Maintaining a license

Continuing education****

A licensee must complete a total of 24 hours of continuing education every two years during the first 6 years of licensure, which is to say during the first three compliance periods. Thereafter, licensees must complete at least 20 hours of continuing education every two years. As part of the 24 or 20 hours required, each licensee (except a title insurance agent) must complete a four-hour law and ethics update course every two years that is specific to the license held by the licensee. Excess hours will roll over to the next compliance period. Those who hold several different lines of insurance licenses must complete an update course that is specific to at least one of the lines held. The course must be developed and offered by continuing education providers and approved by the Department. The content of the course must address all lines of insurance for which examination and licensure are required and include the following subject areas:

• Insurance law updates
• Ethics
• Disciplinary trends
• Case studies
• Industry trends
• Premium discounts
• Determining suitability of products and services
• Other similar insurance-related topics the department determines are relevant to legally and ethically carrying out the responsibilities of the license granted

Thus, each licensee must complete 20 hours of elective continuing education courses every two years in addition to the 4-hour law and ethics update for a total of 24 hours every two years. The only exceptions to this rule are in the following circumstances:

• Those licensed for six or more years must complete 16 hours of elective continuing education every two years and four (4) hours of Law and Ethics. (So, if licensed six or more years the agent needs a total of 20 hours of continuing education, of which 4 must be the 4-hour law; if licensed less than 6 years, you need 24 hours, 4 of which needs to be the 4-hour law.)
• A licensee licensed for 25 years or more and is a CLU or a CPCU or has a bachelor of science degree in risk management must only complete a minimum of five hours of elective continuing education courses every two years.

Licensees who are unable to comply with the continuing education requirements due to active duty in the military may submit a written request for a waiver to the department.

A nonresident licensee completing continuing education requirements in their home state may use the home state requirements to also meet Florida's continuing education requirements if the licensee's home state recognizes reciprocity with Florida's continuing education requirements.

The following courses may be completed in order to meet the elective continuing education course requirements:

• Any part of the Life Underwriter Training Council Life Course Curriculum: 24 Hours; Health Course: 12 hours
• Any part of the American College "CLU" diploma curriculum: 24 hours
• Any part of the Insurance Institute of America's program in general insurance: 12 hours
• Any part of the American Institute for Property and Liability Underwriters' Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) professional designation program; 24 hours
• Any part of the Certified Insurance Counselor program: 21 hours
• Any part of the Accredited Advisor in Insurance: 21 hours

Continuing education hours must be completed by the last day of the licensee's birth month, which is the same requirement as the appointment termination that was discussed previously. Unless the licensee has been granted an extension or waiver by the Department, failure to meet the continuing education requirements may result in the Department terminating or refusing to renew the appointment of the agent and this will continue until the licensee completes the continuing education requirement.

Communicating with the department

Insurance companies, by statute, have 20 days to respond to the department once a consumer complaint has been filed.

Record Keeping****

The Department is rather adamant about keeping up-to-date contact information on licensees. This is because you are applying for a resident license, and so changing residency to a different state would change what you are allowed to do. Agents must notify the department in writing within 30 days of change of any change in contact information. This can usually be done on the Department's website on your profile page. The information that must be kept updated includes

• name,
• residence address,
• business street address,
• mailing address,
• phone, or
• email

A licensee who has moved their principle residence and principle place of business out of Florida shall have their license and all appointments immediately terminated by the Department. Failure to comply will get you a $250 fine for the first offense and at least a $500 fine for the subsequent offenses, as well as possible suspension or revocation of the license.

Administrative action

If a governmental agency in Florida or any other state or jurisdiction takes administrative action against a licensee or agency, that licensee or agency must submit a copy of the order or other relevant documents to the Department within 30 days after the final disposition. The activities that may be questionable relate to:

• insurance
• the sale of securities
• fraud
• dishonesty
• trustworthiness
• breach of fiduciary duty