The Florida Senate

626.171  Application for license as an agent, customer representative, adjuster, service representative, managing general agent, or reinsurance intermediary.--

(1)  The department shall not issue a license as agent, customer representative, adjuster, service representative, managing general agent, or reinsurance intermediary to any person except upon written application therefor filed with it, qualification therefor, and payment in advance of all applicable fees. Any such application shall be made under the oath of the applicant and be signed by the applicant. The department shall accept the uniform application for nonresident agent licensing. The department may adopt revised versions of the uniform application by rule.

(2)  In the application, the applicant shall set forth:

(a)  His or her full name, age, social security number, residence address, business address, and mailing address.

(b)  Proof that he or she has completed or is in the process of completing any required prelicensing course.

(c)  Whether he or she has been refused or has voluntarily surrendered or has had suspended or revoked a license to solicit insurance by the department or by the supervising officials of any state.

(d)  Whether any insurer or any managing general agent claims the applicant is indebted under any agency contract or otherwise and, if so, the name of the claimant, the nature of the claim, and the applicant's defense thereto, if any.

(e)  Proof that the applicant meets the requirements for the type of license for which he or she is applying.

(f)  The applicant's gender (male or female).

(g)  The applicant's native language.

(h)  The highest level of education achieved by the applicant.

(i)  The applicant's race or ethnicity (African American, white, American Indian, Asian, Hispanic, or other).

(j)  Such other or additional information as the department may deem proper to enable it to determine the character, experience, ability, and other qualifications of the applicant to hold himself or herself out to the public as an insurance representative.

However, the application must contain a statement that an applicant is not required to disclose his or her race or ethnicity, gender, or native language, that he or she will not be penalized for not doing so, and that the department will use this information exclusively for research and statistical purposes and to improve the quality and fairness of the examinations.

(3)  Each application shall be accompanied by payment of any applicable fee.

(4)  An applicant for a license as an agent, customer representative, adjuster, service representative, managing general agent, or reinsurance intermediary must submit a set of the individual applicant's fingerprints, or, if the applicant is not an individual, a set of the fingerprints of the sole proprietor, majority owner, partners, officers, and directors, to the department and must pay the fingerprint processing fee set forth in s. 624.501 Fingerprints shall be used to investigate the applicant's qualifications pursuant to s. 626.201 The fingerprints shall be taken by a law enforcement agency, designated examination center, or other department-approved entity. The department shall require all designated examination centers to have fingerprinting equipment and to take fingerprints from any applicant or prospective applicant who pays the applicable fee. The department may not approve an application for licensure as an agent, customer service representative, adjuster, service representative, managing general agent, or reinsurance intermediary if fingerprints have not been submitted.

(5)  The application for license filing fee prescribed in s. 624.501 is not subject to refund.

(6)  Pursuant to the federal Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act of 1996, each party is required to provide his or her social security number in accordance with this section. Disclosure of social security numbers obtained through this requirement shall be limited to the purpose of administration of the Title IV-D program for child support enforcement.

History.--s. 196, ch. 59-205; ss. 13, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 4, ch. 71-86; s. 1, ch. 72-34; s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 1, ch. 77-457; s. 3, ch. 81-282; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; ss. 158(2nd), 217, 807, 810, ch. 82-243; s. 3, ch. 85-208; ss. 16, 206, 207, ch. 90-363; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 42, ch. 92-146; s. 212, ch. 97-102; s. 66, ch. 97-170; s. 10, ch. 98-199; s. 4, ch. 2001-142; ss. 9, 50, ch. 2002-206; s. 912, ch. 2003-261; s. 23, ch. 2003-267; s. 16, ch. 2003-281; s. 22, ch. 2004-390; s. 8, ch. 2005-257; s. 1, ch. 2006-184; s. 138, ch. 2007-5.