OR | To all Oregon licensed insurance producers,
We have received a few calls regarding whether we will be making any changes to the renewal process for licensed insurance producers as a result of COVID-19.
Renewal applications are being processed as normal
Although our physical offices are closed to the public and most of the staff is working from home, we have had no disruption to our ability to process renewal applications. After a brief disruption, we are able to receive phone calls, but we still encourage individuals to use email to contact us at web.insagent@oregon.gov.
No change to continuing education requirements
Oregon does not require in-person continuing education. There are a variety of providers licensed who provide the education online in a manner that doesn’t require any physical contact and can be taken from any location. Others have elected methods that do require a proctor to certify that the examination for the continuing education was taken without assistance from written materials or any person. While that could be done remotely with the correct processes and procedures, not all companies offering other methods of education are set up for this kind of remote proctoring.
Select an education provider that can meet your education timing requirements
For those who need to complete continuing education to renew their licenses, we strongly encourage that you check with the education provider that they can meet your education timing requirements before you select your provider. At the present time, we are not planning to extend deadlines for completing continuing education as there are methods currently in place to obtain the education while complying with recommendations to reduce the spread of the virus.
Do not wait until the last month; Complete continuing education early
We also highly recommend that individuals complete their continuing education requirements early, preferably at least a month before renewal. There are rules that prohibit a person from taking more than eight (8) hours of CE each day. Therefore, you will need at least three (3) days to complete your CE, even if you are taking the maximum number of hours each day. In addition, education providers have fifteen (15) days to upload completion information after you complete the course. You will not be permitted to submit your renewal request until the system shows you have completed the required education and our staff still may need to review your renewal application before it can be approved.
As a result, it’s very important to complete your continuing education early and to submit your renewal early in the 90 day renewal period. Each month we have a few individuals who contact us because they were unable to complete their education timely asking for us to give them more time or waive the $45 late fee. Our ability to do that is very limited under ORS 744.073, which allows us to make exceptions for those unable to comply with the requirements as a result of military service or something like long-term medical disability. Issues such as technical difficulties with your computer while completing the education, a delay of less than 15 days by the education company in submitting the completion certificates, or a cold in days prior to renewal that prevented a person from completing the course are not sufficient for an extension. Therefore, we highly recommend that you complete your continuing education early.