The Florida Senate

626.221  Examination requirement; exemptions.--

(1)  The department shall not issue any license as agent, customer representative, or adjuster to any individual who has not qualified for, taken, and passed to the satisfaction of the department a written examination of the scope prescribed in s. 626.241

(2)  However, no such examination shall be necessary in any of the following cases:

(a)  An applicant for renewal of appointment as an agent, customer representative, or adjuster, unless the department determines that an examination is necessary to establish the competence or trustworthiness of such applicant.

(b)  An applicant for limited license as agent for personal accident insurance, baggage and motor vehicle excess liability insurance, credit life or disability insurance, credit insurance, credit property insurance, in-transit and storage personal property insurance, or communications equipment property insurance or communication equipment inland marine insurance.

(c)  In the discretion of the department, an applicant for reinstatement of license or appointment as an agent, customer representative, company employee adjuster, or independent adjuster whose license has been suspended within 4 years prior to the date of application or written request for reinstatement.

(d)  An applicant who, within 4 years prior to application for license and appointment as an agent, customer representative, or adjuster, was a full-time salaried employee of the department and had continuously been such an employee with responsible insurance duties for not less than 2 years and who had been a licensee within 4 years prior to employment by the department with the same class of license as that being applied for.

(e)  A person who has been licensed and appointed as an independent adjuster or company employee adjuster as to all property, casualty, and surety insurances may be licensed and appointed as a company employee adjuster or independent adjuster, as to these kinds of insurance, without additional written examination if an application for licensure is filed with the department within 48 months following the date of cancellation or expiration of the prior appointment.

(f)  A person who has been licensed as a company employee adjuster or independent adjuster for motor vehicle, property and casualty, workers' compensation, and health insurance may be licensed as such an adjuster without additional written examination if his or her application for licensure is filed with the department within 48 months after cancellation or expiration of the prior license.

(g)  An applicant for temporary license, except as provided in this code.

(h)  An applicant for a life or health license who has received the designation of chartered life underwriter (CLU) from the American College of Life Underwriters and who has been engaged in the insurance business within the past 4 years, except that such an individual may be examined on pertinent provisions of this code.

(i)  An applicant for license as a general lines agent, customer representative, or adjuster who has received the designation of chartered property and casualty underwriter (CPCU) from the American Institute for Property and Liability Underwriters and who has been engaged in the insurance business within the past 4 years, except that such an individual may be examined on pertinent provisions of this code.

(j)  An applicant for license as a customer representative who has earned the designation of Accredited Advisor in Insurance (AAI) from the Insurance Institute of America, the designation of Certified Insurance Counselor (CIC) from the Society of Certified Insurance Service Counselors, the designation of Accredited Customer Service Representative (ACSR) from the Independent Insurance Agents of America, the designation of Certified Professional Service Representative (CPSR) from the National Foundation for Certified Professional Service Representatives, the designation of Certified Insurance Service Representative (CISR) from the Society of Certified Insurance Service Representatives. Also, an applicant for license as a customer representative who has earned an associate degree or bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university with at least 9 academic hours of property and casualty insurance curriculum, or the equivalent, or has earned the designation of Certified Customer Service Representative (CCSR) from the Florida Association of Insurance Agents, or the designation of Registered Customer Service Representative (RCSR) from a regionally accredited postsecondary institution in this state, or the designation of Professional Customer Service Representative (PCSR) from the Professional Career Institute, whose curriculum has been approved by the department and whose curriculum includes comprehensive analysis of basic property and casualty lines of insurance and testing at least equal to that of standard department testing for the customer representative license. The department shall adopt rules establishing standards for the approval of curriculum.

(k)  An applicant for license as an independent or company employee adjuster who has the designation of Accredited Claims Adjuster (ACA) from a regionally accredited postsecondary institution in this state, Professional Claims Adjuster (PCA) from the Professional Career Institute, Professional Property Insurance Adjuster (PPIA) from the HurriClaim Training Academy, Certified Adjuster (CA) from ALL LINES Training, or Certified Claims Adjuster (CCA) from the Association of Property and Casualty Claims Professionals whose curriculum has been approved by the department and whose curriculum includes comprehensive analysis of basic property and casualty lines of insurance and testing at least equal to that of standard department testing for the all-lines adjuster license. The department shall adopt rules establishing standards for the approval of curriculum.

(l)  An applicant qualifying for a license transfer under s. 626.292, if the applicant:

1.  Has successfully completed the prelicensing examination requirements in the applicant's previous state which are substantially equivalent to the examination requirements in this state, as determined by the department;

2.  Has received the designation of chartered property and casualty underwriter (CPCU) from the American Institute for Property and Liability Underwriters and has been engaged in the insurance business within the past 4 years if applying to transfer a general lines agent license; or

3.  Has received the designation of chartered life underwriter (CLU) from the American College of Life Underwriters and has been engaged in the insurance business within the past 4 years, if applying to transfer a life or health agent license.

(m)  An applicant for a nonresident agent license, if the applicant:

1.  Has successfully completed prelicensing examination requirements in the applicant's home state which are substantially equivalent to the examination requirements in this state, as determined by the department, as a requirement for obtaining a resident license in his or her home state;

2.  Held a general lines agent license, life agent license, or health agent license prior to the time a written examination was required;

3.  Has received the designation of chartered property and casualty underwriter (CPCU) from the American Institute for Property and Liability Underwriters and has been engaged in the insurance business within the past 4 years, if an applicant for a nonresident license as a general lines agent; or

4.  Has received the designation of chartered life underwriter (CLU) from the American College of Life Underwriters and has been in the insurance business within the past 4 years, if an applicant for a nonresident license as a life agent or health agent.

(3)  An individual who is already licensed as a customer representative shall not be licensed as a general lines agent without application and examination for such license.

History.--s. 201, ch. 59-205; s. 1, ch. 67-91; ss. 13, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 5, ch. 71-86; s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 1, ch. 77-457; s. 87, ch. 79-40; s. 3, ch. 81-282; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; ss. 164(2nd), 217, 807, 810, ch. 82-243; s. 17, ch. 82-386; s. 86, ch. 83-216; s. 6, ch. 88-166; ss. 21, 206, 207, ch. 90-363; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 218, ch. 97-102; s. 14, ch. 98-199; s. 1, ch. 2001-190; s. 1, ch. 2002-84; ss. 12, 51, ch. 2002-206; s. 918, ch. 2003-261; s. 27, ch. 2003-267; s. 20, ch. 2003-281; s. 26, ch. 2004-390; s. 10, ch. 2005-257; s. 3, ch. 2006-184; s. 2(1st), ch. 2007-199; ss. 7, 25, ch. 2008-220.