Licensing, Appointments, & Continuing Education

MR. WATSON: Now, when you all get your license, you will get a little card. A license, do you agree?

STUDENTS: Yes zoo-keeper.

MR. WATSON: Can you now sell insurance in the state?

STUDENTS: Yes.

MR. WATSON: No! Not until you are appointed by an insurance company. Because you might have a license in your pocket, you still can't sell insurance until, say, Prudential appoints you. Does that make sense to you?

STUDENTS: Yes.

MR. WATSON: What's your name?

STUDENT: Marina.

MR. WATSON: Marina, you get licensed, and then appointed by Prudential, and then you decide you don’t want to sell insurance anymore. You want to go back to being an offshore diver like you used to be. Prudential is going to sever her appointment. Do you agree?

STUDENTS: Yes.

MR. WATSON: If she goes without an appointment for a certain number of years, usually four (4), then the state will terminate the license, so to get it back she'd have to come back and do the whole licensing process over again, like she was never licensed. Again, we'll talk about those time frames in the law chapters. They are extremely important and you need to know them, so be sure to pay close attention to the law chapters when we get there.

MR. WATSON: In most states the appointment is good for two years at a time, some are appointed for life, but we'll talk about those time frames in the law chapters. The point here is that the producer must be appointed by whatever company or companies they are selling insurance for. Just having the license without the appointment is not enough.

MR. WATSON: In the state of Florida, for example, all licensed agents must have continuing education (CE) every two years, as in most states. There are specific details about this that are critical to know, and we will discuss those in the law chapters.  But when you see those details, make sure you learn them and know them.