The overall authority of an insurance agent includes:

An insurance agent's overall authority is established through the law of agency and is comprised of three distinct types: express, implied, and apparent authority. Implied authority is not explicitly granted in the agent's contract but is the authority that is considered necessary or customary for the agent to carry out their specified duties. For instance, an agent with express authority to solicit insurance applications has the implied authority to telephone prospective clients to arrange appointments, as this is a reasonable and necessary part of the job.

A. Imposed authority: This is not a recognized legal term in agency law. An agent's authority is granted by a principal, not imposed.

B. Absolute authority: No agent has absolute authority. Their authority is always defined and limited by the scope of their agreement with the principal (the insurer).

D. Residual authority: This is not a standard legal classification for an agent's authority in the context of insurance.

1. Code of Virginia, Title 38.2. Insurance. While the code defines the roles and responsibilities of agents (e.g., § 38.2-1800), the specific common law principles of agent authority (express, implied, apparent) are foundational legal concepts taught in state-approved licensing education and established through case law. The overall legal framework for agents operates on these principles.

2. Vaughan, E. J., & Vaughan, T. (2013). Fundamentals of Risk and Insurance (11th ed.). John Wiley & Sons. In Chapter 9, "The Legal Framework," the text explains the law of agency as it applies to insurance, detailing that an agent's power is a composite of express authority, implied authority, and apparent authority (pp. 168-169).

3. Mehr, R. I., Cammack, E., & Rose, T. (1985). Principles of Insurance (8th ed.). Richard D. Irwin, Inc. Chapter 28, "Legal Principles," discusses the powers of agents, stating, "The agent's authority is composed of express powers, implied powers, and apparent powers." It defines implied powers as those that are "incidental to express powers" (p. 715).