanatory paragraph relating to a change in the method of accounting for share-based payment as required by Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123(R), Share-Based Payment, effective January 1, 2006)2006, (2) express an unqualified opinion on management’s assessment regarding the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, and (3) express an unqualified opinion on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting), which are incorporated herein by reference, and have been so incorporated in reliance upon the reports of such firm given upon their authority as experts in accounting and auditing.


INCORPORATION BY REFERENCE

The SEC allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with them, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring you to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is considered to be part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the SEC will automatically update and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the documents listed below and any future filings we will make with the SEC under Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
(1)  Our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006, filed with the SEC on March 12, 2007.
Any statement contained in a document that is incorporated by reference is modified or superseded for all purposes to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus (or in any other document that is subsequently filed with the SEC and incorporated by reference) modifies or is contrary to that previous statement. Any statement so modified or superseded is not deemed a part of this prospectus, except as so modified or superseded.
We will provide without charge to each person to whom this prospectus is delivered, upon oral or written request, a copy of any or all of the foregoing documents incorporated herein by reference (other than exhibits to such documents unless such exhibits are specifically incorporated by reference into the information that this prospectus incorporates). Written or telephone requests should be directed to James F. Mosier at PICO Holdings, Inc., 875 Prospect Street, Suite 301, La Jolla, California 92037, telephone number (858) 456-6022.
You should rely only on the information incorporated by reference or provided in this prospectus or any supplement. We have not authorized anyone else to provide you with different information. The selling shareholders will not make an offer of these shares in any state where the offer is not permitted. You should not assume that the information in this prospectus or any supplement is accurate as of any date other that the date on the front of those documents.
WHERE YOU CAN FIND MORE INFORMATION

Available Information

We file annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy statements and other information with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, which we refer to as the Commission or the SEC. You may readcan inspect and copy any document we file with the SECthese reports, proxy statements and other information at the SEC’s Public Reference RoomCommission’s public reference facility at 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549. You can obtainPlease call the Commission at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the public reference room by calling the SECfacility. The Commission also maintains a web site at 1-800-SEC-0330. Our common stock is traded on The NASDAQ Global Market. Reportswww.sec.gov that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information concerningregarding registrants such as us can also be inspected atthat file electronically with the officesCommission.

This prospectus constitutes part of a registration statement on Form S-3 filed under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, with respect to the securities being offered. As permitted by the Commission’s rules, this prospectus omits some of the National Association of Securities Dealers, Inc., Market Listing Section, 1735 K Street, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20006. Suchinformation, exhibits and undertakings included in the registration statement. You may read and copy the information omitted from this prospectus but contained in the registration statement, as well as the periodic reports and other information may also be inspected without chargewe file with the Commission, at a Web sitethe public reference facilities maintained by the SEC. Commission in Washington, D.C.

Incorporation by Reference

The addressCommission allows us to “incorporate by reference” the information we file with it, which means that we can disclose important information to you by referring to those documents. The information incorporated by reference is an important part of this prospectus, and information that we file later with the site is http:\\www.sec.gov. As soon as reasonably practicable after our reports are electronicallyCommission will automatically update, modify and supersede this information. We incorporate by reference the following documents we have filed with the SEC, they areCommission pursuant to the Exchange Act:

our annual report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2006 (as amended by our Form 10-K/A, filed on April 12, 2007);

our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q for the quarters ended March 31, 2007, June 30, 2007 and September 30, 2007;

our current reports on Form 8-K filed with the Commission on March 2, 2007, May 9, 2007, June 5, 2007, November 5, 2007 and November 20, 2007; and

our description of capital stock contained in our Form 8-K filed with the Commission on November 20, 2007, including any amendment or report filed for the purpose of updating such description.

All documents filed by us with the Commission pursuant to Sections 13(a), 13(c), 14 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act after the date of this prospectus and before we stop offering the securities under this prospectus (other than current reports deemed furnished and not filed) shall also be deemed to be incorporated by reference and will automatically update information in this prospectus.

Any statements made availablein this prospectus or in a document incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus will be deemed to be modified or superseded for viewing without charge on our website (purposes of this prospectus to the extent that a statement contained in this prospectus or in any other subsequently filed document that is also incorporated or deemed to be incorporated by reference in this prospectus modifies or supersedes the statement. Any statement so modified or superseded will not be deemed, except as so modified or superseded, to constitute a part of this prospectus.

