Continuing Education

For each licence year, or portion thereof:

• If you have an approved designation* you must have 4 qualified hours of continuing education; OR
• If you have been licensed as a general insurance agent or salesperson for at least 5 of the last 7 years in a Canadian jurisdiction, and you do not have an approved designation, you must have 6 qualified hours of continuing education; OR
• If you have not been licensed as a general insurance agent or salesperson agent for at least 5 of the last 7 years in a Canadian jurisdiction and you do not have an approved designation, you must have 8 qualified hours of continuing education.

*Approved Designations: CAIB, CIB, CIP (formerly AIIC), CCIB, FCIP, CRM. Designations from other countries will be considered where it is demonstrated to Council they are equivalent to one of the approved Canadian designations.

Content

For salespersons and agent level 2 licensees, the only qualifying insurance continuing education is technical material* directly related to:

• General insurance products.
• Compliance with insurance legislation and licensee requirements such as Council Rules, Council's Code of Conduct, the Insurance Act, and privacy legislation.
• Ethics.
• Errors and Omissions.

*For level 3 licensees, “technical material” is broadened to include courses relating to management, accounting, and human resources.

Council Rules Course

All individuals (BC residents and non-residents) who obtain an insurance licence in British Columbia are required to complete the Council Rules Course during their first licence period, except those that qualified for their insurance licence under the Reactivation Provision in Council Rule 2(19).

Please note, effective March 1, 2019 the Council Rules Course will become a pre-licensing requirement for new licensees, except those that qualified for their insurance licence under the Reactivation Provision in Council Rule 2(19). 

See the full Council Rules Course requirements.

Structure

The education must take place in a structure dedicated to learning. Separate training meetings for the purposes of reviewing the details of a specific product line may qualify, but:

• Day-to-day business or professional reading does not qualify.
• Regular staff meetings that cover a myriad of topics do not qualify.

Time

One hour of instruction is equal to 1 hour of CE (Insurance Continuing Education) credit. Breaks are excluded, and you must attend the complete course or seminar. In addition:

• No course can be accredited for more than 8 hours.
• There is a daily maximum of 7 hours.
• Where a course involves an exam, you must successfully pass the exam.

Carry Forward

Excess credits cannot be carried over into the next annual licence period.

Required Hours

For each licence year, or portion thereof:

• If you have an approved designation* you must have 5 technical hours of continuing education; OR
• If you have been licensed as a life insurance agent for at least 5 of the last 7 years in a Canadian jurisdiction, and you do not have an approved designation, you must have 10 technical hours of continuing education; OR
• If you have not been licensed as a life insurance agent for at least 5 of the last 7 years in a Canadian jurisdiction and you do not have an approved designation, you must have 15 technical hours of continuing education.

*Approved Designations: CFP, CLU, RHU, FCIA, FLMI, CEBS.** Designations from other countries will be considered where it is demonstrated to Council they are equivalent to one of the approved Canadian designations.

**NOTE: Some designations (CLU, FCIA and CFP) require the holder to keep the designation in good standing by completing continuing education each year. If you hold such a designation and can demonstrate to Council your designation is in good standing, you are “exempt” from Council’s continuing education requirements.

Content

For life insurance, the only qualifying continuing education is technical material directly related to:

• Life insurance products.
• Financial planning, provided the education is geared to life insurance and not a non-insurance sector, such as securities or mutual funds.
• Compliance with insurance legislation and requirements such as Council Rules, Council's Code of Conduct, the Insurance Act, privacy legislation, and anti-terrorism/money laundering legislation.
• Ethics.
• Errors and Omissions.

Council Rules Course

All individuals (BC residents and non-residents) who obtain an insurance licence in British Columbia are required, to complete the Council Rules Course during their first licence period, except those that qualified for their insurance licence under the Reactivation Provision in Council Rule 2(19).

Please note, effective March 1, 2019 the Council Rules Course will become a pre-licensing requirement for new licensees, except those that qualified for their insurance licence under the Reactivation Provision in Council Rule 2(19). 

See the full Council Rules Course requirements

Structure

The education must take place in a structure dedicated to learning. Separate training meetings for the purposes of reviewing the details of a specific product line may qualify, but:

• Day-to-day business or professional reading does not qualify.
• Regular staff meetings that cover a myriad of topics do not qualify.

Time

One hour of instruction is equal to 1 hour of CE (Insurance Continuing Education) credit. Breaks are excluded, and you must attend the complete course or seminar. In addition:

• No course can be accredited for more than 15 hours.
• There is a daily maximum of 7 hours.
• Where a course involves an exam, you must successfully pass the exam.

Carry Forward

Excess credits cannot be carried over into the next annual licence period.

Required Hours

For each licence year, or portion thereof:

• If you have an approved designation* you must have 4 qualified hours of continuing education; OR
• If you have been licensed as an adjuster for at least 5 of the last 7 years in a Canadian jurisdiction, and you do not have an approved designation you must have 6 qualified hours of continuing education; OR
• If you have not been licensed as an adjuster for at least 5 of the last 7 years in a Canadian jurisdiction and you do not have an approved designation you must have 8 qualified hours of continuing education.

*Approved Designations: CAIB, CIB, CIP (formerly AIIC), CCIB, FCIP, CRM. Designations from other countries will be considered where it is demonstrated to Council they are equivalent to one of the approved Canadian designations.
 

Content

For level 1 and level 2 licensees, the only qualifying insurance continuing education is technical material* directly related to:

• General insurance products.
• Compliance with insurance legislation and licensee requirements such as Council Rules, Council's Code of Conduct, the Insurance Act, and privacy legislation.
• Ethics.
• Errors and Omissions.

