Ohio § 3905.20 Appointment of insurance agent to act as agent of insurer

Ohio Statutes

§ 3905.20 — Appointment of insurance agent to act as agent of insurer

Ohio § 3905.20

Title 39Insurance

Ch. 3905Insurance Producers Licensing Act

This text of Ohio § 3905.20 (Appointment of insurance agent to act as agent of insurer) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Ohio primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook

Ohio Rev. Code Ann. § 3905.20 (2026).

Text

(A)An insurance agent shall not act as an agent of an insurer unless the insurance agent is appointed as an agent of the insurer. An insurance agent who does not act as an agent of an insurer shall not be required to be appointed as an agent of the insurer. For purposes of this division, an insurance agent acts as an agent of an insurer when the insurance agent sells, solicits, or negotiates any product of the insurer and is compensated by the insurer.

(B)(1) To appoint an insurance agent as its agent, an insurer shall file a notice of appointment with the superintendent of insurance not later than thirty days after the date the agency contract is executed or the first insurance application is submitted, whichever is earlier. The notice of appointment shall be provided in th

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(A) An insurance agent shall not act as an agent of an insurer unless the insurance agent is appointed as an agent of the insurer. An insurance agent who does not act as an agent of an insurer shall not be required to be appointed as an agent of the insurer.

For purposes of this division, an insurance agent acts as an agent of an insurer when the insurance agent sells, solicits, or negotiates any product of the insurer and is compensated by the insurer.

(B)(1) To appoint an insurance agent as its agent, an insurer shall file a notice of appointment with the superintendent of insurance not later than thirty days after the date the agency contract is executed or the first insurance application is submitted, whichever is earlier. The notice of appointment shall be provided in the manner prescribed by the superintendent.

Each insurer shall pay to the superintendent a fee pursuant to division (A) of section3905.40of the Revised Code for every such appointment when issued and for each continuance thereafter. Such an appointment, unless canceled by the insurer, may be continued in force past the thirtieth day of June next after its issue and after the thirtieth day of June of each succeeding year, unless a different date is determined by the superintendent.

A separate appointment and fee are required for a variable life and variable annuity products line of authority.

(2) By appointing an insurance agent, an insurer certifies to the superintendent that the person is competent, financially responsible, and suitable to represent the insurer.

(3) While an appointment remains in force, an insurer shall be bound by the acts of the person named in the appointment within that person's actual and apparent authority as its agent.

(C) The superintendent may, in accordance with Chapter 119. of the Revised Code, adopt rules to establish appointment procedures, including cancellations and renewals, to clarify the circumstances that require an appointment, and to provide for the appointment of insurance agents to some or all of the insurers within an insurer's holding company system or group.