South Carolina § 38-46-30 - Licensing requirement for intermediary-broker and intermediary-manager; bond; requisites for licensing; fee; refusal of license; designation of person to receive process; attorneys exempt.

§ 38-46-30. Licensing requirement for intermediary-broker and intermediary-manager; bond; requisites for licensing; fee; refusal of license; designation of person to receive process; attorneys exempt.

(A) No person may act as a reinsurance intermediary-broker in this State if he maintains an office directly or as a member or an employee of a firm or an association or as an officer, a director, or an employee of a corporation in:

(1) this State unless the reinsurance intermediary-broker is a licensed producer in this State; or

(2) another state unless the reinsurance intermediary-broker is a licensed producer in that state and is licensed in this State as a reinsurance intermediary. The license may be a nonresident license.

(B) No person may act as a reinsurance intermediary-manager:

(1) for a reinsurer domiciled in this State, unless the reinsurance intermediary-manager is a licensed producer in this State;

(2) in this State if the reinsurance intermediary-manager maintains an office directly or as a member or an employee of a firm or an association or an officer, a director, or an employee of a corporation in this State unless the reinsurance intermediary-manager is a licensed producer in this State;

(3) in another state for a foreign insurer, unless the reinsurance intermediary-manager is a licensed producer in that state and is licensed in this State as a reinsurance intermediary. The license may be a nonresident license.

(C) For the protection of the reinsurer, the director or his designee shall require a reinsurance intermediary-manager subject to subsection (B) to file a fifty thousand dollar bond for each reinsurer represented. The bond must be issued by an insurer acceptable to the director or his designee.

(D)(1) The director or his designee may issue a reinsurance intermediary license to a person who has:

(a) demonstrated compliance with the requirements of this chapter;

(b) completed satisfactorily an application for a license on forms prepared by the director or his designee;

(c) paid a licensing fee of one hundred dollars in connection with the issuance or annual renewal of the license.

(2) If the applicant for a reinsurance intermediary license is a nonresident, the applicant, as a condition precedent to receiving or holding a license, shall designate a resident of this State upon whom notices or orders of the director or his designee or process affecting the nonresident reinsurance intermediary may be served. The licensee shall notify the department in writing within thirty days of every change in its designated agent for service of process, and the change does not become effective until acknowledged by the director or his designee.

(E) The director or his designee may refuse to issue a reinsurance intermediary license if, in his judgment, the applicant, a person named on the application, or a member, a principal, an officer, or a director of the applicant is not trustworthy or a controlling person of the applicant is not trustworthy to act as a reinsurance intermediary or if one or more of the foregoing has given cause for revocation or suspension of the license or has failed to comply with a prerequisite for the issuance of the license. Upon written request the director or his designee shall furnish a summary of the basis for refusal to issue a license. No reinsurance intermediary license may be refused except on reasonable notice and opportunity to be heard afforded the applicant. An applicant whose application has been denied may appeal as provided in Section 38-3-210.

(F) Licensed attorneys of this State when acting in their professional capacity are exempt from this section.

HISTORY: 1992 Act No. 332, SECTION 1; 1993 Act No. 181, SECTION 674.