The Florida Senate

Each person operating an adjusting firm and each location of a multiple location adjusting firm must designate a primary adjuster for each such firm or location and must file with the department the name of such primary adjuster and the address of the firm or location where he or she is the primary adjuster, on a form approved by the department. The designation of the primary adjuster may be changed at the option of the adjusting firm. Any such change is effective upon notification to the department. Notice of change must be sent to the department within 30 days after such change.

The department may suspend or revoke the license of the primary adjuster if the adjusting firm employs any person who has had a license denied or any person whose license is currently suspended or revoked. However, if a person has been denied a license for failure to pass a required examination, he or she may be employed to perform clerical or administrative functions for which licensure is not required.

The primary adjuster in an unincorporated adjusting firm, or the primary adjuster in an incorporated adjusting firm in which no officer, director, or stockholder is an adjuster, is responsible and accountable for the acts of salaried employees under his or her direct supervision and control while acting on behalf of the adjusting firm. Nothing in this section renders any person criminally liable or subject to any disciplinary proceedings for any act unless the person personally committed or knew or should have known of the act and of the facts constituting a violation of this code.

The department may suspend or revoke the license of any adjuster who is employed by a person whose license is currently suspended or revoked.

An adjusting firm location may not conduct the business of insurance unless a primary adjuster is designated. Failure of the person operating the adjusting firm to designate a primary adjuster for the firm, or for each location, as applicable, on a form prescribed by the department within 30 days after inception of the firm or change of primary adjuster designation, constitutes grounds for requiring the adjusting firm to obtain an adjusting firm license pursuant to s. 626.8696.

Any adjusting firm may request, on a form prescribed by the department, verification from the department of any person’s current licensure status. If a request is mailed to the office within 5 working days after the date an adjuster is hired, and the department subsequently notifies the adjusting firm that an employee’s license is currently suspended, revoked, or has been denied, the license of the primary adjuster shall not be revoked or suspended if the unlicensed person is immediately dismissed from employment as an adjuster with the firm.