Anyone who becomes a licensed insurance agent or broker in the state of New York must take the required number of continuing education credits in order to renew the insurance license.
In the old days the only way to satisfy New York’s insurance continuing education requirement was to physically sit in a classroom, listen to the instructor and walk away with the necessary documentation to prove that you took the class. Fortunately, with the advance in technology and the use of the internet insurance producers now have online options. Read also: Training to Become a Licensed Insurance Professional.
Traditional Continuing Education Classes
You can still opt to take continuing education classes the old-fashioned way. Not everybody is comfortable taking online classes. All you have to do is visit the New York Department of Insurance website and search their database. You’ll need to provide the following information to search for a traditional class:
- Date range (when you want to take the class)
- State and County where you wish to take the class.
- Number of credits.
- Area of study.
Once you provide the above information, the NY Department of Insurance database will display a listing of education providers that offer the class requested. Read also: Calculating Coinsurance on a Homeowners Insurance Policy.
Online Continuing Education Classes
By accessing the same search page as accessed with the traditional class search, you can select the online self-study/Internet option. To use this option you have to provide the number of credits desired, the area of study and the name of the institution from which you will be taking the classes.
Don’t let the fact that the name of the education provider is a required field throw you. Most insurance producers looking for continuing education credits online don’t know the name of providers offering online classes. The good thing is that since the courses are online and each education provider has to be pre-approved by the state of New York before they can offer online classes, it really doesn’t make too much of a difference where the sponsoring company is located.
Register for Online Classes
Once you review the listing of classes offered, click on the button for more details in order to find the necessary contact information such as phone number, contact person and e-mail address so that you can register for the online continuing education class. Upon registering for the class the education provider will send the necessary information to you to take the class online. Read also: Tips for Buying Homeowners Insurance in Florida.
Track Continuing Education Documentation
After taking the continuing education class, make sure to keep accurate records for each class you take. The New York Department of Insurance places the onus on you to maintain and provide the appropriate that you have satisfied the continuing education requirements.