Examination of applicants

(a) Each individual applicant for a license as agent, limited subagent, counselor, adjuster, or surplus line broker shall submit to a personal examination in writing as to his or her competence to act in such capacity. The examination shall be prepared and given by the Commissioner or a designee of the Commissioner and shall be given and graded in a fair and impartial manner and without unfair discrimination as between individuals examined. Any required examination may be supplemented by an oral examination at the discretion of the Commissioner. The Commissioner shall provide by rule or regulation for a reasonable waiting period before giving a reexamination to an applicant who failed to pass a previous similar examination. (b) The Commissioner shall by rule or regulation establish criteria and procedures for: (1) The scope of any examination; and (2) Exemptions, if any, to examinations, provided that the Commissioner shall not, under any circumstances, exempt himself or herself from any written examination requirements set forth in this Code section. (c) An applicant for a license to act as an agent, limited subagent, surplus line broker, counselor, or adjuster who held a valid license to act as such which lapsed while the applicant was a member of any branch of the armed forces of the United States shall be granted a new license if application is made within a period of five years from the date of the expiration of the old license and proof satisfactory to the Commissioner is furnished that: (1) The individual was a member of the armed forces of the United States at the time the previous license lapsed; and (2) The individual’s service in the armed forces of the United States was not terminated more than one year prior to the date of application for a new license. History. — Code 1981, § 33-23-10, enacted by Ga. L. 1992, p. 2830, § 1; Ga. L. 2001, p. 925, § 1; Ga. L. 2008, p. 1076, § 6/SB 113; Ga. L. 2011, p. 449, § 9/HB 413. 28 33-23-12 33-23-11. Issuance and contents of license; display certificate of licensure. (a) The Commissioner shall issue licenses applied for to persons qualified for the licenses in accordance with this article. (b) The license shall state the name and address of the licensee, the date of issue, the general conditions relative to expiration or termination, the kind or kinds of insurance covered if not an insurance agency license, and the other conditions of licensing. (c) Upon the request of a licensee under this chapter, the Commissioner shall provide a certificate of licensure which shall be suitable for display at the business premises of the licensee. The Commissioner shall provide by rule or regulation the application procedures for the certificate and the form and content of the certificate. (d) The Commissioner shall have the authority to enter into agreements with persons for the purposes of providing licensing testing, administrative, record keeping, printing, mounting, and other services related to the administration of the Commissioner’s duties under this article and to set appropriate charges by rule or regulation to cover the costs of such services which shall be in addition to the fees otherwise provided for in this title and may be paid directly to the providers of such services. The Commissioner may require applicants for licenses to pay such charges for licensing testing and for the cost of the printing and mounting of a certificate of licensure which is suitable for display directly to the provider of such services. The Commissioner may require insurers to pay such charges for licensing testing, administrative, record keeping, and other services provided for in this subsection directly to the provider of such services in an amount corresponding to the number of their authorized agents. History. — Code 1981, § 33-23-11, enacted by Ga. L. 1992, p. 2830, § 1; Ga. L. 1993, p. 702, § 1; Ga. L. 1995, p. 1348, § 2; Ga. L. 1997, p. 1296, § 7; Ga. L. 2001, p. 925, § 1; Ga. L. 2019, p. 386, § 6/SB 133; Ga. L. 2020, p. 138, § 3/SB 377. The 2019 amendment, effective July 1, 2019, substituted ‘‘this article’’ for ‘‘this chapter’’ in subsections (a) and (d); and, in the last sentence of subsection (d), in- serted ‘‘licensing testing,’’ in the middle and substituted ‘‘in an amount corresponding’’ for ‘‘in proportion’’ near the end. The 2020 amendment, effective June 30, 2020, in subsection (d), substituted ‘‘record keeping’’ for ‘‘record-keeping’’ twice and substituted ‘‘may be paid’’ for ‘‘shall be paid’’ near the end of the first sentence. 33-23-12. Limited licenses.