Insurance Department Licensees May Now Obtain Copies Of New and Renewed Licenses Accessing Website

NEW YORK, NY (06/21/2011)(readMedia)-- Superintendent James Wrynn today announced that insurance agents, brokers and other licensees of the New York State Insurance Department are now able to obtain and print copies of new and renewed licenses by accessing a self-service feature on the Insurance Department's website, http://www.ins.state.ny.us/elec_license_req.htm.

"This new capability will save time and money. It will allow licensees to obtain their licenses as soon as they are issued instead of waiting for printed copies to be prepared and mailed. This will allow the Department to streamline its operations, eliminate a good deal of paperwork and better serve licensees," Wrynn said.

The Insurance Department issues approximately 125,000 new and renewed licenses a year.

Licenses are generally issued within 24 to 48 hours after applications are received and then screened by the Department.

The new electronic capability allows licensees to immediately download licenses in a secure .pdf format.

Under the new system, the Department will notify applicants by e-mail that when their licenses are issued and available to be accessed electronically. Alternatively, applicants may use the "producer look-up" tool on the Department's website to see if a license has been issued.

Producers and other licensees requested the self-service feature when the Department solicited their input on how to streamline Insurance Department business operations as part of the Insurance Filings Modernization Initiative launched by Wrynn.

In addition to agents, brokers and adjusters, Department licensees able to use the system include consultants, reinsurance intermediaries and life settlement brokers. The capability is not currently being offered to life settlement providers, life settlement intermediaries or service contract providers.

In May, the Department introduced a capability allowing licensees to obtain duplicate copies of licensees already issued.

###