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How to Keep Your Insurance License Active in Indiana

Posted on 01.17.22

You made a considerable investment of time, money, and effort to earn your Indiana insurance license. It’s important that you protect this investment by keeping your license active. This article covers all the steps you need to take to keep your insurance license active in Indiana.

Every two years you need to renew your insurance license. This must be done prior to your license expiration date. Your license expiration is the last day of your birth month, and the year is determined by when you were first licensed. The Indiana Department of Insurance will send you a reminder 90 days from your expiration date, but if you want to be certain, you can look it up here: Indiana Agent Lookup

Now that you know your license expiration date, there are only two steps required to keep your license active:

Complete the required continuing education.
Submit the renewal application on time.

Step #1: Complete the Required Continuing Education

The amount of CE you are required to take is based on the type(s) of licenses you hold, but almost all agents are required to take 24 credit hours every two years. This includes all agents who are licensed to sell any of the major lines of insurance: life, accident, and health; property and casualty; variable life and annuity; and personal lines.

At least 3 of the 24 hours taken must be approved for ethics training. Aside from the ethics training requirement, courses can be taken in any subject matter as long as they are approved by the Indiana Department of Insurance. If you hold multiple licenses (property, casualty, life, health) you only need to take 24 credits total.

Special Training Requirements

There are special training requirements for agents who sell certain products such as flood insurance, long-term care, medicare products, and annuities.

Agents who sell flood insurance need to complete a one-time three-hour continuing education course related to the National Flood Insurance Program. Those selling annuity products must complete a one-time four-hour annuity suitability course.

Long-term care sales require an initial eight-hour long-term care training course, and a five-hour refresher course must be done every renewal period following. Long-term care partnership policy sales require an initial 15-hour training course that includes eight hours in long-term care and seven hours in long-term care partnership. Five hours of ongoing training must be done every two years.

Step #2: Submit Your Renewal Application Prior to Expiration

After completing your CE requirements, you can file your renewal application online at NIPR Indiana Agent Renewal or Sircon Indiana Agent Renewal. The renewal fee is $40, plus a $5 processing fee. Keep in mind that you can only renew when you are within the 90-day renewal window. Your application will not be available earlier than 90 days prior to your expiration date.

Continuing Education Exemptions and Extensions

If you have some special circumstances that you believe might prevent you from renewing your license or completing your CE requirements on time, you can request an exemption from the Indiana Department of Insurance. Exemptions are considered only for special circumstances, such as extended illness or military duty, and are decided on a case-by-case basis.

If you have reasons to believe you will not be able to complete your CE prior to your expiration date, you can request an extension of the time to complete your CE requirements. The extension can be up to 90 days but is usually granted for 30 days. Any requests for exemptions or extensions must be submitted at least 30 days prior to the license expiration date. See the request for CE extension form for more information.

What if You Didn’t Renew Your Indiana Insurance License Prior to Expiration

If you don’t renew your license prior to your expiration date, your license will go into the inactive status and you can no longer do any insurance business activities. However, there are 2 options to have it reinstated, based on whether you completed your CE prior to your expiration date. In both cases, you have up to 12 months to reinstate your license, but the procedures for doing so are different.

If you completed your CE, but didn’t renew your Indiana insurance license prior to your expiration date, you can request reinstatement. You’ll need to submit the renewal application, pay the license renewal fee ($40), and pay a reinstatement penalty fee of three times the license renewal fee ($120), for a total fee of $160.

If your license expired and you did not complete the CE requirements, you’ll first need to complete the remaining CE requirements. Then you’ll need to register, pay for, and pass a special Laws and Regulation Assessment. The requirements for this are very specific, so please view them here: Reinstatement Requirements. Once all that’s done you will need to submit the license renewal fee and the reinstatement penalty fee ($40+$120=$160).

Unfortunately, if your license expired more than 12 months ago, you’ll need to start from the beginning with a new license application, pre-licensing education, and take the state exams.

None of this is pleasant or easy to do. The best thing is to complete your CE requirements well before license renewal.

