On Wednesday, September 14, 2022, the Idaho Department of Insurance went live on State Based Systems (SBS),
a web-based NAIC application that supports state insurance regulation functions. All Continuing Education applications and maintenance are now down through SBS for Organizations. To download a detailed guide to SBS for Organizations click here.
Idaho’s continuing education course applications are reviewed by an advisory. This committee reviews applications and determines whether to approve for CE credit in Idaho.
NAIC CE Reciprocity
Idaho is a member of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners. The NAIC has models for continuing education that we try to remain in compliance with for courses and providers in Idaho. Idaho is reciprocal with other states where a provider already has approval for courses in their home state. However, the course also must meet the standards and criteria for Idaho Statute.
If you choose to submit your course for approval based on NAIC CE Reciprocity, please submit all of the same documentation with your NAIC CE Reciprocity application form, plus a document that proves current approval in the home state.
Please note that Idaho has the right per Statute to approve fewer credits than in your home state.
Idaho will not extend reciprocity to courses whose home state is one of the following areas. Courses whose home state is listed must either have a designated home state or apply as an Idaho domiciled course.
- Florida
- American Samoa
- Guam
- Northern Mariana Island
- Virgin Island
Full information on the NAIC guidelines can be found on NAIC’s website . It is strongly suggested that providers familiarize themselves with these Statutes, Rules, and guidelines. These documents outline course criteria, classroom monitoring requirements, course approval processes, course maintenance requirements, and other topics regarding CE in Idaho.
How to Submit a CE Course
It is the responsibility of the submitter to make sure all required information is provided at the time of the application. Any requests for documents or information listed on this page are a curtesy, and not required before the denial of a course.
All course applications, whether for a new or a renewing course, must be filed electronically via SBS with all fields completed and all required documents uploaded. The failure to include all required information and materials will result in the course being denied.
The following fields are required to be filled out for all course types:
- Course Name
- Provider Home State ID
- Course Method:
- Course Group
- Course Hour(s)
- Home State: This is the course’s home state. If the course does not have a home state, or its home state is not reciprocal with Idaho, it will be required to be submitted with Idaho as it’s home state.
- Measurement used for successful completion: This will determine some of your required documents. See the how to apply guide below for more details.
For information on how to apply for approval of a course please click on the course method below.
The following course methods are considered classroom courses: Classroom, National and Seminar.
Step 1: Gather the following documents:
- A detailed outline or agenda, with timing of segments indicated.
- If applying using NAIC CE Reciprocity, a copy of the home state approval letter is required
- If an exam is being used as proof of completion the number of required questions in the pool is determined by credits requested using the NAIC approved method.
- An Instructor Approval Forms for each instructor who has not already been approved in Idaho for the provider and/or is already approved via SBS but not listed on the outline.
Step 2: Apply online via SBS. There is a $25.00 non-refundable processing fee for each application. This fee will not be refunded if the course is denied for any reason, including not filling out the application completely or not providing all documents listed above.
The following course methods are considered classroom courses: Correspondence, Internet, Self-Study and Video/Audio/CD/DVD
Step 1: Gather the following documents:
- A detailed outline or agenda, with timing of segments indicated.
- The course material.
- If applying using NAIC CE Reciprocity, a copy of the home state approval letter is required
- An exam pool with the at least the minimum required questions as determined by the NAIC approved method.
- An Instructor Approval Forms for each instructor who has not already been approved in Idaho for the provider and/or is already approved via SBS but not listed on the outline.
Step 2: Apply online via SBS. There is a $25.00 non-refundable processing fee for each application. This fee will not be refunded if the course is denied for any reason, including not filling out the application completely or not providing all documents listed above.
The following course methods are considered webinar courses: Telecast, Webcast and Webinar
Step 1: Gather the following documents:
- A detailed outline or agenda, with timing of segments indicated.
- If applying using NAIC CE Reciprocity, a copy of the home state approval letter is required.
