Illinois: Insurance Continuing Education

Continuing education (CE) is important in every state, and this holds equally true in the state of Illinois. With such claims to fame as home of the “windy city” of Chicago and as the birthplace of Lincoln (where Abe learned to honest), Illinois has plenty of points of interest. So, too, does Illinois’s CE. So let’s dive in.

Of course, if you’re reading this, you should know that while we believe our stuff is accurate, you need to do your own research and follow any legal guidance to stay in-bounds with the compliance requirements of any jurisdictions you operate in.

What is the due date for Illinois Insurance CE Credits? 

Continuing education for Illinois resident license holders is biennial and tied to your birthday. Based on the year you were first licensed, your first renewal period will be the last day of your birth month for the birthday that is “no less than 18 months and no more than 29 months” after your license was first issued.

The state department of insurance also sends a reminder of your upcoming due dates 90 days beforehand. Word to the wise: Don’t ignore it!

While some states take a fairly laid back view and use a charitable interpretation of latitude for CE credits that are cutting it close, Illinois does not. The state producer page includes an all-caps caution:

COMPLETE YOUR CE EARLY, THERE IS NO EXTENSION TO COMPLETE YOUR CE AND IF YOU ARE LATE A PENALTY FEE OF DOUBLE THE UNPAID LICENSE FEE WILL BE ASSESSED.

The state also notes that you will need to get your CE up-to-date at least 10 days before your renewal date so that your CE provider has enough time to submit your information to the state.

Who’s exempt from Illinois Insurance CE?

If you are up-to-date on CE in your residential state, you should be good to go in Illinois. Although it’s worth noting that people looking to sell long-term care (LTC) insurance products will need to be current on their LTC CE, and if their home state doesn’t have commensurate requirements, they’ll need to take Illinois’s LTC CE.

If you’re a limited or surplus lines agent, you may well be exempt from CE – be sure to check with your state regulators for your particular line.

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

If you’re an insurance producer or public adjuster in Illinois, you have to take 24 hours of CE, with three in ethics. Those ethics courses must either be in a classroom or via a webinar – no self-study or otherwise independent courses count.

While you can’t repeat a CE course within a single compliance renewal period, you can roll over up to 12 non-ethics hours from one period to the next. You can also get dual credit for courses you’re taking to earn professional designations. And, if you are active in a state or national professional insurance association, you may get up to four credits for hours submitted to the state director of insurance by the association.

Like many other states, Illinois has particular requirements for you if you’re looking to sell flood insurance, annuities, or long-term care insurance:

• Flood insurance: To participate in the National Flood Insurance Program, you have to have a one-time, three-hour training.
• Annuities: You have to take a one-time, four-hour training course before you can sell Illinois annuity contracts.
• LTC: You have to take an eight-hour course before selling LTC policies in Illinois, and stay current on LTC CE by taking four hours every biennial renewal cycle.

Illinois is a member of the NAIC Continuing Education Reciprocity agreement, so its producers have a large catalogue of nationally recognized courses to access.

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.

Illinois Insurance CE FAQs