§ 36-5001. Certificates of authority — Persons not deemed title insurers — Issuance of policies.

A.  Any foreign or domestic stock insurer authorized by its corporate charter to engage in business as a title insurer shall be entitled to the issuance of a certificate of authority as a title insurer in this state upon meeting the applicable requirements of Article 6, Authorization of Insurers and General Requirements, of the Oklahoma Insurance Code, except that existing title insurers may have their certificate of authority renewed by maintaining surplus in regard to policyholders of not less than Five Hundred Thousand Dollars ($500,000.00).

B.  A person engaged in the business of preparing or issuing abstracts of, but not guaranteeing or insuring, title to property, or a person acting only as agent for a title insurer, shall not be deemed to be a title insurer.

C.  Every policy of title insurance issued by any insurance company authorized to do business in this state shall be countersigned by some person, partnership, corporation or agency actively engaged in the real estate title business and maintaining an office in the state, who is a duly appointed agent of a title insurance company holding a valid license and authorized to do business in the state; provided, that no policy of title insurance shall be issued in the State of Oklahoma except:

1.  After examination by an attorney licensed to practice in this state of a duly certified abstract extension or supplemental abstract prepared by an abstractor licensed in the county where the property is located, from a certified abstract plant in the county where the property is located or per a temporary certificate of authority as provided in Section 33 of Title 1 of the Oklahoma Statutes, from the effective date of a prior owner's policy of title insurance issued by a title insurer licensed in this state provided by the insured pursuant to the policy at the time a valid order is placed pursuant to the provisions of the Oklahoma Abstractors Law brought forward to the effective date of the abstract plant.  Subject to the conditions and stipulations, the exclusions from coverage, exceptions from coverage and endorsements to the policy, any policy issued based on a prior owner's policy and a supplemental abstract shall insure the insured against loss or damage sustained or incurred by reason of unmarketability of title from sovereignty to the effective date of the policy, not to exceed the amount of insurance stated in the policy; or

2.  If the previously insured owner does not provide a copy of the owner's policy of title insurance, then a title insurance policy may be issued after examination by an attorney licensed to practice in this state of a duly certified abstract of title prepared by a bonded and licensed abstractor as defined in the Oklahoma Abstractors Law.

D.  As used in subsections B and C of this section, the term "agent" shall mean a person authorized to act on behalf of or in place of another.

Added by Laws 1957, p. 407, § 5001, operative July 1, 1957.  Amended by Laws 1959, p. 138, § 1, emerg. eff. June 30, 1959; Laws 1980, c. 185, § 7, eff. Oct. 1, 1980; Laws 2006, c. 269, § 1, eff. July 1, 2007; Laws 2013, c. 64, § 1, eff. Nov. 1, 2013.