Compliance Corner – from Insurance Insights, Volume 5, No 4- April 2016
Division of Agent and Agency Services
This section has been created to assist you in keeping your insurance business in compliance. The items are intended as reminders only. Note: Division publications may include references to the Florida Statutes and/or the Florida Administrative Code. The laws noted in our publications are/were in effect at the time of publication but may have been repealed, amended or replaced and new laws may have been enacted subsequently.
Compliance Topic of the Month: Customer Representatives ~ Appointment Required To Transact Insurance
If you are currently working in an agency as a customer representative, you should confirm that you are properly appointed by your supervising general lines agent which may also be your agency's “agent-in-charge”, or the licensed agency you work for.
Per Florida Statutes 626.112, License and appointment required; a customer representative may not engage in soliciting insurance without a valid license and appointment. A customer representative may only be appointed by a general lines licensed insurance agent or by the agency’s license in order to engage in the solicitation of insurance.
Florida Administrative Rule 69B-213.130 further defines the customer representative’s authority to include the following functions:
a) Take insurance applications.
b) Give quotes.
c) Interpret policies.
d) Explain procedures.
e) Give insurance advice.
f) Solicit new customers at the agent’s office or by telephone from that office.
g) Bind new or additional coverages.
h) This section further outlines the preliminary work for assisting in processing claims.
Performing any of the above duties requires an appointment.
If you require an appointment, customer representative appointments are completed by a general lines agent or insurance agency through eAppoint. The eAppoint system is accessed through the general lines or insurance agency's MyProfile account by clicking the “Access eAppoint Website” link. Appointments that require backdating to a date more than two years will require completion of form DFS-H2-1105 for consideration by the Department.
In addition to the appointment, the supervising agent must complete the “Designation of Supervising Agent for Customer Representatives or Limited Customer Representatives” form DFS-H2-1124 on behalf of the 4-40 licensee, and send it to the Bureau of Licensing.
Contact U.S. E&O Brokers today at (800) 460-6424 for all of your professional liability insurance needs.