Vermont

Department of Financial Regulation

Continuing Education Producer Information
Administrative Services Provided by Prometric
Contact Prometric for Vermont CE Information
Phone: 800.532.2199
Web Site: www.prometric.com
Email: Pro.ce-services@prometric.com

Fact Sheet

Introduction
This Fact Sheet with FAQ's provides information about the Vermont Department of Financial Regulation continuing education (CE) program for insurance producers. If you have questions about the program, please contact Prometric at 800.532.2199 for assistance.

Background
Vermont law and Regulation 2000-02-I, Continuing Education Requirements for Insurance Producers, require an insurance producer licensed in Vermont to satisfy a continuing education requirement in order to maintain a license. This document will give you a complete description of Vermont's CE requirement and what you must do to satisfy it. Failure to complete your CE requirement can result in the nonrenewal or suspension of your license. A copy of Regulation 2000-02-I can be obtained from the Department's Web site at http://www.bishca.state.vt.us/home

Description of the Parties Involved with CE

Insurance Department.
The Vermont Department of Financial Regulation (the Department) has the authority and responsibility for administering the CE program to ensure you satisfy all statutory and regulatory provisions. The Department is authorized to contract with an outside vendor to administer its continuing education program.

Prometric.
The Department selected Prometric as its outside vendor to administer CE requirements. These requirements include reviewing provider and course applications and providing program information for producers.

Prometric serves as the first point of contact for producer compliance requirements. You should make inquiries and requests to Prometric. You may contact Prometric by phone: 800.532.2199 or fax: 800.735.7977. You may also send e-mail to Prometric at Pro.ce-services@prometric.com. You can see program information at www.prometric.com.

Providers.
Providers supply the CE courses you will be completing. Providers may be any one of a number of entities, such as a training school, college or university, producer or other professional association/organization, or an insurance company or agency. Providers apply for registration and approval to offer courses. Providers determine whether the course will be self-study or classroom presentation. It is important for you to 1) confirm with the provider that they are registered to provide CE in Vermont, 2) confirm with the provider that the course has been approved for Vermont CE credit, 3) confirm the number of credits for which the course is approved and 4) confirm with the provider the credit categories of the approved course.

Approved Courses
Only courses Prometric has reviewed and approved for CE credit will be counted toward Vermont CE requirements. If you wish to receive an updated list of courses approved for Vermont CE, go to Prometric's Web site at www.prometric.com. Generally, courses taught and/or completed before being approved for Vermont CE will not be eligible for CE credit. Courses approved in other states will not apply to your Vermont requirement unless the same course was approved for Vermont when you took the course. You should confirm with your provider or with Prometric that the course is approved for Vermont CE before registering for the course.

Course Completion
Course Providers are required to provide you with a course completion certificate within 20 days of your successful completion of an approved course. A course completion certificate is your proof of completion of the required courses. It is your responsibility to acquire, retain and safeguard them for the current and preceding CE review periods. The Department has the right to request your course completion certificates to verify your attendance and successful completion of approved CE courses.

Nonresident Licensure
A nonresident Vermont producer is deemed to have satisfied the CE requirement if they are in good standing in their state of residence.

Vermont Resident Producers Licensed in Other States
Resident producers who need to show compliance with Vermont CE requirements for nonresident licensing will be able to demonstrate CE compliance to other states or districts by the same means currently used to confirm licensure.

Consequences of Failing to Meet Your CE Requirement
Your license will not be renewed if:

If your license is non-renewed for failure to complete your CE requirement, you must submit a new NAIC Uniform application, a $30.00 application fee and a $30.00 license fee. You will also need to attach copies of your CE compliance certificates from the previous CE period. Since company appointments held under the previous license would have been terminated, the producer must make a request to the appointing company to apply for new appointments as well.

1. When does the CE review period begin and end?

The license term is April 1st to March 31st of odd years.  The Department will send out renewal notices for existing licensees at the beginning of the odd year. Note, license fees are not prorated and the license term is fixed, regardless of time of application.

2. Who is required to comply with the CE requirement?

Generally, all producers who were licensed at the beginning (April 1) of the review period must satisfy the CE requirement. The CE requirement does not apply, however, to a producer until after the first renewal or first eligibility for renewal of his or her license. In addition, limited line representatives/agents, including title insurance, travel accident and travel baggage insurance, are not subject to the CE requirement.

3. Do the current lines on my license determine which courses I must take?

No. Credits do not apply to specific lines of insurance.