You may request a copy of the information incorporated by reference into this prospectus, but not delivered herewith, at no cost, by writing or telephoning us at the following address:

Damian C. Georgino

Executive Vice President—Corporate Development & Chief Legal Officer

PICO Holdings, Inc.

875 Prospect Street, Suite 301

La Jolla, California 92037

(858) 456-6022

Exhibits to the filings will not be sent, however, unless those exhibits have specifically been incorporated by reference in this prospectus.


PICO Holdings, Inc.

www.picoholdings.comDebt Securities

).Common Stock




10

Warrants

PROSPECTUS




PART II


INFORMATION NOT REQUIRED IN PROSPECTUS

Item 14. Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution.

Item14.    Other Expenses of Issuance and Distribution

The expenses to be paid by us in connection with the registrationissuance and distribution of the common stock hereunder will be substantiallysecurities being registered are as follows:

set forth in the following table. All amounts shown are estimates except for the Securities and Exchange Commission registration fee.

Securities and Exchange Commission Registration Fee

  $12,280 

Legal Fees and Expenses

   60,000*

Accounting Fees and Expenses

   20,000*

Printing Expenses

   15,000*

Blue Sky Fees

   * 

Transfer Agent Fees and Expenses

   * 

Trustee Fees and Expenses

   * 

Miscellaneous

   * 
     

Total

   * 
     

Item
*
Company
Expense
SEC Registration Fee
$ 3,337
Printing and engraving expenses*
$1,000
Legal fees and expenses*
$55,000
Accounting Fees and expenses*
$20,000
Miscellaneous*
$20,663
Total
$100,000
Estimated expenses only include information that is known at the time of filing this registration statement. Estimated expenses are subject to future contingencies, including additional expenses for future offerings.
*Estimated for purposes of this filing.
Item 15. Indemnification of Directors and Officers.

Item15.    Indemnification of Directors and Officers

Pursuant to provisions of the California General Corporation Law (the “CGCL”), Registrant’sthe registrant’s Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, includeas amended (the “Articles of Incorporation”), includes a provision which eliminates the personal liability of its directors to Registrantthe registrant and its shareholders for monetary damages to the fullest extent permissible under California law. This limitation has no effect on a director’s liability (i) for acts or omissions that involve intentional misconduct or a knowing and culpable violation of law, (ii) for acts or omissions that a director believes to be contrary to the best interest of Registrantthe registrant or its shareholders or that involve the absence of good faith on the part of the director, (iii) for any transaction from which a director derived an improper benefit, (iv) for acts or omissions that show a reckless disregard for the director’s duty to Registrantthe registrant or its shareholders in circumstances in which the director was aware, or should have been aware, in the ordinary course of performing a director’s duties, of a risk of serious injury to Registrantthe registrant or its shareholders, (v) for acts or omissions that constitute an unexcused pattern of inattention that amounts to an abdication of the director’s duty to Registrantthe registrant or its shareholders, (vi) under Section 310 of the CGCL (concerning contracts or transactions between the corporation and a director) or (vii) under Section 316 of the CGCL (concerning a director’s liability for improper distributions, loans and guarantees). The provision does not eliminate liability of a director for any acts or omissions which occurred prior to November 18, 1988, the effective date of Registrant’sthe registrant’s amended Articles of Incorporation including such provision, and it does not eliminate or limit the liability of an officer for any act or omission as an officer, notwithstanding that the officer is also a director or that his or her actions, if negligent or improper, have been ratified by the Board of Directors. Further, the provision has no effect on claims arising under federal or state securities laws and does not affect the availability of injunctions and other equitable remedies available to Registrant’sthe registrant’s shareholders for any violation of a director’s fiduciary duty to Registrantthe registrant or its shareholders. Although the validity and scope of the legislation underlying the provision have not yet been interpreted to any significant extent by the California courts, the provision may relieve directors of monetary liability to Registrantthe registrant for grossly negligent conduct, including conduct in situations involving attempted takeovers of Registrant.

Registrant’sthe registrant.

The registrant’s Articles of Incorporation also include a section authorizing Registrantthe registrant to indemnify its officers, directors and other agents through bylaw provisions, agreements with such agents, vote of shareholders or otherwise in excess of the indemnification permitted by Section 317 of the CGCL, subject only to the limits

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set forth in Section 204 of the CGCL with respect to actions for breach of duty to the corporation and its shareholders. The Registrantregistrant has entered into agreements with its executive officers and directors to provide indemnity to such personsperson to the maximum extent permitted under applicable law.

