(a) A self-service storage facility, or franchisee of a self-service storage facility, shall not offer or sell insurance unless it has complied with the requirements of this article and has been issued a license by the commissioner as provided in this article.

(b) The commissioner may issue to a self-service storage facility, or its franchisee, that has complied with the requirements of this article, a license that authorizes the self-service storage facility or its franchisee to offer or sell the types of insurance specified in Section 1758.75 in connection with and incidental to rental agreements on behalf of any insurer authorized to write those types of insurance policies in this state.

(c) (1) The license period shall be a two-year period beginning as described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of paragraph (2), as applicable, and ending on the second succeeding year on the last calendar day of the month in which the initial license was issued.

(2) The commencement of a license period shall be determined for each self-service storage facility or franchisee of a self-service storage facility, as follows:

(A) Upon initial licensing, the license period begins on the date the license is issued.

(B) Upon license renewal, the license period begins on the first day of the month following the month in which the initial license was issued.

(3) (A) Not less than 60 days before a permanent license will expire, the commissioner may use an electronic delivery method, including email or other similar electronic method of delivery, to deliver, or may mail, to the latest email or mailing address appearing on his or her records, an application to the licensee to renew the license for the appropriate succeeding license period. It is the licensee’s responsibility to renew whether or not a renewal application is received. The commissioner may accept a late renewal without penalty, provided that the licensee’s failure to comply is due to clerical error or inadvertence on the part of the department.

(B) The application for renewal of a license shall be filed on or before the expiration date.

(C) The application for renewal of an expired license may be filed after the expiration date and until the same month and day of the next succeeding year. A licensee who files the renewal application after the license has expired shall be charged, in addition to the renewal fee, a penalty of 50 percent of the renewal fee.

(d) The applicant for a license pursuant to this section shall submit an application fee upon initial application and upon renewal application of two hundred ninety-four dollars ($294).

(e) Costs associated with any enforcement action or investigation shall be paid for by the person or organization licensed pursuant to this article.

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 534, Sec. 43. (AB 1699) Effective January 1, 2018.)