South Carolina Insurance Continuing Education

Resident Requirements

Resident producers must complete 24 hours of continuing education, including:

• three hours in ethics
• eight hours in any line of authority held 

If you have a dual license in life/health and property/casualty, you must complete at least eight hours in each line held in addition to the ethics requirement. Ethics courses may not be applied toward a given line. 

Rules for Non-Residents

Non-residents may fulfill South Carolina's continuing education requirements by complying with the requirements of their home states. South Carolina is reciprocal with all other states in this matter. 

Carryover of Excess CE

You may apply up to 18 hours of excess CE to the following term if you complete more than the required CE hours. Ethics hours carry over as general credits and will not meet the following term's ethics requirement. 

Insurance License Term Renewal Requirements

You must complete your continuing education requirements for each term by the compliance deadline. The compliance deadline takes place on the last day of your birth month every two years. If you were born in an even-numbered year, your deadlines will occur in even-numbered years. If you were born in an odd-numbered year, your deadlines will occur in odd-numbered years.

Your renewal will not be available on the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR) until you have completed your continuing education. You are encouraged to fulfill the requirements at least a week before your license's expiration date in order for minor delays to not prevent you from renewing your license.

If you fail to complete your continuing education on time, your license will lapse, and you will not be able to conduct any insurance business. Agency and broker licenses will likewise lapse until your producer license is reinstated.

You will have six months to reinstate a lapsed license by meeting all requirements and paying associated fees. If you fail to reinstate within six months, your lapsed license will be canceled entirely. In order to regain licensure, you will have to reapply for the license and retake and pass South Carolina's licensing exam.

Rules for Taking the Exam

In order to pass a continuing education course, you must score at least 70 percent on the final exam. This exam must be taken closed-book, which means that you may not refer to course material or any other outside sources while taking the exam. 

All exams must be monitored by an impartial proctor - someone who has no financial interest in your performance on the exam. That person may not be an employer, supervisor, employee, spouse, relative, or minor.

If you do not pass on the first try, you may retake the exam as many times as you like.

Rules for Repeating a Course

CE courses may be taken only once for credit during each two-year term. You may retake the course for personal gain, but you will not receive additional credit.

Credit for Instructors

If teaching an approved insurance course, you may receive the same number of CE credit hours as the students taking the course.  

Reporting Rules

Your course provider will submit proof of course completion on your behalf. You can look up how many CE hours you have completed and the number of requirements you have remaining through the State Based Systems (SBS) website, part of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC).

After you pass the course, the course provider will also issue you a certificate of completion. You must keep your certificate of completion for five years in order to resolve any disputes that may arise. 

If you have completed a course but the credit hours do not appear on the SBS, contact your course provider directly and attempt to resolve the discrepancy with them before appealing to the South Carolina Department of Insurance.

Insurance CE Requirements Exemptions

If you hold only a limited lines license, you are exempt from all continuing education requirements. 

All other producers are subject to the same requirement of 24 CE hours. As of January 1, 2010, all South Carolina laws granting exemptions, reductions, or extensions were repealed. If you were granted an exemption or reduction prior to this date, you will continue to be exempt or have reduced hours. However, if you add a new line of insurance or allow your license to become inactive, you will lose this status and will have to complete the ordinary 24 CE hours.

In cases of severe hardship, you may apply for a waiver of CE requirements prior to the end of your compliance period. You also must pay the renewal fee by this date. Applications must be made in writing to the South Carolina Department of Insurance, and waivers will be granted at the department's discretion.

Non-resident producers who have completed the CE requirements of another state are deemed compliant with South Carolina's CE requirements and are exempt from additional South Carolina CE.

South Carolina Annuity Requirements

Before handling annuity products, you must take a one-time four-hour training course. This four-hour course can be applied towards the total number of required CE hours for that term.

Individuals who have completed a substantially similar course in another state are exempt from this requirement.

South Carolina Long-Term Care Training Requirements

In order to sell long-term care (LTC) products, you must complete special training that includes:

• A one-time eight-hour course prior to selling LTC products
• Four hours of CE for each subsequent CE term

These training hours can be applied toward the total number of required CE hours for that term.

Individuals who complete substantially similar coursework in another state are held to be compliant with South Carolina's requirements as well.

Flood Insurance

In order to comply with the requirements established by FEMA and the National Flood Insurance Program, you must complete a one-time three-hour course before selling flood insurance.

These training hours can be applied toward the total number of required CE hours for that term.