Maryland: Insurance Continuing Education

Maryland may not be the most talked-about state of the East Coast, but it’s time to give it a little love for its meticulous insurance standards and particular attention to insurance continuing education (CE).

The state boasts its fair share of firsts – first U.S. investment bank, first dental school in the world, first woman-owned printing press in the Americas, first successful balloon ride. And, while Maryland may not be the first state to dispense with in-person CE requirements, the state certainly added to its forward-thinking by amending its insurance laws to allow CE to be taken entirely online.
Join us as we explore the myriad other fascinating pieces of Maryland’s insurance CE standards. But first, please remember that while we here at AgentSync pride ourselves in being big ole insurance nerds, let us also be the first to tell you to do your own diligence when it comes to your compliance. Trust but verify and all that.

What is the due date for Maryland Insurance CE Credits? 

Maryland’s insurance CE due dates are tied to a person’s insurance license expiration. Licenses are due for renewal by the last day of the licensee’s birth month every two years, based on the year of license issuance.

While the state sends a helpful reminder 90 days before the license expiration date, a recent rule change means insurance producers must complete their CE at least 15 days before the license expiration. Public adjusters must complete their CE 30 days prior to license expiration.

Presumptively, this is to give the CE providers the ability to submit verification of CE completion to the state prior to someone applying for their license renewal.

Who’s exempt from Maryland Insurance CE?

Maryland, doesn’t hound out-of-staters to get their CE done. As long as you’re current on your CE in your state of residence, Maryland recognizes that and grants reciprocity.

Most limited lines license holders are exempt from CE, although the exemptions to the exemptions are outlined in the following section, so keep reading.

As an older state with a lot of colonial history, Maryland also respects experience. Those who were 70 as of April 30, 2013, are grandfathered in under a provision that exempts them from CE entirely. If you have maintained a continuously active license that had been active for 25 years or more as of Oct. 1, 2008, you need only get 8 hours of CE. Granted, things ain’t like they used to be: Other than those who were grandfathered in under the old rules, the state is not accepting new qualifiers for these waived or reduced CE hours.

If you’re an attorney in Maryland and you only hold the title line of insurance, you are exempt from CE (but not from CLE).

How many hours of CE are required for Maryland insurance producers?

Most producers in Maryland must get 24 hours of CE including three hours of ethics, with specific hours breakdowns based on line of authority (LOA).

Before we jump into that, it’s important to note that you can’t repeat courses for credit within one two-year cycle, nor can you take the same course twice in the same six-month period (even if the renewal cycle has rolled over). You also can’t roll over classes, although you might get dual credit for courses if you’re earning a professional designation or certification. 

Maryland is a member of the NAIC Continuing Education Reciprocity agreement, so producers have a broad catalogue of courses available. If you’re teaching a course for CE credit, interestingly enough, Maryland allows you to count your instruction hours for 1.5 times credit. 

LOA specifics

For those with an LOA of life, health, or both, 21 credits must be life or health courses. For those licensed in property, casualty, or both, 21 credits must be in property or casualty. If you hold combined life & health and property & casualty licenses all together, you must have at least six hours specific to each license.

Factoring in title insurance adds a whole new dimension to the CE math, as well. If you’re only licensed to provide title insurance, you need 16 total CE hours, with three being ethics and the other 13 hours being specific to title insurance. Again, if you hold a combination license, you’ll need six hours specific to each LOA.

This state is pretty specific about the CE breakdown for LOAs, and if you’d like to get into the nitty gritty, check out the state of Maryland breakdown. 

If you’re licensed with a funeral director line, you’ll need 16 hours total, with 13 in life or health and three in ethics.

Public adjusters generally need 24 hours with three in ethics and the others in adjuster-specific subjects. If, however, you hold a producer license and an adjuster license, there is once again some degree of math that specifies having at least six hours specific to your license type and LOA.

Those selling flood insurance have to have two hours of flood-specific training.

Producers who sell bail bond insurance also have to take four hours specific to bail bonds in their property and casualty training.

If you sell long-term care (LTC)  insurance, you will need to keep in mind Maryland’s two-tier system. Selling LTC products generally will mean you have to take two hours of LTC-specific training. If, however, you want to sell products under the more expansive Long-Term Care Partnership, you’ll need to take the eight-hour initial associated training, as well as a four-hour refresher course every renewal cycle.

Because they are so easily misunderstood, annuities also have a special requirement; if you plan to sell annuities you must first take a four-hour course in suitability for the products.

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.

Maryland Insurance CE FAQs