Now is the Time to Start Your Continuing Education

Even with a full two years to accumulate your 24 hours of continuing education, there’s no reason to wait to get started. We’ve got you covered with all the courses you need. You can find the full listing at Indiana Insurance Continuing Education Course Catalog.

The online training is self-paced and delivered to your computer, tablet, and smartphone. The quizzes and exams are scored instantly, and you can take them as many times as necessary to pass. Plus, you can return to the training whenever it is convenient. The course progress bar tells you exactly where you left off.

Our webinar courses are instructor-led and delivered live using video conferencing. You’re required to be in attendance for the full class time, with check-ins at random times throughout the webinar to confirm your attendance. Students can interact and ask questions. Advantages to webinars include no required reading and no quizzes or final exams. You can view a listing of our webinars here: Indiana Webinar Catalog

Completions Reported the Same Day

Note that your continuing education course credits will be reported directly to the Indiana Department of Insurance on the same day you complete the training. So, if you’re in a rush to complete your continuing education, we’ve got you covered.

Summary of Steps to Renew Your License

Even though we’ve mapped it out above, it’s still a great deal to digest. Here’s a quick summary to get you started on the path to renewal.

Determine your license expiration date.
Determine your continuing education requirements.
Select and enroll in courses well in advance of your expiration date.
Complete your courses – we submit your credits to the Indiana Department of Insurance the same day you complete them.
Renew your license.

We’re certain that everything you need to keep your license active is easily accessible through our website. If not, simply call our office and we’ll happily assist you.

If you’re near your renewal date, there’s no time to be lost. Sign up now for the most trusted and convenient solution for keeping your license active.

How Do I Renew My Insurance License in Texas?

Posted on 12.27.21

As you are aware, every two years you need to renew your insurance license in Texas. License expiration is the last day of your birth month. If you don’t complete your continuing education hours in time, there’s a $50 fine per hour up to a maximum $500 fine. Plus, you won’t be able to renew until all continuing education is completed. This article covers the steps required to renew your insurance license in Texas in detail.

As you can tell, keeping your license active and avoiding fines are good motivators to get things completed in time.

There are only two steps required for renewal:

Complete the required continuing education.
Submit the renewal application on time.

License renewal needs to happen within 60 days before license expiration. Check your license to determine the renewal date and year. If it’s coming up soon, sign up now for coursework to complete the continuing education requirements.

Step #1: Complete the Continuing Education Requirements

Texas General Lines Licensed Agents must take 24 credit hours of approved continuing education every two years. At least two of the 24 hours must be approved for ethics training. And 12 hours must be classroom or classroom equivalent training. Our webinars are approved as classroom equivalent training. There are no restrictions on the course subject matter, except for the two hours of ethics training.

Special Training Requirements

Agents who sell flood insurance need to complete a one-time three-hour continuing education course related to the National Flood Insurance Program. Long-term care partnership policy sales require an initial eight-hour training course followed by a four-hour long-term care course every two years. Those selling annuity products must complete an initial annuity best interest four-hour course followed by eight hours of continuing education each renewal period.

Exemptions/Extensions

Those who have been continuously licensed in the State of Texas for 20 years qualify for an exemption from continuing education.

An agent can also file for an extension of time to complete continuing education due to illness, medical disability, active military duty in a combat theater, or other circumstances.

You can find the application at Continuing Education Exemption or Extension.

Other Ways to Earn Texas CE Credit

Up to four hours of CE credit can be earned by an agent who is an active member of a state or national insurance association. That requires reviewing educational materials, attending educational presentations, and can include both state and national associations. Note that these credits only apply as self-study credits. See more at State and National Insurance Association Credit.

Step #2: Submit Your Renewal Application Prior to Expiration

You can file your renewal application online at NIPR TX Agent Renewal or Sircon TX Agent Renewal. You’ll need to do this within the 60-day renewal window before the license expiration date.

