How to Renew Your Insurance License in Michigan

Written by: Ethan Peyton

Last updated:

If you’re getting near your Michigan insurance license renewal date, keep your license active by taking your Michigan insurance continuing education (CE) courses in advance of your expiration date.

This guide will provide you all the information you need to ensure you fulfill your MI insurance license renewal and insurance CE requirements on time.

Michigan Insurance License Renewal and CE Requirements
Expiration TimeNo expiration date
Required Continuing Education (CE)24 credit hours
Renewal CostCE course cost
Recommended CE CourseKaplan Education Company

Michigan Insurance Continuing Education

In order to keep your Michigan insurance license in good standing with the state, you will need to renew your license by completing your Michigan Insurance CE requirements before your expiration date.

In Michigan, all insurance licenses are perpetual, except Surplus Lines. Producer licenses remain in good standing as long as the CE requirements are met every two years.

Michigan Insurance Continuing Education Courses

Insurance CE comes in many forms. Most folks nowadays choose to take a self-paced course online, but you can also complete your credit hours by attending an in-person class or even a scheduled online webinar.

Self-paced Course

The most common method of continuing education today. These CE courses allow you to log in to an online platform any time of day to complete your credit hours. Most of these courses are a mixture of video and text combined with a knowledge exam at the end. Some platforms even allow you to take the course from your phone, which could be useful if you’re short on computer time.

In-person Class

This is how continuing education courses all began. Join your fellow insurance license holders for a live class taught by an industry professional. You may be able to find a “school” that provides all of your state’s required credits in a few full-day classes, or you might also take some shorter sessions to fill part of your requirements.

Scheduled Online Webinar

This is essentially the same as an in-person class, except you don’t have to travel away from your home or office. You will be taught by an instructor who will deliver the lesson at a specified time. Many webinars even allow you to interact with the instructor if you have specific questions.

Recommended Course

For Michigan insurance CE courses and credits, StateRequirement recommends:

4.7 out of 5 starsKaplan Education Company

Tip: Most courses certify completion by taking either a knowledge exam at the end or by counting attendance to all of the scheduled classes. If you want to save time, it’s best to go with a self-paced course. If you want no exam, try an in-person class or an online webinar.

Michigan Insurance Continuing Education Requirements

The Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) requires that all insurance producers and agents complete their continuing education requirements before their expiration date. In Michigan, these requirements include:

  • Twenty-four (24) total hours of Michigan insurance continuing education every renewal period, which is two (2) years
  • Three (3) of those hours must be in the subject of ethics

Note

If you have a producer license in more than one line of authority (ex. Property & Casualty and Life & Health), you do not need to take double hours. Your total amount of CE credit hours due is still twenty-four (24).

Once you completed the insurance CE course, your CE course provider will send a certificate of completion to the Michigan DIFS. Make sure to keep a printed copy of your certificate for your records.

Tip

It is recommended to complete all continuing education credits 30 days prior to the expiration date of the license. This will give the CE provider time to report the successful completion to the department of insurance. Your CE courses can be taken at any time within your license term.

Michigan Insurance License Renewal

Although you don’t have to renew most licenses in Michigan, you have to keep your continuing education credits current every two years. You must complete the credits by the first day of your birth month at the end of the two-year cycle.

The education provider will report your course completion to the Michigan DIFS. There is no fee to renew your license as long as you meet your CE credits updated every two years.

Congratulations!

You’ve taken the steps you need to take and now your insurance license is good for another two years!

What Happens If My Insurance License Expires In Michigan?

In Michigan, the Michigan DIFS requires all insurance producers to complete CE requirements every two years. If you do not comply with the CE requirements, you won’t be able to reinstate, renew or obtain appointments. An appointment is a registration with a state insurance department that you are acting on behalf of an insurer or insurance company.

You must complete your CE credit hours within 90 days. If not, you must reinstate your license within one year of your CE review date by completing the 24 hours of CE credits, submitting your license application via NIPR, and paying the applicable fees.

You can request an extension of your CE hours if you:

  • have terminal illness or medical disability
  • are a military on active duty or deployment

To apply for a CE waiver or extension, you must submit a letter of request before your CE requirement due date. Send the letter via mail or fax to:

Michigan DIFS Insurance Licensing Section 
Continuing Education Waiver Request
P.O. Box 30220
Lansing, MI 48909
Fax: (517) 284-8836

Michigan Insurance License Lookup

You can look up the status of your Michigan insurance CE credits and Michigan insurance license renewal by using these resources:

Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services Contact Information

Mailing Address:
Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services
P.O. Box 30220
Lansing, MI 48909-7720


Physical Address:
Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services
530 W. Allegan Street, 7th Floor
Lansing, MI 48933

Phone: (512) 676-6500

EmailDIFS-Licensing@michigan.gov

Websitehttps://www.michigan.gov/difs/

Michigan Insurance License Renewal FAQ

How often do I need to renew my Michigan insurance license?

In Michigan, the expiration date or renewal date is most often based on the requirement to complete continuing education (CE) hours every two years. You must renew by this date and meet your CE hours.

How much does it cost to renew my Michigan insurance license?

Michigan doesn’t require license renewals. You will only need to pay for the CE provider cost. Check on Michigan’s requirements to learn more about the costs you can expect to renew your insurance license.

What are the continuing education requirements for Michigan in renewing my insurance license?

You should check with the Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services (DIFS) to determine how many hours you need and if there are restrictions on what kind of CE will be accepted. Continuing education topics include insurance policies, ethics, insurance law, and more. Some topics apply to all insurance agents, such as claims and tax updates. Other classes will be geared toward specific lines, such as property and casualty or life and health. See above to find out more about Michigan Insurance CE courses and requirements.

How do I document the completion of my continuing education courses?

Sending in course completion paperwork to the state is typically the responsibility of the course provider. As the individual taking the course, you will not need to send in documentation. If you want to check your continuing education progress and make sure that all completed courses are in your state file, you can use your state’s online system to look up license information, including continuing education completion.

What is NPN for an insurance agent?

You will need your National Producer Number, or NPN, to renew your insurance license. This number is assigned to each individual working in insurance when they are first licensed. If you are unsure of your NPN, you can look it up on the National Insurance Producer Registry using your license number or social security number.

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