Terms Used In Florida Statutes 626.451

  • Adjuster: means a public adjuster as defined in…. See Florida Statutes 626.015
  • agent: includes an insurance producer or producer, but does not include a customer representative, limited customer representative, or service representative. See Florida Statutes 626.015
  • Appointment: means the authority given by an insurer or employer to a licensee to transact insurance or adjust claims on behalf of an insurer or employer. See Florida Statutes 626.015
  • Conviction: A judgement of guilt against a criminal defendant.
  • Customer representative: means an individual appointed by a general lines agent or agency to assist that agent or agency in transacting the business of insurance from the office of that agent or agency. See Florida Statutes 626.015
  • Indictment: The formal charge issued by a grand jury stating that there is enough evidence that the defendant committed the crime to justify having a trial; it is used primarily for felonies.
  • Jurisdiction: (1) The legal authority of a court to hear and decide a case. Concurrent jurisdiction exists when two courts have simultaneous responsibility for the same case. (2) The geographic area over which the court has authority to decide cases.
  • License: means a document issued by the department or office authorizing a person to be appointed to transact insurance or adjust claims for the kind, line, or class of insurance identified in the document. See Florida Statutes 626.015
  • Managing general agent: means any person managing all or part of the insurance business of an insurer, including the management of a separate division, department, or underwriting office, and acting as an agent for that insurer, whether known as a managing general agent, manager, or other similar term, who, with or without authority, separately or together with affiliates, produces directly or indirectly, or underwrites an amount of gross direct written premium equal to or more than 5 percent of the policyholder surplus as reported in the last annual statement of the insurer in any single quarter or year and also does one or more of the following:
  • Nolo contendere: No contest-has the same effect as a plea of guilty, as far as the criminal sentence is concerned, but may not be considered as an admission of guilt for any other purpose.
  • person: includes individuals, children, firms, associations, joint adventures, partnerships, estates, trusts, business trusts, syndicates, fiduciaries, corporations, and all other groups or combinations. See Florida Statutes 1.01
  • Service representative: means an individual employed by an insurer or managing general agent for the purpose of assisting a general lines agent in negotiating and effecting insurance contracts when accompanied by a licensed general lines agent. See Florida Statutes 626.015
  • writing: includes handwriting, printing, typewriting, and all other methods and means of forming letters and characters upon paper, stone, wood, or other materials. See Florida Statutes 1.01

(1) Each appointing entity or person designated by the department to administer the appointment process appointing an agent, adjuster, service representative, customer representative, or managing general agent in this state shall file the appointment with the department or office and, at the same time, pay the applicable appointment fee and taxes. Every appointment is subject to the prior issuance of the appropriate agent’s, adjuster’s, service representative’s, or customer representative’s license.
(2) By authorizing the effectuation of an appointment for a licensee, the appointing entity is thereby certifying to the department that an investigation of the licensee has been made and that in the appointing entity’s opinion and to the best of its knowledge and belief, the licensee is of good moral character and reputation, and is fit to engage in the insurance business. The appointing entity shall provide to the department any other information the department or office may reasonably require relative to the proposed appointee.
(3) By authorizing the effectuation of the appointment of an agent, adjuster, service representative, customer representative, or managing general agent the appointing entity is thereby certifying to the department that it is willing to be bound by the acts of the agent, adjuster, service representative, customer representative, or managing general agent, within the scope of the licensee’s employment or appointment.
(4) Each appointing entity shall advise the department or office in writing within 15 days after it or its general agent, officer, or other official becomes aware that an appointee has pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to or has been found guilty of a felony after being appointed.
(5) Upon the filing of an information or indictment against an agent, adjuster, service representative, or customer representative, the state attorney shall immediately furnish the department or office a certified copy of the information or indictment.
(6) Each licensee shall advise the department in writing within 30 days after having been found guilty of or having pleaded guilty or nolo contendere to a felony or a crime punishable by imprisonment of 1 year or more under the laws of the United States, any state of the United States, or any other country, without regard to whether a judgment of conviction has been entered by the court having jurisdiction of such cases.