South Dakota Insurance CE Requirements for Agents
South Dakota's continuing education requirements for Property and Casualty (P&C) insurance producers are regulated by the Division of Insurance within the South Dakota Department of Labor and Regulation (DLR). Every resident P&C producer must complete CE to keep their license active, stay current on state regulations, and maintain competency across their lines of authority. South Dakota takes a no-nonsense approach to enforcement — there is no grace period, and if your CE is incomplete when your license expires, your license lapses and all carrier appointments are terminated immediately.
TLDR: South Dakota P&C producers must complete 10 hours of CE every 2 years (or 20 hours if holding both P&C and Life/Health). There is no standalone ethics hour requirement. Licenses expire on the last day of your birth month biennially. There is no grace period — miss the deadline and your license lapses.
| Requirement | South Dakota |
|---|---|
| Total CE Hours | undefined hours |
| Ethics Hours Required | undefined hours |
| Renewal Cycle | 2 years |
| Renewal Deadline | Birth month, every 2 years |
| State DOI Website | South Dakota Department of Insurance |
Who Needs CE in South Dakota
All resident South Dakota insurance producers with an active license must complete continuing education each biennial license term. The total hours depend on which lines of authority you hold:
- Property/Casualty only: 10 hours every 2 years
- Life/Health only: 10 hours every 2 years
- Both P&C and Life/Health: 20 hours every 2 years (with a minimum of 8 hours in each line)
- Crop only: 4 hours every 2 years
If you hold all three lines (P&C, Life/Health, and Crop), your total can reach 24 hours per cycle. The requirement is additive based on your lines of authority, so producers with broader licenses complete more hours.
South Dakota exempts limited license holders from CE requirements. This includes producers licensed only for credit life/health, travel accident, bail bonds, or surety bonds. Non-resident producers who maintain CE compliance in their home state are generally exempt from South Dakota's CE requirements, provided their home state has reciprocity.
Newly licensed resident producers have at least 24 months to complete their first full CE cycle. The Division of Insurance may provide additional time to coordinate with the producer's birth month renewal schedule.
How CE Hours Break Down
South Dakota's CE structure is simpler than many states. Here is how the hours are organized for a P&C producer:
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No standalone ethics requirement: Unlike most states, South Dakota does not mandate a specific number of ethics hours within your CE total. Ethics is listed as an acceptable CE topic, and we recommend including ethics courses in your lineup, but there is no state-imposed minimum. This makes South Dakota one of a small number of states without a dedicated ethics component.
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Line-specific minimums (dual-license holders): If you hold both P&C and Life/Health, your 20 total hours must include at least 8 hours specific to each line. The remaining 4 hours can be in either category.
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Annuity Best Interest Training (one-time, 4 hours): Before selling or soliciting annuity products, South Dakota requires a one-time 4-hour Annuity Best Interest Standard Training course. This counts toward your CE total in the cycle you complete it.
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Long-Term Care Training (initial 8 hours + ongoing 4 hours): Producers who sell Long-Term Care insurance must complete an initial 8-hour LTC course, followed by a 4-hour ongoing training course within each 2-year renewal period by the end of their birth month. As of January 1, 2025, the ongoing LTC training must be completed within your renewal cycle rather than by a fixed statewide date.
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Flood Insurance (3 hours): A 3-hour flood insurance course is available and counts toward your total, though it is not independently mandated.
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No carryover credits: South Dakota does not allow course repetition or carryover of excess credits from one compliance period to the next.
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Company-sponsored course limit: No more than 50% of your total CE credits may come from company-sponsored courses.
Renewal Timeline and Deadlines
South Dakota insurance licenses expire on the last day of your birth month, every two years. Your renewal cycle is determined by your year of birth, not the year you were initially licensed — the Division of Insurance assigns your biennial schedule accordingly.
We recommend completing all CE hours well in advance of your expiration date. CE providers are required to report course completions to the Division of Insurance within 10 days, and there is a $1.00 per credit hour reporting fee paid by providers. If you finish your courses in the final days of your birth month, reporting delays could leave your record incomplete at the time the Division processes renewals.
South Dakota does not offer a grace period. If your CE is incomplete when your license expires, your license lapses and all carrier appointments are terminated. You cannot transact insurance while your license is lapsed. Reinstatement will require completing your outstanding CE, paying any applicable fees, and reestablishing all carrier appointments individually.
The Division of Insurance does not send reminder notices before your expiration date. It is your responsibility to track your renewal date and ensure your CE is complete. We recommend setting calendar reminders at least 90 days before your birth month to begin your CE coursework.