*For level 3 licensees, “technical material” is broadened to include courses relating to management, accounting, and human resources.
 

Council Rules Course

All individuals (BC residents and non-residents) who obtain an insurance licence in British Columbia are required to complete the Council Rules Course during their first licence period, except those that qualified for their insurance licence under the Reactivation Provision in Council Rule 2(19).

Please note, effective March 1, 2019 the Council Rules Course will become a pre-licensing requirement for new licensees, except those that qualified for their insurance licence under the Reactivation Provision in Council Rule 2(19). 

See the full Council Rules Course requirements

Structure

The education must take place in a structure dedicated to learning. Separate training meetings for the purposes of reviewing the details of a specific product line may qualify, but:

• Day-to-day business or professional reading does not qualify.
• Regular staff meetings that cover a myriad of topics do not qualify.

Time

One hour of instruction is equal to 1 hour of CE (Insurance Continuing Education) credit. Breaks are excluded, and you must attend the complete course or seminar. In addition:

• No course can be accredited for more than 8 hours.
• There is a daily maximum of 7 hours.
• Where a course involves an exam, you must successfully pass the exam.

Carry Forward

Excess credits cannot be carried over into the next annual licence period.

Required Hours

For each licence year, or portion thereof:

• If you have an approved designation* you must have 5 technical hours of continuing education; OR
• If you have been licensed as an Accident and Sickness agent for at least 5 of the last 7 years in a Canadian jurisdiction, and you do not have an approved designation, you must have 10 technical hours of continuing education; OR
• If you have not been licensed as an Accident and Sickness agent for at least 5 of the last 7 years in a Canadian jurisdiction and you do not have an approved designation, you must have 15 technical hours of continuing education.

*Approved Designations: CFP, CLU, RHU, FCIA, FLMI, CEBS.** Designations from other countries will be considered where it is demonstrated to Council they are equivalent to one of the approved Canadian designations.

**NOTE: Some designations (CLU, FCIA and CFP) require the holder to keep the designation in good standing by completing continuing education each year. If you hold such a designation and can demonstrate to Council your designation is in good standing, you are “exempt” from Council’s continuing education requirements.

Content

For Accident and Sickness insurance, the only qualifying continuing education is technical material directly related to:

• Accident and Sickness insurance products.
• Compliance with insurance legislation and licensee requirements such as Council Rules, Council's Code of Conduct, the Insurance Act, and privacy legislation.
• Ethics.
• Errors and Omissions.

Council Rules Course

All individuals (BC residents and non-residents) who obtain an insurance licence in British Columbia are required to complete the Council Rules Course during their first licence period, except those that qualified for their insurance licence under the Reactivation Provision in Council Rule 2(19).

Please note, effective March 1, 2019 the Council Rules Course will become a pre-licensing requirement for new licensees, except those that qualified for their insurance licence under the Reactivation Provision in Council Rule 2(19). 

See the full Council Rules Course requirements

Structure

The education must take place in a structure dedicated to learning. Separate training meetings for the purposes of reviewing the details of a specific product line may qualify, but:

• Day-to-day business or professional reading does not qualify.
• Regular staff meetings that cover a myriad of topics do not qualify.

Time

One hour of instruction is equal to 1 hour of CE (Insurance Continuing Education) credit. Breaks are excluded, and you must attend the complete course or seminar. In addition:

• No course can be accredited for more than 15 hours.
• There is a daily maximum of 7 hours.
• Where a course involves an exam, you must successfully pass the exam.

Carry Forward

Excess credits cannot be carried over into the next annual licence period.

Required Hours

• Exempt employees and commissioned salespersons of restricted travel agencies and licensed sole-proprietors must complete a minimum of 2 hours of continuing education each calendar year.
• Individuals who commence work as a restricted travel insurance agent after July 1 in a calendar year will only be required to complete 1 hour of continuing education in that calendar year.

Content

Credits are granted for courses where the licensee’s travel insurance knowledge is improved, including courses that enhance expertise in a particular insurance product line.
 

Council Rules Course

Travel insurance licensees are not currently required to take the Council Rules Course, though Council encourages them to do so.

See the full Council Rules Course requirements

Structure

The education must take place in a structure dedicated to learning. Separate training meetings for the purposes of reviewing the details of a specific product line may qualify, but:

• Day-to-day business or professional reading does not qualify.
• Regular staff meetings that cover a myriad of topics do not qualify.

Carry Forward

Excess credits cannot be carried over into the next annual licence period. Two credits must be obtained each calendar year.

Required Hours

• A motor vehicle dealer's licensed representatives must obtain both initial and ongoing education.

•  The training must be augmented annually with a minimum of one hour of continuing education on each product the Dealership is authorized to sell.
   

Content 

• The training must be adequate and include basic knowledge regarding the proper practice of insurance and an understanding of the difference between fees and premiums.
• The Supervising Agent is responsible for ensuring that a motor vehicle dealer’s licensed representatives receive training on each insurance product they are authorized to sell. 

Council Rules Course 

All individuals (BC residents and non-residents) who obtain an insurance licence in British Columbia are required to complete the Council Rules Course during their first licence period, except those that qualified for their insurance licence under the Reactivation Provision in Council Rule 2(19).

Please note, effective March 1, 2019 the Council Rules Course will become a pre-licensing requirement for new licensees, except those that qualified for their insurance licence under the Reactivation Provision in Council Rule 2(19). 

See the full Council Rules Course requirements

Carry Forward

Excess credits cannot be carried over into the next annual licence period.