How to Track Your Virginia CE Credits and Renew Through Sircon and NIPR

Virginia's CE and license renewal system runs across two separate administrative infrastructures — Pearson VUE administers the CE program and tracks credit completions, and the SCC Bureau of Insurance processes license renewals through NIPR and Sircon. Understanding which system does what, and how to use each one before your renewal deadline, prevents the most common administrative failures that cause Virginia producers to face late fees or license termination. This post gives you a step-by-step guide to tracking your CE progress and completing your Virginia license renewal correctly.

The Two Systems and What They Do

Pearson VUE — CE Program Administrator: Pearson VUE (contracted by the Virginia Insurance Continuing Education Board) manages course approvals, tracks CE credit completions, administers the continuance fee, and maintains the CE records that feed into Sircon's transcript system. All CE compliance questions go to Pearson VUE: 877-234-6093 or VirginiaInsuranceCE@pearson.com.

Sircon and NIPR — License Renewal Platforms: Sircon (sircon.com/virginia) and NIPR (nipr.com) are the platforms where you submit renewal applications and pay renewal fees to the Bureau of Insurance. CE transcript data from Pearson VUE flows into Sircon's records, allowing the Bureau to verify CE compliance when processing renewals. All renewal processing goes through NIPR or Sircon — not directly to the Bureau.

Step 1: Check Your CE Transcript

Log into Sircon at sircon.com/virginia and access the Continuing Education Transcript Inquiry tool. This shows:

All CE courses completed and credited to your Virginia record

The number of hours in each category (Ethics, Laws and Regulations, Life/Annuities/Health, Property/Casualty, Other General Insurance, etc.)

The total hours credited in the current biennium

Any carryover credits from the prior biennium

What to verify:

Total hours completed meets your requirement (16 or 24)

At least 3 hours are categorized as Ethics (or Laws and Regulations)

For dual licensees: at least 8 hours applicable to each license type

No more than 75% of credits are from company-sponsored sources

Specialty training completions (annuity best interest, LTC, flood) are recorded if applicable

If a course completion is missing: Contact Pearson VUE at 877-234-6093. CE providers are required to report completions to the CE system, but delays and errors occur. Do not wait until your renewal deadline to discover a missing completion — allow at least 30 days before your renewal date for any transcript discrepancies to be resolved.

Step 2: Pay the CE Continuance Fee

Virginia's CE program requires producers to pay a biennial continuance fee to Pearson VUE before completed CE credits are officially applied toward your renewal requirement. This fee is due by November 30 of the renewal year.

Visit virginiainsurancece.com to confirm the current fee amount and payment process. Paying the renewal fee through NIPR or Sircon without first paying the continuance fee does not complete the renewal — both are required.

Non-resident producers also pay a documentation filing fee to the CE administrator by November 30 — confirm current requirements with Pearson VUE.

Step 3: Verify Your License Renewal Date

Your license expires at the end of your birth month, in your odd/even renewal year. Confirm your specific expiration date in your NIPR or Sircon account. The Bureau sends renewal reminder notices approximately 90 days before your expiration — ensure your email address is current in the Bureau's system at BOILicenseRenewal@scc.virginia.gov.

Your renewal window opens 90 days before your expiration date. You can submit the renewal application any time within that window, but not before it opens.

Step 4: Submit the Renewal Application

When your CE is complete, your continuance fee is paid, and your renewal window is open, log into NIPR (nipr.com) or Sircon (sircon.com/virginia) and submit your renewal application:

Log in and navigate to license renewal for your Virginia producer license

Confirm the lines of authority you are renewing

Certify CE compliance (the system will verify against your transcript)

Pay the renewal fee: $10 per line of authority plus $5.60 NIPR/Sircon processing fee

Submit and retain your confirmation

Processing: Renewals are typically processed within a few business days when submitted through NIPR or Sircon. You can check renewal status in your account.

Early completion tip: Complete CE and submit your renewal at least 30 days before your expiration date. This gives the system time to process the renewal before the deadline and gives you time to address any issues that arise.

Step 5: Confirm Your Renewed License

After submission and Bureau approval, your renewed license is available to print from NIPR or Sircon. No physical license is mailed. Your renewed license will show your new expiration date — two years from the prior expiration date.

VerifyMyCE Tool

Virginia's CE program offers a VerifyMyCE account tool at virginiainsurancece.com (administered by Pearson VUE). This tool provides another way to view your CE transcript and confirm compliance status. It is complementary to Sircon's transcript view — if there is a discrepancy between the two systems, contact Pearson VUE to resolve it.

Frequently Asked Questions

How quickly do CE course completions appear in my Sircon transcript?

Most CE providers report completions electronically to the Virginia CE system on the same day or the next business day after course completion. Online self-study courses that require a completion exam may be processed immediately upon passing the exam, while courses completed outside normal business hours are typically processed on the following business day. Classroom and webinar courses may take 2–5 business days to appear depending on the provider's reporting cycle. If a completion does not appear within one week of finishing a course, contact both the CE provider and Pearson VUE (877-234-6093) to investigate. Do not wait until close to your renewal deadline to discover a reporting gap.

Can I renew my Virginia license before completing all of my CE hours?

No. Virginia requires CE compliance before the renewal application is accepted. The Bureau of Insurance verifies CE credit status through the transcript system before approving the renewal. Submitting a renewal application before CE is complete will result in the application being rejected or placed on hold. This is why the sequencing matters: complete CE → pay continuance fee → confirm transcript → submit renewal. Attempting to shortcut the sequence by submitting the renewal first does not accelerate the process and may create administrative complications.

What is the difference between Sircon and NIPR for Virginia license renewal purposes?

Both platforms are authorized by the Virginia Bureau of Insurance for license renewal processing and connect to the same Bureau backend. Both charge the same $5.60 processing fee per transaction. The practical differences are primarily interface preferences and account history — if you originally applied for your license through NIPR, you may find NIPR's renewal interface more familiar, and vice versa. Some producers maintain accounts on both platforms. Either platform produces the same outcome: a renewal application transmitted to the Bureau of Insurance for processing.

How do I update my contact information with the Virginia Bureau of Insurance?

Address and email changes must be submitted within 30 calendar days of the change. Contact changes are submitted through NIPR's producer contact change process or through the Bureau of Insurance directly at AgentLicensing@scc.virginia.gov. Keeping your email current is particularly important because the Bureau sends renewal reminder notices approximately 90 days before your expiration — if your email is outdated, you will not receive the notice. The absence of a reminder does not extend your renewal deadline or create a waiver of the renewal obligation.

Is there a way to automate Virginia license renewal reminders beyond the Bureau's notices?

Yes — several commercial compliance management platforms track CE requirements, renewal deadlines, and license expiration dates and send automated reminders. Some larger agencies use these tools for their entire producer roster. Individually, the simplest approach is to add your renewal date (end of birth month, odd/even year) as a recurring calendar event 90 days in advance — this is when your renewal window opens and when you should begin verifying CE transcript completeness. The Bureau's renewal notices are helpful but should be treated as a backup confirmation rather than your primary renewal trigger.

Tracking your CE and renewing on time in Virginia requires managing two separate systems — Pearson VUE for CE credits and NIPR/Sircon for the renewal itself — but neither system is complicated when you understand what each does and build your annual compliance calendar around your birth-month renewal deadline.

Visit JustInsurance to enroll today and complete your Virginia CE requirements with state-approved courses that report automatically to your Sircon transcript.