Continuing Education (CE) FAQ
Updated: September 19, 2023
What are the requirements for continuing education?
Preceding a license renewal, a licensee shall complete the required number of credit hours in approved continuing education. To qualify for a license renewal, the required number of CE credit hours shall be completed and received by the Insurance Division from the CE course provider(s) before payment of renewal fees can be submitted electronically. Pursuant to HRS §431:9A-124(e), the approved course provider shall electronically submit the certificate of completion to the Licensing Division within 15 days of course completion. Therefore, licensees shall complete CE requirements no later than 15 days before renewal due date in order for the CE completion reports to be received and uploaded to the Insurance Division system in time for the licensee to renew license(s).
For more information, please see Commissioner’s Memorandum 2022-3LIC
What are the required number of credits?
For a licensee authorized to sell lines of insurance in only life/accident and health or sickness or only in property/casualty; twenty-one credit hours relating to the class of insurance for which the license is held, and three credit hours relating to ethics and or the Hawaii insurance laws and rules.
For a licensee authorized to sell lines of insurance for both life/accident and health or sickness and property/casualty; the total requisite number for credit hours are twenty-four hours of which:
- Ten credit hours relating to the life/accident and health or sickness class of insurance.
- Eleven credit hours relating to the property/casualty class of insurance.
- Three credit hours shall relate to ethics and or the insurance laws and rules.
If I take Rules/Ethics courses, will the excess credits go into the subject credits?
For a detailed breakdown of how credits are distributed please see HI CE Priority List
Can I take the same course twice, once for Life/Health and once for Property/Casualty and receive both credits?
No. Credit will be earned only for the first time a course is taken in a renewal period. A licensee may attend the course a second time but will not receive CE credits for the same course code.
Who is exempt from the continuing education requirements?
The continuing education requirement does not apply to the following:
- Hawaii Revised Statutes §431:9A-116 (Reciprocity):
- a) The commissioner shall waive any requirements for a nonresident license applicant with a valid license from the applicant’s home state, except the requirements imposed by section 431:9A-108, so long as the applicant’s home state awards nonresident licenses to residents of this State on the same basis.
(b) A nonresident producer’s satisfaction of the producer’s home state’s continuing education requirements for licensed insurance producers shall constitute satisfaction of this State’s continuing education requirements so long as the nonresident producer’s home state recognizes the satisfaction of its continuing education requirements imposed upon producers from this State on the same basis. [L 2001, c 216, pt of §2]
- Hawaii Revised Statutes §431:9A-130 (Commissioner’s authority to grant waiver):
Upon the receiving of a written request and a showing of good cause, the commissioner shall have the authority to grant a waiver of any requirement of an insurance law or insurance rule as applied to an applicant or a producer. [L 2001, c 216, pt of §2]
Can I receive an extension for my continuing education requirements?
Hawaii Revised Status §431:9A-124(g): The commissioner may grant an extension of time to meet the requirements to a license on extended active military duty for a period time equal to the number of days the licensee was on active military duty.
How do I request an extension of time for my continuing education requirements?
A licensee requesting an extension of time for their continuing education requirement shall submit a written request to the Insurance Commissioner explaining the reason for the request at least 90 days prior to the licensee’s renewal date.
My agency/company has a license. Does anyone need to take the continuing education requirements?
Yes, a designated representative must complete the continuing education requirement.
What if I add a new group of line(s) of authority to my license?
If a new line of authority is added to a Producer’s active license, the licensee must complete all required CE credit hours (including CE for the newly added line(s) of authority).
For example, if a producer license authorized for Life and Accident and Health or Sickness was issued on 2/05/2022 with a renewal due date on 2/16/2024, and the licensee added Property and Casualty lines of authority to the license on 10/28/2023, the licensee must complete 10 credit hours relating to Life and Health, 11 credit hours relating to Property and Casualty, and 3 credit hours relating to Rules/Ethics preceding the renewal date on 2/16/2024.
If I have more credits than required for a renewal, can I apply the excess credits to the following renewal?
No. Pursuant to the Hawaii Revised Statutes §431:9A-155: “No credit hours earned during a single renewal cycle may be carried over and counted towards satisfaction of the credit hour requirements for a following renewal cycle for the same license.”
What happens if I don’t complete my continuing education requirements?
A licensee’s failure to satisfy all of the continuing education requirements prior to the renewal date shall result in that licensee’s license being automatically placed on an expired status. To reactivate a license, the licensee shall complete the requisite number of credit hours and pay any required fees and penalties.
Where can I get a list of approved providers and courses?
- Course/provider Lookup: https://sbs.naic.org/solar-external-lookup/
- Step by step instructions: https://www.statebasedsystems.com/solar/support.html#CLOOK
Do I need to do anything after I have completed a continuing education course?
The provider of the course will issue a licensee a certificate of completion, upon the successful completion of the course. A licensee must keep his or her records of continuing education credits for four years. The provider will electronically submit the credit completion information to the Insurance Division within 15 days from the course completion. Therefore, the producers shall complete CE requirements no later than 15 days before the renewal due date in order for the CE completion reports to be received and uploaded to the Insurance Division system in time for the producers to renew licenses. The producers who complete required CE on or within 15 days of the renewal due date may not be able to renew licenses electronically and risk inactivation of licenses. A penalty fee will be added to reinstate licenses.
All CE certificates of completion must be submitted by the provider. The Insurance Division will no longer accept CE certificate of completion directly from the licensee.
For more information, please see Commissioner’s Memorandum 2022-3LIC
How can a licensee verify the credits on file with the Insurance Division?
- License Manager: https://sbs.naic.org/solar-external-lookup/license-manager
- Step by step instructions: https://www.statebasedsystems.com/solar/support.html#PL
Licensees are reminded to maintain their certificates of completion for four years and should not submit the certificates to the Hawaii Insurance Division unless requested to do so.
What are the new requirements for annuities training?
New Requirements for Producer Training Under Act 58 (2022)
Effective January 1, 2023, Act 58 at section 7 amends Hawaii Revised Statutes (“HRS”) § 431:10D-626 regarding training requirements as follows:
Producers who obtain a life or variable life and variable annuity products line of authority after December 31, 2022, shall not engage in the sale of annuities until completing training required under HRS § 431:10D-626(d), as amended by Act 58.
For more information, please refer to Commissioners Memorandum 2022-8LIC.
Insurers are reminded that they will continue to be responsible for verifying that producers complete required training under HRS § 431:10D-626.