Life Insurance Licenses In Florida: Renewal Frequency Explained

how often do life insurance license renew in Florida

In Florida, insurance licenses are perpetual and never expire. However, license holders must take continuing education classes every two years to keep their licenses current. The two-year period starts the year the initial insurance license was issued and ends on the last day of the holder's birth month. The Florida Department of Financial Services requires that all insurance producers and agents complete their continuing education requirements every two years. This includes 24 total hours of insurance continuing education, four of which must cover Florida Law and ethics. Once the requirements are completed, the license automatically renews.

Characteristics Values
Renewal Frequency Every two years
Renewal Date Last day of the holder's birth month, every two years
Renewal Fee None
Requirements Complete 24 hours of continuing education (CE) every two years if licensed for less than 6 years; complete 20 hours of CE every two years if licensed for more than 6 years; complete 4 hours of Law and Ethics every two years
Expiry If CE requirements are not met, the license will expire

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How often do life insurance licenses renew in Florida?

Florida insurance licenses are perpetual and never expire. However, holders must complete continuing education classes every two years to keep their license current. The two-year period starts the year the initial insurance license was issued and ends on the last day of the holder's birth month.

The exact number of required continuing education hours varies depending on how long the agent has been licensed. Agents licensed for less than six years are required to take 24 credits of CE, while those licensed for more than six years only need to take 20 credits. This applies to all agents licensed to sell any of the "major lines" of insurance: life, health, general lines, and personal lines.

Four of those hours must be in the subject of Florida Law and ethics. Agents must take at least one 4-credit-hour course approved for the topic of "Law and Ethics Update". The rest of the CE can be completed in any topic as long as they are approved by the Florida Department of Financial Services.

The Florida Department of Insurance requires insurance agents and adjusters to complete their CE hours by the last day of their birth month every two years. If the CE hours are not completed by the deadline, the existing appointments will not be automatically renewed, and failure to hold at least one appointment after 48 months will result in the cancellation of the license.

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What are the requirements to renew a life insurance license in Florida?

Florida insurance licenses are perpetual and do not have an expiration date. However, license holders must renew their licenses by taking continuing education classes every two years to keep their licenses current and in good standing with the state. The two-year period starts the year the initial insurance license was issued on the last day of the holder's birth month.

The Florida Department of Financial Services – Division of Insurance Agent & Agency Services requires that all insurance producers and agents complete their continuing education requirements every two years. In Florida, these requirements include:

  • Twenty-four (24) total hours of insurance continuing education every renewal period, which is two (2) years.
  • Four (4) of those hours must be in the subject of Florida Law and ethics.

If you have a producer license in more than one line of authority (e.g. Property & Casualty and Life & Health), you do not need to take double hours. Your total amount of CE credit hours due is still twenty-four (24).

The amount of CE you are required to take is based on how long you have been actively licensed. Florida insurance agents licensed for less than 6 years are required to take 24 credits of CE. Those licensed for more than 6 years only have to take 20 credits of CE. This applies to all agents who are licensed to sell any of the “major lines” of insurance: life, health, general lines, and personal lines.

The type of CE you must take is based on your license type(s). Florida requires agents to take at least one, 4-credit-hour course approved for the topic of “Law and Ethics Update”. The Law and Ethics Update course taken must be approved specifically for at least one of your license types. Other than this requirement, the rest of your CE can be completed in any topic as long as they are approved by the Florida Department of Financial Services.

If you are multiple lines licensed, the total number of hours required is the same as if you are single lines licensed – you do not need to take more than either 20 or 24 credits, regardless of the number of licenses you hold.

Florida Agents cannot receive credits for courses repeated within a 24-month period.

While Florida does not grant any exemptions from CE requirements, some agents that have certain special training or designations can receive a reduction in the number of hours required. Agents with a degree in risk management, or who hold the designation of CPCU, or CLU are only required to complete 4 CE credits every 2 years. These 4 credits must be done in the Law and Ethics Update course specific to at least one of their license type(s). Agents need to file an application to receive the reduction.

After completing your CE requirements, the last step you need to take is to verify that the credits appear in your My Profile Portal of the Florida Department of Financial Services Bureau of Licensing.

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How do I renew my life insurance license in Florida?

Florida insurance licenses are perpetual and never expire. However, holders must take continuing education classes every two years to keep their licenses current. The two-year period starts the year the initial insurance license was issued on the last day of the holder's birth month.

To renew your life insurance license in Florida, you must complete your Florida Insurance CE requirements before your expiration date. You can take a self-paced course online, attend an in-person class, or join a scheduled online webinar. The Florida Department of Financial Services – Division of Insurance Agent & Agency Services requires that all insurance producers and agents complete their continuing education requirements every two years. These requirements include:

  • Twenty-four (24) total hours of insurance continuing education every renewal period, which is two (2) years.
  • Four (4) of those hours must be in the subject of Florida Law and ethics.

Once you have completed the insurance CE course, your CE course provider will send a certificate of completion to the Florida Division of Insurance Agent & Agency Services. Make sure to keep a printed copy of your certificate for your records.

It is recommended to complete all continuing education credits 30 days prior to the expiration date of the license. This will give the CE provider time to report the successful completion to the department of insurance. Your CE courses can be taken at any time within your license term.

There is no fee or paperwork required to renew your license after you complete your required CE hours. The education provider will report your fulfillment of courses to the state within 21 days after completion. To know more about your courses, the Florida Division of Insurance Agent & Agency Services recommends using their Find a CE Course search tool.

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What are the costs of renewing a life insurance license in Florida?

Florida life insurance licenses are perpetual and never expire. However, holders must renew their licenses by taking continuing education classes and keeping their licenses current. While there is no fee or paperwork required to renew a Florida insurance license, licensees must pay for the cost of their CE provider.

The cost of a CE provider varies. For example, Kaplan Education Company is a recommended CE course provider, but the price is not listed. On the other hand, BetterCE offers courses that are delivered to the user's computer, tablet, or smartphone, and reports the user's completion of the course to the Florida Department of Financial Services Bureau of Licensing on the same day of completion. The cost of these courses is also not listed.

The total cost of obtaining a life and health insurance license in Florida is $147.55 plus course tuition. The tuition for the BASIC COURSE is $139, while the tuition for the ESSENTIAL Course is $189. The state exam fee is $44 for each attempt, and the cost of fingerprinting is $48.55. The application fee is $55, which includes a $50 application fee and a $5 license ID fee.

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What are the consequences of not renewing a life insurance license in Florida?

In Florida, insurance licenses are perpetual, with no expiry date. However, license holders must complete continuing education classes every two years to keep their licenses current. If an insurance professional fails to complete the required continuing education hours, they will face several consequences and penalties.

Firstly, a failure to complete the necessary continuing education hours by the deadline will result in existing appointments not being automatically renewed. Furthermore, if an individual does not hold at least one appointment after 48 months, their license will be cancelled.

If an insurance professional does not comply with the continuing education requirements, they will be unable to reinstate, renew, or obtain appointments. An appointment is a registration with a state insurance department, indicating that the individual is acting on behalf of an insurer or insurance company. The state of Florida may immediately terminate or deny the renewal of the appointment if the requirements are not met.

To avoid these consequences, it is important for insurance professionals in Florida to stay up to date with their continuing education requirements and maintain their licenses in good standing.

Frequently asked questions

Life insurance licenses in Florida renew every two years.

To renew your life insurance license in Florida, you need to complete your continuing education (CE) requirements and submit your renewal through the state.

In Florida, insurance agents licensed for less than 6 years are required to take 24 credits of CE. Those licensed for more than 6 years only have to take 20 credits of CE.

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