Any surplus line broker who willfully fails or refuses to report to the commissioner any insurance on subject matter located within this state placed under his or her name with nonadmitted insurers, or who, by willful omission from the records required to be maintained by him or her for that purpose, attempts to evade the payment of taxes on any such insurance, is, in addition to being required to pay the tax, together with a penalty equal in amount to the tax, guilty of a misdemeanor.

It is a misdemeanor for any surplus line broker or special lines’ surplus line broker to accept or pay directly or indirectly any consideration or remuneration for or in connection with the placing of insurance that, if done by a person within this state, is governed by the provisions of this chapter, when the placing was not done by a person licensed therefor pursuant to this chapter.

It is a misdemeanor for any agent or broker to solicit, negotiate, or effect any insurance governed by the provisions of this chapter in nonadmitted insurers, except by and through a surplus line broker or special lines’ surplus line broker licensed pursuant to this chapter. Except in the case of insurance specified in subdivision (b) of Section 1760.5, it is a misdemeanor for any surplus line broker or special lines’ surplus line broker to accept, place, pay, or permit the payment of commission or other remuneration on insurance placed by him or her under authority of his or her license to any person other than one holding a license to act as an insurance agent, insurance broker, surplus line broker, or special lines’ surplus line broker, except that the business may be accepted by such surplus line broker or special lines’ surplus line broker directly from an insured or other person who would likewise be entitled to place the business directly with an admitted insurer without the solicitation, negotiation, or effecting thereof by an insurance agent or broker.

The commissioner may deny, suspend, or revoke any license issued pursuant to this code if he or she finds after notice and hearing in accordance with the procedure provided in Article 13 (commencing with Section 1737) of Chapter 5 that the licensee has violated any provisions of this section.

The permission granted in this chapter to place any insurance in a nonadmitted insurer shall not be deemed or construed to authorize any insurer to do business in this state.

Placement activities of a licensed surplus line broker in accordance with this chapter, including, but not limited to, policy issuance, shall not be deemed or construed to be business done by the insurer in this state.

(Amended by Stats. 2004, Ch. 183, Sec. 240. Effective January 1, 2005.)