Approved CE Providers
South Dakota requires all CE courses to be approved and filed with the Division of Insurance. You can search for approved courses and providers through the NAIC State Based Systems (SBS) lookup, which the Division directs producers to use.
Both classroom and online (self-study) courses are accepted in South Dakota. There is no minimum classroom requirement — you can complete all of your hours through online self-study. Online courses must be completed in full before you are given access to the final exam.
When choosing courses, verify that they are approved for South Dakota and applicable to your lines of authority. Most major national CE providers — including Kaplan, WebCE, ExamFX, and AD Banker — offer South Dakota-approved courses. Keep your certificates of completion as backup documentation, and confirm that your provider has reported your hours to the Division before your renewal date.
Common Mistakes Agents Make
1. Miscounting hours for dual-line licenses. Producers holding both P&C and Life/Health need 20 hours total, with at least 8 hours in each line. Agents who take 10 general courses without checking the line-of-authority distribution sometimes discover they are short on one side. Check each course's line classification before assuming you are covered.
2. Assuming there is a grace period. South Dakota offers none. If your birth month ends and your CE is not complete and reported, your license lapses the next day. There is no 30-day window, no late fee option — just a lapsed license and terminated appointments. Treat your birth month deadline as absolute.
3. Relying on company-sponsored courses for the full requirement. South Dakota caps company-sponsored CE at 50% of your total. If you need 20 hours and take 15 from your carrier's internal training program, only 10 will count. Plan to supplement with independent provider courses.
4. Forgetting the LTC ongoing training deadline change. As of January 1, 2025, the ongoing 4-hour LTC training must be completed within your 2-year renewal period by your birth month deadline — not by a fixed statewide date. Agents accustomed to the old schedule may miss the new timing.
5. Not confirming reported hours with the Division. Providers have 10 days to report, but delays happen. Check your record through SBS well before your renewal date. If a course is missing, contact the provider immediately — you cannot assume the Division will accept a late report as proof of timely completion.
How South Dakota Compares to Other States
South Dakota's CE requirements are among the lightest in the country for single-line producers. At just 10 hours every two years for a P&C-only license, South Dakota requires less than half the national average of approximately 24 hours biennially. Even the 20-hour dual-line requirement falls below what most states impose.
The most distinctive feature of South Dakota's CE program is the absence of a mandatory ethics requirement. The vast majority of states require 3 to 4 hours of ethics per renewal cycle. South Dakota is one of a handful of states that do not mandate any specific ethics hours, though ethics courses are available and count toward the general total.
South Dakota's no-grace-period policy is strict, matching California and contrasting with states like Texas (90-day grace period) and Rhode Island (30-day late renewal window). The 50% cap on company-sponsored courses is also more restrictive than some states — neighboring North Dakota, for example, requires 24 hours biennially with 3 hours of ethics but does not impose a similar company-sponsorship limit.
For producers who work across multiple plains states, the differences add up: North Dakota requires 24 hours with ethics, Minnesota requires 30 hours with specific ethics and licensing law components, and South Dakota requires as few as 10 hours with no ethics mandate. Keeping track of each state's rules is essential for multi-state producers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I complete all my CE hours online in South Dakota?
Yes. South Dakota allows producers to complete all required CE hours through online self-study courses, provided the courses are approved by the Division of Insurance. There is no minimum classroom or webinar requirement. Online courses must be completed in full before you can access the final exam. We recommend finishing your online courses at least 30 days before your birth month deadline to allow time for provider reporting.
What happens if I don't complete CE on time in South Dakota?
South Dakota has no grace period. If your CE is incomplete when your license expires on the last day of your birth month, your license lapses immediately. All carrier appointments are terminated, and you cannot transact insurance business. Reinstatement requires completing your outstanding CE, paying applicable fees, and reestablishing each carrier appointment individually. The cost in lost business and administrative effort far exceeds the cost of completing CE on time.
Does South Dakota require ethics hours?
No. South Dakota is one of a small number of states that does not mandate a specific number of ethics hours within the CE requirement. Ethics is listed as an acceptable CE topic, and courses covering ethics count toward your total hours, but there is no state-imposed ethics minimum. We still recommend including ethics coursework in your CE plan — it strengthens your professional practice and helps if you are also licensed in states that do require ethics, such as neighboring North Dakota or Minnesota.
How do I verify my CE hours with the South Dakota Division of Insurance?
You can check your CE completion status through the NAIC State Based Systems (SBS) lookup, which is the system the Division of Insurance uses to track reported hours. CE providers must report completions within 10 days. If your hours are not reflected, contact your CE provider first. For unresolved issues, contact the Division of Insurance CE Coordinator at (605) 773-3563. Keep your certificates of completion as backup documentation for any E&O protection purposes.