Virginia Insurance Continuing Education

Resident Requirements

Resident producers and consultants must complete:

• 16 hours of continuing education
• 3 hours of ethics courses

Resident producers and consultants with multiple lines must complete: 

• 24 hours of continuing education
• 3 hours of ethics courses

Virginia laws and regulations courses may be taken to satisfy the ethics requirements.

Producers and consultants must take courses in the line of authority for which they hold a license. If you hold multiple lines, you must take at least eight hours for each license type held.

Public adjusters must complete:

• 24 hours of continuing education
• 3 hours of ethics courses

The remaining 21 hours must consist of some combination of a public adjuster, property and casualty, and mitigation courses. Public adjusters may not receive credit for courses designated as other general insurance (OGI) or insurance laws and regulations (ILR).

No more than 75 percent of the credit hours for any of the above CE requirements may come from agency-sponsored courses.

Rules for Non-Residents

Non-residents must be in compliance with Virginia's statutory CE requirements to maintain their license(s).

Non-residents who handle long-term care products must complete some of their training in Virginia.

Carryover of Excess CE

If you complete more than the required CE hours, you may carry over excess credits to the next license term. To carry excess credit hours to the next renewal cycle, you must have renewed during the 90-day renewal period.  

Insurance License Term Renewal Requirements

Both insurance producers and public adjusters must complete continuing education requirements and renew their licenses every two years. License(s) will have a renewal date based on your birth month and odd/even year of birth. For example, if you were born in an odd-numbered year, your license will expire at the end of your birth month in odd-numbered years.  If you were born in an even-numbered year, your license will expire at the end of your birth month in even-numbered years. This is a new requirement as of January 1, 2021. 

For those born in an odd year, their first renewal will be in 2023. Those born in an even year will have their first renewal in 2022, except for those born in January. They will renew in 2024.

If you fail to complete your continuing education on time, your license will be terminated.

Rules for Taking the Exam

In order to pass a continuing education course, you must score at least 70 percent on the final exam. This exam must be taken closed-book, which means that you may not refer to course material or any other outside sources while taking the exam. Virginia no longer requires a proctor to monitor the exam.

If you do not pass on the first try, you may retake the exam as many times as you like.

Rules for Repeating a Course

CE courses may be taken only once for credit during each two-year term. You may retake the course for personal gain, but you will not receive additional credit.

Credit for Instructors

If teaching an insurance course at the college or university level, you may receive credit equal to that of a student taking the course. You must have the course approved by Pearson VUE. You may only receive credit for each course once, even if you teach that course multiple times.

Reporting Rules

Your course provider will submit proof of course completion on your behalf. You may review your CE transcript at the website of the Virginia Insurance Continuing Education Board. You can view the remaining requirements there as well.

After you pass a course, the course provider will issue you a certificate of completion. You must keep your certificate of completion in your records in order to resolve any discrepancies. When you receive your certificate, you must check to ensure that all information is accurate. If there are any discrepancies in hours, you must contact your course provider and resolve the issue with them.  

Insurance CE Requirements Exemptions

If you hold only a limited lines license, you are exempt from all continuing education requirements. 

You may apply for a full or partial waiver of CE requirements prior to the renewal deadline with a written letter to Pearson VUE. Pearson will consider waiving requirements due to good causes such as illness, incapacity, or active military duty. You will be notified of their decision within 30 days. 

While you must submit your appeal by the CE deadline, it is recommended to submit any appeal early in the event that your request is denied.

Non-resident producers who have completed the CE requirements of another state are deemed compliant with Virginia's CE requirements and do not have to complete further CE.

Virginia Annuity Requirements

Agents licensed prior to September 1, 2021 who sell annuities in Virginia, who have completed the 4 hour training under the previous regulation, must complete a one-time one-hour course which includes the best interest standard by March 1, 2022.

Agents licensed on/after September 1, 2021, must complete a one-time four-hour course which includes the best interest standard prior to engaging in the sale of annuities in Virginia.

Virginia Long-Term Care Training Requirements

In order to sell long-term care (LTC) products, you must complete special training consisting of:

• A one-time eight-hour course prior to selling LTC products
• Four hours of CE for each subsequent CE term

These training hours can be applied towards the total number of required CE hours for that term.

Non-residents who complete the initial course in another state must complete an additional two hours of Virginia LTC Partnership training.

Flood Insurance

In order to comply with the requirements established by FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program, you must complete a one-time three-hour course before selling flood insurance.

These training hours can be applied toward the total number of required CE hours for that term.