(1) Subject to the insurer’s requirement as to payment of premium, every policy shall be mailed, delivered, or electronically transmitted to the insured or to the person entitled thereto not later than 60 days after the effectuation of coverage. Notwithstanding any other provision of law, an insurer may allow a policyholder of personal lines insurance to affirmatively elect delivery of the policy documents, including, but not limited to, policies, endorsements, notices, or documents, by electronic means in lieu of delivery by mail. Electronic transmission of a policy for commercial risks, including, but not limited to, workers’ compensation and employers’ liability, commercial automobile liability, commercial automobile physical damage, commercial lines residential property, commercial nonresidential property, farmowners insurance, and the types of commercial lines risks set forth in s. 627.062(3)(d), constitutes delivery to the insured or to the person entitled to delivery, unless the insured or the person entitled to delivery communicates to the insurer in writing or electronically that he or she does not agree to delivery by electronic means. Electronic transmission shall include a notice to the insured or to the person entitled to delivery of a policy of his or her right to receive the policy via United States mail rather than via electronic transmission. A paper copy of the policy shall be provided to the insured or to the person entitled to delivery at his or her request.

(2) In the event the original policy is delivered or is so required to be delivered to or for deposit with any vendor, mortgagee, or pledgee of any motor vehicle, and in which policy any interest of the vendee, mortgagor, or pledgor in or with reference to such vehicle is insured, a duplicate of such policy setting forth the name and address of the insurer, insurance classification of vehicle, type of coverage, limits of liability, premiums for the respective coverages, and duration of the policy, or memorandum thereof containing the same such information, shall be delivered by the vendor, mortgagee, or pledgee to each such vendee, mortgagor, or pledgor named in the policy or coming within the group of persons designated in the policy to be so included. If the policy does not provide coverage of legal liability for injury to persons or damage to the property of third parties, a statement of such fact shall be printed, written, or stamped conspicuously on the face of such duplicate policy or memorandum. This subsection does not apply to inland marine floater policies.

(3) Any automobile liability or physical damage policy shall contain on the front page a summary of major coverages, conditions, exclusions, and limitations contained in that policy. Any such summary shall state that the issued policy should be referred to for the actual contractual governing provisions. The company may, in lieu of the summary, provide a readable policy.

(4) Notwithstanding subsections (1) and (2), property and casualty insurance policies and endorsements that do not contain personally identifiable information may be posted on the insurer’s Internet website. If the insurer elects to post insurance policies and endorsements on its Internet website in lieu of mailing or delivery to insureds, the insurer must comply with the following:

(a) Each policy and endorsement must be easily accessible on the insurer’s Internet website for as long as the policy and endorsement remain in force.

(b) The insurer must archive all of its expired policies and endorsements on its Internet website and make any expired policy and endorsement available upon an insured’s request for at least 5 years after expiration of the policy and endorsement.

(c) Each policy and endorsement must be posted in a manner that enables the insured to print and save the policy and endorsement using a program or application that is widely available on the Internet without charge.

(d) When the insurer issues an initial policy or any renewal, the insurer must notify the insured, in the manner the insurer customarily uses to communicate with the insured, that the insured has the right to request and obtain without charge a paper or electronic copy of the insured’s policy and endorsements.

(e) On each declarations page issued to the insured, the insurer must clearly identify the exact policy form and endorsement form purchased by the insured.

(f) If the insurer changes any policy form or endorsement, the insurer must notify the insured, in the manner the insurer customarily uses to communicate with the insured, that the insured has the right to request and obtain without charge a paper or electronic copy of such form or endorsement.

(5) An electronically delivered document satisfies any font, size, color, spacing, or other formatting requirement for printed documents if the format in the electronically delivered document has reasonably similar proportions or emphasis of the characters relative to the rest of the electronic document or is otherwise displayed in a reasonably conspicuous manner.

History.—s. 470, ch. 59-205; s. 1, ch. 75-218; s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 1, ch. 77-457; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; ss. 377, 809(2nd), ch. 82-243; s. 79, ch. 82-386; s. 18, ch. 86-160; s. 114, ch. 92-318; s. 1, ch. 2013-190; s. 1, ch. 2013-191; s. 1, ch. 2015-170; s. 12, ch. 2017-132.