Wisconsin Insurance CE Rules & Requirements

Continuing education is required professional training that keeps insurance agents informed about current issues, emerging trends, ethics, and insurance laws. It ensures agents remain knowledgeable about old standards while staying current with industry changes.

The Wisconsin insurance market changes at a very rapid pace—in both the products being offered and the facets of regulation. Continuing education provides insurance agents with current information on insurance, insurance ethics, and insurance laws while enhancing agent professionalism.

No. All 50 states have continuing education programs for their insurance agents. All agents are required to complete these requirements for their resident state.

Agents who fail to have the required 24 credits banked by the reporting date will have their insurance license revoked. However, new rules allow agents to reapply within one year without retaking prelicensing education or the exam—though all overdue CE must be completed first. Learn more about reinstating a lapsed license →

All insurance agents who hold a license in any of the major lines of insurance (property, casualty, personal lines P&C, life, and accident and health) as well as those licensed in the limited line of automobile.

Yes. Wisconsin resident agents who hold an exclusive limited line insurance license for credit, legal expense, travel, and title insurance are not required to take continuing education courses.

No. There are no "grandfather" exemptions based on years of experience.

No. All states have CE requirements, and Wisconsin receives license compliance data electronically. Nonresidents are not required to supply OCI with evidence of completing CE in their home state.

Agents who, during a substantial portion of the 2-year reporting period, are seriously ill or serving on active military duty outside Wisconsin may request a waiver of requirements for "good cause." Waiver requests must be filed at least 90 days prior to the end of a reporting period.

Licensed insurance agents who are required to meet CE requirements must earn 24 credit hours every 2 years, at least 3 of which must be in the ethics of insurance.

Wisconsin has never required a breakdown for the various qualifications identified on your license. The remaining 21 credits can be in whichever line of authority you choose—property, casualty, life, health, or any approved topic. See our course recommendations by license type →

One "continuing education credit hour" is equivalent to 50 minutes of classroom instruction or 4,500 words of written material for self-study courses. Agents receive credit only for courses they complete in full by attending all required hours or completing examinations for self-study courses.

No. Credit will not be awarded for the exact same course repeated in a single 2-year reporting period. However, you can retake a course from a previous reporting period in your current period.

No. Carry-over of credits is not permitted in Wisconsin. All 24 credits must be completed within your current 2-year reporting period.

No. Course credits cannot be separated. Credits are banked using the date the course was completed.

Yes. Self-study, correspondence, and online courses can be approved if they meet the criteria under Wisconsin Administrative Code s. Ins 28.06(6) and include completion of a certified proctored examination. CEWisconsin is Wisconsin state-approved provider #20781.

Yes. Wisconsin requires an approved proctor for all self-study CE exams. The proctor must be an impartial, disinterested third party or currently licensed agent with no family or financial relationship to you. Learn more about proctor requirements →

Your proctor can be a friend, neighbor, coworker, or any adult who is not a family member and has no financial interest in your insurance business. They do NOT need to be a licensed insurance agent. Membership in a professional association does not constitute a financial relationship.

The law requires that CE providers submit course completion information to the state directly within 10 days of completing a course. Agents are not responsible for filing their completion certificates with the state. However, agents are advised to maintain course completion certificates in case a discrepancy occurs.

You can obtain a copy of your most current CE transcript by logging on to www.nipr.com. You will need your NPN (National Producer Number).

Prior to a reporting period, OCI will provide each agent who is deficient in hours with a transcript of the courses completed. Those in compliance will receive a new license following receipt of the required biennial regulation fees.

Professional agent associations, educational institutions (such as technical colleges), current prelicensing organizations, and other well-qualified individuals in insurance offer courses in diverse settings—including online through approved providers like CEWisconsin.

Instructors must meet a variety of criteria, such as: experience teaching insurance courses for the past three years, or holding a proper insurance license for the past five years, and demonstrating knowledge and breadth of experience in the area of instruction. Other qualified groups include holders of specified designations, members of a state bar engaged in insurance-related law, or licensed CPAs in insurance-related practice.