ANSWERS RATED A+
✔✔License application submission - ✔✔Must be completed within one year of passing
the exam.
✔✔Passing test score validity - ✔✔Valid for one year; after that, the test must be
retaken.
✔✔Resident insurance producer license - ✔✔For applicants with a principal place of
residence or business within the Commonwealth.
✔✔Non-resident insurance producer license - ✔✔For applicants with a principal place of
residence or business outside the Commonwealth.
✔✔License application for former residents - ✔✔Must include a letter of clearance from
the insurance commissioner of the former home state.
✔✔Grounds for certificate denial - ✔✔A false statement in an application may constitute
a ground for certificate denial or revocation.
✔✔Underwriter - ✔✔An 'Insurer' as defined in 40 P.S. §310.1 must endorse the
applicant.
✔✔Online license application submission - ✔✔The application for a license is now
submitted online.
✔✔Qualifying active partner or officer - ✔✔A partnership or corporation must have at
least one qualifying active partner or qualifying active officer.
✔✔Licensed individual requirement - ✔✔A person who solicits, negotiates or places
risks must be licensed individually.
✔✔Designated licensee - ✔✔A licensed individual responsible for the business entity's
compliance with insurance laws.
✔✔Insurance producer - ✔✔A person who solicits, negotiates or places risks as defined
in 40 P.S. §310.1.
✔✔Written agreement for compensation - ✔✔Licensee must obtain an 'Appointment'
between itself and an 'Insurer' to sell insurance.
✔✔Certificates of qualification validity - ✔✔Valid for 24 months from the date of original
issue unless revoked.
,✔✔General requirements for resident insurance producer - ✔✔Must be at least 18
years old and maintain a business or legal address in Pennsylvania.
✔✔Professional competence - ✔✔A necessary quality for title insurance agents, along
with general fitness and integrity of character.
✔✔Title agent licensing exam - ✔✔An examination that non-resident title insurance
agent license applicants must take and pass.
✔✔English proficiency requirement - ✔✔Must read and write English, with or without
visual or mechanical aids for the visually handicapped.
✔✔Fingerprinting requirement - ✔✔Initial resident and non-resident producer applicants
are required to be fingerprinted, with a fee for this service separate from the test fee.
✔✔Title insurance agent definition - ✔✔An authorized person, firm, association,
corporation, partnership or other legal entity, other than a bona fide employee of the title
insurer, who performs certain acts in conjunction with the issuance of a title insurance
report or policy.
✔✔Exclusions from agent definition - ✔✔The term 'agent' does not include approved
attorneys or officers and salaried employees of any title insurance company authorized
to do title insurance business.
✔✔Insurability determination - ✔✔Title agents must determine insurability and issue title
insurance reports or policies or both.
✔✔Agent activities - ✔✔Title agents perform activities such as collecting or disbursing
premiums, handling escrows, soliciting title insurance business, or recording closing
documents.
✔✔Certificate of qualification - ✔✔Title agents must hold a valid certificate of
qualification issued by the Insurance Department.
✔✔Written contract requirement - ✔✔Agents must perform acts under a written contract
with a licensed title insurance company.
✔✔Errors and omissions insurance - ✔✔Agents are required to obtain errors and
omissions insurance of at least $250,000 per claim and an aggregate limit of $500,000
with a deductible no greater than $25,000.
,✔✔Fidelity bond requirement - ✔✔Agents must obtain a blanket fidelity bond covering
all agency employees of no less than $150,000 with a deductible not larger than 15% of
the bond penalty.
✔✔Surety bond requirement - ✔✔Agents must post a surety bond no less than
$100,000, securing performance by the agent of fiduciary duties and responsibilities.
✔✔Insurance supply prohibition - ✔✔A title insurer is not permitted to supply or pay for
the above insurances for the agent, either directly or indirectly.
✔✔Accounting requirement - ✔✔Agents must give an accounting to the title insurer
detailing all transactions and remitting all funds and policies as specified in the agent's
agreement.
✔✔Funds collection requirement - ✔✔Agents must collect and hold all funds due to the
title insurer in a federally insured financial institution.
✔✔Separate records requirement - ✔✔Agents must keep separate records of business
written for each title insurer.
✔✔Access to records - ✔✔The title insurer shall have access and a right to copy all
files, accounts, and records.
✔✔Insurance Commissioner access - ✔✔The Insurance Commissioner shall have
access to all files, books, bank accounts, and records.
✔✔Appointment procedures - ✔✔An insurance producer shall not act on behalf of an
insurer unless appointed by the insurer.
✔✔License expiration - ✔✔Agent's licenses expire 24 months from the date of
issuance.
✔✔Renewal notice - ✔✔About 150 days before the certificate expiration, the Insurance
Department will send the agent a notice of continuing education status.
✔✔Renewal form - ✔✔If the continuing education requirement is met by the expiration
date, the Department will send a renewal form to the agent's last known address.
✔✔Certificate Renewal - ✔✔The Department will renew a certificate in cases where an
agent does not have an appointment from an underwriter as long as the agent is in
compliance with CE requirements.
✔✔Renewal Submission - ✔✔Renewal is dependent upon submission of a completed
renewal form and the payment of the proper fee.
, ✔✔License Renewal Period - ✔✔Title agent licenses renew every 24 months based
upon the date of the original issue.
✔✔Corporate Certificates Validity - ✔✔Certificates for corporations and partnerships are
valid for 24 months and must provide a list of officers with the renewal form.
✔✔Voluntary Termination - ✔✔Failure to complete and submit the renewal form and fee
by the expiration date will be considered voluntary termination by the agent.
✔✔Noncompliance Consequence - ✔✔The Department will consider noncompliance
with CE requirements by the certificate's expiration date as a voluntary termination of
the license by the agent.
✔✔Address Change Notification - ✔✔Within 15 days of a change of residence address
or business address, an agent must notify the Department and the entities for which the
agent holds an appointment.
✔✔Agency Name Change Notification - ✔✔Within 15 days of a change of the name of
the agency, an agent must notify the Department.
✔✔Continuing Education Requirement - ✔✔A licensed title agent must satisfy
continuing education (CE) requirements of 24 hours within their 2-year licensing period.
✔✔Attorney CE Credits - ✔✔Licensed Pennsylvania attorneys who are also licensed
Title Insurance Agents need only three (3) CE credits in a two-year licensing period,
provided their attorney's CLE requirement is fulfilled.
✔✔CE Credit Carry Over - ✔✔Agents who take continuing education credits in excess
of the requirement may carry over the excess credits into the next licensing period up to
the amount needed for compliance.
✔✔CE Compliance Deadline - ✔✔Agents who are not compliant with their CE
requirements on the date of their license expiration have 60 days to complete the
education requirement.
✔✔Retroactive License Reinstatement - ✔✔If the Department receives compliance
items within 60 days of the date of expiration, the license will be reinstated retroactively
with no gap in licensure.
✔✔Prospective License Reinstatement - ✔✔License renewals submitted after 60 days
but up to one year will not be retroactive and will be reinstated on a prospective basis
only.