Title insurance agent licensure; exemptions.

(1) A person may not act as a title insurance agent until a valid title insurance agent’s license has been issued to that person by the department.

(2) An application for license as a title insurance agent shall be filed with the department on forms furnished by the department.

(3) The department may not grant or issue a license as a title insurance agent to an individual who is found by the department to be untrustworthy or incompetent, who does not meet the qualifications for examination specified in s. 626.8414, or who does not meet the following qualifications:

(a) Within the 4 years immediately preceding the date of the application for license, the applicant must have completed a 40-hour course in title insurance, 3 hours of which are on the subject matter of ethics, as approved by the department, or must have had at least 12 months of experience in responsible title insurance duties, under the supervision of a licensed title insurance agent, title insurer, or attorney while working in the title insurance business as a substantially full-time, bona fide employee of a title insurance agency, title insurance agent, title insurer, or attorney who conducts real estate closing transactions and issues title insurance policies but who is exempt from licensure under subsection (4). If an applicant’s qualifications are based upon the periods of employment at responsible title insurance duties, the applicant must submit, with the license application, an affidavit of the applicant and of the employer affirming the period of such employment, that the employment was substantially full time, and giving a brief abstract of the nature of the duties performed by the applicant.

(b) The applicant must have passed any examination for licensure required under s. 626.221.

(4) Title insurers, acting through designated corporate officers, or attorneys duly admitted to practice law in this state and in good standing with The Florida Bar are exempt from the provisions of this chapter relating to title insurance licensing and appointment requirements.

(5) If an attorney owns a corporation or other legal entity that is doing business as a title insurance agency, other than an entity engaged in the active practice of law, the agency must be licensed and appointed as a title insurance agent.

(6) Prelicensure coursework is not required for an applicant who is a member or veteran of the United States Armed Forces or the spouse of such a member or veteran. A qualified individual must provide a copy of a military identification card, military dependent identification card, military service record, military personnel file, veteran record, discharge paper, or separation document that indicates such member is currently in good standing or such veteran is honorably discharged.