Upon further clarification from the Virginia Bureau of Insurance, the SLB-9 Form (State Stamp Wording) must be either:

• Attached to all new and renewal policies, or
• The full information contained in the SLB-9 must be clearly stamped on the policy.

Please note, this requirement does not apply to endorsements.

Please see the August Newsletter from the Surplus Line Association of Washington, which includes an important action item regarding the Annual Membership Fee Statements.

Be on the lookout for this invoice in your SLIP inbox, as brokers are responsible for maintaining their membership in good standing. Please note that we are unable to complete this process on behalf of brokers.

If you have any questions, please contact the Washington SLA at info@surpluslines.org.

We have received further clarification from the North Carolina Surplus Lines Association (NCSLA).

Effective immediately, please file all Non-RPG New and Renewal master policies with zero premium in SLIP using a premium amount of $0.01.

Should you have any questions, please let us know.

Please review the following important announcement below from OPTins regarding upcoming changes to the login process.

OPTins will soon be implementing OKTA as part of its authentication system, which may require action on your part to ensure continued access. In summary,

1. Users should expect to receive an email from OPTins/OKTA that their account is set up - please follow the prompts in the email. You may be asked to set up additional 2-step verification for logging in

2. Once you are set up for OKTA, you will want to add your OKTA credentials to the Password Manager in the portal by selecting the web description "OPTins-OKTA".

3. Once you are logged in to OKTA, you can access OPTins from the home screen and open OPTins as usual.

Notice from OPTins:

To improve both security and user experience, we're updating the OPTins login process to use Okta, a secure Single Sign-On (SSO) platform with built-in Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA).

What's Changing?

The production release is scheduled for the evening of Thursday, July 31st.

IMPORTANT: When users log in on Friday, August 1st, your previous credentials will no longer work. You will now use your Okta credentials to log into OPTins.

• If you already use NAIC Okta, no action will be required.
• Individuals who use another NAIC system may already exist in Okta and no further action will be needed.
• Individuals who do not already exist in Okta will receive a “Welcome to Okta” email with instructions to finalize their account setup. All users that receive the Okta welcome email must take action, even if they will not use the OPTins system in the near future.
• A small number of users with two or more OPTins accounts may have additional impact and will be contacted separately.

If you are not using Okta yet, we'll create a login for you using your email address tomorrow, Wednesday, July 30th. You'll then receive an email with an activation link that will be valid for 7 days.

With the move to Okta, users will benefit from:

• One secure login: All your OPTins usernames will be consolidated under a single Okta ID - no more managing multiple logins.
• Stronger security: Okta's Multi-Factor Authentication adds extra protection, even if your password is compromised.
• Simplified access: One login gives you access to both legacy and modernized OPTins, as well as other NAIC-authorized systems connected via Okta.

Please note that action is required. If you received a Welcome to Okta, email, please complete the steps. If you have questions, please contact us at optinshelp@naic.org.

OPTins Support Team

Please review the recent update sent from SLIP+ concerning the processing of Wyoming tax payments within the SLIP+ system.

This is a follow-up on the temporary issue affecting Wyoming tax payments in SLIP+. This disruption is the result of a technical issue with the state’s banking partner.

At this time, Wyoming tax payment drafting remains temporarily disabled. However, all payment data submitted through SLIP+ between July 1–15, 2025, was successfully received and recorded. Once the bank-side issue is resolved, payments for that period will be drafted as intended.

Please note, no penalties will be assessed for these delays.

We are actively monitoring the situation and will notify you as soon as payments are re-enabled in SLIP+.

If you have any questions, please contact SLIP+ staff at 877.267.9855 or by email at info@slipplus.com.

OPTins has released the following notice regarding upcoming changes to their login process:

OPTins - Notice - Update to Login Process

Please note that this is an informational update, and no immediate action is required. Additional notifications will be sent as the rollout date approaches.

To improve both security and user experience, we're updating the OPTins login process to use Okta, a secure Single Sign-On (SSO) platform with built-in Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). This change will begin rolling out in late summer.

What's Changing?

With the move to Okta, users will benefit from:

• One secure login: All your OPTins usernames will be consolidated under a single Okta ID - no more managing multiple logins.
• Stronger security: Okta's Multi-Factor Authentication adds extra protection, even if your password is compromised.
• Simplified access: One login gives you access to both legacy and modernized OPTins, as well as other NAIC-authorized systems connected via Okta.

Until the transition period, existing OPTins users will continue to log into OPTins legacy with their existing logins.

• If you already use OKTA, no action will be required.
• If you are not yet using OKTA, we'll create a login for you using your email address next Wednesday, July 23rd. You'll then receive a temporary password that will work for 24 hours.

Look out for an email with additional details next week.

Please note that this is an informational update, and no immediate action is required.

