Licenses and appointments; general.

(1) A license may not be issued except in compliance with this chapter, and may not be issued except to an individual. A firm, partnership, association, or corporation, as such, may not be licensed.

(2) For the protection of the people of this state, the department may not issue, renew, or permit to exist any license or appointment except in compliance with this chapter. The department may not issue, renew, or permit to exist a license or appointment for any individual found to be untrustworthy or incompetent who has had his or her eligibility to hold a license or appointment revoked, or who has not established to the satisfaction of the department that he or she is qualified therefor in accordance with this chapter.

(3) The department may propound any reasonable interrogatories to an applicant for a license or appointment under this chapter or on any renewal thereof, relating to his or her qualifications, residence, prospective place of business, and any other matters which are deemed necessary or expedient in order to protect the public and ascertain the qualifications of the applicant. The department may also conduct any reasonable inquiry or investigation it sees fit, relative to the determination of the applicant’s fitness to be licensed or appointed or to continue to be licensed or appointed. Upon the request of the department, a law enforcement agency shall inform the department of any specific criminal charge filed against any applicant and the final disposition of such charge.

(4) If upon the basis of the completed application for a license or appointment and such further inquiry or investigation the department deems the applicant to be unfit as to character and background or lacking in one or more of the required qualifications for the license or appointment, the department shall disapprove the application.

(5) The license of a bail bond agent shall continue in force, without further examination unless deemed necessary by the department, until suspended, revoked, or otherwise terminated.

(6) The original license issued to a licensee under this chapter shall remain outstanding and in effect for so long as the license represented thereby continues in force as provided in this section. The department may at any time require the licensee to produce his or her department-issued photo identification.

(7) Any person who represents a surety company, whose duties are restricted to bail bonds, and who comes under the definition of “service representative” as provided in s. 626.015 shall be licensed and appointed as a bail bond agent.

(8) An individual who is appointed as a managing general agent to supervise or manage bail bond business written in this state must also be licensed as a bail bond agent. In the case of an entity, at least one owner, officer, or director at each office location must be licensed as a bail bond agent.

(9) If, upon application for an appointment and such investigation as the department may make, it appears to the department that an individual has been actively engaged or is currently actively engaged in bail bond activities without being appointed as required, the department may, if it finds that such failure to be appointed is an error on the part of the insurer or employer so represented, issue or authorize the issuance of the appointment as applied for, but subject to the condition that, before the appointment is issued, all fees and taxes which would have been due had the applicant been so appointed during such current and prior periods, together with a continuation fee for such current and prior terms of appointment, shall be paid to the department. Failure to notify the department within the required time period shall result in the appointing entity being assessed a delinquent fee of $250. Delinquent fees shall be paid by the appointing entity and shall not be charged to the appointee.