Pennsylvania Insurance CE Requirements: Hours and Topics

Keeping your Pennsylvania insurance license active requires more than paying a renewal fee — you need to complete continuing education (CE) on schedule, using approved courses, with specific required topics, and have it reported correctly. Pennsylvania's CE framework underwent significant updates in 2025 with new mandatory Ethics and Flood Insurance topics, making it essential for both new and existing producers to understand current requirements.

Here's a clear breakdown of Pennsylvania insurance CE requirements.

The Basic Framework

Under 40 Pa. Stat. §310.8, the Pennsylvania Insurance Department requires licensed insurance producers to complete continuing education during each 2-year renewal cycle.

For Pennsylvania resident insurance producers, the standard requirement is:

24 hours of CE every 2 years

3 hours of Ethics (required for all producers and title agents)

2 hours of Flood Insurance (required for Property/Casualty/Personal Lines producers — even if not actively selling flood)

The remaining hours can be in approved insurance-related topics from any line

This 24-hour total places Pennsylvania at the higher end of CE requirements compared to many states.

Recent Major Update: April 29, 2025

A central recent change for Pennsylvania CE:

Effective April 29, 2025, Pennsylvania introduced new mandatory CE topic requirements:

3-Hour Ethics Requirement. All resident insurance producers and resident/non-resident title insurance agents must complete 3 hours of approved Ethics CE.

2-Hour Flood Insurance Requirement. All Property/Casualty/Personal Lines producers must complete 2 hours of approved Flood Insurance CE — even if they don't actively sell flood insurance.

Compliance deadlines:

Producers licensed BEFORE 4/29/2025: Must complete the new requirements by April 29, 2026 OR by the end of your current license period (whichever is LATER)

Producers licensed ON OR AFTER 4/29/2025: Must complete by the end of your first license period

This update represents Pennsylvania's commitment to consumer protection through topic-specific CE requirements.

Your License Renewal Cycle

Pennsylvania insurance licenses renew on a biennial (2-year) cycle tied to:

Your birth date (licenses expire on or near your birthday)

Year of original licensing

Renewals are processed through Sircon at sircon.com/pennsylvania.

CE for Pennsylvania Resident Producers

The CE requirement applies to resident producers holding any combination of major lines:

Life

Accident & Health

Property

Casualty

Personal Lines

Title Insurance

Various specialty lines

Multi-line CE rule: Pennsylvania allows producers to take approved courses in ANY line of authority for general CE credit, but it's recommended to take courses pertaining to your license type. There's no requirement to split your 24 hours between lines.

The 3-Hour Ethics Requirement

Pennsylvania requires 3 hours of approved Ethics CE every 2-year renewal cycle:

Cannot be substituted with general insurance content

Must be specifically Pennsylvania-approved Ethics

Must be taken within the 2-year renewal cycle

Course must be PID-approved as Ethics

General courses that "happen to mention ethics" don't count

Important: Course completions taken BEFORE April 29, 2025 do NOT apply toward the new ethics requirement. You'll need to take a new approved Ethics course within the required timeframe.

Excess Ethics rule: Hours of Ethics CE beyond the required 3 count as general CE credits.

The 2-Hour Flood Insurance Requirement (P&C/Personal Lines)

Pennsylvania requires 2 hours of approved Flood Insurance CE every 2-year renewal cycle for Property/Casualty/Personal Lines producers:

Required of all P&C and Personal Lines licensees

Required even if you don't sell flood insurance

Must be specifically approved as Flood Insurance content

Counts within the 24-hour total

Note: This is different from the one-time 3-hour NFIP Flood Insurance Certification Training required to actually sell NFIP flood policies. The 2-hour CE is a recurring renewal requirement; the 3-hour NFIP is a one-time prerequisite for selling NFIP coverage.

Generous CE Carryover Rules

Pennsylvania has one of the more generous carryover provisions in the country:

Up to 24 excess CE hours may be carried forward to the next renewal period.

This is significant — you can essentially complete a full 2-year requirement in advance and carry it forward, providing flexibility for life events that might otherwise affect compliance.

Course repetition restriction. A course may not be repeated for credit within a 2-year licensing period.

Excess Ethics and Flood carry forward as General Credit. Additional ethics and flood hours beyond the requirements carry as general CE.

Specialty Training Requirements

Beyond standard CE, Pennsylvania has specialty training requirements for specific product types:

Long-Term Care (LTC) Training. Before selling, soliciting, or negotiating LTC insurance:

Must hold Health and Sickness/Accident license

Initial 8-hour state-approved LTC training (one-time)

4-hour ongoing training every 2-year license term thereafter

For LTC Partnership products: initial 8 hours must include 1 hour on Medicaid Assistance Program

Counts toward CE requirement

Annuity Best Interest Training. Per Section 403.1-B of Act 48:

One-time 4-hour Annuity Best Interest course required

Producers licensed on or after June 20, 2022 must complete before next license renewal

ALL producers with Life and Fixed Annuities or Variable Life/Variable line authority must complete this — even if they don't plan to sell annuities

Some carriers may require completion before allowing annuity sales

Annuity Best Interest courses completed in another state that adopted NAIC 2020 Annuity Model Law updates are reciprocal with Pennsylvania

Counts toward CE requirement

NFIP Flood Insurance Training (for sales). Producers who sell National Flood Insurance Program policies:

One-time 3-hour NFIP Certification Training

Required before selling NFIP flood policies

Different from the 2-hour Flood Insurance CE requirement

Counts toward CE requirement

CE Format Options

Pennsylvania accepts CE in multiple formats with significant flexibility:

Online Self-Study. Most popular format. Online materials with online final exam. No proctor required (Pennsylvania eliminated proctor requirement after COVID-19 changes).

