Continuing Education FAQs
What is Continuing Education (CE)?
Beginning March 2, 1995, Pennsylvania implemented a Continuing Education (CE) requirement for insurance producers. The continuing education requirement was amended on June 4, 2003 requiring producers to complete 24-credit hours of continuing education for license renewal. The 24-credit hour requirement is aligned with the producer’s biennial (2 year) license renewal period. Producers can satisfy their CE requirement in either of two approved formats - (1) traditional classroom study with a residential instructor, or (2) through an independent distance learning self-study program. The content of either format must be approved by the Pennsylvania Insurance Department. With few exceptions (see following question), all Pennsylvania producers are required to comply with the CE requirement to maintain licensure.
Is every Pennsylvania insurance producer subject to the Continuing Education (CE) requirement?
No. The insurance department exempts the following individuals from mandatory continuing education:
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A producer that has been continually licensed for the same lines of authority since December 31, 1970.
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A licensee that is a business entity.
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A licensee who has only a limited line of authority.
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A licensee who has a line of authority limited to restricted fraternal.
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A licensee who has a line of authority limited to limited line credit insurance.
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Non resident producers who satisfy their home state’s CE requirement.
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A licensee’s line of authority is restricted to domestic mutual fire insurance and their license’s appointment is with an insurer writing only coverage other than insurance upon automobiles.
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A producer who has good cause for exemption as approved by the Insurance Commissioner.
If an individual has the property and casualty licensing authority and the life, accident and health licensing authority, does he have to complete 24 credit hours to maintain his property and casualty licensing authority and 24 credit hours for his life, accident and health licensing authority?
No. A licensed producer possessing more than one major line of insurance (e.g., property, casualty, life, accident and health) needs only to complete 24 credit hours to comply with the Pennsylvania CE requirement. The producer may choose to complete only property and casualty CE or only life, accident and health CE or any combination as long as the producer completes a total of 24 credit hours within the two-year licensing period.
May a producer carry forward excess (more than 24) CE credits from one licensing period to another?
Yes. Pennsylvania permits producers to carry forward up to 24 excess CE credits from one licensing period to another.
What happens if a producer fails to complete his continuing education within his two-year licensing period?
Producers who fail to complete their CE within the two-year licensing period will have their license voluntarily terminated. Producers may complete CE up to the time of their license renewal. If a producer fails to renew his or her license by the license renewal date, they will have 60 days to complete their CE and there will be no lapse in licensure. After 60 days the producer will have up to one year from the date of his or her license renewal to complete CE, however, there will be a lapse in licensure. Individuals who fail to renew their license after one year must complete 24 hours of Pre-licensing Education (PE) and pass the state insurance exam as if they were as new producer.
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Are there mandatory continuing education requirements related to producers with the authority to sell Long Term Care partnership policies?
​On April 1, 2011, Pennsylvania introduced a mandatory training requirement increasing the responsibilities insurers and producers have when marketing long term care partnership policies. This regulation creates a number of educational and recording keeping requirements to be put into place to ensure suitability sales are being made to consumers when purchasing a long term care partnership policy. This requirement mandates that all producers who sell, solicit, or negotiate long term care partnership policies (or qualified life or annuity riders) must complete an initial 8-hour Long Term Care Partnership Certification CE course and a 4-hour Long Term Care Partnership Certification requirement for each subsequent 24-hour CE cycle. To fulfill that requirement, we offer the “Pennsylvania Long Term Care Certification” courses in self-study and traditional classroom formats.
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​How long do producers have to complete the Long Term Care CE requirement?
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Individuals must complete the initial 8-hour Long Term Care Partnership Certification CE course prior to selling, soliciting, or negotiating long term care partnership policies (or qualified life or annuity riders).
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Are there continuing education requirements related to producers with the authority to sell annuities?
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On June 20, 2022, Act 99 became effective increasing the responsibilities insurers and producers have when making an annuity transaction from a Suitable Standard (Act 48) to a Best Interest Standard (Act 99). This bill created a number of new disclosure, recordkeeping and educational requirements to be put into place to ensure best interest sales are being made to consumers when purchasing an annuity. This new best interest standard requires all producers with the authority to sell annuities in Pennsylvania to satisfy a four credit annuity suitability CE course which includes the Best Interest Standard. This means that even if you are not actively selling annuities at the present time, but you have the authority to sell annuities through your current license type, you must still complete this Annuity Suitability - Best Interest Standard CE requirement. To fulfill this requirement, we offer the "Annuity Basics for Pennsylvania - Best Interest Standard" CE course in self-study and traditional classroom formats.
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