(a) An individual insurance producer may not act as an agent of an insurer unless the individual insurance producer becomes an appointed agent of that insurer. An individual insurance producer who is not acting as an agent of an insurer is not required to become appointed.

(b) To appoint an individual insurance producer as its agent, the appointing insurer shall file, in a format approved by the Insurance Commissioner, a notice of appointment within fifteen days from the date the agency contract is executed or the first insurance application is submitted. An insurer may also elect to appoint an individual insurance producer to all or some insurers within the insurer's holding company system or group by the filing of a single appointment request.

(c) Upon receipt of the notice of appointment, the Insurance Commissioner shall verify within a reasonable time not to exceed thirty days that the individual insurance producer is eligible for appointment. If the individual insurance producer is determined to be ineligible for appointment, the Insurance Commissioner shall notify the insurer within five days of its determination.

(d) An insurer shall pay a nonrefundable appointment processing fee, in the amount and method of payment set forth in section thirteen, article three of this chapter, for each appointment notification submitted by the insurer to the commissioner.

(e) An insurer shall remit, in a manner prescribed by the Insurance Commissioner, a renewal appointment fee in the amount set forth in section thirteen, article three of this chapter no later than midnight the thirty-first day of May annually.

(f) Each insurer shall maintain a current list of individual insurance producers appointed to accept applications on behalf of the insurer. Each insurer shall make a list available to the commissioner upon reasonable request for purposes of conducting investigations and enforcing the provisions of this chapter.

(g) Insurance agencies licensed as producers are not subject to the provisions of this section.