Webinars. Live or recorded webinars with attendance verification.

Classroom Instruction. In-person classes at provider locations.

Self-Study with Books. Traditional book-based self-study.

Teleconference. Phone or video-based instruction.

Combination. Pennsylvania allows any combination of these methods.

This flexibility makes Pennsylvania one of the easier states to maintain CE compliance.

CE Reporting Requirements

After completing a CE course:

Provider reports to Pennsylvania. Approved providers report completion electronically.

State reporting fee. Pennsylvania charges a $5 per course state reporting fee (typically built into course pricing or charged separately by providers).

Reporting timeline. Pennsylvania requires reporting within 10 days of completion. Many providers report within 1-2 business days.

Verify before renewal. Allow 30+ days between final CE completion and renewal submission to ensure all credits are processed.

CE Exemptions

Several categories of licensees are exempt from Pennsylvania CE requirements:

Pre-1971 Producers. Producers licensed before January 1, 1971 who have been continuously licensed without adding additional lines of authority.

Limited Line Licensees. Producers whose only line of authority is a limited line.

Surplus Lines Licensees. Currently exempt from standard CE requirements.

Non-Resident Producers. Excluding title producers — non-residents comply with home state CE requirements.

Non-Resident Public Adjusters. Who have completed home state CE.

Hardship Exemptions. Individuals exempted by the Commissioner due to hardship or good cause such as disability or medical condition.

Section 609(c) Fraternal Benefit Society Licensees. Individuals who first obtained licenses without examination under Section 609(c) of the Fraternal Benefit Societies Code with appointments limited to fraternal benefit societies.

These exemptions provide flexibility for specific circumstances.

Non-Resident CE Treatment

Non-resident producers don't complete Pennsylvania CE separately:

If non-resident's home state has CE that meets Pennsylvania standards: Comply with home state requirements; Pennsylvania accepts home state compliance

If non-resident's home state doesn't have CE OR home state requirements don't meet Pennsylvania standards: Must comply with Pennsylvania CE requirements

Special note for new flood requirement: Non-resident agents should confirm exemption status with the Pennsylvania Insurance Department given the new flood insurance training requirement.

Non-resident title agents are NOT exempt — they must complete Pennsylvania CE same as resident title agents.

License Renewal Process

Renewal through: Sircon at sircon.com/pennsylvania

Renewal window: Typically 60 days before expiration through the renewal date.

Renewal fee: $55 standard.

Late renewal window: 60 days after expiration with $100 surcharge ($165 total).

After 60-day late window: License terminates voluntarily; producer must restart licensing process.

What Happens If CE Is Incomplete

Cannot renew online. Lapsed licenses cannot be renewed online — separate process required.

License lapses. Without timely renewal, license becomes inactive.

Late renewal available. 60-day window with $100 surcharge for late renewal.

Beyond 60 days. Must restart licensing process (including new exam, new fingerprinting, and new application).

The 60-day late renewal window provides some flexibility, but missing this window has serious consequences.

Best Practices for CE Compliance

Calendar your renewal date. Mark your birth date and renewal year prominently.

Complete required topics first. Ethics (3 hours) and Flood (2 hours for P&C/Personal Lines) are mandatory. Knock these out early.

Take advantage of carryover. Up to 24 hours can carry forward — completing more than required in one cycle reduces the next cycle's burden.

Don't repeat courses within 2 years. Courses can't be retaken for credit within a single 2-year period.

Verify CE status quarterly. Catch reporting problems while you have time to fix them.

Keep completion certificates. Save digital and printed copies as backup.

Use Pennsylvania-approved providers. Confirm PID approval before enrolling.

Allow 30+ days for reporting. Don't complete CE the day before renewal.

5 Frequently Asked Questions

• How many CE hours do I need every 2 years in Pennsylvania? 24 hours total, with 3 hours of Ethics required for all producers and 2 hours of Flood Insurance required for Property/Casualty/Personal Lines producers (effective April 29, 2025).
• Can I carry over excess CE hours to the next renewal cycle? Yes. Pennsylvania allows up to 24 hours to be carried forward — one of the most generous carryover provisions in the country.
• Do I have to take ethics courses every renewal cycle? Yes (effective April 29, 2025). Each Pennsylvania renewal cycle requires 3 hours of approved Ethics CE.
• Do non-resident producers need to complete Pennsylvania CE? Generally no. Non-residents in good standing comply with home state CE requirements (if their home state has any). Non-resident title agents are NOT exempt — they must complete Pennsylvania CE.
• What's the new flood insurance CE requirement? Effective April 29, 2025, all Property/Casualty/Personal Lines producers must complete 2 hours of approved Flood Insurance CE every 2 years — even if they don't actively sell flood insurance.

Stay Compliant Without the Stress

Pennsylvania CE is manageable with a plan — including proper attention to the new Ethics and Flood Insurance requirements. At JustInsurance (Provider Approval #147815), our Pennsylvania CE courses are designed around Pennsylvania's specific requirements.

Enroll in our Pennsylvania CE courses today and keep your license active with confidence.