69B-228.220. Licensee Compliance; Requirements; Penalties for Non-Compliance

(1) General Requirements:

(a) Each licensee subject to the continuing education requirements in section 626.2815, F.S., must complete all required hours by the end of the licensee’s birth month after being licensed 24 months and every 2 years thereafter.

1. After the first compliance year is established, a licensee shall continue to meet the applicable continuing education requirements every 2 years thereafter regardless of when additional licenses or appointments are added.

2. As subsequent licensure is granted for other lines of insurance requiring continuing education, the licensee’s compliance date will remain the same.

3. The total 2 year requirement remains in that same yearly sequence for all license types combined and not in alternating years.

4. An individual submitting an application for licensure in the same line of insurance that has previously been held, within 4 years from the date of cancellation or expiration of the previous license, is responsible for completing the deficient continuing education hours prior to issuance of appointments on the newly issued license.

a. Deficient continuing education hours shall be waived by the following:

(I) Since cancellation or expiration of the license, the individual successfully completed a prelicensing course for the type and class applied for.

(II) Since cancellation or expiration of the license, the individual passed the state examination for the type and class applied for.

(III) Since cancellation or expiration of the license, the individual completed an insurance designation course for the type and class applied for which is also named in the continuing education law, section 626.2815, F.S.

(IV) Since cancellation of the license, the individual completed the continuing education requirements of another state that is reciprocal with Florida.

(V) The individual was exempt from continuing education pursuant to rule 69B-228.250, F.A.C.

(b) Continuing education credit may not be earned for attending or instructing at any subsequent offering of the same continuing education course within a 24 month period.

(c) Lack of an appointment does not eliminate the continuing education requirement.

(d) An individual applying for and receiving a license in the individual’s birth month shall be required to provide documentation of continuing education credits earned as of the birth month 2 years later.

(2)(a) The Department shall refuse to renew or continue the appointments or issue new appointments of any licensee who does not satisfy the minimum continuing education requirements by the compliance date.

(b) All outstanding continuing education requirements shall be satisfied before appointments will be processed.

(3) These remedies are not exclusive of the provisions of sections 626.611, 626.621, 626.681, and 626.691, F.S.

(4) Licensees shall maintain records of all course completions for 2 years from the completion dates.

(5) Licensees are not required to file certificates of completion with the Department unless requested to do so by the Department for audit purposes or to correct discrepancies in Department records.

(6) Reduction of continuing education requirement.

(a) A request for reduction based on a chartered property and casualty underwriter (CPCU) or chartered life underwriter (CLU) designation or a degree in risk management or insurance, and/or applicable experience on Form DFS-H2-1109, Reduction of Continuing Education Requirements, which is incorporated by reference in rule 69B-228.180, F.A.C., shall be submitted to the Department with all written documentation prior to the licensee’s compliance date.

(b) Within 30 days of a status change which disqualifies the licensee from the reduction, the licensee shall notify the Department.

(c) On the second compliance date after the status has been changed, the requirements will apply without the reduction.

Rulemaking Authority 624.308, 626.2816, 648.26(1)(a) FS. Law Implemented 624.307(1), 626.221(2)(d), 626.2815, 626.2816, 626.611, 626.621, 626.681, 626.691, 626.869(5), 648.385 FS. History–New 8-17-93, Amended 4-11-94, 4-29-01, Formerly 4-228.220, Amended 1-17-05, 8-3-09, 8-4-13, 4-12-17.