(1) “Active participant” means a member in good standing of an association who attends 4 or more hours of association meetings every year, not including any department-approved continuing education course.

(2) “Adjuster” means a public adjuster as defined in s. 626.854 or an all-lines adjuster as defined in s. 626.8548.

(3) “Agent” means a general lines agent, life agent, health agent, or title agent, or all such agents, as indicated by context. The term “agent” includes an insurance producer or producer, but does not include a customer representative, limited customer representative, or service representative.

(4) “Appointment” means the authority given by an insurer or employer to a licensee to transact insurance or adjust claims on behalf of an insurer or employer.

(5) “Association” includes the Florida Association of Insurance Agents (FAIA), the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisors (NAIFA), the Florida Association of Health Underwriters (FAHU), the Latin American Association of Insurance Agencies (LAAIA), the Florida Association of Public Insurance Adjusters (FAPIA), the Florida Bail Agents Association (FBAA), or the Professional Bail Agents of the United States (PBUS).

(6) “Customer representative” means an individual appointed by a general lines agent or agency to assist that agent or agency in transacting the business of insurance from the office of that agent or agency.

(7) “General lines agent” means an agent transacting any one or more of the following kinds of insurance:

(a) Property insurance.

(b) Casualty insurance, including commercial liability insurance underwritten by a risk retention group, a commercial self-insurance fund as defined in s. 624.462, or a workers’ compensation self-insurance fund established pursuant to s. 624.4621.

(c) Surety insurance.

(d) Health insurance.

(e) Marine insurance.

(8) “Health agent” means an agent representing a health maintenance organization or, as to health insurance only, an insurer transacting health insurance.

(9) “Home state” means the District of Columbia and any state or territory of the United States in which an agent or adjuster maintains his or her principal place of residence or principal place of business and is licensed to act as an insurance agent or adjuster.

(10) “Insurance agency” means a business location at which an individual, firm, partnership, corporation, association, or other entity, other than an employee of the individual, firm, partnership, corporation, association, or other entity and other than an insurer as defined by s. 624.03 or an adjuster as defined by subsection (2), engages in any activity or employs individuals to engage in any activity which by law may be performed only by a licensed insurance agent.

(11) “License” means a document issued by the department or office authorizing a person to be appointed to transact insurance or adjust claims for the kind, line, or class of insurance identified in the document.

(12) “Life agent” means an individual representing an insurer as to life insurance and annuity contracts, or acting as a viatical settlement broker as defined in s. 626.9911, including agents appointed to transact life insurance, fixed-dollar annuity contracts, or variable contracts by the same insurer.

(13) “Limited customer representative” means a customer representative appointed by a general lines agent or agency to assist that agent or agency in transacting only the business of private passenger motor vehicle insurance from the office of that agent or agency. A limited customer representative is subject to the Florida Insurance Code in the same manner as a customer representative, unless otherwise specified. Effective October 1, 2014, a new limited customer representative license may not be issued.

(14) “Limited lines insurance” means those categories of business specified in ss. 626.321 and 635.011.

(15) “Line of authority” means a kind, line, or class of insurance an agent is authorized to transact.

(16)(a) “Managing general agent” means any person managing all or part of the insurance business of an insurer, including the management of a separate division, department, or underwriting office, and acting as an agent for that insurer, whether known as a managing general agent, manager, or other similar term, who, with or without authority, separately or together with affiliates, produces directly or indirectly, or underwrites an amount of gross direct written premium equal to or more than 5 percent of the policyholder surplus as reported in the last annual statement of the insurer in any single quarter or year and also does one or more of the following:

1. Adjusts or pays claims.

2. Negotiates reinsurance on behalf of the insurer.

(b) The following persons shall not be considered managing general agents:

1. An employee of the insurer.

2. A United States manager of the United States branch of an alien insurer.

3. An underwriting manager managing all the insurance operations of the insurer pursuant to a contract, who is under the common control of the insurer subject to regulation under ss. 628.801-628.803, and whose compensation is not based on the volume of premiums written.

4. Administrators as defined by s. 626.88.

5. The attorney in fact authorized by and acting for the subscribers of a reciprocal insurer under powers of attorney.

(17) “Personal lines agent” means a general lines agent who is limited to transacting business related to property and casualty insurance sold to individuals and families for noncommercial purposes.

(18) “Resident” means an individual whose home state is the State of Florida.

(19) “Service representative” means an individual employed by an insurer or managing general agent for the purpose of assisting a general lines agent in negotiating and effecting insurance contracts when accompanied by a licensed general lines agent. A service representative shall not be simultaneously licensed as a general lines agent in this state. This subsection does not apply to life insurance.

(20) “Unaffiliated insurance agent” means a licensed insurance agent, except a limited lines agent, who is self-appointed and who practices as an independent consultant in the business of analyzing or abstracting insurance policies, providing insurance advice or counseling, or making specific recommendations or comparisons of insurance products for a fee established in advance by written contract signed by the parties. An unaffiliated insurance agent may not be affiliated with an insurer, insurer-appointed insurance agent, or insurance agency contracted with or employing insurer-appointed insurance agents.

(21) “Uniform application” means the uniform application of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners for nonresident agent licensing, effective January 15, 2001, or subsequent versions adopted by rule by the department.

History.—s. 4, ch. 2002-206; s. 907, ch. 2003-261; s. 20, ch. 2003-267; s. 13, ch. 2003-281; s. 16, ch. 2004-374; s. 7, ch. 2005-237; s. 4, ch. 2005-257; s. 6, ch. 2008-220; s. 1, ch. 2012-209; s. 5, ch. 2014-123; s. 1, ch. 2015-180; s. 1, ch. 2017-147; s. 19, ch. 2017-175.