TITLE 41

INSURANCE

CHAPTER 12

UNAUTHORIZED INSURERS AND SURPLUS LINES

41-1214.  Conditions for export. If certain insurance coverages cannot be procured from authorized insurers, such coverages, hereinafter designated "surplus lines," may be procured from unauthorized insurers, subject to the following conditions:

(1)  The insurance must be procured through a licensed surplus line broker who is a member of a surplus line association approved by the director.

(2)  The full amount or kind of insurance required must not be procurable from insurers who are authorized to do business in this state. The amount of insurance exported shall be only the excess over the amount procurable from authorized insurers unless the excess is not available without support of other coverages, provided that a diligent search is made among the insurers authorized to transact and actually writing that particular kind and class of insurance in this state.

(3)  The insurance must not be so exported for the purpose of securing advantages either as to:

(a)  A lower premium rate than would be accepted by an authorized insurer; or

(b)  Terms of the insurance contract.

(4)  A surplus line broker seeking to procure from or place insurance with an unauthorized insurer for an exempt commercial purchaser is not required to satisfy the diligent search requirement set forth in subsection (2) of this section when:

(a)  The surplus line broker or referring insurance producer procuring or placing the surplus line insurance has disclosed to the exempt commercial purchaser that such insurance may or may not be available from the admitted market that may provide greater protection with more regulatory oversight; and

(b)  The exempt commercial purchaser has subsequently requested in writing the surplus line broker or referring insurance producer to procure or place such insurance from an unauthorized insurer.

(5)  Records of the surplus line broker’s satisfaction of the requirements of subsection (4) of this section shall be maintained in compliance with the provisions of section 41-1227, Idaho Code.

(6)  A surplus line broker may not knowingly place surplus line insurance with insurers that are financially unsound. The surplus line broker may only so insure with the following:

(a)  Any foreign insurer that is authorized to write the kind of insurance in its domiciliary jurisdiction and has capital and surplus or its equivalent under the laws of its domiciliary jurisdiction that equals the greater of the following: (i) the minimum capital and surplus requirements under the laws of this state; or (ii) fifteen million dollars ($15,000,000); or

(b)  Any alien insurer that is listed on the quarterly listing of alien insurers maintained by the international insurers department of the national association of insurance commissioners.

(7)  The requirements in paragraph (a) of subsection (6) of this section may be satisfied by an insurer that possesses less than the minimum capital and surplus upon an affirmative finding of acceptability by the director. Such finding shall be based upon factors such as quality of management, capital and surplus of any parent company, company underwriting profit and investment income trends, market availability and company record and reputation within the industry. The director is prohibited from making an affirmative finding of acceptability when the foreign insurer’s capital and surplus is less than four million five hundred thousand dollars ($4,500,000).

(8)  The director may promulgate rules to prescribe the terms under which the financial requirements provided in this section may be waived in circumstances where insurance cannot be otherwise procured on risks located in this state.

(9)  For any violation of the provisions of this section, a surplus line broker may be subject to a fine of not less than one hundred dollars ($100) and not more than five thousand dollars ($5,000), or the surplus line broker’s license may be revoked, suspended or nonrenewed, or both such fine and license revocation, suspension or nonrenewal.

History:

[41-1214, added 1961, ch. 330, sec. 258, p. 645; am. 1993, ch. 22, sec. 2, p. 80; am. 2011, ch. 183, sec. 3, p. 520.]