Now is the Time to Start Your Continuing Education

Even with a full two years to accumulate your 24 hours of continuing education, there’s no reason to wait to get started. Wouldn’t it be nice to get it accomplished before the last minute?

We’ve got you covered with all the courses you need. You can find the full listing at Texas Insurance Continuing Education Course Catalog.

You’ll need to select at least 12 hours of training via webinars to satisfy the Texas requirement for courses taken in a classroom setting or classroom equivalent. Up to 12 hours can be obtained through online courses.

Completion Reported the Same Day

Note that your continuing education course credits will be reported directly to the Texas Department of Insurance on the same day you complete the training. So, if you’re in a rush to complete your continuing education, we’ve got you covered.

Summary of Steps to Renew Your License

Even though we’ve mapped it out above, it’s still a great deal to digest. Here’s a quick summary to get you started on the path to renewal.

Determine your license expiration date.
Determine your continuing education requirements.
Select and enroll in courses well in advance of your expiration date.
Complete your courses – we submit your credits to the Texas Department of Insurance the same day you complete them.
Renew your license.

We’re certain that everything you need to keep your license active is easily accessible through our website. If not, simply call our office and we’ll happily assist you.

If you’re near your renewal date, there’s no time to be lost. Sign up now for the most trusted and convenient solution for keeping your license active.

How to Get Insurance Continuing Education Quickly

Posted on 12.20.21

Ideally, you’ll start working on your continuing education requirements shortly after you complete your initial training and pass the license exam. Of course, not many of us are that farsighted or diligent, particularly when we have an insurance career to launch.

If you fall into this category, fear not; in this article, we provide the low down on how to get your insurance continuing education quickly — all in a step-by-step format.

Step #1 — Determine Your State’s Continuing Education Requirements.

In most states, 24 hours of continuing education is required every two years to renew your insurance producer license. There are a few exceptions. For example, Arizona requires 48 hours over four years. Iowa requires 36 hours over three years. Massachusetts requires 60 hours within the first three years of being licensed.

Not only that but several states require courses to be taken in certain topics, such as ethics training. And still, other states require a certain number of courses to be taken with specific delivery methods. For example, the Texas Department of Insurance requires agents to take 24 credit hours, but at least 12 of the hours must be done in the classroom or by courses approved as “classroom equivalent.”

We make it easy for you to know your specific CE and renewal requirements. Our License Management Pages provide a detailed listing of the requirements for almost all states along with links to everything you need to manage your insurance license. Agents can look up your license number and status, access your CE transcript, complete your license renewal application, or use a host of other resources we provide to make it easy to keep your license active.

Step #2 — Determine the Time Available to Complete the Coursework.

Now that you have found the continuing education requirements for your license, you’ll need to determine how much time you have available to complete the coursework. Look for your license expiration date and count down the days, weeks, and hopefully, months left before your continuing education needs to be completed.

Step #3 — Signup for Continuing Education.

After you’ve selected your state on our course catalog, you have two options for continuing education: online text-based courses and instructor-led webinar courses.

The online, text-based training is self-paced and delivered to your computer, tablet, and smartphone. The quizzes and exams are scored instantly, and you can take them as many times as necessary to pass. Plus, you can return to the training whenever it is convenient. The course progress bar takes you back to exactly where you left off.

Our webinar courses are instructor-led and delivered live using video conferencing. You’re required to be in attendance for the full class time, with check-ins at random times through the webinar to confirm your attendance. Students can interact and ask questions. Advantages to webinars include no required reading and no quizzes or final exams.

With our online, text-based courses, we also offer “complete compliance” packages that make your course selection super easy. These packages are designed by our compliance professionals and contain everything you need to meet your CE requirements with one simple selection, at one low price. We also offer individual courses so that you can pick and choose the type of training that best meets your learning needs. You can find further insight in our blog post Differences Between Webinar Courses and Traditional Online Text-Based Courses.

Step #4 — Set Aside Time for Study. Establish a Completion Schedule.

