New Jersey Administrative Code
Title 11 - INSURANCE
Chapter 3 - AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE
Subchapter 33 - APPEALS FROM DENIAL OF AUTOMOBILE INSURANCE
Section 11:3-33.2 - Definitions

The following words and terms, when used in this subchapter, shall have the following meanings, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise.

"Applicant" means an insured or prospective insured who has made a request for personal private passenger automobile insurance on either a first time or renewal basis.

"Automobile" means a private passenger automobile of a private passenger or station wagon type that is owned or hired and is neither used as a public or livery conveyance for passengers nor rented to others with a driver; and a motor vehicle with a pickup body, a delivery sedan, a van, or a panel truck or a camper type vehicle used for recreational purposes owned by an individual or by husband and wife who are residents of the same household, not customarily used in the occupation, profession or business of the insured other than farming or ranching. An automobile owned by a farm family copartnership or corporation, which is principally garaged on a farm or ranch and otherwise meets the definitions contained in this section, shall be considered a private passenger automobile owned by two or more relatives resident in the same household.

"Cancellation" means termination of insurance during the policy term pursuant to the provisions of 17:29C-7.

"Commissioner" means the Commissioner of the Department of Banking and Insurance of New Jersey.

"Completed written application" means a signed application that contains the minimum information necessary as set forth at N.J.A.C. 11:3-44.3(a) to determine whether the applicant is an eligible person, to rate and underwrite the policy, is accompanied by a completed coverage selection form as provided at 11:3-15.6 and, if requested, a copy of the applicant's driver's license, a copy of the motor vehicle registration of the principal vehicle to be insured, one additional proof of New Jersey residency and an acknowledgment of requirement for insurance inspection form where physical damage is requested.

"Contested case" means a proceeding, including any licensing proceeding, in which the legal rights, duties, obligations, privileges, benefits or other legal relations of specific parties are required by constitutional right or by statute to be determined by an agency by decision, determination, or other, addressed to them or disposing of their interests, after opportunity for an agency hearing, but shall not include any proceeding in the Division of Taxation, Department of the Treasury, which is reviewable de novo by the Tax Court.

"Declination," "denied" or "denial" means:

1. Refusal by an insurance agent to submit an application on behalf of an applicant to any of the insurers represented by the agent;

2. Refusal by an insurer to issue an automobile insurance policy to an applicant upon receipt of an application for automobile insurance;

3. The offer of automobile insurance coverage with less favorable terms or conditions than those requested by an applicant, including the refusal to make requested changes to an existing policy that are available to other insureds with that insurer, or the offer to insure at a rate applicable to other than eligible persons;

4. The refusal by an insurer or agent to provide, upon the request of an applicant, an application form or other means of making an application or request for automobile insurance coverage;

5. The refusal by an insurer to renew a policy of automobile insurance based on eligible person status, unless either a member of the insured's household is not an eligible person and that person accounts for 10 percent or more of the use of the subject vehicle pursuant to 11:3-8.4(a)2, that the eligible person is nonrenewed pursuant to the provisions of 11:3-8.5; or

6. The cancellation of an automobile insurance policy by the insurer pursuant to 17:29C-7 for any reason other than nonpayment of premium; or

7. Failure of an insurer to either bind coverage or issue a written denial of coverage to an applicant, or if requested to notify the applicant whether coverage will be provided or denied, within five business days of the date a completed written application is received that includes the information in N.J.A.C. 11:3-44.3(a).

"Department" means the Department of Banking and Insurance of the State of New Jersey.

"Eligible person" means an eligible person as defined at 11:3-34.4.

"Insurance agent" or "agent" means an insurance agent as defined at N.J.S.A. 17:22A-2 and shall also include an "insurance broker" as defined at N.J.S.A. 17:22A-2 who has a brokerage relationship with an insurer.

"Insurer" means any person transacting the business of personal private passenger automobile insurance with a duty to write personal private passenger automobile insurance in New Jersey for an eligible person, pursuant to 17:33B-15 and rules promulgated pursuant thereto by the Commissioner.

"Person" means an individual, association, corporation, partnership or other entity.

"Personal private passenger automobile insurance" or "automobile insurance" means direct insurance on private passenger automobiles issued by an insurer in accordance with a personal lines rating system filed and approved pursuant to 17:29A-1 et seq.

"Voluntary market" means automobile insurance written other than through a plan of operation established pursuant to 17:29B-1 et seq., 17:30E-1 et seq. or 17:33B-11.

"Working day" means any day except Saturday, Sunday or New Jersey State legal holidays.