The standard requirement is 24 credits, including 3 ethics
New Mexico's current continuing-education rule requires most producers and adjusters to complete 24 approved credits during each two-year compliance period. At least 3 credits must be in ethics, and those ethics credits count toward the total. Courses must be approved for New Mexico before enrollment; use the state transcript and course lookup rather than assuming an out-of-state approval transfers automatically.
The rule does not impose the former draft's three-hour live-classroom minimum. New Mexico recognizes multiple approved learning formats, including approved self-study and instructor-led classroom-equivalent courses; the provider and the course listing determine which format and credit categories apply.
| License category | Required credits | Subject minimum |
|---|---|---|
| Most producers and adjusters | 24 biennially | 3 ethics credits |
| Title insurance | 10 biennially | 3 escrow credits |
| Bail-bond categories listed in rule | 14 biennially | See OSI course categories |
The birth-month renewal date
After the initial compliance period, an insurance producer renews biennially on or before the last day of the licensee's birth month. The first period is tied to the issue date and the second birth month after issuance, so it may be shorter than a full two years. The license record gives the controlling expiration date; birth-year parity is not the rule for setting it.
CE must be completed during the current compliance period. Providers can take up to 10 days to report completed hours, and the OSI asks licensees to allow 24 hours after credits are banked before submitting renewal. Check the transcript early and resolve reporting gaps before the deadline.
No carryover and no duplicate credit in one period
New Mexico expressly prohibits carrying credits from one compliance period into the next. The same approved course cannot earn credit more than once during a single compliance period. Confirm the course number and completion date in the transcript before using a familiar course again.
The credit total depends on license type: most producer and adjuster licensees have one 24-credit requirement across their lines; title insurance licensees need 10 credits including 3 in escrow; and limited surety agents, property bondsmen, solicitors, and bail-bond solicitors need 14 credits. Specialized product training may have separate prerequisites, and the current rule allows required specialized training to count toward the 24-credit general producer total when applicable.
If CE is incomplete at renewal
The OSI states that failing to complete CE by the deadline results in a $50 penalty before it processes renewal. The rule requires licensees to complete and report credits during the compliance period; an incomplete transcript can delay or prevent renewal. Late renewal and reinstatement rules vary by license type and circumstance, so verify the fee and any testing requirement against the current OSI renewal instructions before relying on a grace period.
Providers may take up to 10 days to submit a completion. Keep course certificates for three years, compare them with the OSI transcript, and contact the provider promptly if a course is missing or its credit category is wrong.
Who may qualify for a CE exemption
New Mexico's rule exempts holders of specified limited licenses, licensees continuously licensed for at least 25 years with no lapse longer than 90 days, people who keep a license only to receive renewal-fee residuals and do not transact insurance, and agents of fraternal benefit societies. A nonresident who is licensed in another jurisdiction that requires CE is also exempt when the home-jurisdiction requirement has been met.
The OSI asks people seeking an exemption to email the licensing bureau with their name, NPN, and reason. These are defined eligibility categories, not a general waiver for producers who have completed many years of coursework; verify the rule and obtain confirmation before treating an exemption as approved.
How completions are reported, and what to keep
New Mexico-approved providers report completions electronically. The licensee remains responsible for confirming that the provider recorded the correct credits. OSI recommends keeping certificates and verified statements for three years, which gives you evidence to resolve a missing or misclassified course.
Only the value in the transcript's Credit Hours column counts toward the total. Once the credits appear, wait 24 hours before submitting a renewal application, as OSI advises.
Non-resident producers
A nonresident licensee is exempt from New Mexico CE when the home jurisdiction requires CE and the licensee has met that jurisdiction's requirements. If the home jurisdiction does not require CE, the licensee may have to satisfy New Mexico's requirement. Confirm any product-training obligation separately before transacting that business.
Worked example
A resident producer with multiple major lines checks the expiration date on the OSI license record, then plans 24 approved credits for the 24-month period immediately before that date, including at least 3 ethics credits. She completes courses early enough for the provider's reporting window, then confirms the credits in the transcript before filing renewal.
A producer who holds title authority follows the separate 10-credit total and verifies that at least 3 credits cover escrow handling. A producer with a qualifying exemption requests it from OSI and includes the requested identifying information rather than assuming the system will apply it automatically.
The bottom line
Most New Mexico producers need 24 approved credits every two years, including 3 ethics credits. The key exceptions are the separate 10-credit title and 14-credit bail-bond totals, the exemptions for qualifying licensees, and the strict no-carryover rule. Use the OSI license record and transcript to confirm your deadline and credits before renewal.
Primary and official sources used for this guide
New Mexico Office of Superintendent of Insurance — Continuing EducationOfficial source for hour totals by license type, exemptions, reporting, specialized training and renewal timing.↗New Mexico Administrative Code 13.4.7 — Continuing Education RequirementsCurrent rule effective April 1, 2025, including the 3-hour ethics minimum, license-type totals, no carryover, no duplicate credit within a period, reporting and renewal 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.