Office and records; penalty for unlawful removal of records.

(1) Every domestic insurer shall have an office in this state and shall keep therein complete records of its assets, transactions, and affairs, specifically including:

(a) Financial records;

(b) Corporate records;

(c) Reinsurance documents;

(d) Access to all accounting transactions and access in this state, upon demand by the office, to all original accounting documents;

(e) Claim files; and

(f) Payment of claims,

in accordance with such methods and systems as are customary or suitable as to the kind or kinds of insurance transacted.

(2) Every domestic insurer shall have and maintain its assets in this state, except as to:

(a) Real property and personal property appurtenant thereto lawfully owned by the insurer and located outside this state, and

(b) Such property of the insurer as may be customary, necessary, and convenient to enable and facilitate the operation of its branch offices, regional home offices, and operations offices, located outside this state as referred to in s. 628.281.

(3) The removal of all or a material part of the records or assets of a domestic insurer from this state except pursuant to a plan of merger or consolidation approved by the office under this code or for such reasonable purposes and periods of time as may be approved by the office in writing in advance of such removal, or the concealment of such records or assets or material part thereof from the office, is prohibited. Any person who removes or attempts to remove such records or assets or such material part thereof from the home office or other place of business or of safekeeping of the insurer in this state with the intent to remove the same from this state, or who conceals or attempts to conceal the same from the office, in violation of this subsection, is guilty of a felony of the third degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082, s. 775.083, or s. 775.084. Upon any removal or attempted removal of such records or assets or upon retention of such records or assets or material part thereof outside this state, beyond the period therefor specified in the consent of the office under which consent the records were so removed thereat, or upon concealment of or attempt to conceal records or assets in violation of this section, the office may institute delinquency proceedings against the insurer pursuant to the provisions of chapter 631.

(4) This section is subject to the exceptions provided for in s. 628.281.