How Many Hours of CE Does a Texas Life and Health Insurance Agent Need?
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Aceable's TDI-approved 24-hour bundles cover the full Texas L&H requirement, 3 hours of ethics, 12 hours of classroom-equivalent, 9 hours of self-study, with topic mixes built for life and health work.
Key takeaways:
- Texas requires 24 CE hours every 2 years for L&H producers, with 3 hours of ethics and at least 12 hours in classroom or classroom-equivalent format.
- The 24-hour rule is the same for every license type, but L&H agents should pick courses that match their book of business.
- If you sell long-term care, Texas requires an 8-hour initial LTC course plus a 4-hour ongoing course every renewal period.
- If you sell annuities, Texas requires a one-time 4-hour Annuity Best Interest training plus 8 hours of ongoing annuity CE every 2-year cycle.
- If you sell Medicare products, Texas requires a one-time 8-hour Medicare training before your first sale.
- Your license expires the last day of your birth month, every 2 years. Texas does not allow CE carryover between cycles.
Texas insurance CE requirements for L&H agents
The Texas Department of Insurance (TDI) requires every active producer to complete 24 hours of continuing education every 2-year license term. The hour total is identical whether you hold General Lines L&H, General Lines P&C, or Life Agent. Within that 24 hours:
- 3 hours of ethics (called Ethics/Consumer Protection in TDI materials)
- At least 12 hours in classroom or classroom-equivalent (CEQ) format. Classroom equivalent means TDI-approved online courses with interactive elements like timed progression, quizzes after each unit, and monitored seat time.
- Up to 12 hours of self-study can fill the remainder.
TDI does not divide courses by license type anymore. Any TDI-approved course counts for any license type. You'll see courses classified as either "General" or "Ethics/Consumer Protection." This means an L&H agent can take any TDI-approved course toward their 21 non-ethics hours, but you should still pick wisely.
When does my Texas L&H insurance license expire?
Your Texas insurance license expires on the last day of your birth month, every 2 years from your last renewal. If your birthday is March 15 and you renewed in 2025, your next renewal is March 31, 2027. For more on figuring out exact expiration dates and how multi-license agents handle them, our guide on when your Texas insurance license expiresContinuing Education When Does My Texas Insurance License Expire Resources walks through the specifics.
TDI strongly recommends completing all CE at least 30 days before the deadline so your provider has time to report credits to Sircon. Texas does not allow CE carryover between cycles, so hours over 24 in one period don't roll into the next. Repeat-course credit isn't allowed within the same renewal period either.
What happens if I miss my Texas CE deadline?
Texas treats missed CE seriously. The penalty structure:
- $50 fine per deficient hour, up to a $500 maximum per license
- 90-day grace period from your expiration date to complete the deficient hours and pay the fine
- License inactivation if you don't meet both conditions within the 90-day window
- New license application required (from scratch) once your license is inactivated, you cannot just renew
Plan backward from your renewal date and build in the 30-day reporting buffer. Missing CE is more expensive than completing it.
What specialty CE training do Texas L&H agents need?
Texas requires three specialty trainings most relevant to working L&H producers. None apply to every L&H agent, all apply if you sell the specific product the training covers.
Texas LTC training (long-term care)
If you sell long-term care insurance in Texas, TDI requires an 8-hour initial LTC training before placing your first LTC policy. After that, you must complete a 4-hour LTC ongoing course every 2-year renewal period to keep your authorization current. The 8 initial hours and 4 ongoing hours both count toward your 24-hour CE total in the cycle you complete them. For the full breakdown of LTC certification rules in Texas, see our deep-dive on Texas LTC training requirementsContinuing Education What Are The Long Term Care Training Requirements For Texas Insurance Agents Resources.
Texas annuity training (4-hour initial + 8-hour ongoing)
Texas annuity rules are stricter than most states. To sell annuities you must complete:
- A one-time 4-hour Annuity Best Interest training before placing your first annuity policy
- Plus 8 hours of ongoing annuity-specific CE during each 2-year licensing period
This is one of the strictest annuity CE requirements in the country. The 4-hour Best Interest training counts toward your initial 24-hour total in the cycle you complete it. The ongoing 8 hours also count toward the 24-hour total in cycles you sell annuities. For the full breakdown including Best Interest standards and the NAIC reciprocity, our guide on Texas annuity training requirementsContinuing Education What Are The Annuity Training Requirements For Texas Insurance Agents Resources covers it all.
