24 hours: 21 general, 3 ethics — and only 3 ethics
The District of Columbia, regulated by the Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking (DISB), requires 24 CE hours per two-year license term for producers holding a major line of authority — 21 general hours and 3 ethics hours.
DC caps the ethics contribution: no more than 3 ethics hours can be applied toward the 24-hour total. A producer who takes a 6-hour ethics course still only gets 3 hours of it credited and needs 21 genuinely general hours, which is the opposite of states that let ethics overage count as general credit.
| Producer type | CE total | Breakdown |
|---|---|---|
| Resident major-line | 24 | 21 general + 3 ethics |
| Resident title attorney | 8 | Title |
| Resident title non-attorney | 16 | Title |
| Nonresident title | 4 | DC-specific |
Confirm course eligibility and credit categories
DISB’s published continuing-education page states the resident major-line total as 24 hours, made up of 21 general hours and 3 ethics. It also lists distinct totals for resident title attorneys, resident title non-attorneys, and nonresident title producers.
The current public DISB summary does not state a general 50% company-sponsored-course cap. Do not rely on the earlier 12-hour limit in this guide; confirm course eligibility and the hours posted to your SBS/DISB transcript.
Verify your license category in the DISB/SBS record
The current public DISB CE summary describes the major-line requirement as one 24-hour total, including 21 general and 3 ethics. It does not state a separate 6-hour minimum for each line in that summary.
A producer with multiple lines should use the license-specific DISB/SBS transcript to verify the actual requirement rather than applying an unsupported per-line minimum.
Birth-month renewal, the 15-business-day buffer, and the lapse path
The DC license term ends on the last day of the licensee's birth month, every two years. DISB recommends completing CE within 15 business days of the expiration date to qualify for renewal, so the credits post in time.
A late renewal is possible for 30 days after expiration, with a late fee equal to double the license fee. At the end of that 30-day window the license lapses. Within 365 days of expiration the producer can still reinstate — paying a penalty of twice the unpaid renewal fee and submitting a letter swearing whether DC business was conducted during the lapse — without retaking the exam. Past one year, a new application is required.
How completions are reported, and what to keep
DC-approved providers report completions to DISB electronically, and the producer's CE record is what DISB verifies at renewal — including whether the company-sponsored portion stayed under the 12-hour cap and whether each line met its 6-hour minimum.
Note which courses came from a carrier and which from an independent provider, and keep the certificates for a few years. If DISB questions the 50% company-course cap at renewal, that record — carrier versus independent — is what settles it, and it is not something the transcript itself always makes obvious.
Non-resident producers
A non-resident licensed in DC relies on their home state's CE requirement, provided the home state has one and the producer stays in good standing there. The 24-hour count, the 50% company cap, and the per-line minimum are resident rules.
A producer unable to comply because of military service or another extenuating circumstance can request a waiver of the renewal procedures, including a waiver of the exam requirement or any penalty.
Worked example
A resident major-line producer starts with the published DC total: 24 approved hours in the two-year period, including 21 general and 3 ethics. She checks the transcript to ensure the provider has reported all course completions before filing renewal.
A title producer uses a different total based on license class: 8 hours for a resident attorney, 16 for a resident non-attorney, or 4 DC-specific hours for a nonresident title producer. The producer confirms the class shown on the current license.
The bottom line
For DC resident major-line producers, plan 24 hours per two-year period with 21 general and 3 ethics. Title producer totals differ by license class. Check the current DISB/SBS record for your category and posted credits; do not rely on the previously stated company-course cap or dual-line floor.
Primary and official sources used for this guide
DC Department of Insurance, Securities and Banking — Continuing Education InformationPrimary/official source for the District's 24-hour requirement, the 3-hour ethics cap, the 50% company-course cap, the dual-line minimum, and the 15-business-day buffer.↗DC DISB — Reinstatement of LicensesOfficial source for DC's 30-day late-renewal window, the double-the-license-fee penalty, the 365-day reinstatement with a sworn business-activity statement, and the military/hardship waiver.↗District of Columbia Department of Insurance — Continuing EducationOfficial department source for this jurisdiction’s current insurance producer continuing-education categories and requirements.↗Source pages can change. Check the current text and effective date before relying on an hour requirement, a reporting deadline, or a course approval.
Written for licensed agents, not issued by a regulator. Insurance License CE Desk has no connection to any state department of insurance or CE provider. Hour requirements, ethics credits, and compliance deadlines are set state by state and do change, so your department of insurance, or the CE tracking vendor it uses, has the final word on what your transcript needs.