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Florida crime insurance guide

Florida title insurance agencies face separate fidelity and surety requirements when appointed by a title insurer, and they must handle qualifying closing funds as fiduciary escrow money. The fidelity bond protects against a different risk from the surety bond, which benefits appointing title insurers harmed by an agency’s contract violation. Title agencies should confirm each instrument’s scope and separately review how a commercial crime policy treats escrow theft and payment fraud. 1,2

What Is Crime?

Crime insurance can help reimburse specified business losses from theft and fraud, including employee theft and forgery. Compare those protections separately and ask whether a payment sent after an impersonation scam is covered. Read the national Crime guide.

Florida Requirements

RequirementDetails
Title agency fidelity bondA title insurer appointing a title insurance agency must certify that the agency has obtained an acceptable fidelity bond of at least $50,000. If a fidelity bond is generally unavailable, the statute directs the department to adopt alternative compliance rules. 1
Separate title agency surety bondThe agency must also maintain a surety bond of at least $35,000, payable to its appointing title insurer or insurers, for an appointing insurer damaged by the agency’s violation of its contract. The bond must remain effective and unimpaired while the agency is appointed, with annual proof to the appointing insurer. 1
Title closing escrow fundsFunds received by a licensed and appointed title insurance agency for later disbursement in qualifying real-estate closings are trust funds belonging to the people entitled to them. The agency must place them immediately in a Florida financial institution that is an FDIC or NCUSIF member, maintain separate escrow records, keep funds apart from agency debts, and disburse only as properly authorized under the applicable instructions. 2

What to Watch for in Florida

  • Do not combine the fidelity and surety requirements

    Florida separately requires a minimum $50,000 fidelity bond acceptable to the appointing title insurer and a minimum $35,000 surety bond benefiting an appointing insurer harmed by a contract violation. Confirm that each instrument has the required purpose and beneficiary; one should not be assumed to substitute for the other. 1

  • Ask directly about escrow theft in your crime wording

    Florida’s escrow statute sets fiduciary handling and recordkeeping duties. It does not establish that the statutory fidelity or surety instrument, or a separate commercial crime policy, responds to every theft of closing funds. Have your broker review who handles the funds, whose property is insured, how loss is discovered, and any payment-instruction fraud terms. 2,1

  • Confirm the insurer appointment and current instrument status

    The stated bond requirements arise in the title agency appointment process. The surety bond must remain effective and unimpaired as long as the agency remains appointed, and annual proof is required. Verify current appointment and policy or bond documents rather than assuming a prior filing remains sufficient. 1

Who Regulates Insurance in Florida

Florida Office of Insurance Regulation

The Florida Office of Insurance Regulation licenses and regulates insurance companies and reviews rates and forms. The Department of Financial Services separately licenses insurance agents and handles consumer insurance complaints; its resource page links to both state license searches. 3,4,5

Surplus-lines tax and stamping office

Reported tax rate: 4.94% of gross premium plus a 0.03% FSLSO service fee for policies effective July 1, 2026 or later When Florida is the insured’s home state, Florida taxes the entire gross premium at 4.94%; the premium definition includes policy and similar insurance charges. The separate FSLSO service fee is 0.03% for policies effective July 1, 2026 or later. Surplus-lines policies do not receive Florida Insurance Guaranty Association protection. 6,7,8

Florida Surplus Lines Service Office

Providers With Documented State Licenses

These providers publish a national listing for Crime; the state records document licenses for the entities and roles shown below. Some records rely on company-reported information rather than independent regulator verification. A national listing does not confirm the product is available in Florida. Check the regulator’s license lookup and confirm state availability for your business when requesting a quote.

  • CoalitionCoalition Insurance Solutions, Inc.Insurance producer, Surplus-lines broker · checked 2026-09-28Coalition’s license page lists producer and surplus-lines licenses for Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc. in all 50 states and the District of Columbia. The page separately lists insurers; this record covers the brokerage entity only. 10
  • CorgiCorgi Insurance Services, Inc.Insurance producer · checked 2026-09-28Corgi’s company producer-license table lists 50 jurisdictions: 49 states and the District of Columbia, including DC license 3003091619. New Mexico does not appear in the table and is not included here; the omission does not establish that Corgi is unlicensed there. The company-reported table has no stated as-of date and does not establish product availability. 11
  • VouchVouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLCInsurance producer, Surplus-lines broker · checked 2026-09-28Vouch’s licenses page, effective January 16, 2025, lists producer licenses in all 50 states and DC. Its separate surplus-lines table includes Idaho number 870820, while a footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses. Because those statements conflict for Idaho, this record keeps Idaho producer-only and does not treat the table number as established agency surplus-lines authority. The page is company-reported and does not establish product availability. 15

Questions to Ask Before You Buy in Florida

  1. Are we a licensed and appointed title insurance agency, and which title insurer’s appointment triggers these financial-responsibility requirements?
  2. Do our fidelity and surety instruments meet their separate minimum amounts, purposes, beneficiaries, and continuing-status requirements?
  3. Does the proposed crime policy address employee dishonesty involving escrow funds and payment-instruction fraud, and what exclusions, limits, and conditions apply?
  4. How do we separate escrow funds, reconcile transactions, and preserve the written closing instructions and disbursement records?