4. How many credit hours must I earn?

Resident producers licensed as of April 1, 2009, must earn a minimum of 24 CE credit hours each review period. Of this total, a maximum of six credit hours can relate to insurance agency management in one review period. Any producer licensed for property and casualty have a one-time requirement to take a three hour course on the National Flood Insurance program. All producers must complete at least three credit hours from courses categorized as Ethics. Flood and Ethics credit hours are included in the Producers 24 total credits hours and not in addition to.

5. When must I comply with the state's CE requirement for this review period?

All producers should have completed their CE requirement by March 31, 2011, however this requirement does not apply to a producer until after the first renewal or eligibility for Renewal of his or her license. So for example, if a producer is newly licensed effective October 1, 2008 they would not have to satisfy the CE requirement until March 31, 2011.

6. May I receive an extension to complete CE requirements?

For good cause shown, the Commissioner may grant an extension of up to six months. In order to request an extension, you must submit a "Request for Extension” form (attached) to the Department by March 31, 2009. The Department must receive all "Request for Extension” forms by the close of business on March 31, 2009. The extension does not reduce the credit requirement for the following review period. If a producer is not CE compliant at the end of the extension, Vermont law requires the Commissioner to suspend the producer's license.

7. How do I find which courses are approved for Vermont CE credit?

A list of approved courses open to the public is available by going to Prometric's Website at www.prometric.com.

8. If I earn more than the required number of credits this review period, may I use the extra credits in the next review period?

No. You may not carry credits over from one review period to the next.

9. May I receive credit for taking the same course twice in the same review period?

No, not if you have already received credit for the course during the review period. However, you may retake the course in the next review period and receive credit. Students attending classroom courses to prepare for a professional designation may receive classroom credit hours or credit for passing the exam, but not both. (Classroom credits are applied to the review period in which the course is completed. Self-study credits are applied to the review period in which the examination is passed).

10. Is a separate CE requirement imposed for each line of authority I am licensed in?

No. The (24) credit requirement applies to all producers regardless of their lines of insurance.

11. May I earn credit for teaching an approved CE course?

Yes. Instructors of approved CE courses will earn the same number of credit hours for instructing as the students receive for successfully completing the course. Credit for teaching is subject to the rules regarding duplicate courses within the same licensing period as outlined in the answer to question 9.

12. Am I required to report my CE credit hours?

No, the provider who offers the course will report the producers credit hours through Compliance Express. However, a producer shall maintain a record of credit hours for the current and most recently completed licensing periods by retaining the original course completion certificates, and must be prepared to demonstrate compliance with continuing education requirements at the commencement of the license renewal process.

13. How will I know when I have earned enough credits to reach compliance?

Each course completion certificate will indicate the credit hours received for that course. The producer must accumulate a total of 24 credit hours in order to be in compliance with their continuing education requirement. Each producer is responsible for tracking his/her own CE credit hours. A producer can check their CE credits on the Sircon Web site: www.sircon.com.

14. Who should I notify if my address changes? The Department or Prometric?

Send all address changes to the Department. Prometric does not process address changes. You must inform the Department in writing within 30 days of a change in your mailing, residential or business addresses.

15. What happens if I fail to satisfy the CE credit requirement by the end of the review period?

If you have not satisfied the CE requirements by March 31, 2011 and have not received an extension, the Department will not renew your insurance producer license. If you received an extension and did not satisfy the CE requirement by the end of the extension period, the Department will suspend your license. Be aware that if the Department suspends or does not renew your license for failure to satisfy Vermont CE requirements:

• You must complete the CE requirement for the period in which you are deficient and
• Completing the CE requirement for a prior period does not reduce the CE requirements for a new review period.

16. If I request an extension, how are excess credits earned during the extension handled?

If you are granted an extension from the Department to complete your CE requirement, the Department will not split course credits for a course completed during that extension period. Credits may not be carried over from one review period to the next.

Grievance and Appeals Process
If you feel any decision by the Prometric relating to CE has been unfair or incorrect, you may appeal the decision. Your first action is to send a letter to Prometric describing your complaint and the relief you are seeking. Include your full name, residential address, and daytime telephone number. Prometric will attempt to resolve the issue through written or phone communication. Prometric's address is:Prometric, Attn: Vermont CE, 1260 Energy Lane St. Paul, MN 55108  

If you are dissatisfied with Prometric's response, you may appeal directly to the Department. Again, your appeal should be in the form of a letter describing the problem and your desired solution, including the personal information described above. Contact the Department through the following address: Vermont Department of Financial Regulation, Licensing Section – CE, 89 Main Street, Drawer 20, Montpelier, VT 05620-3101