Continuing Education Requirements

Washington state insurance licenses must be renewed every two years. All individual licenses expire on the individual's next birth date, plus one year, and every two years thereafter. Non-residents are exempt from CE requirements.

All resident life, disability, property or casualty insurance agent, broker or solicitor are required to take 24 hours of approved continuing education for license renewal, including 3 hours of ethics.

Licensees selling long-term-care products are required to take an approved long-term care course every two years, which also counts towards the total hours requirement.

As a courtesy, the Washington insurance commissioner sends a renewal notice to the licensee's last address of record approximately two months prior to the license expiration date. However, it is the licensee's obligation to renew prior to the expiration date, even if the renewal notice is not received.

Licensees must include copies of the certificate of completion (for CE course hours) with the renewal application. All courses must have been completed within the 24 months immediately preceding the assigned renewal date. Excess credit may NOT be carried over.

There are additional courses required if you sell or wish to sell annuities, flood insurance or long-term care products. All states require licensees who sell flood insurance to complete a one-time course that is at least three hours in length.  Several states require courses to represent annuity products and long term care products. If you sell or wish to sell either of these products, click here for a detailed list of all states that currently require annuity or long-term care courses.