New Jersey Insurance Continuing Education

Resident Requirements

Resident producers must complete a minimum of 24 credit hours of New Jersey-approved continuing education subjects each biennial (two-year) license term. At least three of these hours must be in ethics subjects. A licensee may complete courses approved for any line of authority to meet their remaining credit total.

Resident adjusters must complete a minimum of 15 credit hours of approved adjuster-specific coursework each renewal period.

CE coursework may be completed in-classroom, online, or through self-study.

Additional guidelines to this CE requirement exist for licensees who sell specific products, including:

• Annuities: Resident producers must complete a one-time, four-hour training course prior to selling annuity products.
• Life and Health insurance: Producers must complete a one-time, eight-hour NAIC-approved long-term care (LTC) training course and four hours of ongoing LTC training every renewal period.
• Flood insurance: Resident producers must complete a one-time, three-hour course that covers the minimum training requirements established by FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). This training should be completed in the first renewal period following license issuance.

Per state regulations, companies are required to provide fraud awareness training to employees as well.

Rules for Non-Residents

Non-residents in compliance with their own state's CE requirements are exempt from completing New Jersey CE, provided the home state's requirements are similar to those set by New Jersey law. This non-resident exemption applies to CE requirements for public adjusters and producers selling annuity and LTC products.

Non-resident producers who do not have a CE requirement in their state may be required to comply with standards set for their line of work by New Jersey.

The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance may verify a non-resident's compliance and standing with their home state's license requirements.

Carryover of Excess CE

Excess CE credit hours earned cannot be carried over from one biennium to the next.

Insurance License Term Renewal Requirements

The license expiration date is on the last day of the licensee's birth month every other year, based on the original year of licensing. For example, if your birthday is any time in January, your license will need to be renewed by January 31 every two years.

Licensees are eligible to renew their license within 90 days prior to this expiry date, provided all CE requirements are met.

The New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance sends licensees a renewal notice approximately 30 days before their license expiration date. This courtesy reminder is sent to the licensee's address on file with the Department. It is the licensee's responsibility to keep their contact information up to date with the Department and report any changes within 30 days. This can be done online through the NIPR's Address Change Request form.

Both resident and non-resident licensees in compliance with CE requirements may renew by mail or online at the NIPR website. There is an additional $20 fee for renewals processed by mail.

The license renewal fee is:

• $150 for producers
• $75 for producers who only have a limited line license
• $50 for adjusters

Licensees who fail to meet the requirements for license renewal have 30 days after its expiration to comply. After this grace period, licensees may renew their expired license within one year of the lapsed date. A penalty fee will be applied to late renewals.

Rules for Taking the Exam

Only self-study courses require a monitored exam. These exams are closed book and students are not permitted to access course materials during the exam. The acting monitor must be an unbiased third party. A monitor can be anyone who has no financial interest in the success or failure of a licensee maintaining an insurance license, such as a coworker, neighbor or friend.

A score of 70 percent or higher is required to receive the CE credit, and unlimited retakes are permitted until a passing score is achieved.

A monitored exam is not required for online courses approved by the Department. Online courses instead may include short quizzes to test student comprehension, which requires a passing score of 70 percent. Classroom and webinar courses are based on attendance and participation and do not require an exam.

Rules for Repeating a Course

Credit will be granted only once for the completion of the same course repeated during an individual renewal period. A course can, however, be repeated for CE credit in different renewal periods.

Credit for Instructors

CE course instructors are eligible to receive the same credit as the students enrolled in the course. However, they are only eligible to receive credit for an individual course taught once per renewal period.

Reporting Rules

Credits must be reported within 30 days of course completion, which should be submitted to the state directly by the course provider. Be sure to keep a copy of each certificate in your files for at least five years.

It is recommended that you complete all CE at least 30 days prior to your license expiration date to give the CE provider sufficient time to report successful completions to the New Jersey Department of Insurance. However, CE courses can be completed at any time within the current license term.

Insurance CE Requirement Exemptions 

Some resident licensees may qualify for full or partial CE exemptions including:

• Limited lines producers
• Licensees with an insurance designation who comply with CE requirements to maintain that designation
• Licensees who have taken insurance coursework from an accredited college or university

Licensees who qualify for CE exemption must file an Alternative Credit Form with the New Jersey Department of Insurance. This form is available at the Department's website and must be submitted with an official document or transcript detailing alternative credits earned.

Annuity Insurance Requirements

Producers intending to sell, solicit, or negotiate annuity products in New Jersey must complete a one-time, four-hour certification training course.

Commonly termed the Annuity Suitability Course, this training reviews:

• The fundamentals of annuity contracts, individual suitability, and sales practices
• Variable and fixed annuities, immediate and deferred plans, and different types of premiums and appropriate tax rules

Long-Term Care Training Requirements

Producers in New Jersey selling long term care policies are required to complete an initial one-time, eight-hour LTC training course. To maintain a license, producers must complete four hours of LTC training every biennial renewal period. This training can apply to the licensee's CE renewal requirements.

This ongoing training covers subjects including:

• The history of long-term care
• How to build an LTC policy
• The difference between tax-qualified and non-tax-qualified plans 
• Alternatives that exist for individual clients