Compilation of Rules and Regulations of the State of Georgia › Department 120 - OFFICE OF COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE, SAFETY FIRE COMMISSIONER AND INDUSTRIAL LOAN COMMISSIONER › Chapter 120-2 - RULES OF COMMISSIONER OF INSURANCE › Subject 120-2-3 - REGULATIONS REGARDING AGENTS, SUBAGENTS, COUNSELORS, ADJUSTERS, SURPLUS LINES BROKERS, AND AGENCIES › Rule 120-2-3-.15 - Resident Continuing Education Requirements

Current through Rules and Regulations filed through June 27, 2024
(1) Each resident licensee licensed for less
				than 20 years must complete a minimum of twenty four (24) continuing education
				hours, three (3) of which must be completed in Ethics, by the dates specified
				in Rule 120-2-3-.16.
				For resident licensees continually licensed for 20 years or longer, a minimum
				of twenty (20) continuing education hours, three (3) of which must be completed
				in Ethics, by the dates specified in Rule
				120-2-3-.16. The continuing
				education hours may be completed at any time during the current biennial
				license period as long as the hours are completed prior to the license
				expiration date.
(2) Continuing
				education hours may be completed in any subject area for which he or she is
				licensed, provided licensees complete a minimum of three (3) hours of their
				continuing education requirement in the subject area of Ethics biennially. The
				Ethics requirement may be satisfied by completing courses in the subject area
				of Ethical practices, Legislative updates or Federal or Departmental Regulatory
				changes in insurance, current issues and other such topics that the
				Commissioner may at his or her discretion approve.
(a) Credit Insurance Exception. For any
				person holding a multiple line license where one of the lines is Credit
				insurance, no more than five (5) hours may be applied for Credit insurance
				self-study. The remainder of the continuing education requirement must come
				from the other lines of insurance. If licensed for credit insurance only, the
				Ethics course requirement does not apply.
(b) Limited Subagent Exception. For any
				person holding multiple license types, where one of the licenses is for a
				Limited Subagent, no more than five (5) hours of continuing education credit
				may be applied for the subject area that coincides with the Limited Subagent
				license. The remainder of the continuing education requirement must come from
				the lines of insurance held under the agent, adjuster or counselor license. If
				licensed only as a Limited Subagent, the Ethics course requirement does not
				apply.
(c) Workers' Compensation
				Adjuster Exception. Licensee may either complete 10 hours of approved
				continuing education courses through the State Workers' Compensation Board; or
				complete the normal continuing education requirement specifically in the lines
				of property and casualty. If licensed as a workers' compensation adjuster only,
				the ethics requirement does not apply. After conversion to a biennial license,
				each resident licensee must complete twenty (20) hours of approved continuing
				education courses through the State Workers' Compensation Board or complete the
				normal continuing education requirement specifically in the lines of property
				and casualty, by the dates specified in Rule
				120-2-3-.16.
(d) Persons newly licensed prior to July 1,
				2012. Newly licensed persons who have taken the required prelicensing course
				will be considered to have met the initial requirements for continuing
				education by filing a copy of the prelicensing course certificate with the
				required renewal form. This exemption only applies to continuing education
				requirements for the first year of licensure for those who obtained their
				license prior to July 1, 2012.
(e)
				Agents licensed in the property line of authority that will be selling through
				the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP) must complete a one-time three (3)
				hour continuing education course related to NFIP. This three (3) hour course
				will count towards the agent's continuing education requirement and can be used
				toward the Ethics requirement.
(f)
				On or after January 1, 2009, an Agent may not sell, solicit or negotiate a long
				term care partnership policy unless the individual has completed an initial
				eight (8) hour long term care training course. Agent must also complete ongoing
				training consisting of a four (4) hour continuing education course every 24
				months. Such training must meet the requirements as outlined in Section
				120-2-3-.12. To meet the 24-month
				timing requirements, an agent must complete this long term care continuing
				education course during each biennial license cycle required of all other
				continuing education requirements as set out in Section
				120-2-3-.16 measured from the date
				of completion of the agent's initial eight (8) hour long term care training
				course.
1. Resident agents that have taken
				another state's qualified long term care partnership course may receive credit
				for up to six (6) hours toward the Georgia partnership training course
				requirement. Such resident agent must complete an approved two (2) hour Georgia
				specific Medicaid course in order to meet the eight (8) hour training
				requirement.
2. Insurers offering a
				long term care partnership policy shall obtain verification that an agent has
				received the training required in
				120-2-3-.12(1)(c)
				and this section before the agent is permitted to sell, solicit or negotiate
				the insurer's long term care partnership policy.
3. Each insurer shall maintain records with
				respect to the training of its agents qualified to sell, solicit or negotiate
				long term care partnership policies, to include training received and that the
				agent has demonstrated an understanding of the partnership policies and their
				relationship to public and private coverage of long term care, including
				Medicaid. These records shall be maintained for a period of not less than five
				years and shall be made available to the Commissioner upon request.
(g) On or after March 1, 2016, an
				Agent may not sell, solicit or negotiate an annuity product unless the
				individual has completed a one- time four (4) hour Annuity Suitability
				continuing education course approved by the department of insurance and
				provided by a department approved education provider.
1. Insurance producers who hold a life
				insurance line of authority on the effective date of this regulation and who
				desire to sell annuities shall complete the requirements of this subsection
				within six (6) months after the effective date of this regulation.
2. Individuals who obtain a life insurance
				line of authority on or after the effective date of this regulation may not
				engage in the sale of annuities until the annuity training course required
				under this subsection has been completed.
3. The satisfaction of the training
				requirements of another State that are substantially similar to the provisions
				of this subsection shall be deemed to satisfy the training requirements of this
				subsection in this State.
4. An
				insurer shall verify that an insurance producer has completed the annuity
				training course required under
				120-2-3-.12(1)(d)
				and this subsection before allowing the producer to sell an annuity product for
				that insurer. An insurer may satisfy its responsibility under this subsection
				by obtaining certificates of completion of the training course or obtaining
				reports provided by Commissioner-sponsored database systems or vendors or from
				a reasonably reliable commercial database vendor that has a reporting
				arrangement with approved insurance education providers.