Alabama will institute a new electronic database for agents and brokers to manage their licensing, renewals and continuing education credits.

The online tool, based on a system developed by the National Association of Insurance Commissioners, will offer producers real-time, paperless access to their data and records, Alabama Insurance Commissioner Walter Bell said. Through the State Based Systems program, agents and brokers will gain Web-based access to license applications, renewals, inquiries, enforcement actions and other functions; it works with online tools for the National Insurance Producer Registry (NIPR).

The new system will go online September 29. As the current system will go offline September 17, state regulators are urging producers to renew all September-expiring licenses by September 16.

August 26, 2008