24 hours, 3 ethics, for the major lines
North Dakota requires at least 24 CE credit hours per biennial compliance period for resident producers licensed in life and annuities, accident and health, casualty, property, personal lines, or crop hail — or any combination. Three of the 24 hours must be in ethics.
The compliance period is tied to the license expiration date rather than a statewide calendar, so a producer's period is defined by their own record. Ethics hours over the required 3 count toward the 24-hour total as general hours.
| Requirement | Rule | Key timing |
|---|---|---|
| Major lines | 24 per 2 years, including 3 ethics | By expiration date |
| Carryover | Up to 12 hours | Courses in final 365 days |
| Ethics carryover | General only | Does not replace new ethics |
| Provider reporting | 15 days | Finish ahead of due date |
The 12-hour carryover has a 365-day cutoff
North Dakota permits up to 12 excess credits to carry into the next period, but only courses completed within the final 365 days before expiration qualify. Check the transcript’s carryover total rather than adding the entire prior-cycle surplus yourself.
Ethics credits may carry as general hours, but they cannot satisfy the next period’s three-hour ethics requirement. Plan for 3 fresh ethics hours each period and verify the posted carryover in SBS.
The limited-lines CE exemption
Producers licensed only for credit, surety, travel/baggage, title, bail bonds, legal expense, or any combination of those limited lines are not required to complete CE at all. The license still has to be renewed every two years, but there is no hour requirement attached.
Adding a major line — life, health, property, casualty — removes the exemption and triggers the full 24-hour requirement from that point. A producer who picks up a major line mid-cycle should confirm with the Department when the CE obligation starts.
Birth-month renewal, provider reporting, and the cancel-and-reapply rule
The Department ties renewal to the individual license record. A CE provider may take up to 15 days to report a course, so finish early enough to verify that the required credits appear before renewal.
If a license has expired, follow the Department’s current instructions for the specific license status before transacting or applying again. Fee amounts and steps can change.
How completions are reported, and what to keep
North Dakota-approved providers report completions to the Insurance Department electronically, within the 15-day filing window. The producer's CE record is what the Department checks, and the 15-day window is exactly why a course finished close to the deadline is risky even though the producer did the work.
Keep completion certificates and check the Department record before renewal. If a course is missing, contact the provider with the certificate and confirm the reporting status with the Department.
Non-resident producers
A non-resident licensed in North Dakota 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 and the 12-hour carryover are resident rules.
A non-resident holding only limited-lines authority is in the same position as a resident limited-lines producer — no CE obligation, but the license still renews every two years.
Worked example
A producer in the last year of her compliance period completes 36 hours — 12 over the minimum — all of it in that final 12 months. The 12-hour surplus carries into the next period's first 12 months.
A colleague who completed the same 36 hours but did most of it in the first year of the cycle carries nothing: the surplus only counts if it was earned in the final 12 months. Both then confirm the record shows compliance well before the birth-month deadline, and follow the current Department instructions if a license has expired.
The bottom line
North Dakota requires 24 hours including 3 ethics, with carryover limited to up to 12 eligible excess credits earned in the final 365 days and a CE exemption for limited-lines-only producers. Confirm the license category, posted credits, and renewal status with the Department before relying on carryover or acting after expiration.
If you hold a major line, book a 3-hour ethics course plus 21 general hours, keep courses at least 15 days ahead of the birth-month deadline so the provider's filing window clears, and check the record before you file. If you want to carry surplus, complete the extra hours in the final 12 months of the period. A limited-lines-only producer still renews every two years but owes no CE.
Worked rollover: a resident producer completes 36 approved credits, including 3 ethics, and earns the 12 excess eligible credits during the final 365 days before expiration. If the Department transcript posts all 12 as carryover, the next 24-hour plan can be 3 new ethics + 9 new general + 12 carried general = 24. Surplus completed earlier in the term does not qualify under the timing rule, and carried ethics is general credit only. The provider reporting window is up to 15 days; use the NPN required by the Department and check the SBS record. A limited-lines-only producer still renews even though CE is not required.
Primary and official sources used for this guide
North Dakota Insurance Department — Renew Producer LicensePrimary/official source for North Dakota's renewal fee, the no-grace-period rule, the cancel-and-reapply consequence, and the $100 application plus $150 reinstatement fee.↗North Dakota Insurance Department — Continuing Education FAQ (Producer)Official source for the 24-hour requirement, the 3-hour ethics carve-out, the 12-hour late-period carryover, the limited-lines exemption, and the 15-day provider reporting window.↗North Dakota Insurance Department — Continuing EducationOfficial North Dakota regulator source for current continuing-education requirements and reporting.↗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.