License Requirements

How to Renew an Illinois Insurance License

Updated: July 27, 2023

A.D. Banker Provider #: 101603

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On this page, you’ll find a comprehensive guide to renewing your Illinois insurance license. At A.D. Banker & Company, we’re here to walk you through the process and make completing your continuing education requirements as easy and painless as possible.

We offer several different study methods to cater to your needs and help you grow as an insurance professional. Whether you’re interested in learning the latest topics in insurance CE webinars, or having unlimited access to our online CE courses, we strive to provide options that fit around your busy schedule. Our continuing education courses for insurance agents are designed to not only be straightforward and simple, but also valuable to your career.

To begin the renewal process, you will need to complete 3 steps listed below.

1. Review the State Requirements

The first step to renewing your insurance license is to review Illinois’ CE requirements. Depending on which lines of insurance you’re licensed in, the continuing education hours you’re required to complete will vary. All hours must be completed and reported before your license renewal date to avoid a lapse in your license. The Illinois Department of Insurance requires you to complete your hours at least 10 business days before the renewal date.

General Requirements

How many total hours of CE do I need to complete?

Producers and Adjusters are required to complete 24 total hours every 2 years.

What courses can I take to satisfy my total hour requirement?

You can take 21 of your total hours in any line of authority (except for crop producers, who may only take courses approved for Property/Casualty credit). The remaining 3 hours must be Ethics courses completed in either a classroom or webinar setting.

Can I take any continuing education course?

It depends. Your Ethics requirement can only be fulfilled by approved ethics courses in a classroom or webinar setting; however, the rest of your hours can be fulfilled by any approved CE course in any line of authority.

You may also need to take specific courses or earn specific credit types to renew your license. These course completions will count towards your total hour requirement.

When is the renewal date for my insurance license?

The renewal date occurs every 2 years on the last day of your birth month. You must be CE compliant at least ten (10) business days before your renewal date.

Life & Health Agent Product-Specific Requirements

Before selling, soliciting or negotiating the following products, you’re required to complete initial certification training. These training hours can be applied towards the total hours needed to renew your license.

What are the requirements to sell Annuities?

Effective August 1, 2023

1 hour - Resident and non-resident producers licensed and certified to sell annuity products in Illinois prior to August 1, 2023 must complete an updated Annuity Best Interest course no later than February 1, 2024. A.D. Banker & Company offers this training online or via live webinar in a 1-hour and a 4-hour format. Both satisfy the training update requirement.

4 hours - Resident and non-resident producers licensed on or after February 1, 2024, must complete a one-time 4-Hour Annuity Best Interest Certification Training course before selling, soliciting, or negotiating annuity business in Illinois.

Note: When an annuity product sold in Illinois offers any long-term care benefits (defined in 50 Ill. Adm. Code 2012.30), the insurance producer must also complete long-term care initial training (see below) prior to selling the annuity product.

Annuity Best Interest training courses completed in any other state that has adopted the NAIC 2020 Annuity Model Law updates reciprocate with the Illinois requirement.

What are the requirements to sell Long-Term Care products?

Producers licensed in Accident & Health or Sickness must complete 8 hours of initial Long-Term Care (LTC) Certification Training before selling, soliciting or negotiating Long-Term Care (LTC) products. After completing the initial requirement, producers must complete 4-hours of LTC training every 2 years. If a refresher course is not taken within 12 months after the date by which it was required, another initial training course is required.

Note that when an annuity product offers any long-term care benefits defined in 50 Ill. Adm. Code 2012.30, the insurance producer must complete long-term care initial training (see below) prior to selling the annuity product.

What are the requirements to sell Long-Term Care Partnership products?

Producers must complete 8 hours of Long-Term Care Partnership (LTCP) Certification Training before selling, soliciting, or negotiating LTCP products/policies. After the initial requirement has been met, producers are required to complete 8 hours every 2 years in a state-approved classroom.

Property & Casualty Agent Product-Specific Requirements

What are the requirements to sell Flood insurance?

Property/Casualty producers must complete a one-time 3-hour NFIP Flood Insurance Certification Training course before selling flood insurance policies.

Do extra hours completed in a previous CE period carry over?

The state of Illinois allows a maximum of 12 excess continuing education hours to be carried over into the next renewal period. Excess hours in ethics can carry over to the next renewal period; however, those hours will only be counted as general credits and will not satisfy the Ethics requirement.

Can I repeat Continuing Education courses for credit?

Courses may not be taken more than once during the same renewal period.

Am I exempt from Continuing Education?

If you meet any of the criteria below, you will be exempt from completing continuing education to renew your license:

Are a nonresident (except for LTC requirements)
Hold a temporary license
Hold any of the following limited licenses: baggage, limited travel health or trip cancellation sold in connection with transportation by a common carrier; industrial life; industrial health; and insurance issued by a local mutual district, county or township insurance company

2. Register for and Complete Courses

Once you have determined the renewal requirements for your license, you are ready to choose and register for insurance continuing education courses. You may complete your hours through webinars, online courses, or any combination thereof. These options allow you to decide how to best fit your continuing education into your existing schedule.

Each course is listed with an associated credit type. You must select courses that have the appropriate credit types for meeting the renewal requirements for your license.

Webinars: Completion is based on attendance and participation. You must be present for the full duration of the course, and you must be active throughout to receive credit. There is no certification exam required.

Online courses: Completion is self-paced. You must review the course material and pass the Certification Exam at the end to receive credit. Certification exams do not require a monitor.

A.D. Banker will report your completed hours to the Illinois Department of Insurance within 1 business day.

3. File a Renewal Application

Once you have completed your courses and satisfied the renewal requirements for your license, you will need to file a renewal application. The online application will guide you through the renewal process.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I find my license number?

To find your license number and other additional details relating to your license, use State Based Systems’ Licensee Lookup service.

How do I print my license?

You can print your license online by using State Based Systems' License Manager service.

How do I view my Continuing Education transcript?

Your CE transcript can be accessed through State Based Systems’ License Manager service. Your transcript will show the number of hours you’ve completed.

What do I need to have with me when I'm renewing my license?

When you are ready to renew your license online, you should gather the following items to ensure the smoothest process possible:

License number and State or National Producer number; or the last 4 digits of your SSN
Date of birth
Applicant, Licensee, License, and Residency Type
A method to pay electronically

How will I know when my license is renewed?

Once you’ve successfully completed the renewal process, notification of your license renewal will be emailed to you. You can print your renewed license by using the State Based Systems’ License Manager service.

What if my license renewal is late?

If your license renewal is late, you’ll be charged a penalty fee twice the amount of the unpaid license fee. Illinois doesn’t provide a license renewal extension. If your license is cancelled, you have one year to reinstate it and pay the appropriate fees. During this time, you won’t be able to transact insurance business until the license is reinstated. Upon reinstatement, your new license will have a new original effective date. If the canceled license isn’t reinstated within one year, you’ll lose your lines of authority, be required to complete pre-licensing, and you’ll also need to retake the licensing exams.

For additional information on late renewals, contact the Illinois Department of Insurance.

A.D. Banker & Company provides licensing information as a courtesy to our students. While reasonable attempts have been made to ensure the accuracy of this information, licensees are ultimately responsible for ensuring that they are in compliance with the requirements set forth by their state licensing entity. A.D. Banker & Company offers no guarantee of the accuracy of this information and will not be held liable in case of noncompliance with the license requirements.