Delaware Insurance CE Requirements for Agents

Delaware's continuing education requirements for Property and Casualty (P&C) insurance producers are regulated by the Delaware Department of Insurance (DOI). Every resident P&C producer must complete CE to keep their license active and current with state regulations, ethical standards, and evolving industry practices. Delaware enforces these requirements on a uniform statewide deadline — all producers renew on the same date — and failing to meet that deadline triggers escalating late fees, loss of carrier appointments, and eventually the need to relicense from scratch.

TLDR: Delaware P&C producers must complete 24 hours of CE every 2 years, including 3 hours of ethics, 3 hours of Long-Term Care, and 2 hours of flood insurance. All licenses expire February 28 of even-numbered years. Late renewal is possible with escalating fees up to 12 months past expiration.

Who Needs CE in Delaware

All resident Delaware insurance producers holding an active P&C license must complete 24 hours of continuing education each biennial license term. This applies to individual producers holding Property, Casualty, Personal Lines, or any combination of these lines of authority. Business entity licenses must also be renewed, though the CE obligation falls on the individual producers, not the entity itself.

Resident adjusters and fraternal producers have a reduced requirement: 12 hours of CE per two-year period, with 3 of those hours in ethics. If you hold both a producer and adjuster license, we recommend confirming with the DOI whether your hours can satisfy both obligations simultaneously.

Delaware offers an experience-based credit for long-tenured producers. Producers who have been continuously licensed for 25 or more years — or who hold approved professional designations such as CLU, CPCU, or equivalent credentials with annual education requirements — receive an automatic credit of 12 hours per renewal period. This credit reduces your active CE obligation to 12 hours but does not apply to the ethics requirement. You must still complete 3 hours of ethics regardless of tenure or designations.

Non-resident producers who maintain compliance with their home state's CE requirements are generally exempt from Delaware's CE obligations, provided their home state has a reciprocity agreement with Delaware.

How CE Hours Break Down

The total requirement is 24 hours of approved continuing education per two-year license term. Delaware is notable for mandating specific specialty topics within that total:

• Ethics (3 hours required): Every producer must complete 3 hours of ethics CE each renewal cycle. Excess ethics hours count as general credit — they do not carry forward as ethics.

• Long-Term Care (3 hours required): Three of the 24 hours must cover Long-Term Care (LTC) product knowledge, laws, rules, and regulations. This is a recurring requirement, not a one-time course. LTC hours that exceed the minimum count as general credit.

• Flood Insurance (2 hours required): Delaware requires a 2-hour CE course covering flood insurance and the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). This requirement is part of the 24-hour total — not an additional obligation. Given that much of Delaware lies in flood-prone coastal and riverine zones, this specialty requirement is directly relevant to most P&C producers in the state.

• General / Elective Hours (16 hours): After meeting the ethics, LTC, and flood requirements, the remaining 16 hours may come from any approved courses relevant to your lines of authority.

• Carryover Credits: A maximum of 5 excess hours may be carried forward to the next renewal period. Excess ethics or specialty training hours carry forward as general credit only. Courses may not be repeated within the same reporting period for credit.

Renewal Timeline and Deadlines

Unlike most states that tie renewal to your birth month, Delaware uses a uniform renewal deadline: February 28 (or 29) of even-numbered years. Every resident producer license in the state expires on the same date. The next renewal deadline is February 28, 2026, followed by February 28, 2028.

We strongly recommend completing all CE hours at least 30 days before the February 28 deadline. CE providers need time to report completed hours to the DOI, and any delay could leave your record showing noncompliance even if you finished the coursework. With every producer in the state renewing on the same date, provider reporting systems can be under heavy load in late January and February.

Delaware does allow late renewal, but with escalating fees. Here is the penalty structure:

• March 1 through August 31 of the renewal year: You can late-renew by paying the $100 renewal fee plus a $225 late fee, for a total of $325. You must also complete all outstanding CE.
• September 1 of the renewal year through February 28 of the following odd year: An additional $200 late CE fee applies on top of the late renewal fee.
• 6 to 12 months past expiration: Reinstatement is possible with additional administrative fees totaling up to $400.
• Beyond 12 months: You must reapply as a new applicant, which may include retaking the licensing exam.

During any lapse, you cannot legally transact insurance, and all carrier appointments are terminated.

Approved CE Providers

Delaware requires all CE courses to be offered through providers approved by the DOI. You can verify approved courses and providers through the DOI's Producer Licensing page or through the NAIC State Based Systems (SBS) course lookup.

