Article 6. Misrepresentation Of Policies of California Insurance Code >> Division 1. >> Part 2. >> Chapter 1. >> Article 6.

An insurer or officer or agent thereof, or an insurance broker or solicitor shall not cause or permit to be issued, circulated or used, any statement that is known, or should have been known, to be a misrepresentation of the following:
  (a) The terms of a policy issued by the insurer or sought to be negotiated by the person making or permitting the misrepresentation.
  (b) The benefits or privileges promised thereunder.
  (c) The future dividends payable thereunder.

(a) A person shall not make any statement that is known, or should have been known, to be a misrepresentation (1) to any other person for the purpose of inducing, or tending to induce, such other person either to take out a policy of insurance, or to refuse to accept a policy issued upon an application therefor and instead take out any policy in another insurer, or (2) to a policyholder in any insurer for the purpose of inducing or tending to induce him or her to lapse, forfeit or surrender his or her insurance therein.
  (b) A person shall not make any representation or comparison of insurers or policies to an insured which is misleading, for the purpose of inducing or tending to induce him or her to lapse, forfeit, change or surrender his or her insurance, whether on a temporary or permanent plan.

Any person who violates the provisions of Section 780 or 781 is punishable by a fine not exceeding twenty-five thousand dollars ($25,000), or in a case in which the loss of the victim exceeds ten thousand dollars ($10,000), by a fine not exceeding three times the amount of the loss suffered by the victim, by imprisonment in a county jail for a period not to exceed one year, or by both a fine and imprisonment. Restitution to the victim ordered pursuant to Section 1202.4 of the Penal Code shall be satisfied before any fine imposed by this section is collected.

Whenever any insurance agent, broker, or solicitor knowingly violates any provisions of Sections 780 or 781, the commissioner, after a hearing in accordance with the procedure provided in Article 13 of Chapter 5 of this part, may suspend the license of any such person for not exceeding three years.

If an insurer knowingly violates any provision of Sections 780 or 781, or knowingly permits any officer, agent, or employee so to do, the commissioner, after a hearing in accordance with the procedure provided in Section 704, may suspend the insurer's certificate of authority to do the class of insurance in respect to which the violation occurred.

Any person may be compelled to testify and produce books and writings at the trial or hearing of any person charged with violating any provision of sections 780 or 781 even though such testimony or evidence may incriminate him. A person shall not be prosecuted for any act concerning which he is compelled so to testify or produce evidence, except for perjury committed in so testifying.