COLUMBUS — Ohio Lieutenant Governor and Director of the Department of Insurance Mary Taylor announced the Insurance Department would soon be creating efficiencies in its licensing division by employing a new electronic licensing system. The new system will help the Department implement the new licensing laws (HB300). The implementation of this computer system will take place beginning at close of business on May 5 and continue through May 16.
During this time period, there will be limited online access to licensing pages on the Department of Insurance website. The Department will resume accepting and processing applications and service requests beginning May 16.
Once implemented, the new computer system improves efficiency at the Department by storing all the collected information in one place. That information includes CE credits, criminal back ground check results, examination results, pre-licensing education information,
and appointments. The new system also will increase the speed in which a license is approved by utilizing an automatic approval process. The average time will decrease from 2-to-5 days down to 1-to-2 days. The new system also will allow for enhanced email communication with agents
potentially saving the Department $80,000 per year in mailing costs.
The Department will release phase II of the system in July which creates a web portal for agents to access and manage their personal information and monitor their CE credits and appointments. It also enables agents to print their own license and certification letters. The law, signed in February of 2010, requires licenses to be renewed every two years. An agent license will expire on the last day of the agent’s birth month on the year it’s renewable. In addition, the continuing education requirement has increased by 4 credits to 24 with three of those credits required to be ethics credits.