Both classroom and online (self-study) courses are accepted in Delaware. There is no minimum classroom requirement — you can complete all 24 hours through online self-study courses. Online courses are self-paced and typically require passing a final exam to receive credit. Classroom courses require full attendance.

When selecting a provider, verify that courses are approved for your specific line of authority and that the provider will report completions to the Delaware DOI. Most major national CE providers — including Kaplan, WebCE, ExamFX, and Cape School — offer Delaware-approved courses. We recommend keeping certificates of completion as backup, especially given the high volume of renewals processed around the February deadline.

Common Mistakes Agents Make

1. Forgetting the flood insurance requirement. Delaware is one of a handful of states that mandate a specific flood insurance course within the CE total. Agents who complete 24 hours of general courses without a 2-hour flood component will be short on this requirement — even if their total hours exceed 24.

2. Overlooking the Long-Term Care requirement. Similar to the flood mandate, the 3-hour LTC requirement catches producers off guard if they only purchase generic CE packages. Check that your course lineup includes an approved LTC course before assuming you are covered.

3. Waiting until February to start. Because every Delaware producer renews on the same date, CE providers and the DOI's reporting systems are busiest in January and February. If you wait until the last two weeks of February and a reporting delay occurs, the DOI will see you as noncompliant. Start your CE in the fall or early winter of the year before renewal.

4. Relying on the experience credit without checking eligibility. The 12-hour automatic credit for producers with 25+ years of continuous licensure or approved designations is valuable, but agents sometimes assume they qualify without confirming with the DOI. If you are not officially credited, you will be held to the full 24-hour standard.

5. Repeating courses from the same reporting period. Delaware does not allow credit for repeating a course within the same two-year term. If you take the same ethics course twice, the second completion will not count. Choose distinct courses each cycle.

How Delaware Compares to Other States

Delaware's 24-hour biennial CE requirement matches the national average. Its 3-hour ethics requirement is also standard — identical to California, Rhode Island, and North Dakota. Where Delaware differs is in its specialty topic mandates: the combined 3-hour LTC and 2-hour flood requirements are more prescriptive than most states, which typically let producers choose their own elective topics after meeting ethics minimums.

Delaware's uniform February renewal date is unusual. Most states tie renewal to the producer's birth month, which spreads the administrative load across the year. Delaware's single-date approach creates a predictable deadline but also concentrates the rush, making early completion even more important.

The state's escalating late fee structure is more forgiving than California (which offers no grace period) but less generous than Texas (which allows 90 days with a flat fine). Delaware's 12-month outer window for reinstatement gives agents a reasonable — though expensive — path back to active status. Neighboring states like Maryland require 24 hours biennially with 3 hours of ethics, making the Mid-Atlantic region relatively consistent in its CE expectations.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I complete all my CE hours online in Delaware?

Yes. Delaware allows producers to complete all 24 hours of CE through online self-study courses, as long as the courses are approved by the DOI. There is no minimum classroom or webinar requirement. Online courses are self-paced and typically require a final exam. We recommend completing online courses at least 30 days before the February 28 deadline to allow for provider reporting time, especially given the high volume of renewals processed in February.

What happens if I don't complete CE by February 28 in Delaware?

Delaware allows late renewal with escalating fees. For the first six months (March through August), you can renew by paying the standard $100 renewal fee plus a $225 late fee. Fees increase further from September through the following February. After 12 months past expiration, you must reapply as a new applicant, which may require retaking the licensing exam. During any lapse period, your license is inactive, all carrier appointments are terminated, and you cannot legally sell or service insurance.

Do CE hours from other states transfer to Delaware?

Delaware does not automatically accept CE hours earned in other states unless the course is also approved by the Delaware DOI. However, non-resident producers who maintain compliance with their home state's CE requirements are generally exempt from Delaware CE obligations, provided their home state has reciprocity. If you are a resident producer who took a course in another state, check whether it carries Delaware DOI approval before counting it toward your 24-hour requirement.

How do I verify my CE hours with the Delaware DOI?

You can check your CE completion status through the Delaware DOI Producer Licensing page or through the NAIC SBS system. CE providers are required to report completed hours to the DOI, but we recommend verifying your record at least 30 days before the February 28 deadline. If you see a discrepancy, contact your CE provider first. If the issue is not resolved, reach out to the Delaware DOI directly. Always keep your certificates of completion as backup documentation for E&O protection.