The 2023 Florida Statutes (including Special Session C)

Title XXXVII
INSURANCE

Chapter 626
INSURANCE FIELD REPRESENTATIVES AND OPERATIONS

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F.S. 626.916

626.916 Eligibility for export.—

(1) No insurance coverage shall be eligible for export unless it meets all of the following conditions:

(a) The full amount of insurance required must not be procurable, after a diligent effort has been made by the producing agent to do so, from among the insurers authorized to transact and actually writing that kind and class of insurance in this state, and the amount of insurance exported shall be only the excess over the amount so procurable from authorized insurers. Surplus lines agents must verify that a diligent effort has been made by requiring a properly documented statement of diligent effort from the retail or producing agent. However, to be in compliance with the diligent effort requirement, the surplus lines agent’s reliance must be reasonable under the particular circumstances surrounding the export of that particular risk. Reasonableness shall be assessed by taking into account factors which include, but are not limited to, a regularly conducted program of verification of the information provided by the retail or producing agent. Declinations must be documented on a risk-by-risk basis. If it is not possible to obtain the full amount of insurance required by layering the risk, it is permissible to export the full amount.

(b) The premium rate at which the coverage is exported shall not be lower than that rate applicable, if any, in actual and current use by a majority of the authorized insurers for the same coverage on a similar risk.

(c) The policy or contract form under which the insurance is exported shall not be more favorable to the insured as to the coverage or rate than under similar contracts on file and in actual current use in this state by the majority of authorized insurers actually writing similar coverages on similar risks; except that a coverage may be exported under a unique form of policy designed for use with respect to a particular subject of insurance if a copy of such form is filed with the office by the surplus lines agent desiring to use the same and is subject to the disapproval of the office within 10 days of filing such form exclusive of Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays if it finds that the use of such special form is not reasonably necessary for the principal purposes of the coverage or that its use would be contrary to the purposes of this Surplus Lines Law with respect to the reasonable protection of authorized insurers from unwarranted competition by unauthorized insurers.

(d) Except as to extended coverage in connection with fire insurance policies and except as to windstorm insurance, the policy or contract under which the insurance is exported shall not provide for deductible amounts, in determining the existence or extent of the insurer’s liability, other than those available under similar policies or contracts in actual and current use by one or more authorized insurers.

(e) The insured has signed or otherwise provided documented acknowledgment of a disclosure in substantially the following form: “You are agreeing to place coverage in the surplus lines market. Coverage may be available in the admitted market. Persons insured by surplus lines carriers are not protected under the Florida Insurance Guaranty Act with respect to any right of recovery for the obligation of an insolvent unlicensed insurer.”

(2) The commission may by rule declare eligible for export generally, and notwithstanding the provisions of paragraphs (a), (b), (c), and (d) of subsection (1), any class or classes of insurance coverage or risk for which it finds, after a hearing, that there is no reasonable or adequate market among authorized insurers. Any such rules shall continue in effect during the existence of the conditions upon which predicated, but subject to termination by the commission.

(3)(a) Subsection (1) does not apply to wet marine and transportation or aviation risks that are subject to s. 626.917.

(b) Subsection (1) does not apply to classes of insurance which are related to indemnity of deductibles for property insurance or are subject to s. 627.062(3)(d)1. These classes may be exportable under the following conditions:

1. The insurance must be placed only by or through a surplus lines agent licensed in this state;

2. The insurer must be made eligible under s. 626.918; and

3. The insured has complied with paragraph (1)(e). If the disclosure is signed by the insured, the insured is presumed to have been informed and to know that other coverage may be available, and, with respect to the diligent-effort requirement under subsection (1), there is no liability on the part of, and no cause of action arises against, the retail agent presenting the form.

(4) A reasonable per-policy fee may be charged by the filing surplus lines agent for each policy certified for export. This per-policy fee must be itemized separately to the customer before purchase and enumerated in the policy.

(5) A retail agent may charge a reasonable per-policy fee for placement of a surplus lines policy under this section. This per-policy fee must be itemized separately to the customer before purchase.

History.—s. 355, ch. 59-205; s. 1, ch. 63-86; s. 1, ch. 67-380; ss. 13, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 91, ch. 79-40; s. 2, ch. 81-318; ss. 300, 318, 807, ch. 82-243; ss. 164, 206, 207, ch. 90-363; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 29, ch. 92-146; s. 1, ch. 2001-213; s. 1016, ch. 2003-261; s. 6, ch. 2007-90; s. 17, ch. 2011-174; s. 10, ch. 2019-108; s. 11, ch. 2021-104; s. 20, ch. 2021-113.

F.S. 626.916 on Google Scholar

F.S. 626.916 on Casetext

Amendments to 626.916

Arrestable Offenses / Crimes under Fla. Stat. 626.916

Level: Degree
Misdemeanor/Felony: First/Second/Third

Current data shows no reason an arrest or criminal charge should have occurred directly under Florida Statute 626.916.

Annotations, Discussions, Cases:

Cases from cite.case.law:

S. LEMY, v. DIRECT GENERAL FINANCE COMPANY,, 884 F. Supp. 2d 1236 (M.D. Fla. 2012)

. . . Florida Statutes, which requires a surplus line policy to include two specific disclaimers; Section 626.916 . . . underwriters qualify as an eligible surplus line insurer; that only immaterial infractions of Sections 626.916 . . . new evidence that, Lemy and Hill claim, shows the insurers knowingly and regularly violated Section 626.916 . . . In consequence, even if they prove a violation of Section 626.916(l)(a) or of another section at issue . . .

S. LEMY, v. DIRECT GENERAL FINANCE COMPANY,, 885 F. Supp. 2d 1265 (M.D. Fla. 2012)

. . . insurance code cited by the complaint that either the insurers or the policy appear to violate is Section 626.916 . . .

PRESCOTT ARCHITECTS, INC. v. LEXINGTON INSURANCE COMPANY,, 638 F. Supp. 2d 1317 (N.D. Fla. 2009)

. . . a “good faith belief’ its policy with Lexington is not valid because Lexington failed to satisfy § 626.916 . . . Stat. § 626.916(a)-(b). . . . Stat. § 626.916(1)(a). . . .

VISION I HOMEOWNERS ASSOCIATION, INC. a v. ASPEN SPECIALTY INSURANCE COMPANY, a, 643 F. Supp. 2d 1356 (S.D. Fla. 2009)

. . . See § 626.916(l)(a), Fla. . . .

ESSEX INSURANCE COMPANY, v. ZOTA,, 607 F. Supp. 2d 1340 (S.D. Fla. 2009)

. . . Parton states that § 626.916(l)(c) requires surplus lines insurers to file a form with the Office for . . . Florida Statute § 626.916(l)(c) states that: The policy or contract form under which the insurance is . . .

ESSEX INSURANCE COMPANY, v. ZOTA,, 985 So. 2d 1036 (Fla. 2008)

. . . See § 626.916(l)(a), Fla. . . .

AMERICAN INSURANCE ASSOCIATION, v. FLORIDA DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE, 646 So. 2d 784 (Fla. Dist. Ct. App. 1994)

. . . insurers, subject to the following conditions: (1) The insurance must be eligible for export under s. 626.916 . . .

DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE v. JAAR, 35 Fla. Supp. 2d 198 (Fla. Div. Admin. Hearings 1988)

. . . VIII of this chapter, of the amount of applicable state and federal taxes, or fees as authorized by § 626.916 . . .