24 hours, including 3 ethics credits
Rhode Island regulation 230-RICR-20-50-2 requires 24 approved continuing-education credits in each biennial license period, including 3 credits in ethics. The regulation sets a total and ethics minimum; it does not set a general five-credit minimum for each line of authority.
Courses may be classroom, online, or self-study when approved. Check the state or reciprocal course listing and confirm that the completed credits appear on the education transcript.
| Planning item | Current checkpoint |
|---|---|
| Total CE | 24 CREDITS / BIENNIUM |
| Ethics | 3 ETHICS CREDITS |
| Key timing or exception | 12 MAX Up to 12 excess credits may carry as general credit; complete 3 new ethics credits in the cycle. |
The one-time FEMA flood course
A Rhode Island property/casualty producer must complete a one-time 3-hour FEMA flood insurance training course. The National Flood Insurance Program course credits count toward the producer's 24-hour CE requirement in the cycle they are completed, so the flood course is not 3 hours on top of the requirement.
It is still a required course tied to the P&C line — a producer cannot skip it by completing 24 general hours, and a producer who added P&C authority after their initial license should confirm whether the flood course is already on their record.
The 12-hour carryover
Rhode Island allows a maximum of 12 excess credit hours to carry forward into the next license term. Excess ethics hours carry forward only as general credit, so a producer relying on carryover still has to complete a fresh 3-hour ethics course each cycle.
A producer who front-loads can use the 12-hour carryover to cut the next cycle's load roughly in half — a meaningful amount, unlike the 5-hour and 6-hour carryovers some neighboring states allow.
Renewal and reinstatement timing
Rhode Island's regulation allows reinstatement within 30 days of expiration by submitting the reinstatement application and renewal fee. After 30 days, the licensee must also pay a reinstatement fee. A license cannot be reinstated more than one year after expiration, and required CE remains the same as for an on-time renewal.
The official rule does not describe the first 30 days as extra time to complete CE. Confirm the renewal and reinstatement fee amounts in the current fee schedule before applying.
How completions are reported, and what to keep
Providers submit course rosters electronically within 10 days of completion. Producers must keep proof of completed courses and provide certificates if the Department requests them; the producer has the burden to show compliance.
Check the education transcript well before renewal and retain completion certificates. If you sell NFIP flood insurance, consult the separate FEMA and Rhode Island flood-training guidance; that product-specific training is not a five-credit-per-line rule.
Non-resident producers
The producer CE regulation exempts nonresident licensees who meet the home-state CE requirements when the home state is reciprocal with Rhode Island. The resident 24-credit and carryover rules should not be applied to every nonresident license without checking reciprocity.
Rhode Island also requires NFIP-related training for resident producers who sell federal flood insurance. Review the current FEMA and state guidance for that separate product requirement.
Worked example
A resident producer completes 24 approved credits during the biennium, including at least 3 ethics credits. If the producer earns 6 excess general credits, those may carry into the next period; any carried ethics credits count only as general credit.
The producer checks the education transcript before renewal and plans for the next cycle to include a new 3-credit ethics course, even when general carryover is available.
The bottom line
Rhode Island requires 24 approved credits including 3 ethics credits, permits up to 12 excess credits to carry forward as general credit, and requires course records to be retained. The current producer regulation does not impose a five-credit minimum per line.
Complete an approved ethics course every period, verify the posted transcript, and consult separate FEMA/NFIP guidance if you sell flood insurance. If a license expires, follow the state's reinstatement rules and observe the one-year outer limit.
Primary and official sources used for this guide
Rhode Island Department of State — Regulation 230-RICR-20-50-2: Continuing Education for Insurance ProducersPrimary source for the 24-credit and 3-ethics requirements, reciprocal-state credit, 12-credit carryover, records, and reinstatement window.↗Rhode Island Department of State — Regulation 230-RICR-20-50-5: Licensing and Renewal FeesOfficial source for Rhode Island's renewal and reinstatement fees, the $170/$180 reinstatement fee, and the double-fee late penalty.↗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.