We frequently receive calls from Florida insurance agents asking, “What if I don’t complete my continuing education requirements before my CE Due Date?”, “What are the penalties?”, and “Are there extensions?”. In this article, we’ll cover everything Florida insurance agents need to know to keep their license active and what penalties and options are available if they don’t meet the necessary requirements on time.
What Are the Requirements to Keep My Florida License Active?
The great news is there are no renewal requirements for Florida-licensed insurance agents. There’s no renewal application, and better yet, no renewal fees. The only requirement for Florida major-lines licensed insurance agents to keep their license active is complete their continuing education requirements every 2 years prior to their CE Due Date. That’s it!
Your CE requirements are determined by what license(s) you hold and how long you’ve been licensed. The requirements are straightforward, but in this article, we want to address what happens if you don’t do your CE requirements in time. If you want to learn about your CE requirements and deadlines, we strongly suggest reading our article How to Keep Your Insurance License Active in Florida. It details everything Florida agents need to know about what courses they need to take.
Florida Insurance License Expiration and Reinstatement
So, what happens if you don’t complete your Florida Insurance CE on time? As we’ve mentioned, Florida agents must complete their CE Requirements every 2 years prior to their CE End Date. Agents who do not complete their CE on time are subject to fines and penalties – there are no grace periods. If you do miss your CE Due Date deadline, you will have up to approximately 60 days to complete any outstanding CEs, sign a Stipulation Agreement with the Florida Department of Financial Services, and pay a fine of $250.
The details of this will be sent to your My Profile account within 45 days of missing your CE Due Date. If you fail to complete the requirements of the Stipulation Agreement (complete CE and pay fine) within the timeframes allowed (approximately 60 days from missed CE Due Date), all of your company appointments will be canceled, and you will be unable to transact insurance business.
Agents who have their appointments canceled still have up to 48 months from their original, missed CE Due Date to reactivate their license without having to relicense. To do so, they must complete all outstanding CEs that have accumulated. If not done within 48 months, the license will be considered “expired,” and you will be required to relicense.
Are There Any Exemptions or Extensions Granted?
While we are unaware of any specific exemptions allowed from CE Requirements, the Florida Department of Financial Services does allow agents to file a request for an extension of their CE Due Dates. These are usually granted only in instances where “good cause” can be demonstrated that the agent is unable to meet their CE requirements by the deadline. These include disablement, illness, natural disaster, or other causes granted on a case-by-case basis. Extensions are usually granted only for a 90-day period, with a maximum of 4 periods granted. Agents wanting to request an extension must do so by using this Extension Request Form.
Keep Your Florida Insurance License Active — Sign Up for Continuing Education Now
Obtaining your insurance license was an expensive and time-consuming process. Just consider the time and cost associated with taking the 200 classroom hour requirement to be licensed as a General Lines Agent in Florida. Then think of the time required to study for the exam, the cost of the exam, and fingerprinting requirements. Since the only requirement to keep your license active is to complete your CE requirements every 2 years, it’s glaringly obvious that keeping your license active is a much easier and cheaper alternative.
At BetterCE, we’ve got you covered with everything you need to easily keep your Florida insurance license active. Our text-based, online courses are available on any computer or mobile device, so they can be taken at your pace when it’s convenient for you. The quizzes and exams are scored instantly, and you can take them as many times as necessary to pass. Our “Complete Compliance Packages” make course selection super easy and allow you to complete all of your CE for as little as $39.95.
Our live webinars are delivered by expert instructors and offer the experience of a classroom environment, with no required reading and no need to pass any quizzes or final exams! And whether text-based courses or webinars, your credits will be reported by our office to the Florida Department of Financial Services the same day as you complete each course.
We’ve got you covered with everything you need to keep your Florida insurance license active easily and conveniently – at the lowest price available. Simply visit our Florida Insurance Continuing Education Course Catalog for a complete listing of available courses.
We’re Here to Help
We’re confident that the continuing education you need to renew or reinstate your license is easily accessible through our website. If not, call our office, and we’ll happily assist you.
At BetterCE, we provide more than the most convenient and affordable solution for insurance continuing education. Our agent support services are provided by experienced insurance licensing professionals who have helped thousands of agents easily navigate the renewal process.
Have a question or need assistance? Phone 1-888-501-7330 for our customer care team. We also respond to emails as well as via our Contact Form. On our contact page, you can also sign up for convenient license renewal reminders so that you never have to deal with an expired license.
