Insurance licenses must be renewed periodically to ensure that insurance professionals maintain the necessary knowledge and skills to provide clients with appropriate advice and products. A key component of this process is meeting continuing education (CE) requirements, which are typically mandated every two years. CE ensures that insurance professionals stay current with industry trends and changes, thereby enhancing their professional knowledge and quality of service.

Each state has specific guidelines for earning CE credits, with the required number of hours varying depending on the license type and the state. Failure to complete the required CE hours by the deadline may result in fines and the inability to renew the license.

Additionally, each state has different requirements for licensing renewal costs. These may include fees based on the line of business, standard versus late renewal, appointment fees, and other miscellaneous approved fees.

Texas agents may renew their license online by clicking HERE (https://www.tdi.texas.gov/agent/index.html)

1. License renewal RequirementsClick HERE (https://www.tdi.texas.gov/agent/general-life-manage.html#renewal) for All requirements of the Texas Department of Insurance The following is from the Texas DOI website:You must complete these two steps before we will renew your license:
   1. Be fully compliant with Continuing Education (CE) requirements for your license.
      • Complete your CE hours.
      • Pay any CE fines you have. We will fine you $50 for each hour you don’t complete before midnight Central Time (CT) on your expiration date, no exceptions.
      • Paying fines doesn’t relieve you of any CE requirements. You need to pay fines in addition to completing your CE hours.
      • Find out about exemptions, extensions, ethics requirements, fines, requirements for non-residents, and more in the Continuing education credits section.
   2. Pay the renewal fee.
      • The renewal fee is $50. We will add a $25 late fee if you don’t pay before midnight CT on your expiration date.
      • We’ll send your renewal invoice to your email address. Make sure we have your correct email address. Check on our webpage: Do you need to change a name or address?
      • Learn how to pay your renewal fees and more on our webpage How to renew, reinstate, or reactivate your license.

   Continuing education credits

   To keep your license in good standing, you must take 24 hours of continuing education (CE) every two years. You can take CE courses at any time during each two-year term, but you must complete them before midnight Central Time (CT) on your license expiration date to avoid fines and delays in your license renewal.

   CE Hours

   • To ensure there is no delay, complete CE hours at least 30 days before your license expires. This will allow time for the CE providers to report the successful completion of the course to us.
   • At least 12 hours must be “classroom” or “classroom equivalent” courses.
   • Three hours must be in ethics. If your license expired on August 31, 2022 or before, you need only two hours of ethics.
   • To see how many hours you’ve taken, go the Sircon website and click on “Continuing Education Transcript Inquiry.”
   • To find approved courses, go to the Sircon website and click on “Approved Courses Inquiry.”

   CE Fines

   • Fines of $50 will apply automatically for every hour you don’t complete before midnight CT on your expiration date, no exceptions.
   • If your license expired after June 1, 2018, there is a maximum fine of $500 per license type. There is no cap on fines for terms that expired before this date.
   • If you do have fines, you must pay these in addition to completing your CE hours before you can become CE compliant.
   • Paid CE fines are non-refundable, no exceptions. An exemption or extension granted after fines have been paid will not be reason for a refund.

   CE Exceptions

   • Non-residents: In most cases, you don’t need to take CE courses through the state of Texas. To find out, go to the Sircon website and click on “Continuing Education Transcript Inquiry” to view your transcript.
     • You must follow your home state’s rules.
     • If your state doesn’t require continuing education, you must follow Texas rules.
     • If you have a Texas designated home state (DHS) license, you must follow Texas rules.
   • Extensions: To ask for an extension of time to complete your hours, click on “Services” under Education Services on the Sircon website. You must submit your request at least two weeks before your license expires.
   • 20-year exemptions: You may not need to complete CE if you have been continuously licensed in Texas for at least 20 years without interruption. To apply, go to Sircon and click on “Request CE Exemption.” You must do this two weeks before your license expires.

   Note: Please contact the Texas Department of Insurance for all requirements, as rules and regulations may change. https://www.tdi.texas.gov/agent/index.html