Did you know: One of Tennessee’s lakes was created by an earthquake. Gorgeous water features aren’t the only earth-shattering thing about Tennessee. The state also has resident producer licensing continuing education (CE) requirements that, when not adhered to, can disrupt a producer’s career.
Since a producer’s resident license is central to maintaining nonresident licenses and CE is a major component of that, we implore the 172,000 insurance producers licensed to do business in Tennessee to pay attention here.
And while we’ve spent some time diving into the ins and outs of Tennessee’s CE requirements, ultimately, the onus is on you to do your own due diligence on the topic. The Tennessee Department of Commerce & Insurance website is always the best place to go for the most up-to-date information on CE requirements.
What is the due date for Tennessee Insurance CE Credits?
Resident producer licenses expire in Tennessee every two years on the last day of the licensee’s birth month. To keep things simple, CE is due on the same day.
Tennessee knows birthdays can sometimes be a menace to keep up with, especially your own. That’s why, 45 days before license expiration and CE due date, they’ll send you a brief reminder.
Who’s exempt from Tennessee Insurance CE?
If you’re a nonresident producer in Tennessee, then you can disregard this article. So long as you’re compliant with the CE requirements in your resident state then you’re exempt from Tennessee CE requirements.
Are you a resident producer in Tennessee? You may still be exempt from CE requirements.
If you’ve continuously held your license since January 1, 1994, then you’re good to go sans CE.
Also, if you hold a license as a limited insurance representative, then CE begone! The state doesn’t expect you to comply with these requirements.
How many hours of CE are required for Tennessee insurance producers?
Producers must complete 24 hours of CE, of which three must be in an approved ethics training course.
To get CE credits, students must take an exam at course completion. These course exams are closed book and must be passed with a score of 70 percent or higher. Don’t stress if you have a hard time with an exam, as they can be taken an infinite number of times.
However, if you have a favorite CE course that you absolutely love above all other CE courses, you’ll have to wait two years from the original date of the course to repeat it and receive credit.
That said, if you love all CE courses and decide to dig in to as many as possible in a single renewal period, Tennessee will reward your enthusiasm by allowing you to carry over 12 CE hours to the next renewal cycle. The one caveat here is with ethics courses, which carryover as general credits. In other words, you must take three credit hours of ethics every single renewal cycle.
More good news: If you’re a CE instructor and you teach a CE course, you can earn up to two times the number of approved credits for the course you teach.
Annuity requirements
Resident producers in Tennessee can’t sell, solicit, or negotiate annuity products until they’ve completed an approved one-time, four-hour training course.
Long-Term Care Partnership training requirements
To sell long-term care products, including partnership policies, producers must first complete an eight-hour, department-approved long-term care training course. This eight-hour initial training course may count toward CE credits for the renewal cycle. Following the initial training, producers must complete four hours of CE credits relating directly to long-term care every licensing renewal period.
Flood training requirements
Producers wishing to sell flood insurance must comply with the baseline requirements of three hours of flood insurance training as set out by FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program. These hours will count toward the licensee’s 24 hours of total CE training per renewal cycle.
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.
Tennessee Insurance CE FAQs
When do I need to report course completion?
Within 30 days of completion.
What do I need to report course completion?
You’ll need your Social Security number or license number.
Are there reporting fees?
Yes, the Tennessee Department of Commerce and Insurance will charge a $1 reporting fee per credit hour.