Maryland issues limited lines licenses to individuals and business entities to sell or offer to sell personal property insurance solely in connection with and incidental to the rental of storage space at a self-service storage facility. Licensed business entities can be corporations, professional associations, partnerships, limited liability companies, or limited liability partnerships.
Business entity applicants must designate an individual who is actively licensed as a self-service storage producer or producer with the property and casualty lines of authority to be responsible for the acts of the employees or authorized representatives of the self-service storage facility.
Effective July 1, 2014, in addition to submission of the Self-Service Storage Producer Limited Lines License Application, Senate Bill 490 (Chapter 174) Acts of 2014 prohibits the sale of insurance by a self-service storage producer unless:
- The self-service storage insurance producer makes readily available to prospective occupants brochures or other written materials that:
a. Summarize the material terms of insurance coverage offered to occupants, including the
identity of the insurer and the price, benefits, deductibles, exclusions, and conditions of the insurance;
b. Disclose that the policies offered may provide coverage that is comparable to coverage already provided by an occupant’s homeowner’s insurance policy, renter’s insurance policy, vehicle insurance policy, watercraft insurance policy, or other type of property insurance coverage;
c. State whether the purchase of coverage under a policy offered by the self-storage insurance producer would make the coverage primary to any other coverage, including duplicate coverage;
d. State that the purchase of insurance coverage from the self-storage insurance producer is not required as a condition of rental at a self-storage facility if the occupant presents evidence of other applicable insurance coverage;
e. Describe the process for filing a claim with the insurer; and
f. Include contact information for filing a complaint with the Maryland Insurance Administration;
- All costs related to the insurance are stated in writing;
- Evidence of coverage in a form approved by the Commissioner is provided to each occupant who purchases the coverage;
- The insurance is provided by an insurer authorized to transact the applicable kinds of insurance in the State;
- As a condition of the sale of insurance, the self-service storage producer
a. Requires the occupant to execute a document acknowledging the amount of coverage under the policy purchased; and
b. If the occupant has contents in the leases space of a value greater than the coverage under the policy:
i. Advices the occupant in writing to contact a licensed property and casualty insurance
producer to obtain additional coverage to reflect the value of the contents in the leased
space; and
ii. Requires the occupant to acknowledge receipt of the notice.
An employee or authorized representative of a self-service storage facility may act on behalf of and under the supervision of the self-service storage producer only if the employee or authorized representative has received specific training in a program approved by the Commissioner.
The conduct of an employee or authorized representative of a self-service storage producer acting within the scope of employment or agency is considered to be the conduct of the self-service storage producer. In other words, the self-service storage producer is responsible for the conduct of an employee or authorized representative.
The designated responsible producer:
- Is responsible for the acts of the employees or authorized representatives of the owner who offer or sell limited lines insurance on behalf of the owner;
- Shall use reasonable means to ensure compliance by the employees or authorized representatives with Title 10, Subtitle 8 of the Insurance Article;
- Shall maintain a register of each employee or authorized representative of the owner who offers limited lines insurance on behalf of the owner; and
- Shall submit the register for inspection by the Commissioner within 30 days after receiving a request by the Commissioner for inspection.
Each self-service storage producer shall provide a training program approved by the Commissioner for employees and authorized representatives of the self-service storage producer.
A self-service storage producer or any of its employees or authorized representative may not:
Offer or sell insurance except in connection with and incidental to the rental of space at a self-service storage facility;
Advertise, represent, or otherwise hold themselves out as authorized insurers or licensed insurance producers.
Note - The holder of a license with the property and casualty lines of authority is authorized to sell coverage for contents located in self-service storage facilities without obtaining the limited lines license described herein.
To apply for a license as a Producer, in addition to passing the Producer exam, an individual must:
- pay the applicable fee of $54, required by Insurance Article, § 2-112, Annotated Code of Maryland;
- complete and submit the NAIC Uniform Individual Application.
- complete and submit the MIA Limited Lines Register Form
To apply for a license as an insurance producer, a business entity must:
- pay the applicable fee of $54, required by Insurance Article, § 2-112, Annotated Code of Maryland;
- complete and submit the NAIC Uniform Business Entity Application which require applicants to:
- submit any trade name to be used by the applicant and the name and residence address of any individual who holds a license and does business under the trade name;
- provide the name and address of each licensed producer employed by the business entity, each individual who has direct control over its fiscal management, and each owner, member, or manager of the business entity and each director of a business entity that is a corporation;
- designate a Maryland licensed insurance producer as its principal contact with the MIA.
Individual producer licenses are issued on a biennial basis to expire on the last day of the producer’s birth month. Business entity licenses are issued to expire 2 years from the date of issuance.
Renewal applications may be submitted up to 90 days prior to the license expiration date. The feeto renew a license is $69. this includes the $54 renewal fee and the $15 fraud prevention fee (§2-112).
For up to one (1) year after the expiration date, licensees may reinstate an expired license by submitting the required application, $54 renewal fee, $15 fraud prevention fee, and $100 reinstatement fee.
After one (1) year from the expiration date, licensees may re-apply for an initial license by completing all the Maryland initial license requirements.
* All initial and renewal applicants must submit a paper application. *
The paper applications, along with the fees and any additional documents, should be mailed to:
The Maryland Insurance Administration
Attn: Producer Licensing
200 Saint Paul Place, Suite 2700
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
*Payments should be in the form of a check, money order, or cashier’s check made payable to:
Maryland Insurance Administration.
Application Forms
Self-Service Storage Producer Limited Lines Initial License Application (Business)
Self-Service Storage Producer Limited LInes Initial License Application (Individual)
Self-Service Storage Producer Limited Lines Renewal License Application (Individual)
Submit with initial and renewal application:
Maryland Insurance Administration Limited Lines Licenses and Registrations Supplement
Note: Regardless of who completes the application, the license applicant is ultimately responsible for the contents of the application and must provide accurate and complete information (if the application was completed by someone other than the applicant, the person who completes an application may also be held responsible for the contents of the application). An application that fails to disclose or fails to provide accurate information may result in the DELAY and/or DENIAL of the application. If your license has already been issued and it is later discovered that the information contained in your application is not true, correct, or complete, your license may be REVOKED and you may be subject to monetary PENALTIES (if the application was completed by someone other than the applicant, the person who completed the application may also be subject to administrative action). If in doubt, disclose.
