Continuing Education (CE) in South Carolina

South Carolina requires licensed producers to complete continuing education to maintain current knowledge and professional standards.

CE Requirements

Biennial Requirement

CE Structure:

Calculation:

• CE requirement is based on 2-year license term
• Must complete 24 hours before renewal
• Ethics requirement must be satisfied within each period
• Hours do not carry over to next renewal period

First Renewal Exemption

New Producer Exemption:

• Producers are exempt from CE for first renewal
• Exemption applies to initial license only
• Must complete CE for second and all subsequent renewals
• Exemption does not apply to licensed attorneys or CPAs who add insurance licenses

Example:

• License issued: January 15, 2026
• First renewal due: January 2028 (NO CE required)
• Second renewal due: January 2030 (24 hours CE required, including 3 ethics)

Exam Tip: New producers are exempt from CE for their first renewal only. This is a commonly tested topic.

Ethics Requirement

Ethics/Law Training:

The 3-hour ethics requirement must cover:

• Insurance laws and regulations
• Ethical business practices
• Consumer protection
• Professional conduct standards
• Prohibited practices
• Fiduciary responsibilities

Acceptable Ethics Courses:

• South Carolina insurance law and ethics
• Professional ethics for insurance producers
• Legal and regulatory compliance
• Consumer protection and fair dealing

Carryover Rules:

• Ethics hours do NOT carry over between renewal periods
• Must complete 3 new ethics hours each renewal period
• Cannot "bank" excess ethics hours

Approved CE Courses

Course Approval

Provider Requirements:

• CE providers must be approved by South Carolina Department of Insurance
• Providers submit courses for Department review and approval
• Approved courses receive CE approval number
• Producers must verify course approval before enrolling

Course Formats:

• Classroom instruction
• Live webinars
• Self-study courses (online or correspondence)
• Approved seminars and conferences
• Combination of formats

Topics Covered: Property & Casualty insurance topics including:

• Property insurance
• Casualty insurance
• Auto insurance
• Commercial insurance
• Risk management
• Insurance law and regulation
• Ethics and professional conduct
• Claims handling
• Underwriting principles
• Policy forms and endorsements

Verification of Completion

Provider Reporting:

• CE providers electronically report completion to SCDOI
• Reports submitted within 10 days of course completion
• Department maintains CE compliance database
• Producers can verify CE credits online

Producer Records:

• Maintain certificates of completion for 4 years
• Certificates prove completion if reporting error occurs
• Include: course name, provider, date, hours earned, approval number

CE Compliance and Enforcement

Compliance Monitoring

Department Oversight:

• Department monitors CE compliance through electronic database
• Renewal applications checked for CE completion
• Automatic notification if requirements not met
• No renewal if CE incomplete

Producer Responsibilities:

• Complete 24 hours CE before license expiration
• Ensure 3 hours are ethics/law
• Verify provider reports credits
• Maintain certificates of completion
• Check CE status online periodically

Non-Compliance Consequences

Failure to Complete CE:

If CE not completed by license expiration:

• License expires on expiration date
• No grace period for CE completion
• Cannot transact insurance business
• Must complete CE and apply for reinstatement

Reinstatement Process:

1. Complete all required CE hours (24 total, 3 ethics)
2. Submit reinstatement application through NIPR
3. Pay reinstatement fee
4. Wait for Department approval
5. License reinstated retroactively

Penalty for Lapsed License:

• Lapsed less than 12 months: Complete CE and reinstate
• Lapsed 12-24 months: Complete CE, reinstate, possible additional requirements
• Lapsed over 24 months: May require re-examination

Exam Tip: There is NO grace period for CE completion. If CE is not completed by the license expiration date, the license expires immediately.

Special CE Provisions

Course Substitutions

Acceptable Substitutions:

Teaching or Lecturing:

• Producers who teach approved CE courses earn credit
• Receive CE credit for actual presentation time
• Must teach approved course to approved audience
• Maximum: 100% of requirement can be satisfied by teaching

Published Articles:

• Authors of published insurance articles may earn CE credit
• Subject to Department approval
• Must be substantive insurance topic
• Limited credit available

Reciprocity

Out-of-State CE:

• South Carolina does NOT grant reciprocity for CE completed in other states
• Non-resident producers must comply with home state CE
• Resident producers must complete South Carolina CE regardless of other state licenses

CE Resources

Finding Approved Courses

South Carolina Department of Insurance Website:

• List of approved CE providers
• Course catalog with approval numbers
• Search by course topic or provider
• Verify provider approval status

CE Provider Options:

• Insurance associations (Independent Insurance Agents of South Carolina)
• Online CE providers (WebCE, Kaplan, etc.)
• Insurance companies offering in-house training
• Professional conferences with approved CE sessions

Tracking CE Credits

Online CE Tracking:

• Access SCDOI website
• Log in to producer portal
• View CE credits reported
• Verify compliance status
• Download CE transcript

Best Practices:

• Check CE status quarterly
• Complete CE early in renewal cycle
• Keep certificates for records
• Verify provider reporting
• Don't wait until last minute

Exam Tip: Producers should track their CE credits regularly online and maintain certificates of completion for 4 years as backup documentation.