Education Center - April 2024

Late CE Compliance and What it Means to You

A licensee’s CE is due every two years during their birth month. But what happens if you fail to complete the required CE hours on or before the deadline? There are basically two options to remedy this situation. One can qualify for an extension by establishing good cause for missing the deadline (s. 69B-228.230, F.A.C.). Examples of good cause include a disabling accident, illness, death of a family member, etc. If applicable, a licensee can fill out and return a CE extension request form and include supporting documentation for the Department to review.

If an extension is not applicable, licensees can enter into a Settlement Stipulation Agreement for Consent Order (Order) with the Department. The Order is included with the Preliminary Notice of CE Non-Compliance, which is sent directly to a licensee’s MyProfile account approximately 45 days after the CE due date. The Department does not email licensees about CE compliance and all DFS correspondence is sent directly to the MyProfile account. Entering into the agreement will give the licensee 60 days to complete any deficient CE and 30 days to pay a $250 fine. Meeting these conditions will maintain a licensee’s CE compliance status and preserve any active appointments they have.

If a licensee does not qualify for an extension or enter into the Settlement Stipulation Agreement for Consent Order, the CE cycle will go into ‘default’ approximately 90 days after the due date. This action terminates all active appointments the licensee had, which will prevent them from doing business and receiving commissions. It is then the responsibility of the licensee to get themselves back into a CE- compliant status, and they will again be able to obtain appointments.

Unfortunately, lost appointments are not automatically reinstated. The licensee must contact each appointing entity (usually an insurance company) and request reinstatement of the appointment appointment reinstated. This process can become costly to a licensee. If an appointment was cancelled for CE noncompliance, the appointing entity can make the licensee pay for the appointment fee of $60 and the $25 reinstatement fee. Some licensees have dozens of appointments. If each carrier requires the licensee to pay the reinstatement fees, the total cost could be hundreds or even thousands of dollars. This is why it is so important to make sure you are compliant with your CE by completing all required hours before the due date.

The Education Team is always ready and willing to answer questions and offering assistance with this, and all education related inquires. Please contact our unit at Education@myfloridacfo.com with any questions you may have.