Common Continuing Education (CE) Mistakes in Insurance—and How to Avoid Them

Continuing education (CE) is a routine part of maintaining an insurance license, but it’s also one of the easiest areas to underestimate. Many renewal issues aren’t caused by a lack of effort—they come from timing, administrative details, or misunderstandings about state requirements. The good news: most CE problems are preventable with a simple plan and a few quality-control habits.

This guide covers common CE mistakes made by individual producers and agency managers, along with practical steps to help you stay compliant and reduce last-minute stress. Because CE rules vary by state and license type, always verify your specific requirements with your state insurance department or licensing portal.

1) Waiting until the renewal deadline is too close

The mistake: Treating CE as a “week-of-renewal” task. Even if you can complete the coursework quickly, completion reporting and state processing can take time. Procrastination also increases the chance you’ll pick the wrong course, rush through content, or miss a required topic.

How to avoid it:

• Work backward from your renewal date. Set a personal CE completion deadline at least 30–60 days before renewal (or earlier if your state has longer processing times).
• Use a CE calendar. Add milestones: course selection, course completion, exam/quiz completion (if applicable), and confirmation of credit posting.
• Plan “buffer time.” Assume you may need to retake a quiz, resolve a name mismatch, or contact support for a technical issue.

2) Assuming CE requirements are the same across states, lines, or renewal cycles

The mistake: Relying on what applied last cycle, what a colleague did, or what your home state requires—especially if you hold nonresident licenses or multiple lines of authority (e.g., Life, Accident & Health, Property & Casualty).

How to avoid it:

• Confirm requirements for each license. Check required hours, renewal period, and any special topic mandates (such as ethics or annuity-related training).
• Track nonresident licenses separately. Some states accept home-state CE, while others have state-specific rules or limitations.
• Document your assumptions. If you manage a team, keep a shared reference sheet with renewal dates, required hours, and special requirements—then update it each cycle.

3) Missing required topic areas (ethics, annuities, long-term care, flood, etc.)

The mistake: Completing the correct total number of hours but overlooking a mandated subject area. Many states require a minimum number of ethics hours, and some require product- or line-specific training depending on what you sell.

How to avoid it:

• Identify “must-have” credits first. Before choosing electives, confirm whether your state requires ethics, consumer protection, annuity best interest training, long-term care training, or other special topics.
• Build a CE mix intentionally. Map courses to requirements: “X hours ethics,” “Y hours general,” “Z hours line-specific,” etc.
• Keep completion certificates organized. If a state audits CE, you’ll want quick access to proof of completion and course details.

4) Choosing courses that don’t match your license or state approval

The mistake: Taking a course that isn’t approved for your state, isn’t approved for your line of authority, or doesn’t qualify for the type of credit you need. This often happens when producers take courses from multiple providers without checking approvals carefully.

How to avoid it:

• Verify state approval and credit type before enrolling. Look for state-specific approval identifiers and confirm the course is eligible for your license type.
• Confirm course format requirements. Some states have rules about self-study vs. webinar/classroom, proctoring, or seat-time tracking.
• When in doubt, ask before you buy. Contact the CE provider’s support team with your state, license type, and renewal date to confirm fit.

5) Not understanding “seat time,” participation, and completion rules

The mistake: Clicking through material too quickly, multitasking during timed modules, or missing participation prompts in webinars. Many states and course systems track time-in-course and engagement. If you don’t meet the completion rules, you may not receive credit—even if you feel you learned the material.

How to avoid it:

• Read the course instructions upfront. Note any timed requirements, required interactions, or end-of-course assessments.
• Schedule uninterrupted time. Treat CE like an appointment to reduce the risk of timeouts or missed prompts.
• Save progress properly. If you must pause, use the course’s save/exit process rather than closing a browser abruptly.

