IMPORTANT: Get Directions to CCMIT (The Maritime Institute), and their phone number BEFORE the day of class. You will need them. Internet maps are not an adequate substitute for the detail given on their website.
Go to www.ccmit.org for directions. Downloadable map PDFs are available there with building detail.
Maryland Land Title Association Pre-Licensing Course Information
Unless you are an attorney admitted to practice before the Court of Appeals of Maryland, you are required by law to meet one of the three prerequisites prior to taking the required State of Maryland Licensing Examination to become a Title Insurance Agent:
Satisfactory completion of an approved 30-hour course of study offered by an approved school of course provider, or
Regular employment by an insurer, agent or broker documented by a Affidavit of Employer and pre-approved by Maryland Insurance Administration, or
Licensed in a companion jurisdiction for at least a year and in possession of a letter of clearance from that jurisdiction.
The MLTA Pre-Licensing Committee is pleased to sponsor a 30-hour Pre-Licensing Course approved by the Maryland Insurance Administration. This mandatory program of instruction is designed to assist you in preparing for the examination. Upon successful conclusion, you will receive a Certificate of Completion, valid for one year, qualifying you to take the licensing examination with Prometric, Inc. (www.Prometric.com)
The course is structured as 14 hours of Classroom Instruction and 16 hours of Independent Study. To obtain a Certificate of Completion you MUST ATTEND ALL of the required in-class sessions, and successfully complete the independent study. The 16 hours of classroom instruction are scheduled as follows:
Day One – 8:45 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Day Two – 8:45 a.m. -5:00 p.m.
“Introduction to General Insurance” “Commitments and Policies”
“Maryland Insurance Administration” “Comprehensive Review”
“Title Examination”
“ICSL, The Transaction, Insurance Producers, & TIPICs, Title Agents, & Settlement”
If you successfully complete the Pre-Licensing Course, but are unable to pass the Maryland Licensing Exam, you will be able to attend a “Comprehensive Review” class at a future date at no additional cost. You will be allowed to retake the class at the discounted rate of $200.
All sessions are held at:
The Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies--North Academic Building
692 Maritime Blvd.
Linthicum Heights, MD 20190-1952
Lunch is available at many nearby restaurants or at the Maritime Institute. You may bring a bag lunch, if you prefer.
Directions to the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies
Please visit www.ccmit.org. The Conference Center provides directions. Also, it may be helpful to have their phone number with you.
It is essential that you have directions and arrive on time. You MUST be in your seat by 8:45 am each day. Remember that traffic is very heavy in this area in the mornings. You must allow enough travel time, as the Maryland Insurance Administration does not allow us to permit you to sign-in and take the course if you are late.
The MLTA has scheduled these sessions of the pre-licensing course. You need to select only one two-day session from the following:
Session Dates
There is a new registration form for the courses below. The 2011 form will not be accepted. The 2012 form is available by e-mail to MLTA@mdlta.com
January 11 and 18, 2012
April 11 and 16, 2012
June 6 and 11, 2012
October 3 and 8, 2012
All sessions are held at:
The Conference Center at the Maritime Institute
692 Maritime Boulevard
Linthicum Heights, MD 21090-1952
NOTE: If the total registration for this proposed course is not sufficient, MLTA reserves the right to withdraw this proposed course offering and refund the cost of registration.
INCLEMENT WEATHER POLICY: In the event that government offices in Anne Arundel County are closed on the day of the class, the class will be cancelled. If opening is delayed, the seminar will be held at its regularly scheduled date and time.
Rescheduling will be determined later.
Examination and Licensing
Examination Reservation
Candidates should go to:
www.psiexams.com or call: (800) 733-9267 to download/request a Candidate Information Bulletin - the CIB explains all necessary details.
Each exam is $70, and consists of a general and state portion. If you fail one part, you only have to repeat the failed portion on any subsequent exam attempts within a year of the initial attempt.
PSI
Attn: MD Insurance Services
3210 East Tropicana
Las Vegas, NV 89121
Please direct questions to mdinsurance@psionline.com or (818) 244-0033.
Title Insurance Producer Independent Contractor (TIPIC)
The Maryland Insurance Administration (MIA) has amended the state regulations to require that TIPICs who provide escrow, closing, or settlement services that may result in the issuance of title insurance must be licensed as title insurance producers, but they no longer need to be bonded personally, to get that license.
Maryland now requires that if a Title Agency uses the services of a TIPIC, the title agency must provide the protection for the work performed by TIPIC, under their agency surety and fidelity bonds.
The surety bond is guarantee from a bonding company, to the State of Maryland, that a Title Agency and the employees & TIPICs of that agency, will comply with all the statutes regulating the activities of a licensed title insurance producer. The bond is a financial guarantee in the amount of $150,000. When a surety company issues a bond it is telling the State and the public that it believes there is zero risk that the bonded company/agent will default on his or her obligations as a licensee. Surety bonds are underwritten as credit instruments, like credit cards or loans.
The Fidelity bond/policy is protection for the Title Agency, to protect them from employee theft. If a Title Agency hires TIPICs, they must have coverage for Independent Contractors under this Fidelity policy.
When Applying for Bonds {surety and fidelity}
• Find a professional surety bond agent who has experience with Title Agents and is familiar with the industry.
• Check your personal credit report and have inaccuracies corrected.
• Put together a personal financial statement that shows all of your assets and liabilities, as well as your current income.
• Have your surety bond agent get your bond pre-approved.
This article was written by Michele Blanco and reprinted with her permission and that of M&T Insurance Agency Inc {formerly Hess Egan}. M&T Insurance Agency, Inc. is a commercial insurance & surety brokerage firm and a Class B member of the MLTA.