LICENSING

Ontario continuing education explained

Ontario runs CE on a two-year cycle in even years, splits it into two different kinds of hours, and will not renew a licence without it.

Ontario licences are issued by the Financial Services Regulatory Authority and renew annually, expiring on 31 March. Continuing education is not annual — it runs on a two-year cycle falling in even-numbered years, which catches people who assume it is every renewal.

The two kinds of hours

Conduct CE

Delivered by an FSRA-accredited provider. The required hours differ by licence class, with brokers carrying more than agents.

Professional CE

Technical content on mortgage brokering, earned through seminars, webinars and conferences. Records must be retained for four years.

Hours differ between agents and brokers

FSRA's own bulletin sets different Conduct CE hours for agents and for brokers, while some summary pages quote a single figure. Where the two disagree, the bulletin governs. Check your own class rather than relying on a number a colleague quotes.

What happens if you miss it

FSRA's position is direct: without the required continuing education, your licence will not be renewed. Because the deadline coincides with the 31 March renewal, there is no grace period in which to catch up while continuing to work.

The licensing ladder underneath it

Ontario has three levels. Mortgage Agent Level 1 is the entry point. Level 2 requires having held a Level 1 licence for at least 12 months out of the previous 24, plus the approved private mortgage course. Mortgage Broker requires at least 24 months at Level 2 out of the previous 36, plus the broker course.

Those stacked windows are why the pathway takes longer than people expect — the clock only counts licensed months, and gaps do not carry forward indefinitely.

Common questions

When is Ontario mortgage continuing education due?
CE runs on a two year cycle falling in even numbered years, and the deadline coincides with the 31 March licence renewal. It is not required every year.
What are the two kinds of Ontario CE?
Conduct CE, delivered by an FSRA accredited provider, and Professional CE, which is technical content earned through seminars, webinars and conferences. Records must be kept for four years.
What happens if you miss continuing education?
FSRA will not renew the licence. Because the deadline lands on the renewal date, there is no grace period in which to catch up while continuing to work.

Where to verify this

FSRA publishes licensing, renewal and CE requirements, including the CE bulletin, at fsrao.ca. Current as of 1 September 2026.

Growing a book in Ontario

A.I.M.I. Collective is licensed in Ontario alongside BC and Alberta.