While it might be tempting to take a week or so off from work to devote to your continuing education, it’s probably best to determine how much time you can set aside for study during a normal week as well as on the weekend. Regular study will get the job done and help you better retain what you learn.

Once you’ve been able to determine how much time you have available over the course of a week, you can then build a schedule for completing all the required continuing education hours before your license expires. Don’t wait until the last minute to accomplish this work.

Step #5 — Complete Your Continuing Education.

Day-by-day and week-by-week is the steady way to complete all your continuing education requirements. Stick to the schedule you’ve planned, working on a regular basis to get everything accomplished. Our online text-based courses are perfect for this approach. You can spend minutes or hours on the training — pausing when needed and coming back to the exact spot you left off at any point in the future. Our webinars provide the easiest way to “learn and earn.” You can earn your CE credits from the comfort of your own computer, smartphone, or tablet while learning about some of the most important and relevant topics facing the insurance industry.

Step #6 — Submit Your Renewal Application.

Once you’ve completed a course, we post the results to your state’s department of insurance the same day. So, you’ll be all set to apply for renewal. Once you’ve applied for renewal, make sure you set reminders for the next round of renewal training. We can help there, too. Find the compliance reminder button on our home page and sign up for our free email reminder service.

Now is the Time to Start Your Continuing Education.

The good news is that we’ve got you covered with all the courses you need in the format that best fits your available time and your preferred learning style, whether that’s online text-based courses or webinars.

We offer complete compliance packages to make course selection super easy. You can select all the courses you need with one click.

Can I Still Renew My Insurance License After It Expires?

Posted on 12.13.21

Unfortunately, the answer is…it depends. In most cases, you can, but it depends on what state you’re licensed in and, in almost all cases, you’ll have fines to pay. Not only that but you can’t work as an insurance agent with an expired license.

It’s best to complete the required continuing education and renew your license well before it expires. In this article, we touch on a few specific state examples. We then point you in the right direction for your state’s renewal process.

Renewal Regulations — Every State Has Their Own

Every state has its own insurance regulations including what’s required for renewal as well as what happens when your license is allowed to expire. We’ve dug a bit deeper into a few select states to give you an idea of what’s involved. If you live in a different state, you’ll need to check that state’s regulations. More on that next.

Texas Insurance License Expired

In Texas, if an agent doesn’t renew their license in time, there is a $25 late fee. In addition to this, agents must pay an additional fee of $50 for each credit hour of continuing education that has not been completed by their expiration date, up to a maximum of $500.

An agent can also file for an extension of time to complete continuing education due to illness, medical disability, active military duty in a combat theater, or other circumstances, but they must do so in advance of the license expiration date. For more information on renewing an insurance license in Texas, see our article How Do I Renew My Insurance License in Texas.

Ohio Insurance License Expired

Ohio insurance agents who do not renew their license by their expiration date have 2 options: 1) they can have their license reinstated within 30 days of their expiration date by paying a fine of $50; or 2) if they do not renew within the 30 day grace period, their license will be suspended and they have up to 1 year to pay a fine of $100 to have their license reinstated. In all cases, agents must fulfill their CE requirements prior to submitting the renewal/reinstatement application. After one year the individual will need to start the licensing process as a new agent.

There are exemptions for extenuating circumstances when the agent is unable to renew their license in time. These include long-term medical disability, military service, and other similar circumstances. To obtain the exemption, you must file a written request for an extension of the renewal date with the Ohio Department of Insurance. In almost all cases, agents who are granted an extension will still have to complete their CE requirements prior to having their license reinstated.

For more information on license renewal see our article How to Keep Your Insurance License Active in Ohio.

California Insurance License Expired

Insurance agents with California licenses have no grace period after the expiration date. Once the license expires, they are no longer eligible to transact insurance business. The license does remain eligible for renewal up to one year after the expiration date. During that time all required continuing education will need to be completed, the renewal fee must be paid in addition to a penalty amounting to 50% of the renewal fees. You can find the full listing of fees at State of California Producer Licensing Fees.

You can find out more about renewing at How to Keep Your Insurance License Active in California.