Texas Medicare training
If you sell Medicare products in Texas, TDI requires a one-time 8-hour Medicare training before your first sale. Texas's 20-year longevity exemption (covered below) does NOT apply to Medicare training, even 20-year licensees must complete this if they sell Medicare. The 8 initial hours count toward your 24-hour total in the cycle you complete them.
Viatical settlement broker training
If you hold a Viatical Settlement Broker license and sell viatical life settlement policies, Texas requires specific viatical training. Most L&H agents are not licensed viatical brokers, so this typically doesn't apply.
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How do I pick the right CE courses as a Texas L&H agent?
Your 21 non-ethics hours can be on any TDI-approved topic. There's no rule saying L&H agents must take L&H-specific courses. But there's a difference between checking the compliance box and actually getting something useful out of the time you're spending.
The highest-value courses for working Texas L&H agents map directly to client conversations you're already having: life insurance fundamentals, disability income, group health coverage, Medicare-related topics, annuity content, and risk management for individual and group L&H products. Look for bundles that lean L&H in their topic mix instead of generic "all lines" packages that bury you in commercial property content.
Don't forget the 12-hour classroom-equivalent rule, this is where Texas differs from most states. At least half your hours must be in classroom, classroom-equivalent (CEQ), or live webinar format. Self-study can fill the remaining 12 hours but cannot fill the entire requirement. When picking courses, confirm the format before enrolling. For more on the workflow, our breakdown of Texas insurance CE requirements covers practical timing and pacing strategies. If you also hold P&C authority, our Texas CE for P&C agents guide covers that side, and our breakdown of Texas CE for multi-license agents covers how to bundle efficiently when you carry both lines.
What's the Texas 20-year longevity exemption?
Texas offers a permanent CE exemption for producers who have held a Texas insurance license continuously for 20 or more years with no breaks longer than 90 days. Submit TDI form FIN517 along with your licensure history to apply.
The exemption sounds great, but it has limits. It does NOT apply to:
- Annuity Best Interest training or ongoing annuity CE (still required if selling annuities)
- LTC training (still required if selling LTC products)
- Medicare training (still required if selling Medicare)
If you qualify and your book doesn't include those products, the exemption is genuinely useful. If you sell any of those product types, you still complete the relevant specialty training even with an active longevity exemption.
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How do Texas CE rules compare to other states?
Texas's 24-hour CE total is in line with the national average. The 12-hour classroom-equivalent minimum is more rigorous than states allowing 100% self-study (like Florida) but more flexible than states requiring strictly live ethics (like Illinois). Texas's 8-hour ongoing annuity CE requirement is one of the strictest in the country, and the separate 8-hour Medicare training is also more rigorous than many states. The 20-year longevity exemption is unique to Texas and a few other states. The $50-per-hour fine for missed CE is harsher than states that just charge a flat late fee.
Frequently asked questions about Texas L&H CE
How many CE hours does Texas require for L&H agents?
24 hours every 2 years. That's 3 hours of ethics plus 21 hours of general content, with at least 12 hours in classroom or classroom-equivalent format.
When does my Texas L&H license expire?
The last day of your birth month, every 2 years from your last renewal. Confirm your specific expiration date through Sircon or the TDI online portal.
Can I take all my Texas CE online?
You can take all CE online if at least 12 of the 24 hours are in classroom-equivalent (CEQ) format with interactive elements (timed progression, quizzes, monitored seat time). The remaining 12 hours can be self-study. For more on how online CE works in Texas and which formats count toward each requirement, see our guide on whether you can do Texas insurance CE online.
Does Texas allow CE carryover between cycles?
No. Excess hours in one cycle don't roll into the next. You start each renewal period at zero. Repeat-course credit isn't allowed within the same renewal period either.
How do I check that my CE hours have been reported?
Check your transcript through Sircon's "Look Up Education Courses/Credits" tool at sircon.com. TDI-approved providers report electronically, but verify before assuming the credit posted.
Do annuity sales require their own training in Texas?
Yes. Texas requires a one-time 4-hour Annuity Best Interest training plus 8 hours of ongoing annuity CE every 2-year licensing period for producers selling annuities.
What if I miss the renewal deadline?
You have a 90-day grace period to complete deficient hours and pay $50 per hour up to a $500 maximum. If you miss the 90-day window, your license is inactivated and you must apply for a new license.
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