complaints or rulings, the insurer's license may be revoked or suspended. Bad faith actions are exceedingly rare outside the United States. Even within the U.S. the full rigor of the doctrine is limited to certain states such as California. Rest of World Every developed sovereign state regulates the provision of insurance in different ways. Some regulate all insurance activity taking place within the particular jurisdiction, but allow their citizens to purchase insurance "offshore". Others restrict the extent to which their citizens may contract with non-locally regulated insurers. In consequence, a complicated muddle has developed in which many international insurers provide insurance coverage on an unlicensed or "non-admitted" basis with little or no knowledge of whether the particular jurisdiction in or into which cover is provided is one that prohibits the provision of insurance cover or the doing of insurance business without a licence. See also International Association of Insurance Supervisors Insurance broker and Insurance agent Agent of Record Australian insurance law Financial Conduct Authority - United Kingdom regulator of financial services (including insurance) National Association of Insurance Commissioners - United States organisation that coordinates insurance regulation Notes References