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How to Renew a New York Insurance License

New York State Department of Financial Services

Helpful Links

ph: (518) 474-6630

fax: (518) 474-5022

email: licensing@ins.state.ny.us

website: http://www.dfs.ny.gov/

Find your license number

Print your license

File a renewal application

1. Review the State Requirements

In order to renew your insurance license, you must complete the required continuing education hours for the lines of insurance that you are licensed in. All of the hours must be completed and reported prior to your license renewal date to avoid a lapse in your license.

GENERAL REQUIREMENTS:

Total Hours

15 hours biennially for Producers licensed in a single line (Life/Health OR Property/Casualty) and Public Adjusters

30 hours biennially for Producers with combined licenses (Life/Health AND Property/Casualty)

  • Producers who hold both an LH & PC license must complete the full CE requirement in both LH and PC (15 hours in each).  Courses that are approved for both LH & PC (Bridge Courses), may be simultaneously applied to the licensee's LH and PC requirement.

Compliance Renewal Date

Renewal date is the licensee's birthday, biennially. Licensees born in odd-numbered years renew in odd-numbered years, and licensees born in even-numbered years renew in even numbered years. Public Adjusters renew on 12/31 of even-numbered years.

You may also need to take specific courses or earn specific credit types to renew your license. These course completions will count toward the total hour requirement.

LINE-SPECIFIC REQUIREMENTS:

Courses must be in license type held

For Life & Health Producers:

Long-Term Care
6 hrs - Producers who want to sell NY State LTC Partnership insurance must complete a one-time 6-hour Long-Term Care (LTC) Certification Training prior to marketing LTCP.  This course is only offered by the New York Department of Health and is available at the Department of Health.

Suitability and Best Interests in Life Insurance and Annuity Transactions - Reg 187

New Annuity and Life Insurance Suitability and Best Interest requirements became effective in New York with amendments made to Regulation 187. Changes to Reg 187 affect recommendations by any producer licensed to sell life insurance and annuities in the state of New York, and holds each insurance company responsible for ensuring that every producer recommending its annuity and life insurance products is adequately trained to make the recommendation.

  •         Training on changes to Reg 187 went into effect for Annuity sales August 1, 2019.
  •         Training on life insurance suitability and best interest requirements goes into effect February 1, 2020.

PreLicenseTraining.com offers both online and live webinar courses to satisfy Reg 187 training requirements.

For Property & Casualty Producers:

Flood
3 hrs - Property/Casualty and Personal lines producers must complete a one-time 3-hour course on NFIP Flood Insurance Certification Training prior to selling flood insurance policies.

There are also additional rules about how the course hours can be applied.

CARRYOVER HOURS:

Carryover hours are not allowed.

COURSE REPETITION:

Effective January 1, 2008, a licensee will no longer receive credit for ANY course previously completed for continuing education credit.  Enforcement of this policy will begin with every license renewal or relicensing application processed after January 31, 2009.

If you meet any of criteria below, you may be exempt from the continuing education requirements.

EXEMPTIONS:

  • Non-residents
  • Independent Adjusters
  • Individuals holding limited lines licenses for which a license exam was not required in NY
  • Newly licensed individuals who have held their license for less than a full 2-yr period
  • Individuals on active military duty

2. Register for and Complete Courses

Once you have determined the renewal requirements for your license, you can register for courses. Each course has an associated credit type; when registering for courses, select courses with credit types that will help to fulfill the renewal requirements for your license.

PreLicenseTraining.com offers classroom, webinar,  and online courses for New York. You can register for courses at CE Courses.

You must fulfill the course requirements for each of the courses to have them reported.

  • Classroom and webinar course completions are based off of attendance and participation and do not require a completion exam. You must be present for the full duration of the course and be active and attentive throughout to receive credit.
  • Online courses are self-paced. You must review the course material and pass the Certification Exam at the end to receive credit.*

MONITOR REQUIREMENTS:

As of 11/02/2020 - Online exams no longer require an exam monitor.

 

REPORTING METHOD:

Once a course has been completed, the completion must be reported to the state. CE credits are reported online to the New York State Department of Financial Services. Licensee certifies compliance online at time of license renewal


3. File a Renewal Application

Once you have satisfied the renewal requirements for your license, you can file a renewal application at www.dfs.ny.gov/insurance/licrenewal.htm.


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