(1) Except as to personal lines agents and limited licenses, a general lines agent or customer representative shall qualify for all property, marine, casualty, and surety lines except bail bonds which require a separate license under chapter 648. The license of a general lines agent also covers health insurance. The license of a customer representative shall provide, in substance, that it covers all of such classes of insurance that his or her appointing general lines agent or agency is currently so authorized to transact under the general lines agent’s license and appointments. No such license shall be issued limited to particular classes of insurance except for bail bonds which require a separate license under chapter 648 or for personal lines agents. Personal lines agents are limited to transacting business related to property and casualty insurance sold to individuals and families for noncommercial purposes.

(2) Except with respect to a limited license as a credit insurance agent, the license of a life agent covers all classes of life insurance business.

(3) Except with respect to a limited license as a travel insurance agent, the license of a health agent covers all kinds of health insurance and such license may not be limited to a particular class of health insurance.

(4) No agent licensee shall transact or attempt to transact under his or her license any line of insurance for which he or she does not have currently in force of record with the department an appointment by an authorized insurer.

(5) At any time while a license is in force, an insurer may apply to the department on behalf of the licensee for an appointment. Upon receipt of the appointment application and appointment taxes and fees, the department may issue the additional appointment without further investigation concerning the applicant.

(6) An agent who appoints his or her license as an unaffiliated insurance agent may not hold an appointment from an insurer for any license he or she holds; transact, solicit, or service an insurance contract on behalf of an insurer; interfere with commissions received or to be received by an insurer-appointed insurance agent or an insurance agency contracted with or employing insurer-appointed insurance agents; or receive compensation or any other thing of value from an insurer, an insurer-appointed insurance agent, or an insurance agency contracted with or employing insurer-appointed insurance agents for any transaction or referral occurring after the date of appointment as an unaffiliated insurance agent. An unaffiliated insurance agent may continue to receive commissions on sales that occurred before the date of appointment as an unaffiliated insurance agent if the receipt of such commissions is disclosed when making recommendations or evaluating products for a client that involve products of the entity from which the commissions are received.

(7) The department may contract with other persons to administer the appointment process.

History.—s. 210, ch. 59-205; ss. 13, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 1, ch. 77-457; s. 3, ch. 81-282; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; s. 68, ch. 82-175; ss. 174, 217, 807, 810, ch. 82-243; s. 20, ch. 82-386; s. 87, ch. 83-216; ss. 31, 206, 207, ch. 90-363; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 221, ch. 97-102; s. 17, ch. 98-199; s. 31, ch. 2003-267; s. 24, ch. 2003-281; s. 19, ch. 2004-374; s. 13, ch. 2012-209; s. 13, ch. 2014-123; s. 6, ch. 2015-180.