License required.

(1) A person may not transact, administer, or market, attempt to transact, administer, or market, or in any manner hold itself out as transacting, administering, or marketing the service agreement business, on behalf of herself or himself or itself, in this state or from this state unless it is authorized to do so under a subsisting license issued to it by the office. The company shall pay to the office an annual nonrefundable license fee for the license.

(2) No person shall, from offices or by personnel or facilities in this state, solicit applications or otherwise transact service agreement sales in another state or country unless it holds a subsisting license issued to it by the office authorizing it to transact the same kind or kinds of service agreement business in this state.

(3) No person shall transact, administer, or market service agreements unless it holds a subsisting license issued by the office authorizing it to transact the same kind or kinds of service agreement business in this state.

(4) The office may, pursuant to s. 120.569, in its discretion and without advance notice or hearing issue an immediate final order to cease and desist to any person or entity which violates this section. The Legislature finds that a violation of this section constitutes an imminent and immediate threat to the public health, safety, and welfare of the residents of this state.

(5) Any person that is an affiliate of a domestic insurer as defined in chapter 624 is exempt from application of this part if the person does not issue, or market or cause to be marketed, motor vehicle service agreements to residents of this state and does not administer motor vehicle service agreements that were originally issued to residents of this state. The domestic insurer or its wholly owned Florida licensed insurer must be the direct obligor of all motor vehicle service agreements issued by such affiliate or must issue a contractual liability insurance policy to such affiliate that meets the conditions described in s. 634.041(8)(b). If the Office of Insurance Regulation determines, after notice and opportunity for a hearing, that a person’s intentional business practices do not comply with any of the exemption requirements of this subsection, the person shall be subject to this part.

(6) Any person that is an affiliate of a licensed motor vehicle service agreement company which is domiciled in this state and which uses contractual liability insurance to qualify with the requirements of s. 634.041 is exempt from application of this part if the person does not issue, market, or cause to be marketed motor vehicle service agreements to residents of this state and does not administer motor vehicle service agreements that were originally issued to residents of this state. Any affiliated person operating from this state under this subsection must use a licensed motor vehicle service agreement company to administer all service agreements issued by such person in other states. If the office determines, after notice and opportunity for hearing in accordance with s. 120.569, that a person’s intentional business practices do not comply with any part of the exemption requirements of this subsection, the person shall be subject to this part. The motor vehicle service agreement company shall be liable for all acts of and responsible for all violations of this part by an affiliated person operating from this state.

(7) Any person who violates this section commits, in addition to any other violation, a misdemeanor of the first degree, punishable as provided in s. 775.082 or s. 775.083.