CE Credits: What They Are, and Why You Need Them

 

Continuing Education (CE) Credit Tips for Brokers:

  • State CE requirements differ; California generally requires 24 CE Credit hours every two years, while Nevada requires 30 hours every three years. Look for free CE Courses – and for online and live CE opportunities. Not all courses are recognized by all states; check the fine print.
  • Your GA and/or health underwriter associations may offer qualifying courses.
  • A one-hour course offers one CE Credit.
  • Hours earned have to be relevant to your business and your selected license type.
  • Do not wait until the last minute to earn your required CE Credits.
  • You cannot repeat a course within two (or three) years; you can earn CE Credit only once for each course during your license renewal period.

 

As a licensed health insurance broker in California, you are required to earn a total of 24 hours of Continuing Education (CE) Credits every two years to maintain your insurance producer license. In Nevada, the requirement is a minimum of 30 hours of CE Credits, including three hours of ethics, every three years. Course hours correspond to the available CE Credits, so a two-hour course generally offers two credits.

So, you may be wondering, how and where can you earn your CE Credits?

There are many options for brokers when it comes to earning the required credits required by insurance regulators. Some CE courses are available for free, such as those offered by Word & Brown and health underwriter associations. (You can find upcoming course information on our website or on your local and state underwriter group sites. 

Courses are also available through commercial education providers, such as those that offer pre-license training and education as well as online only providers like WebCE.

If you are a California or Nevada producer, you can use Sircon to look up other course vendors and courses.

 

CE Course Selection for Credits

When selecting CE Courses – whether online or in-person, free or for a fee – keep in mind that state authorities will only credit you with training hours for approved courses related to your license. If you have a renewing life and health insurance license, you are unlikely to get credit for a property and casualty-related course.

It is advisable to earn your credits at least 60 days prior to your license expiration, so there is sufficient time for your education provider to submit the necessary information to the state to update your records. If you earn hours near the end of your license term, your renewal could be delayed while your CE hours are processed.

If you have taken a class and want to check to see if you have been credited for your course hours, you can visit the California Department of Insurance (DOI) website to check:

http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/0008-check-license-status/index.cfm.

In Nevada, similar information can be found at https://www.sircon.com/ComplianceExpress/NonSscrbEducation/index.jsp?1=0&lid=lp_nevada2&sc=xyopwtla&sscrbid=9020&path=nevada.

Please keep in mind, you cannot receive partial credit for coursework you did not fully complete. If you leave a class before its end (or you exit and online course in progress), no CE Credit applies.

 

CE Credit Requirements by State

For answers to frequently asked California broker questions about CE Credits, visit the DOI website. Nevada resident CE requirement information can be found on the Nevada Division of Insurance website.

For additional guidance, check out our Continuing Education Tips in the accompanying box above or use these helpful links:

http://www.insurance.ca.gov/0200-industry/

http://doi.nv.gov/Licensing/Maintain-License-Association/

https://www.wordandbrown.com/courses

 

 

How Much Can You Earn as an Insurance Broker?

Find out what you can be earning as an insurance agent in our handy, up-to-date salary guide. Produced by our in-house experts, this resource is bound to help you in advancing your career.

Word & Brown Salary Guide
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