8.3 Maintaining the License: Address Changes, Fees, Self-Appointment & Reporting

Outline item III.B, Maintaining a License, has four parts: change of address, fees and license renewal, self-appointment, and reportable administrative and criminal actions. Each is short, and together they supply several exam items.

1. Change of Address or Name: s. 626.551

A licensee must notify DFS in writing within 30 days after a change of:

• name;
• residence address;
• principal business street address;
• mailing address;
• contact telephone numbers, including a business telephone number; or
• e-mail address.

DFS processes these changes through the licensee's MyProfile account.

• Moving out of Florida: a licensee who moves both the principal residence and the principal place of business out of Florida has the license and all appointments immediately terminated.
• Penalty: failure to notify within 30 days brings a fine not exceeding $250 for a first offense, and a fine of at least $500 or suspension or revocation for a subsequent offense.
• The FSLSO also asks agents to update SLIP+ within 30 days of a change of business address, mailing address, or e-mail.

2. Fees and Renewal: ss. 624.501, 626.381, 626.927

Appointment renewal (s. 626.381):

• An appointment continues in force until suspended, revoked, or otherwise terminated, but it is subject to a renewal request filed in the appointee's birth month and every 24 months after that, with the renewal fee.
• The initial appointment is valid for 2 years plus the months remaining until the licensee's birth month.
• A renewal received before the appointment expires in the birth month takes effect on the first day of the following month, with no penalty.
• A late renewal may be accepted in DFS's discretion with the appointment, late filing, continuation, and reinstatement fee. Late fees are paid by the appointing entity and may not be charged to the appointee. For a self-appointed surplus lines agent, the appointing entity is the agent.

3. Self-Appointment: ss. 626.112, 626.381, 626.431(3), 626.451

• Why it matters: no one may act as an insurance agent unless currently licensed and appointed (s. 626.112(1)). A surplus lines license without an active appointment gives no authority to transact business (s. 626.431(1)).
• How it works: a surplus lines agent who is licensed as a general lines agent, MGA, or service representative, and who passed the surplus lines exam, appoints themself through DFS MyProfile using eAppoint, paying the $150 fee. DFS's instructions say the appointment must be renewed in the birth month 2 years after the initial effective date and every 24 months after that.
• What appointing certifies (s. 626.451): the appointing entity files the appointment, pays the fee and taxes, and certifies that it has investigated the licensee, that the licensee is of good character and fit for the business, and that it is willing to be bound by the licensee's acts within the scope of the appointment.
• The 48-month rule (s. 626.431(3)): an individual who fails to hold an appointment for the class of business on the license during any 48-month period may not be appointed for that class again until qualifying as a first-time applicant. DFS must notify the licensee when the last appointment for a class ends (s. 626.431(2)). This matches the 48-month reappointment window in s. 626.927(5).

4. Reportable Administrative and Criminal Actions: ss. 626.451, 626.536

Failing to report a qualifying criminal plea or conviction within 30 days is itself a discretionary ground for discipline (s. 626.621(10)). A felony conviction or plea is a compulsory ground under s. 626.611(1)(n).

Checklist for Keeping the License Active

1. Keep the general lines license in force.
2. Renew the $150 self-appointment every 24 months in the birth month.
3. Never let the appointment lapse for 48 months, or you must requalify as a first-time applicant.
4. Report address, name, phone, and e-mail changes within 30 days.
5. Report criminal pleas or convictions and final administrative actions within 30 days.
6. Keep FSLSO registration and SLIP+ contacts current.