Maine Insurance Continuing Education

Resident Requirements

Resident producers must complete a minimum of 24 hours of Maine-approved CE subjects each first biennial (two-year) license term, three credits of which must be in approved ethics subjects. Except for the mandatory three hours of ethics courses, there are no subject requirements for completing this credit. Courses are not restricted to a producer's licensed lines of authority. 

CE coursework may be in-classroom, online, or through self-study.

Additional guidelines for CE requirements exist for licensees who sell specific products, including: 

• Long-Term Care: Producers must complete a one-time eight-hour course and a four-hour ongoing training course every biennial period. 
• Annuities: Resident producers must complete a one-time, four-hour training course prior to selling annuity products.
  • If this training was completed before 01/01/2022 see “ Maine Annuity Insurance Requirements” below for additional rules. 
• Flood insurance: Resident producers must complete a one-time, three-hour course that covers the minimum training requirements established by FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

Per state regulations, companies are required to provide anti-fraud training to employees every two years as well. 

Rules for Non-Residents

Non-residents must hold an active license in their resident state. Nonresident producers are granted licenses for indefinite terms that are in force continuously, unless suspended, revoked or otherwise terminated as long as any applicable fees are paid and education requirements for resident licensees are met by the due date.

In cases where a license is not required for a specific product or line in the non-resident's home state but is required in Maine, renewals for the non-resident's Maine license can be processed by submitting the renewal invoice and payment to the Maine Bureau of Insurance.

The Bureau may verify a non-resident's compliance and stand with their own state's license requirements.

Carryover of Excess CE

Licensees are encouraged to enroll in additional CE coursework. However, any excess CE credit hours earned cannot be carried over from one biennium to the next. 

Insurance License Term Renewal Requirements

The license expiration date is on the last day of the licensee's birth month biennially, based on the licensee's birth year. A producer born in an even-numbered year will renew their license biennially in even-numbered years, and those born in odd-numbered years renew biennially in odd-numbered years. 

Resident producer licenses are renewed automatically on the first business day after the license expiration date, provided all CE requirements are met. There are no renewal fees applied. 

Non-resident producer licenses have no expiration date or renewal requirements or fees provided the non-resident is in good standing with their home state requirements. 

The Maine Bureau of Insurance sends licensees a courtesy reminder six months ahead of their license expiry date to remind the licensee to check their outstanding CE requirements. This is sent to the licensee's mailing address on record with the Bureau. 

Licensees who fail to meet CE requirements will not have their license renewed automatically. They have 60 days to complete any outstanding credits and submit a late fee of $25 per credit hour (up to a maximum of $250). Their license will, however, remain active during this period.

If the producer fails to comply with CE requirements before the end of this 60-day period, their license will be suspended or terminated. CE credits can be completed on a suspended license, and once the requirements have been completed and the penalty paid, their license will be reinstated. 

Rules for Taking the Exam

Certification exams are closed book and students are not permitted to access course materials during the exam. Online exams do not require a proctor or monitor. Self-study exams for courses worth 16 or more credits require an impartial third party as a monitor. Friends, family members, or any person with a financial interest in the student's performance on the exam may not act in the role of a monitor.  

A score of 70 percent or higher is required to receive CE credit. Unlimited retakes are permitted until a passing score is achieved. 

Rules for Repeating a Course

Credit will be granted only once for the completion of a single course repeated during an individual renewal period. A course can, however, be repeated for CE credit in different renewal periods. 

Credit for Instructors

CE course instructors are eligible to receive the same credit as the students enrolled in the course they teach. Instructors are only eligible to receive credit for an individual course taught once in a four-year period, however. 

Reporting Rules

Credits must be submitted to the state directly by the course provider within 30 days of course completion. Licensees must keep a copy of each certificate in their files for five years. 

It is recommended to complete all CE at least 30 days prior to the expiration date of your license to give the CE provider sufficient time to report successful completions to the Maine Bureau of Insurance. However, CE courses can be completed at any time within the current license term. 

Insurance CE Requirement Exemptions 

Some resident licensees may qualify for full or partial CE exemptions, including:

• Producers who earned their license less than one year before their first renewal date 
• Producers holding only limited lines licenses. Their licenses will be automatically renewed the first business day after their license expiry date

Licensees with who qualify for full or partial CE exemptions should contact the Maine Bureau of Insurance to verify this eligibility. 

Maine Annuity Insurance Requirements

Producers intending to sell, solicit, or negotiate annuity products or represent an insurer in relation to an annuity product in Maine must complete a one-time, four-hour certification training course.

This course covers topics including:

• The fundamentals of annuity contracts, individual suitability, and sales practices
• Variable and fixed annuities, immediate and deferred plans, and different types of premiums and appropriate tax rules

As of January 1st, 2022, producers selling annuity products will need to complete an annuity course that covers the NAIC Best Interest Standards.

If you have completed a 4-hour annuity course prior to 01/01/2022, you must either:

• Complete a 1-hour annuity best interest course, which must be taken no later than 06/30/2022; or
• Complete the new 4-hour annuity best interest course

Producers licensed after 01/01/2022 must complete a 4-hour annuity best interest course prior to selling annuities.

Annuity best interest courses taken in another state can satisfy the Maine requirement if they are based on the 2020 NAIC Model Update.

Maine Long-Term Care Training Requirements

Producers selling long-term care (LTC) products in Maine must complete a one-time, state-approved training course consisting of a minimum of eight hours.  

Following this initial training, producers selling LTC products are required to complete four hours of CE training every 24 months. This ongoing training contributes toward a licensee's CE renewal requirements. 

These initial one-time and ongoing LTC training requirements apply to both resident and non-resident producers.

Maine Flood Insurance Training Requirements

Licensees who intend to sell flood insurance must follow national guidelines. In order to sell flood insurance, the individual must complete a one-time minimum of three training hours as outlined by the National Flood Insurance Program and FEMA. This may be completed in any state in which the producer is licensed.