6) Technical and identity issues that delay credit reporting

The mistake: Using a nickname instead of your legal name, entering the wrong license number, or having mismatched information between your CE account and your state licensing record. Even small discrepancies can slow or prevent credit posting.

How to avoid it:

• Match your licensing record exactly. Use the same name format, address (if required), and license number as shown in the state portal.
• Keep screenshots or PDFs. Save your course completion confirmation and certificate in case you need to troubleshoot.
• Test your setup early. Log in, confirm your profile, and complete a short module well before your deadline to catch issues.

7) Assuming “completion” automatically means “reported and posted”

The mistake: Finishing a course and assuming the state has credited it. Reporting timelines vary. In some cases, the provider reports completions on a schedule, or the state system updates after processing.

How to avoid it:

• Check your transcript. After completion, verify posted credits in your state’s licensing portal within the expected timeframe.
• Know the reporting window. Ask your provider how quickly completions are reported and what you should do if credits don’t appear.
• Escalate early if needed. If credits haven’t posted after the stated timeline, contact the provider with your completion details.

8) Overlooking carryover rules and excess hours

The mistake: Taking too many hours in the wrong cycle, assuming excess hours will carry forward, or misunderstanding limits on carryover. Some states allow limited carryover; others don’t. Some require CE to be completed within the renewal period regardless of total hours taken.

How to avoid it:

• Confirm whether carryover is allowed. If it is, confirm the maximum carryover hours and whether ethics hours can carry over.
• Time courses strategically. If you’re close to the end of a cycle, prioritize required topics first and avoid unnecessary excess unless you know it will help.
• Keep a simple CE ledger. Track course date, hours, topic type, and renewal cycle to avoid confusion.

9) Managers: lacking a repeatable CE compliance process for the team

The mistake: Relying on producers to self-manage without visibility, reminders, or standard procedures. This can lead to coverage gaps, appointment issues, or operational disruption if someone can’t renew on time.

How to avoid it (team-ready steps):

• Create a centralized renewal tracker. Include each producer’s state(s), license type(s), renewal date, CE hour requirements, and required topics.
• Set internal deadlines. Example: “All CE complete 45 days before renewal; transcript verified 30 days before.”
• Standardize course selection. Offer a curated list of approved courses by state/line to reduce errors.
• Run monthly compliance checks. Ask for proof of posted credits (not just certificates) and document follow-ups.

10) Treating CE as a checkbox instead of a risk-management tool

The mistake: Picking the fastest option every time, even if it doesn’t support your day-to-day responsibilities. While CE is required, it can also reinforce ethical sales practices, strengthen product knowledge, and improve documentation habits—areas that can help reduce E&O risk and customer complaints.

How to avoid it:

• Choose at least one “skills-forward” course each cycle. Consider ethics, suitability/best interest concepts, policy documentation, claims handling basics, or emerging risks relevant to your book.
• Apply one takeaway immediately. Update a checklist, improve your file notes, or refine how you explain a key exclusion—small changes compound over time.
• Keep learning aligned with your role. Producers, CSRs, and managers may need different emphasis areas, even under the same CE umbrella.

A simple CE checklist you can use today

1. Verify requirements for each state and line of authority (hours + required topics).
2. Set an internal completion date 30–60 days before renewal.
3. Select approved courses that match your license and required topic areas.
4. Complete courses with attention to seat-time, participation prompts, and assessments.
5. Save proof (certificate/confirmation) in a dedicated CE folder.
6. Confirm posted credits in the state portal and address discrepancies immediately.

Get help building a smoother CE routine

If you want a more organized approach—whether you’re completing CE yourself or coordinating compliance for a team—using a structured exam prep and continuing education partner can reduce guesswork and help you stay on track. Explore insurance licensing exam preparation and continuing education resources from TSI National at https://www.tsinational.com/.

Educational note: This article is for general educational purposes only and does not provide legal or regulatory advice. Always confirm CE requirements and renewal rules with your state insurance department or official licensing portal.