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38 N.D. L. Rev. 409 (1962)
An Insurance Agent Qualification Law for North Dakota

handle is hein.journals/nordak38 and id is 411 raw text is: AN INSURANCE AGENT QUALIFICATION LAW FOR NORTH DAKOTA? DENNIS F. REINMUTH* In the 1961 session of the North Dakota Legislature an in- surance agent qualification bill Was introduced.' This bill was defeated. It was the second time such a bill has failed to pass the legislature. What is an agent qualification law and what are its pur- poses? What are the reasons such a bill failed to pass? These are some of the important questions this paper will attempt to answer. The general plan of this paper will be first, to give a very brief historical outline of insurance regulation and a descrip- tion of the purposes of such regulation. This procedure will be followed in order to show the evolution of the particular governmental function with which this paper is concerned, i. e., the licensing of insurance agents. Secondly, an analysis of North Dakota's present licensing procedure for insurance agents will be made together with a comparison with agent qualification laws of other states. Finally, from this back- ground and analysis, changes in the present North Dakota scheme of licensing insurance agents will be suggested. BACKGROUND OF STATE REGULATION The interest of government in the insurance business is nearly as old as the business itself. Evidence of government legislation involving insurance can be found as early as the fourteenth century, when a law intended to prevent gambling in marine insurance was enacted. The earliest known insur- ance code was promulgated in Barcelona.2 Aside from general incorporation statutes covering indi- vidual insurers, the first regulatory insurance statutes in the United States date from the early 1800's. The chief interest of government in these early years was the raising of revenue Assistant Professor of Insurance, University of North Dakota. 1 Senate Bill No. 112, Thirty-Seventh Legislative Assembly of North Dakota. This measure was introduced by Senators Foss, Lips, and Reichert. 2. For an excellent summary, of the history of insurance regulation. see PATTERSON, THE INSURANCE COMMISSIONER IN THE UNITED STATES, Appendix I (1927).