- The course’s webinar policies. These must contain no fewer than two polling questions to be asked during the duration of the course to ensure continued participation.
- An exam pool with the at least the minimum required questions as determined by the NAIC approved method.
- An Instructor Approval Forms for each instructor who has not already been approved in Idaho for the provider and/or is already approved via SBS but not listed on the outline.
Step 2: Apply online via SBS. There is a $25.00 non-refundable processing fee for each application. This fee will not be refunded if the course is denied for any reason, including not filling out the application completely or not providing all documents listed above.
Course Renewal Information
Courses can be renewed every two years via SBS.
Step 1: Verify that there have been no changes in the course materials. If there has been you will need to reapply instead of renew.
Step 2: Courses approved via reciprocity need to get a current home state approval letter.
Step 3: Apply for the renewal via SBS.
Things to consider when renewing a course:
- Courses approved on reciprocity will need to provide a new home state approval letter at every renewal.
- Idaho will approve a course for up to two years but will not exceed the expiration date on the home state approval letter.
- Courses domiciled in Idaho do not need to upload any new documents to their renewal unless specifically requested by the Department.
- None of the required information for the course can be changed on renewal, including omittance of information. If your curriculum, format, presentation method, course category or content has changed in any way, do not renew; please submit it as a new course.
Additional Document Requests from the Department:
With the change from Sircon to SBS you may receive a request for new documents or additional information when renewing a course. There are multiple reasons for these requests on previously approved courses.
- Sircon did not record/transfer the required information to the course file. This is the most common reason.
- The original document became corrupted during the transfer process.
- The course is a self-study course that was approved without an exam or an inadequate exam in error.
Course Approval Process
Providers are subject to Idaho regulations for CE as defined in Idaho Statutes Title 41, and as specifically set out in the Idaho Administrative Code (IDAPA) 18.01.53. Additionally, as a member of the NAIC, Idaho follows guidelines and recommendations of that organization.
Idaho uses SBS to manage CE providers. A new provider will subscribe through SBS and obtain approval through this online process at no fee and then begin submitting course applications, course renewals or cancellations and course rosters through this service.
Courses are approved for up to two years. During this two-year period, the provider may present the course (offerings) as often as they wish.
- There is a non-refundable application fee for each course of $25.
- Idaho regulation for Continuing Education is found in the Idaho Administrative Code (IDAPA) 18.06.04.
Additionally, as a member of the NAIC, Idaho follows guidelines and recommendations of that organization with regards to Continuing Education. These guidelines can be found on the NAIC website. This includes use of the current CER form, which indicates that courses approved by Idaho have had a substantive review by the Idaho CE Advisory Committee.
Idaho’s continuing education course applications are reviewed by a voluntary advisory committee of subject matter experts.
Courses submitted after presentation must be submitted within 30 days of that presentation through the SPS portal. Provider may not guarantee/advertise CE credits before being approved. Courses submitted after 30 days from presentation will be denied.
Credit is granted in full hours only, based on actual instruction time; one hour equals one credit. Each approved hour will be 60 minutes in duration and must include at least 50 minutes of instruction.
Course Maintenance
Course Rosters
Providers are required to download earned credits to licensee records through SBS Continuing Education Provider Portal within 30 days of course completion.
Cancelling a Course Offering
Classroom or course offerings can be cancelled from within your SBS account. To login or sign-up for an account click here.
Course Category Designations
Course categories are determined by the provider. Please select the course category best suited to your course curriculum. Identical courses may be submitted in different formats as separate courses. Those courses will be given unique course numbers but will be linked as identical.
Licensees may take courses in any category. They are not limited to courses in their lines of authority or license type. However, they are required to take a total of 24 credit hours every two years, with a minimum of three hours in an Ethics course category and must also be sure to take mandated training as appropriate for their lines of authority.
Mandated training/education requirements for Idaho include Long Term Care, Flood and Annuity Suitability Best Interest.
