West Virginia: Insurance Continuing Education

If the country roads do indeed take you home, to the place you belong, to West Virginia, then this article is for you. In that place where life is old, older than the trees, we find another well-established phenomenon: Insurance producer continuing education (CE) requirements. 

Keeping resident producer licenses in good standing is central to maintaining nonresident licenses, and CE is an important part of that. 

We know our stuff when it comes to West Virginia’s CE requirements. That said, you’re ultimately the one who needs to meet West Virginia’s most up-to-date requirements and the West Virginia Office of the Insurance Commissioner is the true expert. So, if ever in doubt, go straight to the source.

What is the due date for West Virginia Insurance CE Credits? 

Resident producer licenses expire every two years on the last day of the licensee’s birth month and CE requirements are due on the very same day. If you like to block your birthday month from your memory, don’t worry: West Virginia will send a notice reminding you of license renewal and CE due date 60 days in advance. 

Producers newly licensed after July 1 of the second year of the biennium are exempt for CE requirements for that renewal period.

Who’s exempt from West Virginia Insurance CE?

If CE just isn’t your thing and you’re absolutely dreading these requirements, the good news is: You may be exempt. 

If you’re a nonresident producer in West Virginia and you satisfy the training requirements in your resident state and those requirements are substantially similar to West Virginia, then you’re exempt. Remember, if you have any questions about this exemption, feel free to reach out to the West Virginia Department of Insurance. It’s always better to be safe than sorry when it comes to insurance compliance. 

If you’re a resident producer, you may still be exempt from CE requirements. If you meet any of the below qualifications, then you can go ahead and stop reading this blog post. Instead, we recommend any number of our top-notch articles on the whosits and whatsits of insurance compliance. 

• Those holding licenses for only limited lines credit. 
• Those holding limited lines licenses for which an exam isn’t required. 
• Those holding any limited or restricted licenses that the commissioner may declare exempt. 
• Adjusters.
• Nonresidents.

How many hours of CE are required for West Virginia insurance producers?

Resident producers must complete 24 hours of CE every renewal period, three of which must be in approved ethics courses. Any excess ethics or long-term care courses can be carried over to the next renewal period as general credits. However, no more than six hours of CE credits can be carried over in a renewal period. 

When taking a self-study course, the date of completion for the course is the date the completed and signed “Disinterested Third Party” affidavit is received by the course provider. 

To get CE credits, students must take an exam at course completion. These courses are closed book and must be passed with a score of 70 percent or higher. Don’t stress if you struggle with an exam as it can be taken an infinite number of times. That said, courses cannot be retaken within a single two-year renewal period.

If you teach CE courses, then you can receive the same amount of CE credit hours that your students receive for taking the course. However, West Virginia will only allow you to do this for a single course per biennial renewal period. 

West Virginia is very clear that exams must be monitored by a disinterested third party with no financial interest in the success or failure of the licensee. The proctor must complete the “Declaration of Compliance,” which specifies that the licensee did not receive assistance during the exam. Due to COVID-19, West Virginia allows the proctor to use Skype, Microsoft Teams, Zoom, or other similar products to manage remote proctoring. If the licensee launches an exam without a proctor, they won’t receive credit for the course.

Annuity training requirements

To sell, solicit, or negotiate annuity products, West Virginia resident producers must first complete a one-time, four-hour training course. 

Long-Term Care Partnership training requirements

Resident producers must complete a one-time eight-hour training course to sell long-term care products. On top of that, producers must keep up-to-date with long-term care training through a four-hour training every biennial period. These credits count toward the producer’s total 24 hours of CE requirements.

Flood training requirements

FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program establish a national baseline minimum of three hours of flood-specific training for producers selling flood insurance. 

Telemarketing training requirements

Producers who sell exclusively through telemarketing may have their CE requirements reduced to a total of six hours per renewal period, of which three must be in approved ethics courses. To qualify for this exemption, producers must submit an affidavit.

For more information about state-specific licensing requirements, or to find out how AgentSync can make it easier to operate across multiple states, check out our state pages.

West Virginia Insurance CE FAQs