California’s Dept. of Insurance: a commanding regulatory presence

Scope. Size. Clout.

Many things come across as big where California is concerned.

Like the state’s regulatory agencies, for instance. They are the largest in the country for many of the industries they oversee. Entities like the State Bar of California and the state’s Medical Board are flatly sprawling concerns that closely regulate many hundreds of thousands of licensed occupational professionals.

Notably, and notwithstanding their sheer presence and might, their dimensions pale when compared alongside those of the California Department of Insurance. Consider these relevant takeaways listed on a government website spotlighting the DOI:

• California’s insurance market is the biggest in the U.S.
• The DOI is California’s largest consumer protection agency
• DOI employees oversee more than 1,400 insurance firms and have licensing powers over hundreds of thousands of industry professionals
• The department acts on 37,000-plus consumer complaints a year

We ask readers to ponder that last bullet point and number for a moment. Extrapolated, it comes to more than 100 complaints being fielded and investigated by the DOI on an “average” day – every single day of the year.

That implies sheer clout, which the DOI unquestionably possesses.

This bears noting, though: That power to act is not absolute. Rather, it proceeds with limitations that help safeguard the rights and careers of practicing industry professionals.

Agents and other duly licensed individuals routinely face DOI challenges at hearings on matters ranging from license suspension, reinstatement, audits alleging malfeasance, moral turpitude and more. They can turn for timely and proven help to an experienced legal team of license defense attorneys.

Any professional license is hard-earned.

It is also worth protecting.