In addition to completing certain educational requirements, insurance agents in Florida must also undergo a Level 2 background screening. This background check includes insurance agent fingerprinting in order to provide a thorough search of local, state and national records.
Agency Oversight
The Florida Department of Financial Services is responsible for licensing insurance agents. As such, they will also oversee insurance agent fingerprinting for qualified applicants. Individuals will need to visit this agency’s website in order to print out application materials and then pay the required fee. After that, a digital set of fingerprints will need to be taken in order to complete the application process. These digital fingerprints can be obtained from one of the many Binary Biometrics mobile locations.
Fingerprint Submission
Digital fingerprints are submitted electronically to the Florida Department of Law Enforcement, who then contacts the necessary agencies in order to perform a records check. Once these fingerprints are submitted, Binary Biometrics will not be able to view the results of any insurance agent background checks that are given. These results will only be shared with necessary parties, so it will be necessary to contact the Florida Department of Financial Services in order to obtain the results. In some cases, this agency could make the information available on their website via a secure portal so that only the applicant is able to view the results.
Additional Information
The Division of Insurance Agent and Agency Services located within the Department of Financial Services does not share information with other agencies in the state. This means that applicants will have to complete insurance agent fingerprinting even if they have already done so through another agency. Fingerprints are good for a period of one year, so those who wish to apply for a different type of license after that time will be required to submit another set along with a separate application in order to be considered.
Criminal History
Should insurance agent fingerprinting reveal certain criminal offenses, an individual could be permanently barred or disqualified for a certain period. First-degree felonies, capital offenses, and crimes involving money laundering, embezzlement, fraud or financial crimes related to a business will result in a permanent bar. Other crimes of moral turpitude have a 15-year waiting period, while other felonies require a seven-year waiting period. At least seven years must have passed since completing a sentence on any misdemeanor crime.
Non-Florida Residents
Those who reside outside the state of Florida will still need to undergo insurance agent fingerprinting if they are to sell insurance here. These individuals will not be able to have digital fingerprints taken, and must therefore ask for a fingerprint card to be mailed to them. That way, fingerprints can be taken and then mailed back to the agency to be processed. In many cases, Binary Biometrics scan still accommodate out-of-state applicants who require hard card fingerprinting.
By requiring insurance agents to be fingerprinted, the state of Florida hopes to cut down on fraud and abuse. Binary Biometrics is proud to play a role in fraud prevention by providing their mobile fingerprinting service to residents of a number of Florida cities.