Crime in Florida: FAQ

Is the Florida title agency surety bond the same as the fidelity bond? 1

No. The statute lists the instruments separately. The fidelity bond minimum is $50,000 and must be acceptable to the appointing insurer; the $35,000 surety bond benefits appointing insurers harmed by the agency’s contractual violation. 1

How must a Florida title agency handle closing funds held in escrow? 2

Funds received by a licensed and appointed title agency for qualifying real-estate closings are trust funds. The agency must place them immediately in an in-state FDIC- or NCUSIF-member institution, keep them separate from its debts, maintain separate receipt and disbursement records, and hold them until disbursement is properly authorized under the applicable instructions. 2

Crime in Other States

Other Coverage in Florida

Sources

  1. Florida Statutes § 626.8419, Appointment of title insurance agency. Florida Legislature, Online Sunshine; Subsection (1)(a), fidelity bond; (1)(c)–(e), separate surety bond, beneficiary, continuing status, and annual proof. 2026 Florida Statutes text checked September 28, 2026. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  2. Florida Statutes § 626.8473, Escrow; trust fund. Florida Legislature, Online Sunshine; Fla. Stat. § 626.8473(1)–(5) and (7): qualifying funds of licensed and appointed title agencies, fiduciary ownership, immediate placement in an in-state FDIC/NCUSIF member institution, segregation from agency debts, separate receipt/disbursement records, use/disbursement under instructions, and conversion/misappropriation penalties. 2026 Florida Statutes text checked September 28, 2026. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  3. Florida Office of Insurance Regulation. Florida Office of Insurance Regulation; Official regulator homepage; insurer regulation. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  4. Resources. Florida Office of the Insurance Consumer Advocate; State page links to DFS agent search and OIR active company search. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  5. Get Insurance Help. Florida Department of Financial Services; Insurance concern and formal complaint intake; consumer helpline. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  6. Florida Statutes § 626.932: Surplus lines tax. Florida Legislature; 4.94% tax on gross premium; home-state taxation; statutory definition of premium. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  7. FSLSO Bulletin 2026-02. Florida Surplus Lines Service Office; Service-fee rate effective July 1, 2026: 0.03%. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  8. Licenses. At-Bay; Current producer introduction and state table; At-Bay Insurance Services LLC; P&C and surplus-lines identifiers. Accessed 2026-09-21.
  9. Licenses and Carriers. Coalition; Licenses and Carriers, re-read 22 September 2026: Insurance Licenses table for Coalition Insurance Solutions, Inc., national producer number 18419475, with producer and surplus-lines numbers for all 50 states and DC including California 0L76155, Georgia 196479, Texas 2199630 and 2205589, Pennsylvania 815731 and 817452, Colorado 539028 and Wisconsin 3000108852. Insurance Carriers table naming, with NAIC numbers, Allianz Underwriters Insurance Company 36420, Arch Specialty Insurance Company 21199, Ascot Specialty Insurance Company 45055, Ascot Insurance Company 23752, Aspen Specialty Insurance Company 10717, Chaucer Insurance Company DAC, Coalition Insurance Company 29530, Fireman's Fund Indemnity Corporation 11380, Fortegra Specialty Insurance Company 16823, Lloyd's of London, MSIG Specialty Insurance USA Inc. 34886, MS Transverse Specialty Insurance Company 41807, Steadfast Insurance Company 26387, Vantage Risk Specialty Insurance Company 16275 and Zurich American Insurance Company 16535. Accessed 2026-09-22.
  10. Insurance Producer Licenses. Corgi Insurance; Current complete Insurance Producer Licenses table for Corgi Insurance Services, Inc.; 50 rows covering 49 states and DC (DC 3003091619); no New Mexico row; no NPN or as-of date shown. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  11. About Hiscox US Insurance. Hiscox; Hiscox Insurance Company Inc. NAIC 10200 as Chicago, IL domiciled insurer admitted or licensed in all 50 states and D.C.; Hiscox Inc. as general agent and Lloyd’s coverholder for Syndicates 33 and 3624; surplus-lines placements through licensed surplus-lines brokers; A.M. Best rating statement. Accessed 2026-09-16.
  12. Licenses. ERGO NEXT Insurance; Current entity-by-state license table reopened 28 September 2026: 50 rows under Next First Insurance Agency, Inc., including Washington, DC; New York rows instead list Next Insurance Services PC-1423070 and AP Intego BR-1198885. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  13. Insurance Licenses by State. TechInsurance; Current state table; identifies TechInsurance as a division of Specialty Program Group LLC d/b/a SPG Insurance Solutions; lists DC 3000041536 and labels Rhode Island “Individual licenses,” without an agency license number. Accessed 2026-09-28.
  14. Licenses. Vouch; Effective 16 January 2025: Vouch Specialty Insurance Services, LLC, NPN 19926463; P&C table (50 states and DC); surplus-lines table includes Idaho 870820; footnote says Georgia and Idaho do not issue agency-level surplus-lines licenses; Idaho retained as producer-only due to conflict. Accessed 2026-09-15.

Updated .

This guide is informational and does not determine whether a policy is available or meets your needs. Editorial policy. To suggest a correction, contact Spot with a supporting source.

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