A. Every surplus lines insurer issuing or delivering a surplus line policy through a surplus lines licensee or broker in this state shall conclusively be deemed thereby to have irrevocably appointed the Insurance Commissioner as its attorney for acceptance of service of all legal process, other than a subpoena, issued in this state in any action or proceeding under or arising out of the policy, and service of process upon the Insurance Commissioner shall be lawful personal service upon the surplus lines or nonadmitted insurer.

B. Each surplus line policy shall contain a provision stating the substance of subsection A of this section, and designating the person to whom the Insurance Commissioner shall mail process as provided in subsection C of this section.

C. Triplicate copies of legal process against such an insurer shall be served upon the Insurance Commissioner, and at time of service the plaintiff shall pay to the Insurance Commissioner Twenty Dollars ($20.00), taxable as costs in the action. The Insurance Commissioner shall immediately mail one copy of the process so served to the person designated by the insurer in the policy for the purpose, by mail with return receipt requested. The surplus lines or nonadmitted insurer shall have forty (40) days after the date of mailing within which to plead, answer, or otherwise defend the action.

Added by Laws 1957, p. 260, § 1118, operative July 1, 1957. Amended by Laws 1986, c. 251, § 11, eff. Nov. 1, 1986; Laws 1997, c. 418, § 42, eff. Nov. 1, 1997; Laws 2010, c. 222, § 21, eff. Nov. 1, 2010; Laws 2011, c. 278, § 22 and Laws 2011, c. 360, § 22; Laws 2012, c. 45, § 19, emerg. eff. April 16, 2012.

NOTE: Laws 2011, c. 278, § 22 and Laws 2011, c. 360, § 22 made identical changes to this section.