Insurance agents licensed in Texas are required to obtain 30 hours of continuing education every two years. There are several ways to fulfill the Texas insurance continuing education requirement. For example, many professional associations and insurance companies offer courses approved by the state.
Of the 30 hours required, at least 15 hours must be classroom or online classroom equivalent courses. The remainder may be obtained through self-study. At least two credit hours must cover ethics/consumer protection.
For most agents, the easiest way to fulfill the CE requirement is through an approved Texas insurance continuing education provider. It is possible to satisfy all of the continuing education requirements, including the classroom equivalent portion, online.
Instructions
1. Know the CE requirements for your license. For most, it is the 30-hour requirement described above. However, holders of limited lines and county mutual licenses must complete 10 hours per two years with two hours of ethics. You can get current information at the Texas Department of Insurance web site.
2. Determine if you have any credits from other courses. If you have taken college or professional education courses on insurance, they may qualify for CE credit. Some continuing education courses taken for other professional licenses (e.g., attorneys and CPAs) may also qualify.
3. Choose a continuing education provider approved by the state department of insurance. Their web site has a directory of approved providers and courses. Or, you can do an online search for providers.
4. Sign up for all of your courses through one CE provider. Not only does this make record keeping easier, most have package prices that allow you to complete all of your Texas insurance continuing education for one low price. Paying by the course is much more expensive.
5. Set a schedule to complete all required courses before your license expiration date. By setting aside an hour or so a day to work on the courses, you can avoid a last-minute crunch to beat the deadline.
6. If you are up against the deadline, complete the self-study courses first. Getting 15 credit hours via self study usually takes less time than getting 15 credit hours through classroom equivalent courses. The more hours you have in before your license expires, the less any applicable fines will be.
7. Once you complete each course, the provider will send you a certificate, via mail or email. You are not required to send the certificate to the state, but keep it as a record of your successful completion of the course.
