§ 2-27-56 — Surety Bond or Liability Insurance

Each applicant for a license to perform the custom application of pesticides shall, before a license is issued to him, furnish and file with the commissioner a surety bond in which the State of Alabama is named as obligee in the sum of $3,000.00 for each applicant operating ground equipment or not more than two aircraft. Where an applicant operates more than two aircraft, the amount of the bond required to be furnished shall be increased by the sum of $3,000.00 for each additional aircraft, provided the total amount of any bond required under this section shall not exceed the sum of $12,000.00. The bond shall be conditioned for the protection of, and that the licensee will answer in damages to, persons who may suffer legal damages as a result of licensee’s custom application of pesticides or drift to plants, animals or property or by failure of licensee to comply with any of the requirements of this article, and rules and regulations duly adopted under authority thereof. Any person having a right of action against the principal named in such bond for damages caused by his application of pesticides may maintain an action against the principal and surety in such bond in the county where the work was performed; provided, that the aggregate liability of the surety to all such persons shall, in no event, exceed the amount of such bond. The filing of such bond shall not serve as a limitation of any liability for which he may be subject. Such bond as required in this section shall be written by a corporate surety company qualified to do business in Alabama. A liability insurance policy in an amount equal to not less than the amount of the bond insuring the licensee against legal liability proximately caused by his custom application of pesticides and written by an insurance company qualified and authorized to do business in the State of Alabama or by an eligible surplus line insurer or insurers, acceptable to the Commissioner of Insurance, may be filed with the commissioner in lieu of the surety bond as required in this section. The total and aggregate of the insurer for all claims shall be limited to the face amount of the liability insurance policy. A reasonable deductible clause may be included therein in an amount acceptable to the commissioner. The liability insurance policy need not apply to damages or injury to agricultural crops, plants or land being worked upon by licensee.

Legislative History

(Acts 1971, No. 1957, p. 3177, §5; Acts 1971, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 79, p. 4288.)