The By-LawsBy-laws expressly provide that Registrantthe registrant shall have the right to purchase and maintain insurance against any liability asserted against or incurred by officers, directors and other agents, whether or not Registrantthe registrant would have the power to indemnify such person against the liability insured against. The Registrantregistrant has obtained directors and officers liability and company reimbursement insurance pursuant to three policies, currently in effect, referred to as the D & O Policies. The D & O Policies are subject to customary exclusions.

Section 317 of the California General Corporation lawCGCL makes provisions for the indemnification of officers, directors and other corporate agents in terms sufficiently broad to indemnify such persons, under certain circumstances, against such liabilities (including reimbursement of expenses incurred) arising under the Securities Act.

Item 16. Exhibits.

Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the foregoing provisions, the registrant has been informed that in the opinion of the United States Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is therefore unenforceable.

ExhibitItem
Number
Description of Document16.    Exhibits

5.1
Number

Description

  1.1Form of Underwriting Agreement (to be filed by amendment to this registration statement or by a report filed under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and incorporated herein by reference)
  3.1Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of PICO Holdings, Inc., incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3(i) to Registrant’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007
  3.2Amended and Restated By-laws of PICO Holdings, Inc., incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to Registrant’s Form 8-K filed on November 5, 2007
  4.1Form of Indenture relating to debt securities
  4.2Form of Common Stock Certificate of PICO Holdings, Inc., incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Registrant’s Form 8-K filed on November 20, 2007
  5.1Opinion of DLA Piper US LLP.
O’Melveny & Myers LLP
12.1Statement regarding Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
23.1
Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent registered public accounting firm
23.2
23.2Consent of DLA Piper USO’Melveny & Myers LLP (Included(included in Exhibit 5.1).
24.1
24.1Power of Attorney (included inon the Signature Page contained in Part II of the Registration statement).
signature page hereto)

Item 17. Undertakings
25.1  Statement of Eligibility of Trustee on Form T-1 (to be filed by amendment to this registration statement or by a report filed under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and incorporated herein by reference)
A.

Item17.    Undertakings

(a) The undersigned Registrantregistrant hereby undertakes:

(1)To file, during any period in which offers or sales are being made, a post-effective amendment to this registration statement:

(i)To include any prospectus required by sectionSection 10(a)(3) of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”);

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(ii)To reflect in the prospectus any facts or events arising after the effective date of the registration statement (or the most recent post-effective amendment thereof) which, individually or in the aggregate, represent a fundamental change in the information set forth in the registration statement. Notwithstanding the foregoing, any increase or decrease in volume of securities offered (if the total dollar value of securities offered would not exceed that which was registered) and any deviation from the low or high end of the estimated maximum offering range may be reflected in the form of prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Rule 424(b) if, in the aggregate, the changes in volume and price represent no more than a 20%20 percent change in the maximum aggregate offering price set forth in the “Calculation of Registration Fee” table in the effective registration statement;

and

(iii)To include any material information with respect to the plan of distribution not previously disclosed in the registration statement or any material change to such information in the registration statement;

provided, however, that paragraphs (a)(1)(i), (ii) and (a)(1)(ii)(iii) do not apply if the information required to be included in a post-effective amendment by those paragraphs is contained in periodic reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission by the Registrantregistrant pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), that are incorporated by reference in the registration statement, or is contained in a form of prospectus filed pursuant to Rule 424(b) that is part of the registration statement.

(2)That, for the purpose of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each such post-effective amendment shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

(3)To remove from registration by means of a post-effective amendment any of the securities being registered which remain unsold at the termination of the offering.

B.

(4) That, for the purpose of determining liability under the Securities Act to any purchaser:

(i) Each prospectus filed by the registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(3) shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the date the filed prospectus was deemed part of and included in the registration statement; and

(ii) Each prospectus required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424(b)(2), (b)(5), or (b)(7) as part of a registration statement in reliance on Rule 430B relating to an offering made pursuant to Rule 415(a)(1)(i), (vii), or (x) for the purpose of providing the information required by section 10(a) of the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of and included in the registration statement as of the earlier of the date such form of prospectus is first used after effectiveness or the date of the first contract of sale of securities in the offering described in the prospectus. As provided in Rule 430B, for liability purposes of the issuer and any person that is at that date an underwriter, such date shall be deemed to be a new effective date of the registration statement relating to the securities in the registration statement to which that prospectus relates, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof. Provided, however, that no statement made in a registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement or made in a document incorporated or deemed incorporated by reference into the registration statement or prospectus that is part of the registration statement will, as to a purchaser with a time of contract of sale prior to such effective date, supersede or modify any statement that was made in the registration statement or prospectus that was part of the registration statement or made in any such document immediately prior to such effective date.