Classes may have a combination of course categories. If you don’t see a combination that fits your curriculum, you may specify different categories for segments of your course, but you must indicate how many credits you are requesting in each category.
Instruction Methods
Due to recent trends toward online educational methods, the NAIC has recently adopted new definitions for describing course methods of instruction. To view the complete list of definitions click here.
Instruction Methods can be separated into two major categories, Self-study and Instructor-led. All self-study courses require their method of completion be an examination. Instructor-led courses do not require an exam or other knowledge assessment tool but do require interactive behavior that is monitored during the session.
The following course methods are considered self-study courses In Idaho:
- Correspondence
- Internet
- Self-Study
- Video/Audio/CD/DVD
All self-study course methods require the method of completion be an exam. The amount of questions in the exam pool are determined by the NAIC approved method. Please note, Idaho does not use the difficulty modifier as course difficulty is not required in Idaho
The following course methods are considered instructor-led courses in Idaho:
- Classroom
- National
- Seminar
- Teleconference (if live, prerecorded is considered an Internet course)
- Webcast (aka Webinar)
There are two types of Instructor-led courses, Physical Classroom and Virtual Classroom, each has their own requirements.
Physical Classroom course requirements are:
- Designate a person, other than the instructor, to monitor the entire class. Instructor may be the monitor for 15 or fewer attendees.
- Assure attendance criteria are adhered to and advise all attendees of the criteria prior to the commencement of the class. Providers may advise attendees of the course of the attendance criteria by giving them a copy prior to the class.
- Assure that attendees sign in prior to the class commencement. Course attendees who arrive more than 10 minutes late will not be given credit for the class.
- Assure that attendees sign out at the conclusion of the class. Course attendees who leave prior to the conclusion of the class will not be given credit. Student attendance is based on personally identifiable information, such as username, password, email, government-issued identification, electronic signature.
- Attendance is monitored via student participation or interaction with course activities. This can be accomplished via regular polling questions; periodic activities where required interaction is specifically monitored for each attendee, etc.
The purpose of the above-mentioned criteria is to help ensure attendance and attention at course sessions which grant satisfactory completion. The monitor has the authority to withhold course credit from any attendee who does not give satisfactory attention. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in loss of certification in accordance with Section 023 of IDAPA 18.06.04.
Virtual Classroom course requirements are:
- A person other than the instructor must be designated to monitor the entire class. The instructor may be the monitor for 15 or fewer attendees.
- Assure attendance criteria are adhered to and advise all attendees of the criteria prior to the commencement of the class. Providers may advise attendees of the course of the attendance criteria by giving them a copy prior to the class.
- Assure that attendees sign in prior to the class commencement. Course attendees who arrive more than 10 minutes late will not be given credit for the class.
- Assure that attendees sign out at the conclusion of the class. Course attendees who leave prior to the conclusion of the class will not be given credit. Student attendance is based on personally identifiable information, such as username, password, email, government-issued identification, electronic signature.
- Attendance is monitored via student participation or interaction with course activities. This can be accomplished via regular polling questions; periodic activities where required interaction is specifically monitored for each attendee, etc.
The purpose of the above-mentioned criteria is to help ensure attendance and attention at course sessions which grant satisfactory completion. The monitor has the authority to withhold course credit from any attendee who does not give satisfactory attention. Failure to comply with these requirements will result in loss of certification in accordance with Section 023 of IDAPA 18.06.04.
Home State Approval Letter Requirements
All courses being approved via reciprocity must provide a Home State Approval Letter with their application and an updated one at every renewal.
In spite of the name, the home state approval letter does need to be a letter directly from the home state. It can be any document showing the course is currently active in its domicile state that contains the required information and is from a regulator adjacent source, such as Sircon, SBS or a state-maintained website.
The following information must be visible on the document being submitted as a home state approval letter.
- Provider Name
- Course’s Home State
- Course Name: The course name in the home state and Idaho must match.
