Florida: Insurance Continuing Education

Florida. Sunshine, gators, golf, and insurance. Like in all states, Florida’s continuing education (CE) requirements for producer licenses is an important part of that last line item, and the state’s rules are as distinctive as its peninsula shape.

While Florida is like the other states in that license validity is contingent on you keeping up with your CE, it is unlike most other states in that, with perpetual licenses, falling off the CE train – while not ideal – isn’t a dealbreaker. Keep in mind, of course, that, if you’re a resident Florida licensee but have a nonresident license in other states, keeping CE up-to-date can be a dealbreaker in those other states. But, to see what we’re talking about, read on.

Also keep in mind that, while we believe our research is accurate, you’re on the hook for keeping track of your own license and compliance processes, so be sure you’re going straight to the source for any questions and doing your own due diligence.

What is the due date for Florida Insurance CE Credits? 

Most states schedule their CE requirements to come due at the same time or close to your license expiration and renewal date. But in Florida, there’s just one problem: Your license doesn’t expire!

OK, so it’s not really a problem. And your license still plays a role, because, as a Florida resident insurance license holder, your CE is due on the last day of your birth month every two years based on the year your license was first issued. 

Here’s a quick example explaining what we mean: Annie got her insurance license on March 1 of 2023; her birthday is April 17. So, in 2025, Annie will need to complete her continuing education by April 30 to stay in compliance.

The state says the biennial CE renewal period begins on the last day of your birth month in the year your license was first issued. If you’re licensed for less than two years by the time that second birthday rolls around, Florida can grant a one-year extension on your CE deadline.

And just in case you’re tempted to think “ain’t no thing, my license doesn’t expire” and keep on going with no CE, know the state will terminate your appointments and put a halt on your insurance sales – so even though your license doesn’t technically expire, it’s still important that you keep on CE.

Who’s exempt from Florida Insurance CE?

Florida has layers, like an onion. Florida’s insurance regulation spells out:

“A nonresident licensee who must complete continuing education requirements in his or her home state may use the home state requirements to also meet this state’s continuing education requirements if the licensee’s home state recognizes reciprocity with this state’s continuing education requirements.”

Since all the states are reciprocal with Florida, the CE works out across the board. Florida law also states that, even if a nonresident licensee’s resident state doesn’t have similar CE requirements, if you have met the requirements in another nonresident state, it counts for Florida, too.

Another layer of the Florida CE onion is that of experience. While we’ll outline the exact hours standards when we get into the specific hour requirements, suffice it to say there are slightly differing standards based on whether you have:

• Fewer than 6 years of experience
• More than 6 years of experience
• Maintained a license for 25 years or more and have a Chartered Life Underwriter (CLU) or Chartered Property Casualty Underwriter (CPCU) designation, has a Bachelor of Science degree in risk management or insurance that required 18 or more semester hours in insurance-related classes

Various lines of authority and specific licenses also have particular requirements, but the state law exempts you from CE entirely if you only have a limited lines license for crop, hail, or multiple-peril crop insurance, or if you only sell a line of insurance for which Florida doesn’t require any kind of exam or prequalification.

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

Most insurance producers are required to take 24 hours of CE per biennial cycle, with 5 hours that pertain to Florida laws and ethics. Those ethics and legal hours are required to be specific to at least one of the lines of authority you hold. However, Florida has exceptions and heightened specifications all over the board (let’s take a moment to reflect on the phrase “due diligence”).

For those mentioned before who have more than 6 years as licensed producers, their total CE hours are reduced to 20 – five for ethics and law, and 15 elective CE units per two-year cycle. For those who have been licensed for 25 years or more and who are CLUs or CPCUs or have an insurance-specific B.S. degree, the biennial requirement drops to 10 total CE hours (five ethics, five general elective).

Other Florida specifications:

• If you’re licensed as an insurance customer representative in Florida but aren’t acting as a life or health agent, or if you only hold an industrial fire license, you have 10 hours of CE to complete every two years (five ethics, five elective).
• If you’re licensed as a bail bond agent, you have to complete five hours of ethics, plus nine hours of elective credits in each biennial renewal cycle.
• If you are a public adjuster in Florida, all your ethics and elective requirements must be specific to your license.
• If you’re licensed as a title agent, you have to complete a minimum of 10 CE hours, with at least three hours of ethics as they relate specifically to title insurance and closing services. If you’re a nonresident licensed Florida title agent, the state says it doesn’t recognize reciprocity for CE.
• If you’re licensed to sell flood insurance, you of course must have three CE hours of the training requirements established by the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s National Flood Insurance Program.
• If you’re licensed in Florida to sell long-term care insurance (LTCI), your initial certification will require an eight-hour training course, and four CE hours specific to LTCI every renewal period. Note, insurance carriers are on the hook for ensuring appointed agents complete this requirement. 
• If you’re licensed to sell annuities in Florida, you must first take a one-time four-hour training course, as well as any training necessary from your appointed carriers in order to understand their specific products.

While licensees aren’t allowed to take a course more than one time in a single two-year period, the state is incredibly permissive as far as rollover credits: You are allowed to roll over up to 24 hours of excess CE into the next period.

Florida allows you to take courses online, in a traditional classroom setting, via a company seminar, or through a correspondence course. You can also earn up to two credits each year for being part of a professional association if that association reports your membership to the state for credit. Of course, you can also qualify for CE credits when earning designations such as those available with the College of Financial Planning. And, if you teach a CE course, you will get credit for however many hours you taught.

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.

Florida Insurance CE FAQs