Section 12921.8 Of Article 1. Generally From California Insurance Code >> Division 3. >> Chapter 2. >> Article 1.
12921.8
. (a) The commissioner may do the following:
(1) Issue a cease and desist order to a person who has acted in a
capacity for which a license, registration, or certificate of
authority from the commissioner was required but not possessed.
(2) Issue a cease and desist order to a person who has aided or
abetted a person described in paragraph (1).
(3) Impose a monetary penalty, pursuant to an order to show cause,
on a person described in paragraph (1) or (2). The monetary penalty
shall be the greater of the following:
(A) Five times the amount of money received by the person for
acting in the capacity for which the license, registration, or
certificate of authority was required but not possessed.
(B) Five thousand dollars ($5,000) for each day the person acted
in the capacity for which the license, registration, or certificate
of authority was required but not possessed. In the absence of
contrary evidence, it shall be presumed that a person continuously
acted in a capacity for which a license, registration, or certificate
of authority was required on each day from the date of the earliest
such act until the date those acts were discontinued, as proven by
the person at a hearing.
(b) Notwithstanding paragraph (3) of subdivision (a), the
commissioner shall not impose a monetary penalty under this section
on a person who has held a license or registration within the prior
five years pursuant to Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 1621),
Chapter 6 (commencing with Section 1760), Chapter 7 (commencing with
Section 1800), or Chapter 8 (commencing with Section 1831) of Part 2
of Division 1.
(c) A person to whom a cease and desist order or order to show
cause has been issued, may, within seven days after service of the
order, if a hearing has not already been scheduled by the
commissioner, request a hearing by filing a request for the hearing
with the commissioner. The hearing shall be conducted in accordance
with the Administrative Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with
Section 11340), Chapter 4 (commencing with Section 11370), Chapter
4.5 (commencing with Section 11400), and Chapter 5 (commencing with
Section 11500) of Part 1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government
Code), and the commissioner shall have all the powers granted
therein.
(d) A person who has a hearing pursuant to subdivision (c) shall
be entitled to have the proceedings and the order of the commissioner
reviewed by means of any remedy provided by the Administrative
Procedure Act (Chapter 3.5 (commencing with Section 11340), Chapter 4
(commencing with Section 11370), Chapter 4.5 (commencing with
Section 11400), and Chapter 5 (commencing with Section 11500) of Part
1 of Division 3 of Title 2 of the Government Code).