626.869 License, adjusters; continuing education.
626.869 License, adjusters; continuing education.
(1) An applicant for a license as an adjuster may qualify and his or her license when issued may cover adjusting in any one of the following classes of insurance:
(a) All lines of insurance except life and annuities.
(b) Motor vehicle physical damage insurance.
(c) Property and casualty insurance.
(d) Workers’ compensation insurance.
(e) Health insurance.
No examination on workers’ compensation insurance or health insurance shall be required for public adjusters.
(2) All individuals who on October 1, 1990, hold an adjuster’s license and appointment limited to fire and allied lines, including marine or casualty or boiler and machinery, may remain licensed and appointed under the limited license and may renew their appointment, but no license or appointment which has been terminated, not renewed, suspended, or revoked shall be reinstated, and no new or additional licenses or appointments shall be issued.
(3) The applicant’s application for license shall specify which of the foregoing classes of business the application for license is to cover.
(4)(a) Any individual holding a license as a company employee adjuster or independent adjuster for 24 consecutive months or longer must, beginning in his or her birth month and every 2 years thereafter, have completed 24 hours of courses, 2 hours of which relate to ethics, in subjects designed to inform the licensee regarding the current insurance laws of this state, so as to enable him or her to engage in business as an insurance adjuster fairly and without injury to the public and to adjust all claims in accordance with the policy or contract and the laws of this state.
(b) Any individual holding a license as a public adjuster for 24 consecutive months or longer, beginning in his or her birth month and every 2 years thereafter, must have completed 24 hours of courses, 2 hours of which relate to ethics, in subjects designed to inform the licensee regarding the current laws of this state pertaining to all lines of insurance other than life and annuities, the current laws of this state pertaining to the duties and responsibilities of public adjusters as set forth in this part, and the current rules of the department applicable to public adjusters and standard or representative policy forms used by insurers, other than forms for life insurance and annuities, so as to enable him or her to engage in business as an adjuster fairly and without injury to the public and to adjust all claims in accordance with the policy or contract and laws of this state. In order to receive credit for continuing education courses, public adjusters must take courses that are specifically designed for public adjusters and approved by the department, provided, however, no continuing education course shall be required for public adjusters for workers’ compensation insurance or health insurance.
(c) The department shall adopt rules necessary to implement and administer the continuing education requirements of this subsection. For good cause shown, the department may grant an extension of time during which the requirements imposed by this section may be completed, but such extension of time may not exceed 1 year.
(d) A nonresident public adjuster must complete the continuing education requirements provided by this section; provided, a nonresident public adjuster may meet the requirements of this section if the continuing education requirements of the nonresident public adjuster’s home state are determined to be substantially comparable to the requirements of this state’s continuing education requirements and if the resident’s state recognizes reciprocity with this state’s continuing education requirements. A nonresident public adjuster whose home state does not have such continuing education requirements for adjusters, and who is not licensed as a nonresident adjuster in a state that has continuing education requirements and reciprocates with this state, must meet the continuing education requirements of this section.
(5) The regulation of continuing education for licensees, course providers, instructors, school officials, and monitor groups shall be as provided for in s. 626.2816.
History. s. 332, ch. 59-205; s. 90, ch. 79-40; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-282; s. 2, ch. 81-318; ss. 284, 293, 807, 810, ch. 82-243; s. 26, ch. 88-166; s. 33, ch. 89-289; s. 50, ch. 90-201; ss. 143, 206, 207, ch. 90-363; s. 48, ch. 91-1; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 289, ch. 97-102; s. 62, ch. 98-199; s. 1, ch. 2003-99; s. 980, ch. 2003-261; ss. 61, 83, ch. 2003-267; s. 54, ch. 2003-281; s. 60, ch. 2004-390; s. 6, ch. 2007-199; s. 14, ch. 2008-220.