41-1016. ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTY — SUSPENSION, REVOCATION, REFUSAL OF LICENSE. (1) The director may impose an administrative penalty not to exceed one thousand dollars ($1,000), for deposit in the general fund of the state of Idaho, and may suspend for not more than twelve (12) months or may revoke or refuse to issue or continue any license issued under this chapter, chapter 27, title 41, Idaho Code (title insurance), chapter 11, title 41, Idaho Code (adjusters), or chapter 12, title 41, Idaho Code (surplus lines brokers), if the director finds that as to the licensee or applicant any one (1) or more of the following causes or violations exist:
(a) Providing incorrect, misleading, incomplete or materially untrue information in the license application;
(b) Violating any provision of title 41, Idaho Code, department rule, subpoena or order of the director or of another state’s insurance director;
(c) Obtaining or attempting to obtain a license through misrepresentation or fraud;
(d) Improperly withholding, misappropriating or converting any moneys or properties received in the course of doing insurance business;
(e) Misrepresenting the terms of an actual or proposed insurance contract or application for insurance or misrepresenting any fact material to any insurance transaction or proposed transaction;
(f) Being convicted of or pleading guilty to a crime that is deemed relevant in accordance with section 67-9411(1), Idaho Code, or that evidences dishonesty, a lack of integrity and financial responsibility, or an unfitness and inability to provide acceptable service to the consuming public;
(g) Admitting or being found to have committed any insurance unfair trade practice or fraud;
(h) Using fraudulent, coercive or dishonest practices, or demonstrating incompetence, untrustworthiness or financial irresponsibility, or being a source of injury and loss to the public or others, in the conduct of business in this state or elsewhere;
(i) Having an insurance license denied, suspended or revoked in any other state, province, district or territory;
(j) Forging another’s name on an application for insurance or on any document related to an insurance transaction;
(k) Improperly using notes or any other reference material to complete an examination for an insurance license;
(l) Knowingly accepting insurance business from an individual who is not licensed;
(m) Failing to comply with an administrative or court order imposing a child support obligation, provided however, that nothing in this provision shall be deemed to abrogate or modify chapter 14, title 7, Idaho Code;
(n) Failing to pay state income tax or to comply with any administrative or court order directing payment of state income tax; or
(o) In the case of a bail agent, compensating or agreeing to compensate any incarcerated person to influence or encourage another incarcerated person or other incarcerated persons to engage the bail agent’s services or the services of the bail agent’s company or of other bail agents employed by such bail company. For purposes of this subsection, compensating any incarcerated person shall include providing payment in any form to any person, organization or entity designated by the incarcerated person to receive such payment.
(2) The director shall, without hearing, suspend for not more than twelve (12) months, or shall revoke or refuse to continue any license issued under this chapter to a nonresident where:
(a) The director has received a final order of suspension, revocation or refusal to continue from the insurance regulatory official or court of jurisdiction of the licensee’s home state; or
(b) A nonresident no longer has a license in the licensee’s home state because the home state license was:
(i) Voluntarily surrendered for any reason except relicensing as a resident in another state; or
(ii) Otherwise nonrenewed by the nonresident and remains nonrenewed for a period greater than ninety (90) days beyond its expiration date, and without notice to the director of relicensing as a resident in another state.
If cause under this provision exists after the expiration of the twelve (12) months, successive suspensions may be imposed by the director without hearing.
(3) The license of a business entity may be suspended, revoked or refused if the director finds that the violation of an individual licensee, who is registered to or acting on behalf of the business entity, was known or should have been known by one (1) or more of the owners, officers or managers acting on behalf of the business entity and that the violation was not reported to the director and no corrective action was taken.
(4) In addition to or in lieu of any applicable denial, suspension or revocation of a license, a person may, after hearing, be subject to a civil fine or administrative penalty pursuant to subsection (1) of this section or any other applicable section.
(5) The director shall retain the authority to enforce the provisions of and impose any penalty or remedy authorized by title 41, Idaho Code, against any person who is under investigation for or charged with a violation of title 41, Idaho Code, or department rule, even if the person’s license or registration has been surrendered or has lapsed by operation of law, or if the person has never been licensed.
History:
[41-1016, added 2001, ch. 296, sec. 3, p. 1056; am. 2005, ch. 77, sec. 5, p. 259; am. 2006, ch. 49, sec. 3, p. 142; am. 2016, ch. 50, sec. 1, p. 144; am. 2017, ch. 258, sec. 1, p. 634; am. 2020, ch. 175, sec. 8, p. 511.]