(5) That, for the purpose of determining liability of the registrant under the Securities Act to any purchaser in the initial distribution of the securities: The undersigned Registrantregistrant undertakes that in a primary offering of securities of the undersigned registrant pursuant to this registration statement, regardless of the underwriting method used to sell the securities to the purchaser, if the securities are offered or sold to such

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purchaser by means of any of the following communications, the undersigned registrant will be a seller to the purchaser and will be considered to offer or sell such securities to such purchaser:

(i) Any preliminary prospectus or prospectus of the undersigned registrant relating to the offering required to be filed pursuant to Rule 424;

(ii) Any free writing prospectus relating to the offering prepared by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant or used or referred to by the undersigned registrant;

(iii) The portion of any other free writing prospectus relating to the offering containing material information about the undersigned registrant or its securities provided by or on behalf of the undersigned registrant; and

(iv) Any other communication that is an offer in the offering made by the undersigned registrant to the purchaser.

(b) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes that, for purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each filing of the Registrant’sregistrant’s annual report pursuant to section 13(a) or section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act (and, where applicable, each filing of 1934an employee benefit plan’s annual report pursuant to section 15(d) of the Exchange Act) that is incorporated by reference in the registration statement shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.

C.

(c) Insofar as indemnification for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers and controlling persons of the registrant pursuant to the provisions described in Item 15 above, or otherwise, the registrant has been advised that in the opinion of the Securities and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the payment by the registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer or controlling person of the registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.

(d) The undersigned Registrantregistrant hereby undertakes to deliver or cause to be delivered with the prospectus, to each person to whom the prospectus is sent or given, the latest annual report to security holders that is incorporated by reference in the prospectus and furnished pursuant to and meeting the requirements of Rule 14a-3 or Rule 14c-3 under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934;Act; and, where interim financial information required to be presented by Article 3 of Regulation S-X are not set forth in the prospectus, to deliver, or cause to be delivered to each person to whom the prospectus is sent or given, the latest quarterly report that is specifically incorporated by reference in the prospectus to provide such interim financial information.

D.Insofar as indemnification

(e) The undersigned registrant hereby undertakes to file an application for liabilities arising under the Securities Act may be permitted to directors, officers, and controlling personspurpose of determining the eligibility of the Registrant pursuanttrustee to the foregoing provisions, or otherwise, the Registrant has been advised that in the opinionact under subsection (a) of section 310 of the SecuritiesTrust Indenture Act (“Trust Indenture Act”) in accordance with the rules and Exchange Commission such indemnification is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and is, therefore, unenforceable. In the event that a claim for indemnification against such liabilities (other than the paymentregulations prescribed by the Registrant of expenses incurred or paid by a director, officer, or controlling personCommission under section 305(b)2 of the Registrant in the successful defense of any action, suit, or proceeding) is asserted by such director, officer, or controlling person in connection with the securities being registered, the Registrant will, unless in the opinion of its counsel the matter has been settled by controlling precedent, submit to a court of appropriate jurisdiction the question whether such indemnification by it is against public policy as expressed in the Securities Act and will be governed by the final adjudication of such issue.Trust Indenture Act.

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SIGNATURES

E.The undersigned Registrant hereby undertakes that:
(1)For the purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, the information omitted from the form of prospectus filed as part of this registration statement in reliance upon Rule 430A and contained in a form of prospectus filed by the Registrant pursuant to Rule 424(b)(1) or (4) or 497(h) under the Securities Act shall be deemed to be part of the registration statement as of the time it was declared effective.
(2)For the purposes of determining any liability under the Securities Act, each post-effective amendment that contains a form of prospectus shall be deemed to be a new registration statement relating to the securities offered therein, and the offering of such securities at that time shall be deemed to be the initial bona fide offering thereof.


