Virginia Law

Article 6. Refusal, Suspension or Revocation of Insurer's License.

A. The Commission may refuse to issue a license to any domestic, foreign or alien insurer to transact the business of insurance in this Commonwealth, and may suspend or revoke the license of any licensee, whenever it finds that the applicant or licensee:

1. Has refused to submit its books, papers, accounts, or affairs to the reasonable inspection of the Commission or its representative;

2. Has refused, or its officers or agents have refused, to furnish satisfactory evidence of its financial and business standing or solvency;

3. Is insolvent, or is in a condition that any further transaction of business in this Commonwealth is hazardous to its policyholders, creditors and public in this Commonwealth;

4. Has failed to pay a final judgment against it within sixty days after (i) the judgment became final, (ii) the time for making an appeal has expired, or (iii) the dismissal of an appeal before final determination, whichever date is the latest;

5. Has violated any law of this Commonwealth, or has in this Commonwealth violated its charter or exceeded its corporate powers;

6. Has failed to pay any fees, taxes or charges imposed in this Commonwealth within sixty days after they are due and payable, or within sixty days after final disposition of any legal contest with respect to liability for the fees, taxes or charges;

7. Has had its corporate existence dissolved or its certificate of authority revoked in the state in which it was organized or in this Commonwealth;

8. Has been found insolvent by a court of any other state, or by the Commission or other proper officer or agency of any other state, and has been prohibited from doing business in that state;

9. Has had all its risks reinsured in their entirety in another insurer; or

10. Has notified the insured in writing or by any other means that any policy of insurance covering the ownership or operation of a motor vehicle issued by the insurer will be cancelled if the insured institutes any legal action against the insurer to pursue any rights of the insured under the policy.

B. The grounds for suspension or revocation of licenses in subsection A of this section are in addition to those provided for elsewhere in this title.

Code 1950, §§ 38-68, 38-132, 38-133, 38-134, 38-169, 38-370; 1952, c. 317, § 38.1-99; 1966, c. 457; 1986, c. 562; 1987, c. 431.

The Commission shall not revoke or suspend the license of any insurer to do the business of insurance in this Commonwealth upon any of the grounds set out in § 38.2-1040 until it has given the insurer ten days' notice of the reasons for the proposed revocation or suspension and has given the insurer an opportunity to introduce evidence and be heard. However, the Commission may immediately suspend the license on any of the grounds specified in subdivisions 7 and 8 of subsection A of § 38.2-1040 without prior notice to the insurer. The suspension shall remain in force until the hearing is held. Any hearing authorized by this section may be informal, and the required notice may be waived by the Commission and the insurer.

Code 1950, §§ 38-132, 38-169, 38-370; 1952, c. 317, § 38.1-100; 1986, c. 562.

Upon the suspension or revocation of the license of any insurer, the Commission shall suspend or revoke the authority of the insurer's agents in this Commonwealth to act for the insurer.

1952, c. 317, § 38.1-101; 1986, c. 562.

Unless an appeal is taken within thirty days, the Commission shall have published in one or more newspapers having general circulation in this Commonwealth a notice of any final order that suspends or revokes the license of an insurer.

Code 1950, §§ 38-68, 38-133, 38-169; 1952, c. 317, § 38.1-102; 1986, c. 562.

No new business shall be done by any insurer or its agents on behalf of that insurer while its license to do business is suspended or revoked.

Code 1950, §§ 38-68, 38-135; 1952, c. 317, § 38.1-103; 1986, c. 562.