- Number of Credits: Credits may be lowered in Idaho if the home state does not use NAIC approved calculation method or sections of the course do not meet Idaho’s CE subject standards..
- Expiration Date: Idaho will approve a course for up to two years but will not exceed the expiration date on the home state approval letter. If the home state does not have an expiration date, the home state approval document must show that the course is currently active in the home state. Extensions are granted for courses with a home state who licenses for less then two years.
Courses homed in the following states can use the SBS course summary page as their home state approval document:
· Alabama · Alaska · Arizona · Arkansas · Connecticut · DC · Delaware · Hawaii · Illinois · Kansas · Maryland · Massachusetts · Missouri · Montana · Nebraska · New Hampshire · New Jersey · New Mexico · North Carolina · North Dakota · Oklahoma · Oregon · Rhode Island · Tennessee · Vermont · West Virginia · Wisconsin
The image below shows the SBS course summary as it would appear when printed with the header (the time/date stamp).
- · All sections outlined in red need to reflect the courses information as entered in the application.
- The home state must reflect what was entered in the application.
- If courses do not expire in their home state the document must also be date stamped.
Courses homed in the following states can use the Sircon Approved Courses Inquiry as their home state approval document. Each state is followed by the required “Approval Basis”
· California (Internal Review) · Colorado (Internal Review) · Georgia (Internal Review) · Indiana (Substantive Review) · Iowa (Home State) · Maryland (Substantive Review) · Minnesota (Internal Review) · Mississippi (Internal Review) · Nevada (NV Application) · North Carolina (Internal Review) · Pennsylvania (Internal or Substantive Review) · South Dakota (Internal or Substantive Review) · Texas (Internal Review) · Utah (Internal Review) · Virginia (Internal Review) · West Virginia (Internal Review) · Wyoming (Internal Review)
The sample below shows a screen capture of Sircon’ s Approved Course Inquiry page.
- · All sections outlined in blue need to reflect the courses information as submitted to Idaho.
- Approval Basis must match the one listed above.
- If the “Renewal Date” is blank the date stamp must be within one week of the application.
Some states do not have an online database that can provide home state information. Please see below for information on how to tell if the following states approval document qualifies as a home state approval letter. If the document you have from the state does not display the listed information you will need to reach out to the state for a new document.
- Ohio: The Course Approval Certificate issued by Ohio contains the phrase “Home State Approval: Ohio is the state of domicile for this course.” at the bottom.
- Kentucky: The Course Approval Certificate issued by Kentucky states it is the home state towards the top of the form.
- Michigan: The Certificate Of Registration For A Continuing Education Program Of Study document issued by Michigan contains the following phrase “… the Agent Education Advisory Council or its designee has reviewed the course materials, curriculum, and instructor credentials submitted and recommends to the Director’s representative that this program of study be registered”
- New York: All course approval letters from New York qualify as home state approval documents. All courses submitted to New York go through a substantive review, regardless if they are the home state are not.
- Washington: All course approval letters from Washington qualify as home state approval documents. All courses submitted to Washington go through a substantive review, regardless if they are the home state are not.
- Maine: The course approval letter issued by Maine has the header “Maine Home State Course Approval” and contains the text “underwent a substantive review by the Maine Bureau of Insurance Continuing Education Advisory Committee.”
Idaho does not have examples or information on the home state approval document for the following states:
- Louisiana
- South Carolina
The information provided in this section has been collected from documents submitted to the state of Idaho by Providers and State Regulators. It is subject to change with out notice.
Responsibilities’ After Presenting a Session
After each presentation of a course, the provider must complete the following within 30 days of the course completion date:
Per IDAPA rule, the provider will issue a certificate of completion to each attendee who successfully completed the course.
Per IDAPA rule, the provider will upload course credits via the SBS Provider Portal for download to the attendees’ licensing record.
Forms and Links
FAQ
How are courses approved in Idaho?
Idaho’s continuing education course applications are reviewed by an advisory committee. This committee reviews all new applications and determines whether or not to approve for CE credit in Idaho.