SLIP+ for States has released the following notice regarding a banking issue currently affecting the processing of Wyoming tax payments:

We want to make you aware of a temporary issue impacting Wyoming tax payments in SLIP+. Due to a banking issue, Wyoming payments in SLIP+ are currently disabled. The state is actively working with its bank to resolve the matter.

As a result, any Wyoming tax payments submitted between July 1–15, 2025, were not drafted from your account. However, we have received all necessary payment data for that window, and once the issue is resolved, payments will be drafted accordingly.

We will notify you as soon as Wyoming tax payments are re-enabled in SLIP+. Thank you for your patience.

If you have any questions, please contact SLIP+ staff at 877.267.9855 or by email at info@slipplus.com.

Please see the important bulletin recently released by the FSLSO regarding the EMPA surcharge enhancement to the Florida SLIP+ System. We are actively working with the state to implement the necessary updates to support this functionality upon the October release.

EMPA Surcharge Exemption Bulletin

We are pleased to inform you that effective October 1, 2025, the Florida Surplus Lines Service Office (FSLSO) will be implementing enhancements to the FSLSO SLIP+ system. One notable change is the introduction of a new functionality that allows FSLSO SLIP+ users to designate a policy as exempt from the Emergency Management Preparedness and Assistance (EMPA) surcharge for multi-insurer (layered) policies.

It is important to note that this exemption pertains to situations where the EMPA surcharge has already been levied on another participating insurer's policy or transaction within the layered policy structure. Users are reminded to utilize this option selectively, specifically for policies where each insurer holds a distinct policy number and the EMPA surcharge has been applied to another insurer's policy within the same layered arrangement.

Please be advised that the exemption feature must not be misused to evade the payment of the EMPA Assessment. Any misuse or abuse of this option will be subject to investigation and potential repercussions, including but not limited to, referral to the Florida Department of Financial Services, and the risk of suspension or revocation of your insurance license(s).

FSLSO is mandated by Florida Statute 252.372 to collect the EMPA surcharge on all Florida surplus lines insurance policies that meet the assessment guidelines.

We appreciate your attention to this important regulatory update and your continued cooperation in maintaining compliance with statutory requirements.

Detailed instructions for FSLSO SLIP+ Batch and API will be made available in SLIP+ on the Batch Files page under the Batch Submission Documentation section. XML batch filers will be required to change the schema version value to 2.3 with an optional EMPA Exempt field added. There will be an additional mandatory column in CSV, however, the field is optional.

Additionally, instructions for manually updating the policy in SLIP+ will be provided in the SLIP+ Filing Procedures for Agents manual on the Help page. To view the Help page, click the question mark (?) in the upper right corner of SLIP+.

If you have any questions, please contact Agent Services at agent.services@fslso.com or 800-562-4496, option 1.

With further clarification from the Alaska Division of Insurance, we will be updating the portal next week in regards to the Alaska settings. Flat and pro rata cancellations will be based on the invoice date. Additionally, amendments will be required for all filing types, except for zero premium endorsements.

Please take a moment to review this important announcement from the SLAS Clearinghouse concerning SLIP+ for States:

"The SLAS Clearinghouse will officially transition to the new SLIP+ for States platform on Sunday, June 29, ahead of billing processes scheduled for July 1. This early transition ensures there is no system downtime during critical end-of-month activities.

All users who attempt to access the SLIP legacy site will be automatically redirected to SLIP+ for States. If you haven’t yet explored SLIP+, now is the time.

To support this transition, user manuals have been updated to help you quickly get comfortable with SLIP+ and make the most of its new features.

Important Note:

SLIP+ for States is not the same as the Florida-specific filing platform. If you're filing Florida surplus lines policies, continue using SLIP+ for Florida via the Florida Surplus Lines Service Office. Always check the login screen — each platform clearly identifies whether it is for Florida or other states, so you can be sure you're filing in the right place.

We appreciate your attention and preparation as we make this important upgrade.

Alongside this platform upgrade, we’re also retiring the SLAS Clearinghouse brand and transitioning fully to SLIP+ for States. This includes a refreshed visual identity, a new website, and updated contact information. We’ll share those details with you at the point of the change. In the meantime existing contact information and bookmarked links will continue to work following the transition to help ease your adjustment. We’re committed to making this a seamless change and will continue to keep you informed every step of the way.

We’re also hosting a webinar on July 15 to walk users through everything they need to know about SLIP+ for States. This session will cover the updated navigation menu, a basic overview of the filing and billing process, highlight key changes related to the SLIP+, and address some of the most common questions we receive about filings and billing. Whether you’re new to SLIP+ or just need a refresher, this is a great opportunity to get up to speed.

RESERVE YOUR SPOT

If you have any questions, please contact SLAS staff at 877.267.9855 or by email at info@slasclearinghouse.com."