CE Requirements

    Below is some information about Agent Continuing Education Requirements from the Texas Department of Insurance website.

    CONTINUING EDUCATION COURTESY NOTICES

    The Texas Department of Insurance Agent and Adjuster Licensing Division is enhancing efforts to ensure that licensed persons are able to meet their required continuing education (CE) obligations under Texas Insurance Code Chapter 4004.  Postcard notifications will be mailed out to license holders prior their renewal deadline to remind each agent that they may have additional CE hours to complete.  Notices will be mailed out to the licensee’s last known mailing address.

    Select the link here for more information regarding the CE COURTESY NOTICES.

    DISCLAIMER: TDI does NOT suggest or recommend courses by certifying them; nor is the quality of a course assured because it is certified. We strongly suggest that when you take a poor course, e-mail us, and tell your associates. Please do the same with the good courses. Use this email link: CE@tdi.texas.gov

    Interactive list of certified continuing education courses, to look up a provider, to get a course list for a specific kind of course, or to check a particular course’s information.

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    Requirement for Most Licensees: Licensees holding any combination of licenses for LAH, PC, MGA, LH Counselors, and adjusters of all types including public adjusters, must earn 24 hours of continuing education (CE) with 2 hour of ethics/consumer protection included within the 24 hours for each 2 year licensing period.

    Limited Lines and County Mutual licensees must earn 10 hours of CE with 2 hour of ethics/consumer protection included within the 10 hours for each 2 year licensing period.

    You can look up courses at www.Sircon.com/Texas by clicking on “Look up Education courses/Credits” on the left-hand column. Regardless of the license type you hold only half of the CE requirement may be done as self study.  License holders can now verify that their Texas CE credit is current and has been posted to their Sircon CE transcript.  The transcript may be viewed at www.Sircon.com/Texas by clicking on “Look up Education courses/Credits” in the left-hand column.

    Please be aware that your CE compliance is not based off your expiration date of your license.  Pursuant to the Texas Insurance Code §4004.051 (b) your required CE hours must be completed no later than the day prior to your expiration date of license.

    Please note that to maintain your license, whether or not you are using it, you must meet your continuing education requirements.

    There is no continuing education “grace period”. Once the expiration date has passed, a violation exists. CE cannot be made up after the expiration date. The fine for not doing the required continuing education is $50 per deficient hour. Call 512.322.3503 for a payment voucher to accompany your payment, which will clear the violation.

    Before consulting a general course list, you may wish to see if any company you represent or a professional association you belong to is a provider. Passing a part of many professional designation programs is a way to earn credit. A professional designation program is defined in the rules. It is (A) nationally recognized in the insurance industry, and is (B) issued by an entity that maintains a not-for-profit status and has been in existence for at least five years.

    Up to four hours of continuing education credit can be earned by an agent who is an active member of a state or national insurance association. For information about how the credit can be earned, you can review Chapter 4004.0535 of the Texas Insurance Code and §19.1011 and new §19.1020 of the Texas Administrative Code. The rule adopting the new provisions can be viewed from the following location on our website: http://www.tdi.texas.gov/rules/2005/1229C-059.html.

    “Qualifying” courses, not certified by TDI, may also be used for credit. Qualifying courses are insurance courses that are: (A) offered for credit by accredited colleges, universities, or law schools; or (B) part of a national designation certification program; or (C) approved for classroom, classroom equivalent, or participatory credit by the continuing education approval authority of a state bar association or state board of public accountancy; or (D) certified or approved for continuing education credit under the guidelines of the Federal Crop Insurance Corporation.

    The following table summarizes the continuing education requirements for license holders:

    License Requirement per renewal period
    General Lines – Life, Accident, Health, and HMO (LAH) 24 hours, including 2 hours of ethics
    General Lines – Property and Casualty (PC) 24 hours, including 2 hours of ethics
    Life Agent 24 hours, including 2 hours of ethics
    Personal Lines Property and Casualty Agent 24 hours, including 2 hours of ethics
    Managing General Agent (MGA) 24 hours, including 2 hours of ethics
    Adjusters and Public Adjusters 24 hours, including 2 hours of ethics
    Life/Health Insurance Counselor 24 hours, including 2 hours of ethics
    Insurance Service Representative (ISR) 24 hours, including 2 hours of ethics; courses submitted to TDI for approval by insurer prior to use
    Full time Home Office Employee 24 hours, including 2 hours of ethics; courses submitted to TDI for approval by insurer prior to use
    County Mutual 10 hours, including 2 hours of ethics
    Life Insurance Under $25,000 10 hours, including 2 hours of ethics
    Limited Lines Agent 10 hours, including 2 hours of ethics
    Funeral Prearrangement none

     

    *All Licensees: At least half the hours must be classroom or “classroom equivalent”. There are only two topic groups, “General” and “Ethics/CP”. Any licensee may take courses from these two groups. Courses are not divided by license type.

    Full Time Home Office Salaried Employees: 24 hours a renewal period of CE are required with 2 hours of ethics training. Insurers whose plan of operation contemplates the use of these employees are responsible for their training. If insurer wishes to do the training in house, it must be a registered provider.

    Exemptions from, and extensions of time for a licensee  to do CE are possible, under very limited circumstances. The key to an extension being granted is proper documentation of a circumstance described in the rule that is beyond the licensee’s control. Examples might be long term illness, and military service in a theater of war. Reasons related to business or work load are never acceptable. Documentation is also important when claiming an exemption from continuing education if our records do not show current eligibility.

    A major change became effective 12/31/2002. The 20 years of licensure needed to qualify for an exemption now must be CONTINUOUS (no breaks greater that 90 days) and the license must be held under the Texas Insurance Code.

    Click here to download the Licensee CE Exemption and Extension Form

    Several other useful links for Agents and Adjusters: