Skip to Top Main Navigation Skip to Left Navigation Skip to Content Area Skip to Footer
Texas Department of Insurance
Topics:   A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z All

Continuing Education - Frequently Asked Questions

Requirements and understanding transcript contents

  1. If I don’t use my license, do I still need to take continuing education courses?
  2. When should I take my continuing education courses?
  3. What does the “Education Review Period” at the top of my online transcript refer to?
  4. I am a resident agent. When I review my transcript, why are no requirements included for my current license period?
  5. Why is my transcript “Review Date” not showing my current license term years?

Selecting providers and courses

  1. Can I take any course in order to meet the continuing education requirements?
  2. How can I verify that a continuing education course has been certified by TDI?

How credit is applied

  1. How do I report successfully completed continuing education courses to TDI?
  2. How do I make sure my continuing education courses are credited to the right Texas license?
  3. Do I have to take extra continuing education courses if I have more than one Texas license?
  4. Why is my online transcript not reflecting all continuing education courses that I have completed?
  5. If the credit for completed continuing education courses is posted electronically, do I still need to keep my certificates of completion?
  6. What if my continuing education course was not certified for credit by TDI?
  7. Why is course credit posted to my transcript, but not applied to my continuing education requirements?

Continuing education exemptions or extensions

  1. If I’m permanently exempt from continuing education, do I still need continuing education to sell certain specialty products?
  2. How do I get a continuing education extension?

 

Frequently Asked Questions

Requirements and understanding transcript contents

1. If I don’t use my license, do I still need to take continuing education courses?
Yes. The obligation to meet the requirements of licensure, including continuing education, applies as soon as you are issued the license.  That obligation exists regardless of how you use your license, or if you use it at all. That said, when a licensee chooses to surrender their license with a substantial portion of the term remaining, TDI currently reduces the required continuing education hours for that term accordingly. To surrender your license, please contact TDI.

 

2.    When should I take my continuing education courses?
Continuing education must be completed between the begin date on your online transcript and the day before your license expires.

3. What does the “Education Review Period” at the top of my online transcript refer to?
This refers to each individual two-year license term.  If you have multiple licenses or have renewed your license, you can select among your education review periods to see whether you are compliant with each term for each license.

4. I am a resident agent.  When I review my transcript, why are no requirements included for my current license period?  
The transcript will not show later education review periods if you have a non-compliant review period; once you have addressed the earlier non-compliant review period, the requirements will appear for the later review period(s). You are responsible for the requirements for these later terms too, so the faster you remedy a non-compliant term, the sooner the online transcript will help you keep track of your more current requirements.

5. Why is my transcript “Review Date” not showing my current license term years?
Once you are non-compliant with continuing education requirements for a license term, the system will stop tracking your compliance for later license terms. You are still required to keep up with your continuing education requirements, but will need to calculate your compliance with these later terms manually until the non-compliant term is remedied.

Selecting providers and courses

6. Can I take any course in order to meet the continuing education requirements?
No.  In order to receive credit for courses taken, license holders need to take TDI-certified courses sponsored by approved providers.

7. How can I verify that a continuing education course has been certified by TDI?
An interactive list of certified continuing education courses is available at Approved Courses Inquiry. Use this link to look up a provider, get a course list for a specific kind of course, or to check a particular course’s information.

How credit is applied

8. How do I report successfully completed continuing education courses to TDI?
TDI’s registered providers electronically post proof of your continuing education course credit.  You do not need to submit course completion certificates to TDI, but you should monitor the online transcript to verify that all courses taken have been posted.  See FAQs below," Why is my online transcript not reflecting all continuing education courses that I have completed?" and "If the credit for completed continuing education courses is posted electronically, do I still need to keep my certificates of completion?".

9. How do I make sure my continuing education courses are credited to the right Texas license?
Continuing education course credit posted to your online transcript will be applied to every license that you hold on the day that you took the course. If you have more than one Texas license, continuing education posted to your transcript will apply to them all.

10. Do I have to take extra continuing education courses if I have more than one Texas license?
Possibly.  Completed continuing education courses will apply to every license you have on the day that you take it, but if you hold more than one license and they have different start and end dates, it is possible to meet the requirements of one license but not the other. Please make sure you have taken the required continuing education hours within each license’s two-year license term for every license you hold.

11. Why is my online transcript not reflecting all continuing education courses that I have completed?
TDI’s registered providers are required to electronically post proof of your continuing education course credit. If you do not see posted credit for continuing education courses you have taken, please contact your continuing education provider and request that the credit be posted.

12. If the credit for completed continuing education courses is posted electronically, do I still need to keep my certificates of completion?
Yes.  If your provider fails to properly reflect the credit for you, certificates of completion are the only backup that TDI can use to credit you for those courses. Because you can be subject to TDI audits for the previous two license periods, the agency requires you retain certificates of completion for at least four years.

13. What if my continuing education course was not certified for credit by TDI?
There are limited instances in which TDI will still grant “qualifying” credit for unapproved coursework. The form to request this is License Request for Banking of Texas Qualifying Continuing Education Credit  (TDI Form FIN522).

14. Why is course credit posted to my transcript but not applied to my continuing education requirements?
Please be sure the credit was taken within the two year license term, in other words, on or between the dates noted as the “Review Period.”  Also, you will only receive credit once if the same course is taken multiple times during a two-year license term. Finally, at least half of your required hours must be classroom or classroom equivalent, so not all your self-study hours will apply, if you took too many.

Continuing education exemptions or extensions

15.   If I’m permanently exempt from continuing education, do I still need continuing education to sell certain specialty products?
Yes.  Your general requirements for your license may be exempt, but you are still subject to continuing education rules regarding annuities (28 TAC §19.1029), long-term care partnerships (28 TAC §19.1023), and Medicare-related products (28 TAC §19.1025).  Please click on the links provided to familiarize yourself with the requirements, or contact TDI for assistance.

16. How do I get a continuing education extension?
Extensions are granted for a limited number of non-business related reasons under 28 TEX. ADMIN. CODE §19.1004. For consideration of possible extension, please send:

  • A statement of the exact nature of your illness, medical disability or other extenuating circumstances beyond your control that prevented or will prevent you from completing your requirements, including:
    • The period of time you were affected by the issue
    • Whether the condition is temporary, permanent or unknown
    • Whether the issue precluded you from performing the acts of an agent or adjuster
    • An estimate of when you will be able to perform the acts of an agent or adjuster
  • Supporting documentation in the form of medical reports from attending physicians or insurance claims regarding your illness or medical disability referenced in your statement (if applicable)
  • Supporting documentation regarding circumstances beyond your control referenced in your statement (if applicable)
  • A copy of your order to active duty, including expected duration of assignment (if applicable)
  • Any other information or documentation you think will assist the department

Please submit your information for review by emailing CE@tdi.texas.gov, with “CE Appeal” in the subject line, or faxing to 512-490-1054.
A continuing education extension does not extend the renewal date, nor does it waive any renewal late fees that may become due.

Question? Email us at license@tdi.texas.gov.

Last updated: 2/16/2024