For more information, visit our section on Continuing Education.
Who needs Continuing Education (CE)?
All resident producers holding full lines license and all resident consultants.
Are limited lines licenses required to complete CE requirements?
Resident producers holding only limited lines licenses are not required to complete CE credits to maintain their license. Their license will be automatically renewed the first business day following their “due date”.
What is the continuing education requirement?
The continuing education requirement is 24 credit hours total, including a minimum of 3 credit hours in ethics.
When are my credits due?
Credits are due the last day of an individual’s birth month based on their birth year. If an individual is born in an odd year, they will be due the end of their birth month every odd year and if an individual is born in an even year, they will be due the end of their birth month every even year. Producers can view their due date at https://www.pfr.maine.gov/almsonline/almsquery/SearchIndividual.aspx
Does Maine accept excess or rollover credits?
Any continuing education credits earned in addition of the required 24 credit hours per biennium, will not be carried over to the next biennium.
Why is there a due date if I hold a limited license and have no continuing education requirement?
There is a due date in the record because our system requires all residents to have a “due date”. Even though the limited lines licenses have no CE requirements, they are still all renewed the first business day following their due date.
Why didn’t I get a full 2 years for my first cycle?
Per Rule Chapter 542: Only individuals whose initial license was active for less than a year before their first compliance date are eligible to have those credits waived. This means your first compliance date could be less than two years from the issue of your license but not less than one year.
Do I get any reminder of my due date?
Yes, we send out a courtesy reminder notice 6 months in advance of the due date to the mailing address on record. This reminder is not required by law. It is the responsibility of the producer to know when their credits are due.
Where do I find courses?
There is a list of approved courses on our website, https://www.pfr.maine.gov/almsonline/almsquery/SearchCourse.aspx. Once you find a course you are interested in, you will need to contact the provider to sign up for the course.
Why are there no courses showing on the website for my record?
Only courses that are taken during the current biennium will show out on the website.
When can I repeat a course?
Courses can be repeated if they were taken in a different biennium. The same course cannot be taken within the current biennium.
How do I notify of completed courses?
It is the responsibility of the provider who offered the course to report the course completion to the Bureau within 30 days. The provider should provide the licensee a Certificate of Completion which can be faxed to 207-624-8599 or e-mailed in to dawn.kilgore@maine.gov , if the course is not reported to the Bureau by the provider.
Why is my license not renewed if my credits are complete?
Licenses that are compliant for CE credits will be automatically renewed in the very early morning hours of the first calendar day following their CE due date. We cannot renew licenses any earlier.
Can I renew my license online?
No, licenses are manually renewed the first business day following their due date.
Is there a fee to renew the license?
No, there is no fee to renew the license. The license continuation is based on the completion of the 24 credit hours including 3 credits in ethics by the individuals due date.
Will my license be terminated if the credits are not completed by my due date?
No, the license will not be automatically terminated if the credits are not completed by the due date. Individuals have 60 days from their due date to complete the outstanding credits and to pay the continuing education late penalty. The license will remain active during that time but you will be subject to a late penalty.
Is there a grace period to complete credits after my due date?
No, there is no grace period. The penalty is assessed the day after the due date on any credits still outstanding.
What is the penalty for late continuing education credits?
The penalty for late credits is $25 per credit outstanding, up to a maximum of $250.
How long do I have to complete the late credits?
Producers have 60 days from their due date to complete the outstanding credits. The license will remain active during this time and the producer can continue to sell, solicit and negotiate insurance. After the 60 days, if the credits are still outstanding, a suspension/termination order will be issued advising when the license will be suspended and when the license will be cancelled.
Can I still continue to conduct business while under suspension?
No, a producer may not sell, solicit or negotiate any business while under suspension otherwise they may be subject to other disciplinary action.
Can I still complete the credits while under suspension?
Yes, credits can still be completed while under suspension. Once the credits are completed and the late penalty paid, the license will be reinstated.
How do I reinstate my license if the license was voluntarily terminated but I had outstanding credits?
If you requested voluntary termination, prior to license suspension and it has been terminated less than two years, a new application along with any regular licensing fees will need to be submitted and the outstanding credits will need to be completed and late penalty will need to be paid before the license can be reactivated.
Can I reinstate my license if I was cancelled for failure to comply with continuing education requirements?
In order to reinstate a license that has been cancelled by our office for CE noncompliance or was in a suspended status prior to termination, the individual will need to retake the licensing exam, fill out a new application and pay the regular licensing fees. We will not require any outstanding CE to be completed or require payment of any late CE penalty due to the new licensing exam taken by the individual.