(1) Unless denied licensure under RCW 48.17.530, persons who have met the requirements of RCW 48.17.090 and 48.17.110 shall be issued an insurance producer license. An insurance producer may receive a license in one or more of the following lines of authority:

     (a) "Life," which is insurance coverage on human lives, including benefits of endowment and annuities, and may include benefits in the event of death or dismemberment by accident and benefits for disability income;

     (b) "Disability," which is insurance coverage for accident, health, and disability or sickness, bodily injury, or accidental death, and may include benefits for disability income;

     (c) "Property," which is insurance coverage for the direct or consequential loss or damage to property of every kind;

     (d) "Casualty," which is insurance coverage against legal liability, including that for death, injury, or disability or damage to real or personal property;

     (e) "Variable life and variable annuity products," which is insurance coverage provided under variable life insurance contracts, variable annuities, or any other life insurance or annuity product that reflects the investment experience of a separate account;

     (f) "Personal lines," which is property and casualty insurance coverage sold to individuals and families for primarily noncommercial purposes;

     (g) Limited lines:

     (i) Surety;

     (ii) Limited line credit insurance;

     (iii) Travel;

     (h) Specialty lines:

     (i) Communications equipment or services;

     (ii) Rental car;

     (iii) Self-service storage; or

     (i) Any other line of insurance permitted under state laws or rules.

     (2) Unless denied licensure under RCW 48.17.530, persons who have met the requirements of RCW 48.17.090(4) shall be issued a title insurance agent license.

     (3) All insurance producers', title insurance agents', and adjusters' licenses issued by the commissioner shall be valid for the time period established by the commissioner unless suspended or revoked at an earlier date.

     (4) Subject to the right of the commissioner to suspend, revoke, or refuse to renew any insurance producer's, title insurance agent's, or adjuster's license as provided in this title, the license may be renewed into another like period by filing with the commissioner by any means acceptable to the commissioner on or before the expiration date a request, by or on behalf of the licensee, for such renewal accompanied by payment of the renewal fee as specified in RCW 48.14.010.

     (5) If the request and fee for renewal of an insurance producer's, title insurance agent's, or adjuster's license are filed with the commissioner prior to expiration of the existing license, the licensee may continue to act under such license, unless sooner revoked or suspended, until the issuance of a renewal license, or until the expiration of fifteen days after the commissioner has refused to renew the license and has mailed notification of such refusal to the licensee. If the request and fee for the license renewal are not received by the expiration date, the authority conferred by the license ends on the expiration date.

     (6) If the request for renewal of an insurance producer's, title insurance agent's, or adjuster's license and payment of the fee are not received by the commissioner prior to the expiration date, the applicant for renewal shall pay to the commissioner, in addition to the renewal fee, a surcharge as follows:

     (a) For the first thirty days or part thereof of delinquency, the surcharge is fifty percent of the renewal fee;

     (b) For the next thirty days or part thereof of delinquency, the surcharge is one hundred percent of the renewal fee.

     (7) If the request for renewal of an insurance producer's, title insurance agent's, or adjuster's license and fee for the renewal are received by the commissioner after sixty days but prior to twelve months after the expiration date, the application is for reinstatement of the license and the applicant for reinstatement must pay to the commissioner the license fee and a surcharge of two hundred percent of the license fee.

     (8) Subsections (6) and (7) of this section do not exempt any person from any penalty provided by law for transacting business without a valid and subsisting license or appointment.

     (9) An individual insurance producer, title insurance agent, or adjuster who allows his or her license to lapse may, within twelve months after the expiration date, reinstate the same license without the necessity of passing a written examination.

     (10) A licensed insurance producer who is unable to comply with license renewal procedures due to military service or some other extenuating circumstance such as a long-term medical disability, may request a waiver of those procedures. The producer may also request a waiver of any examination requirement or any other fine or sanction imposed for failure to comply with renewal procedures.

     (11) The license shall contain the licensee's name, address, personal identification number, and the date of issuance, lines of authority, expiration date, and any other information the commissioner deems necessary.

     (12) Licensees shall inform the commissioner by any means acceptable to the commissioner of a change of address within thirty days of the change. Failure to timely inform the commissioner of a change in legal name or address may result in a penalty under either RCW 48.17.530 or 48.17.560, or both.

[2009 c 162 § 19; 2009 c 119 § 11; 2007 c 117 § 12; 1979 ex.s. c 269 § 3; 1947 c 79 § .17.17; Rem. Supp. 1947 § 45.17.17.]

NOTES:

     Reviser's note: This section was amended by 2009 c 119 § 11 and by 2009 c 162 § 19, each without reference to the other. Both amendments are incorporated in the publication of this section under RCW 1.12.025(2). For rule of construction, see RCW 1.12.025(1).

     Effective date -- 2009 c 162: See note following RCW 48.03.020.

     Effective date -- 2009 c 119: See RCW 48.170.900.

     Effective date, implementation -- 1979 ex.s. c 269: See note following RCW 48.14.010.