General Insurance Continuing Education Requirements and Definitions for BC
1. Number of Hours Required:
- 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; ORif 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 and CRM. Designations from other countries will be considered where it is demonstrated to Council they are equivalent to one of the approved Canadian designations.
2. Content:
For salespersons and agent level 2 licensees, only technical material will qualify for continuing education. Technical education directly relates to:
- general insurance products;
- compliance with insurance legislation and requirements such Council’s Code of Conduct, Council Rules, the Insurance Act and privacy legislation;
- ethics; or
- E&O
ILScorp courses that qualify as technical CE will show the following:
Credit Type: General/Adjuster – Technical
Accrediting Provinces:
For level 3 licensees, the above definition is broadened to include courses relating to management, accounting and human resources.
ILScorp courses that qualify as CE for Level 3 Licensees will show the following:
Credit Type: General/Adjuster – Professional
Accrediting Provinces:
3. Council Rules Course:
All licensees who obtain their insurance license in British Columbia on or after March 1, 2016 must successfully complete the Council Rules Course before their first annual filing. The Council Rules Course is available from the Insurance Brokers Association of British Columbia. This requirement applies to both resident and non-resident licensees. Failure to successfully complete the Council Rules Course will result in a licensee not being in compliance with Council’s continuing education requirements and the licensee will not be eligible to make his or her first annual filing. For more details on this requirement read Council Notice ICN 16-001 at Publications, then select Notices.
4. Structure:
The education must take place in a structure dedicated to learning. Day-to-day business or professional reading does not qualify. However, a separate training meeting for the purposes of reviewing the details of a specific product line may qualify, but regular staff meetings that cover a myriad of topics do not.
5. Facilitator:
The facilitator is expected to be fully qualified. You can usually verify this through course or promotional materials.
6. Time:
One hour of instruction is equal to one hour of continuing education credit, subject to a one hour minimum. 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; and where a course involves an exam, you must successfully pass the exam.
7. Carry Forward
Commencing 01JUN2008, excess credits cannot be carried over into the next license period.
Hi there
I am interested in taking the online course to be able to sell insurance in British Columbia. What course do i take?
Hi Maryem, to sell insurance in British Columbia, you need to obtain your Level 1 General Insurance License.
The course you need to take is the ILS Level 1 General or Adjuster Level 1 Licensing Program, and you will study the General Path.
You can find more information on getting started in the insurance industry here. https://www.ilscorp.com/blog/ils-level-1-general-insurance-licensing-program/
Please contact us and our customer service reps will be happy to answer any other questions you may have.
I wish you success!
Dana