(a) Every person licensed under Sections 1625, 1625.5, 1625.55, 1626, 1758.1, 1765, 1800, 14020, and 15006, and Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 1831), shall affix, type, or print on business cards, written price quotations for insurance products, and print advertisements distributed exclusively in this state for insurance products, its license number in a type size that is at least as large as any indicated telephone number, address, or fax number or in 12-point type, or in 8-point type for business cards, whichever is larger. If a licensee includes the names of multiple licensed organizations on a business card, written price quotation, or print advertisement distributed exclusively in this state, affixing, typing, or printing the license number of any one of the organizations complies with the requirements of this section.
(b) Every person licensed under Sections 1625, 1625.5, 1625.55, 1626, 1758.1, 1765, 14020, and 15006, and Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 1831), shall affix, type, or print on business cards, written price quotations for insurance products, and print advertisements distributed in this state for insurance products, the word “Insurance” in a type size that is at least as large as the smallest telephone number or in 12-point type, or in 8-point type for business cards, whichever is larger.
(c) A natural person who is a solicitor, as defined in Section 1624, working exclusively as an employee of a motor club agent, or working exclusively for a property broker-agent or casualty broker-agent on behalf of a motor club, shall use the organizational licensee number of his or her employer.
(d) Any person in violation of this section shall be subject to a fine levied by the commissioner in the amount of two hundred dollars ($200) for the first offense, five hundred dollars ($500) for the second offense, and one thousand dollars ($1,000) for the third and subsequent offenses. The penalty shall not exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000) for any one offense. These fines shall be deposited into the Insurance Fund.
(e) A separate penalty shall not be imposed upon each piece of printed material that fails to conform to the requirements of this section.
(f) If the commissioner finds that the failure of a licensee to comply with the provisions of subdivision (a) or (b) is due to reasonable cause or circumstance beyond the licensee’s control, and occurred notwithstanding the exercise of ordinary care and in the absence of willful neglect, the licensee may be relieved of the penalty in subdivision (d).
(g) A licensee seeking to be relieved of the penalty in subdivision (d) shall file with the department a statement with supporting documents setting forth the facts upon which the licensee bases its claims for relief.
(h) This section does not apply to any person or entity that is not currently required to be licensed by the department or that is exempted from licensure.
(i) This section does not apply to general advertisements of motor clubs that merely list insurance products as one of several services offered by the motor club, and do not provide any details of the insurance products.
(j) This section does not apply to life insurance policy illustrations required by Chapter 5.5 (commencing with Section 10509.950) of Part 2 of Division 2 or to life insurance cost indexes required by Chapter 5.6 (commencing with Section 10509.970) of Part 2 of Division 2.
(k) This section shall become operative on January 1, 2019.
(Repealed (in Sec. 20) and added by Stats. 2017, Ch. 417, Sec. 21. (AB 1696) Effective January 1, 2018. Section operative January 1, 2019, by its own provisions.)