§1903. Placement of insurance business; prohibitions and exclusions

A. An insurer shall not engage in the transaction of insurance unless authorized by a certificate of authority or otherwise is qualified pursuant to the laws of this state, or exempted by this Part or otherwise exempted by the insurance laws of this state.

B. A person shall not engage in a transaction of insurance nor shall in this state, directly or indirectly, act as agent for, or otherwise represent or aid on behalf of another, an unauthorized insurer in the solicitation, negotiation, procurement, or effectuation of insurance, or renewals thereof, or forwarding of applications, or delivery of policies or contracts, or inspection of risks, or fixing of rates, or investigation or adjustment of claims or losses, or collection or forwarding of premiums, or in any other manner represent or assist the insurer in the transaction of insurance.

C. This Section shall not apply to a person acting in this state in the placement of the following types of insurance:

(1) The lawful transaction of surplus lines insurance as provided in this Title.

(2) Reinsurance, if such reinsurer meets the following requirements, unless waived by the commissioner:

(a) The assuming insurer is authorized to operate an insurance or reinsurance business by its domiciliary jurisdiction and is authorized to write the type of reinsurance in its domiciliary jurisdiction.

(b) The assuming insurer satisfies all legal requirements for such reinsurance in the state of domicile of the ceding insurer.

(3) Any life insurance company or annuity company organized and operated without profit to any private shareholder or individual, exclusively for the purpose of aiding educational or scientific institutions organized and operated without profit to any private shareholder or individual by issuing insurance and annuity contracts direct from the home office of the company and without agents or representatives in this state only to or for the benefit of such institutions, and to individuals engaged in the services of such institutions.

(4) Insurance on the property and operation of railroads or aircraft engaged in interstate or foreign commerce, insurance on vessels, crafts, hulls, cargoes, marine builders' risks, marine protection and indemnity, or other risks, including strikes and war risks commonly insured under ocean or wet marine forms or policy. Notwithstanding the exemption provided in this Paragraph, the coverage for any wet marine risk arising out of the exploration, discovery, development, or production for any mineral, the maintenance, shutting in, or the plugging and abandoning of any oil or natural gas or other marine mine shall only be placed by a person that has satisfied all applicable licensing requirements, if any, of this Title and is insured by either an insurer or insurers which appear on the list of insurers pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 22:436 or other insurers which have been affirmatively approved in writing by the commissioner and that satisfy the requirements of R.S. 22:435. In no circumstance shall the exemption in this Paragraph apply to insurance on vessels and craft under five tons gross weight.

(5) Transactions in this state involving a policy lawfully solicited, written, and delivered outside of this state, covering subjects of insurance not resident located, or expressly to be performed in this state at the time of issue, and which transactions are subsequent to the issuance of the policy.

(6) Transactions involving risks located in this state where the policy or contract of insurance for such risk was principally negotiated and delivered outside this state, and was lawfully issued in a state or foreign country in which the foreign or alien insurer was authorized to operate an insurance business, and where such insurer has no contact with this state except in connection with inspections or losses required by virtue of the contract or policy of insurance covering the risk located in this state, including transactions involving the operation of workers' compensation claims offices pursuant to R.S. 23:1161.1.

Acts 1997, No. 1340, §1, eff. July 15, 1997; Redesignated from R.S. 22:1249.1 by Acts 2008, No. 415, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009; Acts 2012, No. 271, §1.

NOTE: Former R.S. 22:1903 redesignated as R.S. 22:384 by Acts 2008, No. 415, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009.