Yes. Your insurance policy is a contract between you and the insurance company, and the agent is the person who services it. If you would like a different agent to look after a policy you already have, you can usually ask the company to reassign it. The request is called an agent of record change, sometimes shortened to AOR.
What stays the same
An agent of record change moves the servicing of the policy, not the policy itself. In most cases these stay as they are:
- Your insurance company and your policy number.
- Your coverage, limits and deductibles.
- Your premium and payment schedule, including payments made through a mortgage escrow account.
- Your renewal date.
What changes is who you call with a question, a change or a claim, and who reviews the policy with you at renewal. There is no fee for the request.
How the change works
- Tell the new agent which policies you want movedA declarations page or renewal notice has everything needed: the company, the policy number and the effective dates.
- Sign a short agent of record letterIt names you, the policy and the agent you are appointing. Each policy needs its own letter, so a home, a flood and an auto policy means three.
- The new agent sends it to the insurance companyThe company reviews the request and updates its records.
- You get confirmationOnce the company processes it, the new agent can see and service the policy.
How long it takes
It depends on the company. Some process the change within days. Others take a couple of weeks to review it, and some make the change effective on your next renewal date instead of right away. Your coverage stays in force the whole time, because the policy itself is not being cancelled or rewritten.
When a policy cannot simply be moved
An agent can only take over a policy with a company the agent is appointed to represent. If your new agent does not work with your current company, the other route is a new policy with a different company. That is a bigger step, so compare the coverage line by line, and do not cancel the old policy until the new one is confirmed in force. A gap in coverage, even a short one, can cause problems with a lender and with future pricing.
A good time for a coverage review
Moving a policy is a natural point to check that it still fits. For a Florida home that usually means confirming the roof age on file, making sure a current wind mitigation inspection is being applied, checking whether a four-point inspection will be needed at renewal, and looking at whether you have flood insurance, which a homeowners policy does not include.
Want Southend Insurance to service a policy you already have? Email your declarations page to trey@southendins.com or call (904) 807-4554 and we will tell you whether it can be moved and what the company needs.
This article is general information, not a substitute for your policy documents. Procedures and timing vary by insurance company.