Georgia Insurance License Expired

Producers in Georgia have a late renewal period of 15 days, during which time they are charged a late fee of $15 in addition to the renewal fees. After the 15 day period, agents can reinstate their license for up to 6 months for a late fee of $50. After 6 months and up to 1 year, agents must pay the late fee of $50 and be re-fingerprinted. If the agent waits beyond 1 year from their expiration date, their licenses are canceled and they must relicense. Of course, all CE requirements must be completed prior to reinstating. You can find out more about renewing your license at How to Keep Your Insurance License Active in Georgia.

Don’t Let This Happen to You

As you can see from the examples above, the renewal procedures for expired insurance licenses vary quite a bit across just those four states. If we haven’t covered your state, use our Course Catalog to get started determining the continuing education requirements and follow the links to the state department of insurance to learn more about reactivating an expired license.

Sign Up for Continuing Education Now

Whatever the outcome of your review of renewal or reinstatement requirements, it’s likely that you’ll need to complete at least some if not all of your state’s continuing education requirements. We’ve got you covered with both online training and webinars.

Our webinar courses are instructor-led and delivered live using video conferencing. You’re required to be in attendance for the full class time, with check-ins at random times through the webinar to confirm your attendance. Students can interact and ask questions. Advantages to webinars include no required reading and no quizzes or final exams.

Completion Reported the Same Day

Note that your continuing education course credits will be reported directly to the state’s department of insurance on the same day you complete the training. So, if you’re in a rush to complete your continuing education, we’ve got you covered.

Meeting Your Illinois Ethics Training Requirement

Posted on 11.25.21

Insurance license renewal requirements are straightforward in Illinois. Every two years you’re required to complete 24 hours of continuing education and then submit your renewal application. This must be done prior to your expiration date. Your expiration date is the last day of your birth month. This article covers the Illinois Ethics Training requirement necessary and the two different delivery methods.

But keep in mind, even if you complete your CE well in advance, your license cannot be renewed until you are within 90 days of your expiration date. You will receive a renewal notice from the Illinois Department of Insurance when you are within the 90 day renewal window.

How the Illinois Ethics Training Requirement Differs From Other States

Illinois differs from most other states’ CE requirements in regards to the Ethics Training Requirement. Of the 24 hours of continuing education that need to be completed, at least 3 hours of Ethics Training must be done in a classroom setting, or a setting approved as “Classroom Equivalent” by the Illinois Department of Insurance.

While you can complete your other 21 credits in any approved subject or delivery method (such as text-based courses), your Ethics Training must be done in a classroom setting, or delivery method approved as “Classroom Equivalent” by the Illinois Department of Insurance.

What’s the difference? A classroom delivery method is held in a true, traditional, classroom environment. As such, you must find a licensed provider who offers the ethics course in a classroom setting. You will then need to schedule the date and time, travel to the location, and be in attendance throughout the 3-hour session.

The instructor is present throughout the course, is available to take and respond to questions, and students are not allowed to leave. True classroom courses offer less flexibility for the availability of times and dates offered, and they also tend to be more expensive.

What Is a “Classroom Equivalent” Course?

A “Classroom Equivalent” course is one that is similar in most respects to a classroom course, but it is offered virtually through a zoom meeting or other webinar platform. The course is taught by a licensed instructor in a “live” setting, meaning it is real-time and not pre-recorded. Students can ask questions and attendance is taken at various times throughout the course. Classroom equivalent courses offer much more flexibility than traditional classroom courses.

Since they are offered virtually, students do not have to travel to the classroom location, and there are often many more options available for dates and times to attend these courses. There are no quizzes or exams that need to be passed either. And finally, classroom equivalent courses tend to be much less expensive than true classroom courses.

You can find a full listing of our Illinois approved webinars, including those approved for Classroom Equivalent Ethics Training, at our Illinois Continuing Education Webinar Catalog. We also offer Complete Compliance Packages that include everything agents need to stay compliant – including the 3 Hour Classroom Equivalent Ethics Training Courses. The remaining 21 hours of continuing education can be completed with your choice of webinars or traditional online text-based courses.