11


SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, the Registrantregistrant certifies that it has reasonable grounds to believe that it meets all of the requirements offor filing on Form S-3 and has duly caused this amended Registration statementStatement to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned, thereunto duly authorized, in the City of San Diego, State of California, on March 14,November 20, 2007.

PICO Holdings, Inc.

By:

PICO HOLDINGS, INC.

By:

/s/    JOHN R. HART        

John R. Hart
Chief Executive Officer, President and Director
John R. Hart
Chief Executive Officer, President and Director

(Principal Executive Officer)

POWER OF ATTORNEY

KNOW ALL PERSONS BY THESE PRESENTS, that each person whose signature appears below constitutes and appoints John R. Hart, Maxim C. W. Webb and James F. Mosier, Esq.,Damian C. Georgino, and each of them, as his true and lawful attorneys-in-fact and agents, with full power of substitution and resubstitution, for him and in his name, place and stead, in any and all capacities, to sign any and all amendments (including post-effective amendments), to this Registration Statement and to sign any registration statement for the same offering covered by this Registration Statement that is to be effective upon filing pursuant to Rule 462(b) promulgated under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and all post-effective amendments thereto, and to file the same, with all exhibits thereto, and other documents in connection therewith, with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, granting unto said attorneys-in-fact and agents, and each of them, full power and authority to do and perform each and every act and thing requisite and necessary to be done in connection therewith, as fully to all intents and purposes as he might or could do in person, hereby ratifying and confirming all that said attorneys-in-fact and agents, or any of them or their or his substitute or substitutes, may lawfully do or cause to be done by virtue hereof.

Pursuant to the requirements of the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, this Registration Statement and Power of Attorney has been signed by the following persons in the capacities and on the dates indicated:

indicated.

Signature

  

Title(s)Title

  

Date

Date/s/    RONALD LANGLEY        

Ronald Langley

  
_____________
Ronald Langley
Chairman of the Board
November 20, 2007

/s/    JOHN R. HART        

John R. Hart

John R. Hart

Chief Executive Officer, President and Director (Principal Executive Officer)
March 14,
November 20, 2007

/s/    MAXIM C.W. WEBB        

Maxim C.W. Webb

Maxim C. W. Webb

Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer (Chief Accounting Officer)
March 14,
November 20, 2007

/s/    S. WALTER FOULKROD, III        

S. Walter Foulkrod, III, Esq.

Director
Director
November 20, 2007

/s/    RICHARD D. RUPPERT        

Richard D. Ruppert, MDM.D.

Richard D. Ruppert, MD

Director
March 14,Director
November 20, 2007

/s/    CARLOS C. CAMPBELL        

Carlos C. Campbell

Carlos C. Campbell

Director
March 14,Director
November 20, 2007

/s/    KENNETH J. SLEPICKA        

Kenneth J. Slepicka

Kenneth J. Slepicka

Director
March 14,Director
November 20, 2007

/s/    JOHN D. WEIL        

John D. Weil

John D. Weil

Director
March 14,Director
November 20, 2007

12

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EXHIBIT INDEX TO EXHIBITS

Exhibit
Number
Description of Document
5.1
Number

Description

  1.1Form of Underwriting Agreement (to be filed by amendment to this registration statement or by a report filed under the United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and incorporated herein by reference)
  3.1Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of PICO Holdings, Inc., incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3(i) to Registrant’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2007
  3.2Amended and Restated By-laws of PICO Holdings, Inc., incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.3 to Registrant’s Form 8-K filed on November 5, 2007
  4.1Form of Indenture relating to debt securities
  4.2Form of Common Stock Certificate of PICO Holdings, Inc., incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 to Registrant’s Form 8-K filed on November 20, 2007
  5.1Opinion of DLA Piper US LLP.
O’Melveny & Myers LLP
23.1
12.1Statement regarding Computation of Ratio of Earnings to Fixed Charges
23.1Consent of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm.
Deloitte & Touche LLP, independent registered public accounting firm
23.2
23.2Consent of DLA Piper USO’Melveny & Myers LLP (Included(included in Exhibit 5.1).
24.1
24.1Power of Attorney (included inon the Signature Page contained in Part IIsignature page hereto)
25.1Statement of Eligibility of Trustee on Form T-1 (to be filed by amendment to this registration statement or by a report filed under the Registration statement).
United States Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and incorporated herein by reference)

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