Colorado Surplus Lines study plan
Colorado Surplus Lines · Give each week a clear focus.
8 weeks · About 7 hours per week
Colorado Insurance Statutes, Rules and Regulations
Map the structure of Colorado's surplus lines statutes and regulations into a one-page outline of headings and subheadings
Define each key statutory term (surplus lines broker, eligible surplus lines insurer, home state, diligent search) in your own words
List the licensing and qualification requirements a Colorado surplus lines broker must satisfy and the producer's ongoing obligations
Identify which statutory provisions govern broker conduct versus which govern insurer eligibility
Your checkpoint
A one-page statutory map plus a 15-term glossary written from memory and then corrected against source text
Colorado Insurance Statutes, Rules and Regulations
Explain the statutory prohibitions and penalties that apply to unauthorized insurers and to brokers who place with them
Distinguish what a surplus lines broker may and may not do compared with a admitted-market producer
Summarize consumer notice and disclosure duties imposed by Colorado statute and regulation
Complete 40 practice questions on Domain 1 and log every missed item with the reason for the miss
Your checkpoint
A written summary of prohibited acts and penalties, plus an error log of at least 40 attempted Domain 1 questions at 80% or better accuracy
Surplus Lines Placement and Diligent Search Requirements
Define diligent search and list each element a broker must document before placing a risk in the surplus lines market
Sequence the placement workflow step by step, from risk submission through policy delivery
Identify the records that evidence a diligent search and state what each record must show
Compare acceptable versus insufficient declinations from admitted carriers
Your checkpoint
A numbered placement flowchart with a matching checklist of diligent-search documentation elements
Surplus Lines Placement and Diligent Search Requirements & Surplus Lines Insurers, Premium Tax, and Recordkeeping
Draft three sample diligent search files for different risk types and self-grade each against the checklist
Explain the rules governing when a risk may be exported and the conditions attached to export
Describe broker disclosure and signature requirements that attach to the placement document
Complete 40 practice questions on Domain 3 and log every missed item
Your checkpoint
Three self-graded sample diligent-search files plus a Domain 3 error log at 80% or better accuracy
Surplus Lines Insurers, Premium Tax, and Recordkeeping
List the eligibility criteria an insurer must meet to be treated as a surplus lines insurer in Colorado
Compute premium tax on a set of five practice scenarios using the correct base and rate
State the filing and payment deadlines and the consequences of late payment
Describe recordkeeping requirements including what must be retained and for how long
Your checkpoint
A worked premium-tax worksheet with five correct calculations and a one-page recordkeeping and filing-deadline summary
Surplus Lines Insurers, Premium Tax, and Recordkeeping & General Insurance Principles and Concepts
Explain the trust and fiduciary handling rules a surplus lines broker must follow for premium funds
Distinguish surplus lines from admitted-market and unauthorized-insurance placement under general insurance principles
Define core insurance concepts (insurable interest, indemnity, coinsurance, reinsurance, risk retention groups) and apply each to a surplus lines scenario
Complete 40 practice questions on Domain 4 and log every missed item
Your checkpoint
A premium-tax and funding-handling cheat sheet plus a Domain 4 error log at 80% or better accuracy
General Insurance Principles and Concepts
Build a concept map linking contract elements, agency law, and broker duties to surplus lines placement
Explain the legal characteristics of an insurance contract and apply them to two placement scenarios
Identify how policy structure, deductibles, limits, and endorsements affect coverage decisions
Complete 40 practice questions on Domain 2 and log every missed item
Your checkpoint
A one-page concept map and a Domain 2 error log at 80% or better accuracy
Colorado Insurance Statutes, Rules and Regulations & Surplus Lines Placement and Diligent Search Requirements & Surplus Lines Insurers, Premium Tax, and Recordkeeping & General Insurance Principles and Concepts
Re-drill every missed item across all four domains until each is answered correctly twice in a row
Complete two full-length timed practice exams under test conditions
Recite from memory the diligent search steps, premium tax formula, and insurer eligibility criteria
Review the weakest two domains identified by your error logs and confirm closure
Your checkpoint
Two completed timed exams scoring 80% or better, plus a cleared error log with every item re-drilled to mastery
Milestones
Week 2: Can summarize Colorado surplus lines statutory requirements, prohibitions, and penalties without notes, scoring 80% or better on 40 Domain 1 questions
Week 4: Can produce a complete diligent-search file from a blank page in under 20 minutes and score 80% or better on Domain 3 questions
Week 6: Can compute premium tax correctly on five unseen scenarios and state recordkeeping and filing deadlines from memory
Week 8: Two full-length timed practice exams completed at 80% or better with every logged error re-drilled to correct