Quick Look at Illinois Ethics Webinar Training

A recent webinar on Ethics and Unfair Insurance Practices is typical of the other webinars we offer. It’s taught by an instructor who is licensed and approved by the Illinois Department of Insurance, and who specializes in teaching insurance continuing education courses. She’s also a licensed insurance agent and a prior agency owner who brings her experience to the classroom. So, she has plenty of stories to tell that other agents can relate to, as well as brings the training to life.

The course provides a detailed (but always engaging and entertaining) analysis of the Unfair Trade and Claims Practices Models Acts, as developed and adopted by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC). Participants learn critical skills for identifying and avoiding ethical mishaps and the importance of adhering to ethical thinking and behaviors.

Here’s a quick outline of the topics:

How the changing culture and access to information creates vulnerabilities for consumers.
How to go through the process of evaluating a situation, determining if there are ethical issues, reviewing the facts, evaluating the options and choosing an outcome that will satisfy all parties involved.
Recognizing questionable or unethical behavior.
Choosing how to proceed in difficult situations to obtain a positive outcome.

Now is the Time to Start Your Continuing Education

While the Illinois Department of Insurance will provide plenty of notice within the 90-day renewal period, don’t put yourself under the considerable pressure of trying to complete 24 hours of continuing education in just a few days. It’s much better to start now and steadily work your way through the needed courses.

We’ve got you covered with all the courses you need in the format that best fits your available time and your preferred learning style. You can find the full listing at Illinois Insurance Continuing Education Course Catalog.

We offer complete compliance packages to make course selection very easy. You can select all the courses you need with one click. We also offer individual courses so that you can pick and choose the type of training that best meets your learning needs.

Traditional Online Text-Based Courses

The training is self-paced and delivered to your computer, tablet, and smartphone. You must pass quizzes and final exams for each course, but they can be taken as many times as needed. Plus, you can return to the training whenever it is convenient. The course progress bar tells you exactly where you left off.

Webinar CE Courses

We also offer live webinars. This is where you’ll need to go for the required Illinois ethics training. You can find the current listing of approved webinars in our Illinois Webinar Catalog.

Plus, you also have the option of blending your learning through a combination of webinars and online courses.

Same Day Completion Reporting

Note that your continuing education course credits will be reported directly to the Illinois Department of Insurance on the same day you complete the training. So, if you’re in a rush to complete your continuing education, we’ve got you covered.

Summary Steps

Here’s a quick summary to get you started on the path to renewal.

Determine your license expiration date.
Determine your continuing education requirements.
Select and enroll in courses or webinars well in advance of your expiration date.
Complete your courses – we submit your credits to the Illinois Department of Insurance the same day you complete them.
Renew your license. We can help direct you through the entire process.

If you’re near your renewal date, there’s no time to be lost. Sign up now for the most trusted and convenient solution for keeping your license active.

How to Keep Your Insurance License Active in Louisiana

Posted on 11.05.21

It’s essential that you renew your insurance license in Louisiana. The first reason, of course, is that you need the license to remain an active agent. The second, and every bit as important, is to avoid wasting all the time, effort, and money you spent earning your license.

It’s not at all difficult to keep your Louisiana insurance license active. All it takes is two steps every two years:

Complete the required continuing education.
Submit the renewal application on time.

License renewal needs to happen within 90 days before license expiration. The expiration date is the last day of the agent’s birth month with the license number determining the renewal year. Licenses that end in an even number renew in even-numbered years. Licenses that end in an odd number renew in odd-numbered years. So, check your license to determine the renewal date and year. If it’s coming up soon, sign up now for coursework to complete the continuing education requirements.

Step #1: Complete the Continuing Education Requirements

Louisiana major lines licensed producers are required to take 24 credit hours of approved continuing education every two years. At least three hours must be in the category of ethics. The major lines include life, health and health, property, casualty, and personal lines.