CE Requirements

PAIP® Designation - Planning and Investment Practitioner

PAIP Canada's continuing education (CE) requirements are aligned to those of CIRO.

PAIP designation holders are required to complete a total of 15 credit hours every calendar year.

Of the 15 credit hours, a minimum of 1 credit hour must be in the Ethics category. This credit hour is provided by PAIP Canada at no extra cost.

Of the 15 credit hours, a minimum of 4 credit hours must be in the Business Conduct / Compliance category.

Of the 15 credit hours, a minimum of 10 credit hours must be in the Professional Development (PD) category.

PAIP Canada's CE requirements are aligned to those of CIRO.

Credit hours can be carried forward for one year only.

Category	Annual Requirement	Carryover Permitted
Ethics	1	None Permitted
Business Conduct / Compliance	4	4
Professional Development	10	10
Total	15	n/a

CIRO Licenses - Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization

CIRO was created from the merger of the MFDA and IIROC.

Those licensed with CIRO-MFD (previously called the MFDA) must obtain a total of 30 credit hours every two years. The current CE cycle ends on November 30, 2025.

Of the 30 credit hours, a minimum of 2 credit hours must be from the CIRO-MFD Compliance category. These credit hours must be completed with CIRO directly.

Of the 30 credit hours, a minimum of 8 credit hours must be from the Business Conduct category. Of these 8 credit hours, a minimum of 1 credit (and no more than 2 credits) must relate to ethics.

Of the 30 credit hours, a minimum of 20 credit hours must be from the Professional Development category.

Those licensed with CIRO-IDD (previously called IIROC) must obtain a total of 30 credit hours every two years. The current CE cycle ends on December 31, 2025.

Of the 30 credit hours, a minimum of 10 credit hours must be from the CIRO-IDD Compliance category.

Of the 30 credit hours, a minimum of 20 credit hours must be from the Professional Development category.

More information can be found here.

CIRO has a "one and done" rule, which means that a CE course cannot be completed more than once.

CFP® Designation - Certified Financial Planner

CFP designation holders are required to complete a total of 25 verifiable credit hours every calendar year.

Of the 25 credit hours, a minimum of 12 credit hours must be from the Financial Planning category.

Of the 25 credit hours, a minimum of 2 credit hours must be from a Professional Responsibility category.

A maximum of 11 credit hours may come from the General category.

More information can be found here.

QAFP® Designation - Qualified Associate Financial Planner

QAFP designation holders are required to complete a total of 12 verifiable credit hours every calendar year.

Of the 12 credit hours, a minimum of 7 credit hours must be from the Financial Planning category.

Of the 12 credit hours, a minimum of 1 credit hour must be from a Professional Responsibility category.

A maximum of 4 credit hours may come from the General category.

More information can be found here.

CLU Designation - Chartered Life Underwriter

CLU designation holders are required to complete a total of 30 credit hours every calendar year.

Of the 30 credit hours, a minimum of 15 credit hours must be accredited by The Institute.

Of the 30 credit hours, a minimum of 2 credit hours must be related to ethics and be accredited by The Institute.

The CE cycle is annual, beginning January 1 and ending December 31 each year.

More information can be found here.

CHS Designation - Certified Health Insurance Specialist

CHS designation holders are required to complete a total of 10 credit hours every calendar year.

Of the 10 credit hours, a minimum of 1 credit hour must be related to ethics and be accredited by The Institute.

The CE cycle is annual, beginning January 1 and ending on December 31 each year.

More information can be found here.

PFA Designation - Professional Financial Advisor

PFA designation holders are required to complete a total of 20 credit hours every calendar year.

Of the 20 credit hours, a minimum of 10 credit hours must be accredited by The Institute.

Of the 20 credit hours, a minimum of 1 credit hour must be related to ethics and be accredited by The Institute.

The CE cycle is annual, beginning January 1 and ending December 31, each year.

More information can be found here.

PFP Designation - Professional Financial Advisor

PFP designation holders are required to complete a total of 20 credit hours every calendar year.

Of the 20 credit hours, a minimum of 15 credit hours must be related to professional development.

Of the 20 credit hours, a minimum of 5 credit hours must be related to ethics and/or compliance.

More information can be found here.

CIM Designation - Chartered Investment Manager

The continuing education (CE) requirements for the CIM designation are aligned to those of CIRO.

CIM designation holders are required to complete a total of 30 credit hours every two years. The current CE cycle ends on December 31, 2025.

Of the 30 credit hours, a minimum of 10 credit hours must be related to compliance.

Of the 30 credit hours, a minimum of 20 credit hours must be related to professional development.

More information can be found here.

Alberta Insurance Licensees

Accident and Sickness (A&S) licensees in Alberta are required to complete 15 credit hours every 12-month period. The CE cycle begins on July 1 and ends on June 30 each year.

Life insurance licensees in the province of Alberta are required to complete 15 credit hours every 12-month period. The CE cycle begins on July 1 and ends on June 30 each year.

For licensees in Alberta, the A&S category and the life category have separate requirements.

More information can be found here.

British Columbia Insurance Licensees

Accident and sickness (A&S) and life licensees are required to complete 15 credit hours each 12-month period. The CE cycle begins on June 1 and ends on May 31 each year.

More information can be found here.

Manitoba Insurance Licensees

Life and accident and sickness (A&S) licensees are required to complete 15 credit hours each 12 month period. The CE cycle begins on June 1st and ends on May 31st each year.

More information can be found here.

New Brunswick Insurance Licensees

There are no CE requirements for those licensed in the province of New Brunswick.

Newfoundland and Labrador Insurance Licensees

There are no CE requirements for those licensed in the province of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Nova Scotia Insurance Licensees

There are no CE requirements for those licensed in the province of Nova Scotia. 

Ontario Insurance Licensees

Accident and sickness (A&S) and life licensees are required to complete 30 credit hours every 24-month period. In Ontario, the CE cycle is "rolling" and therefore different for every licensee.

The end of the CE cycle is every second anniversary of the date each licensee obtained their license.

More information can be found here.

Prince Edward Island Insurance Licensees

There are no CE requirements for those licensed in the province of Prince Edward Island.

Saskatchewan Insurance Licensees

Accident and sickness (A&S) and life licensees are required to complete 15 credit hours each 12-month period. In Saskatchewan, the CE cycle is "rolling" and therefore different for every licensee.

The end of the CE cycle is the last day of the month that each licensee obtained their licensee. 

Courses that relate to financial planning can make up no more than 5 credit hours during each reporting period.

In addition, every licensee is required to complete 3 credit hours that relate to ethics within the first three years of becoming licensed and in every five-year period thereafter.

More information can be found here.

The Territories

There are no CE requirements for those licensed in the Northwest Territories, Nunavut, or Yukon. 

Additional Information for Quebec Licensees

For those licensed with the Chambre de la sécurité financière (CSF), additional information about your professional development requirements can be found on the CSF website.

For those who hold the Pl. Fin. designation offered by the Institute of Financial Planning, additional information about your professional development requirements can be found on their website.