How do I update the Providers contact information?
All contact information, including CE coordinator can be edited in SBS.
How do I become an approved CE provider in Idaho?
Provider applications can be submitted electronically in SBS .
How do I cancel a course offering?
Classroom or course offerings can be cancelled from within your SBS account. To login or sign-up for an account click here.
How do I renew a course in Idaho?
Once approved as a provider in Idaho, course applications can be submitted electronically by logging into an SBS for Providers account. To login or sign-up for an account click here.
How do I submit a course application online?
Once approved as a provider in Idaho, course applications can be submitted electronically by logging into an SBS for Providers account. To login or sign-up for an account click here.
How do I submit a course application if I am not an approved provider?
You can’t. However, becoming a provider is free. A provider application can be submitted via SBS by logging into an SBS for Providers account. To login or sign-up for an account click here. Once approved as a provider, course applications can then be submitted through SBS.
How do I submit course credits / course completions / course rosters?
Course credits for attendees can be submitted electronically via SB. To login or sign-up for an account click here.
How do I view the status and history of course applications and course completions?
For course applications and course completions submitted within a SBS.
How does Idaho determine how many credits I can request?
Idaho determines the amount of credits the course qualifies for using the NAIC approved calculation methods:
- Credits for Instructor-led courses: Total actual instruction time in minutes divided by 50 equals Credit Hours
- Credits for a self-study courses: Total number of words in the material divided by 180 equals number of minutes of material. Total number of minutes in material divided by 50 equals Credit Hours
How does Idaho determine how many questions are required on an exam?
Idaho uses the NAIC approved calculation method for determining the required exam pool.
The question pool must have enough questions for at least two exams, with 50% of the questions being unique to each exam. The number of questions required is determined by the number of credits offered. The first credit hour requires 10 questions, each credit hour after is an additional 5 questions each.
Example: A four credit course would require a question pool of at least 38 questions. Calculation steps: 10(first credit)+15(three remaining credits times five) is 25. 25 divided by two (for the required unique questions) rounded up to the nearest whole number is 13. 25 (first exam) plus 13 (the required unique question for the second exam) equals 38.
See below for a complete required questions chart.
| Credits | Questions | Credits | Questions | Credits | Questions | Credits | Questions | Credits | Questions | Credits | Questions |
| 1 | 15 | 5 | 45 | 9 | 75 | 13 | 105 | 17 | 135 | 21 | 165 |
| 2 | 23 | 6 | 53 | 10 | 83 | 14 | 113 | 18 | 143 | 22 | 173 |
| 3 | 30 | 7 | 60 | 11 | 90 | 15 | 120 | 19 | 150 | 23 | 180 |
| 4 | 38 | 8 | 68 | 12 | 98 | 16 | 128 | 20 | 158 | 24 | 188 |
How does Idaho determine how many credits a self-study course is worth?
All self study course credits are determined by word count of the source material. Idaho uses the NAIC approved calculation method for determining the required word count. Please note, Idaho does not use the difficulty modifier as course difficulty is not required in Idaho.
See below for a complete word count to credits chart.
| Credits = Minimum Word Count | Credits = Minimum Word Count | Credits = Minimum Word Count |
| 1 = 9000 | 9 = 81000 | 17 = 153000 |
| 10 = 90000 | 18 = 162000 | |
| 3 = 27000 | ||
| 4 = 36000 | 12 = 108000 | 20 = 180000 |
| 5 = 45000 | 21 = 189000 | |
| 6 = 54000 | 14 = 126000 | 22 = 198000 |
| 7 = 63000 | 15 = 135000 | |
| 8 = 72000 | 16 = 144000 | 24 = 216000 |
How long is a course approved for when approved?
Two years. You may offer sessions of the course as often as you like during that period.
What paperwork do I need to attach to my online application?
The same paperwork as a paper application must be submitted when applying online.
Have more questions?
Contact the Licensing Team