Do I need to take an ethics course for insurance continuing education?

Yes, in most states. The NAIC Uniform Licensing Standards set a baseline of 24 continuing education hours per two-year period, of which 3 hours must cover ethics, and most states follow it: California, Texas, Georgia, and Illinois each require 3 ethics hours within their 24-hour totals. New York requires 1 ethics hour within its 15-credit total.