(a) A certificate of registration as a title marketing representative shall be applied for and renewed by filing with the commissioner a written application. The application shall be on a form prescribed by the commissioner, and shall prescribe the disclosure of information that will aid the commissioner in determining whether the prerequisites for the certificate have been met. The applicant shall certify that the contents of the application are true and correct under penalty of perjury.

(b) Each application for a certificate of registration shall contain the following information:

(1) The residence address, the principal business address, and the mailing address of the applicant.

(2) A statement, signed by an officer of the business by whom the applicant is or will be employed, certifying that the applicant will be provided training regarding Article 6 (commencing with Section 12404) within 60 days of the hiring date or date of application.

(3) A statement, signed by the applicant, as to whether he or she has previously had a certificate of registration revoked, suspended, or otherwise limited under Section 12418.4.

(c) Each application to obtain or renew a certificate of registration shall be accompanied by a filing fee in an amount determined by the department to be sufficient to defray the department’s actual costs of processing the application, not to exceed two hundred thirty-seven dollars ($237). An application shall not be deemed filed unless it has been delivered to the department accompanied by the proper filing fee.

(d) The commissioner may decline to act on an incomplete or defective application until an amended application that completes the prescribed form has been filed with the department. In the event that the application is found to be defective or incomplete, the department shall notify the applicant and his or her employer in writing that the application needs to be modified and resubmitted within 15 days of receipt of this written notification.

(e) An applicant submitting an application filed with the department for a certificate of registration as a title marketing representative may solicit, sell, or market title insurance, as defined in Section 12340.1, in the interim time period preceding the formal approval or rejection of the application, but shall be subject to the same compliance requirements as a holder of an approved certificate of registration. An applicant with a pending application shall be deemed to be operating on a provisional basis.

(f) In the event that the title marketing representative’s employment with a title company is terminated, the title company formerly employing the title marketing representative shall notify the department within 30 days of the termination. If the title marketing representative becomes employed by another title company as a title marketing representative, the new employer shall notify the department of the title marketing representative’s new employment within 30 days of the commencement of that employment.

(g) An applicant who has previously had a certificate of registration revoked, suspended, or otherwise limited under subdivision (d) of Section 12418.4 may not sell, solicit, or market title insurance during the interim period described in subdivision (e).

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 534, Sec. 81. (AB 1699) Effective January 1, 2018.)