Florida Statutes
Fla. Stat. § 624.425 (2025)
Agent countersignature required, property, casualty, surety insurance.
✓ 2025 Florida Statutes — current through the 2025 Regular Session
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624.425 Agent countersignature required, property, casualty, surety insurance.—
(1) Except as stated in s. 624.426, no authorized property, casualty, or surety insurer shall assume direct liability as to a subject of insurance resident, located, or to be performed in this state unless the policy or contract of insurance is issued by or through, and is countersigned by, an agent who is regularly commissioned and licensed currently as an agent and appointed as an agent for the insurer under this code. If two or more authorized insurers issue a single policy of insurance against legal liability for loss or damage to person or property caused by the nuclear energy hazard, or a single policy insuring against loss or damage to property by radioactive contamination, whether or not also insuring against one or more other perils proper to insure against in this state, such policy if otherwise lawful may be countersigned on behalf of all of the insurers by a licensed and appointed agent of any insurer appearing thereon. The producing agent shall receive on each policy or contract the full and usual commission allowed and paid by the insurer to its agents on business written or transacted by them for the insurer.
(2) If any subject of insurance referred to in subsection (1) is insured under a policy, or contract, or certificate of renewal or continuation thereof, issued in another state and covering also property and risks outside this state, a certificate evidencing such insurance as to subjects located, resident, or to be performed in this state, shall be issued by or through and shall be countersigned by the insurer’s commissioned and appointed producing agent.
(3) An agent shall not sign or countersign in blank any policy to be issued outside her or his office, or countersign in blank any countersignature endorsement therefor, or certificate issued thereunder. An agent may give a written power of attorney to the issuing insurance company to countersign such documents by imprinting her or his name, or the name of the agency or other entity with which the agent may be sharing commission pursuant to s. 626.753(1)(a) and (2), thereon in lieu of manually countersigning such documents; but an agent shall not give a power of attorney to any other person to countersign any such document in her or his name unless the person so authorized is directly employed by the agent and by no other person, and is so employed in the office of the agent.
(4) This section shall not be deemed to prohibit insurers from using salaried licensed and appointed agents for the production and servicing of business in this state and the issuance and countersignature by such agents of insurance policies or contracts, when required under subsection (1), and without payment of commission therefor.
(5) This section shall not be deemed to prohibit an insurer from authorizing an agent who is not regularly commissioned and appointed currently as an agent of the insurer from countersigning a policy or contract of insurance issued pursuant to the provisions of ss. 627.311 and 627.351. This section does not apply to reissuance of insurance policies or endorsements thereto which are part of a mass reissuance of such policies or endorsements and do not involve a change of premium or payment of agent’s commissions.
(6) The absence of a countersignature required under this section does not affect the validity of a policy or contract of insurance.
History.—s. 69, ch. 59-205; s. 1, ch. 74-64; s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 1, ch. 77-457; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; ss. 59, 64, 809(1st), ch. 82-243; s. 6, ch. 83-288; ss. 187, 188, ch. 91-108; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 187, ch. 97-102; s. 1, ch. 98-199; s. 37, ch. 99-7; s. 1, ch. 2004-374; s. 4, ch. 2015-42.
Notes of Decisions
Cited in 8
cases, 1979–2006 · leading case: Council of Ins. Agents + Brokers v. Gallagher, 287 F. Supp. 2d 1302 (N.D. Fla. 2003).
Council of Ins. Agents + Brokers v. Gallagher, 287 F. Supp. 2d 1302 (N.D. Fla. 2003). “§ 624.425, Fla. Stat. (emphasis added). Further, § 626.”
Wolfe v. Aetna Ins. Co., 436 So. 2d 997 (Fla. 5th DCA 1983). “Aetna relies on section 624.425(1), Florida Statutes (1979), for its position that the endorsement never became effective because it was not countersigned by Ricker.”
Colonial Penn Communities, Inc. v. Crosley, 443 So. 2d 1030 (Fla. 5th DCA 1983). “Specifically, appellee maintained that appellants violated Florida Statute § 624.425(1) (1979) by failing to pay him the standard and usual commission paid to insurance agents employed by CPC Agency, Inc.”
Wellman v. GEICO Gen. Ins. Co., 931 So. 2d 1046 (Fla. 4th DCA 2006). “The original policy includes the countersignature of a high-level career GEICO employee with a Florida 220 license for general lines insurance agents, in accordance with section 624.425, Florida Statutes. Wellman renewed the policy several times, but eventually neglected to pay…”
Pennsylvania Nat'l Mut. Cas. Ins. v. Burns, 375 So. 2d 302 (Fla. 2d DCA 1979). “The court, however, should have admitted the copy of the endorsement offered into evidence on behalf of Penn. Huth testified that Bower had requested the deletion of coverage, and that his office had issued an endorsement to that effect on May 11, 1970, prior to the accident.”
Fredericks v. Howell, 426 So. 2d 1200 (Fla. 5th DCA 1983). “It follows that there is no merit to Penn’s related contention concerning the lack of a countersignature on the policy since Section 624.425, Florida Statutes (1977), contemplates a countersignature only on an original policy.”
Pennsylvania Nat. Mut. Cas. Ins. v. Burns, 375 So. 2d 302 (Fla. 2d DCA 1979). “The court, however, should have admitted the copy of the endorsement offered into evidence on behalf of Penn. Huth testified that Bower had requested the deletion of coverage, and that his office had issued an endorsement to that effect on May 11, 1970, prior to the accident.”
Ostrosky v. Arkwright-Boston Mfrs. Mut. Ins., 386 S.E.2d 844 (W. Va. 1989). “at 1031-32 (citing Fla.Stat. § 624.425(1) (1979)). Citing Broderick , the court determined that the countersigning agent was not entitled to a commission in addition to his salary by reasoning that “if the insurer does not ordinarily compensate its agents by commission, then the…”
— 624.425(1) — 4 cases
Wolfe v. Aetna Ins. Co., 436 So. 2d 997 (Fla. 5th DCA 1983). “Aetna relies on section 624.425(1), Florida Statutes (1979), for its position that the endorsement never became effective because it was not countersigned by Ricker.”
Colonial Penn Communities, Inc. v. Crosley, 443 So. 2d 1030 (Fla. 5th DCA 1983). “Specifically, appellee maintained that appellants violated Florida Statute § 624.425(1) (1979) by failing to pay him the standard and usual commission paid to insurance agents employed by CPC Agency, Inc.”
Council of Ins. Agents + Brokers v. Gallagher, 287 F. Supp. 2d 1302 (N.D. Fla. 2003). “§ 624.425, Fla. Stat. (emphasis added). Further, § 626.”
Ostrosky v. Arkwright-Boston Mfrs. Mut. Ins., 386 S.E.2d 844 (W. Va. 1989). “at 1031-32 (citing Fla.Stat. § 624.425(1) (1979)). Citing Broderick , the court determined that the countersigning agent was not entitled to a commission in addition to his salary by reasoning that “if the insurer does not ordinarily compensate its agents by commission, then the…”
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