(1) A nonadmitted insurer may be sued, upon any cause of action arising in this state under any contract issued by it as a surplus line contract, pursuant to this article, in the district court of the county in which the cause of action arose.
Service of legal process against the insurer may be made in any such action by service upon the commissioner. The commissioner shall forthwith mail the documents of process served, or a true copy thereof, to the person designated by the insurer pursuant to rule of the commissioner for the purpose by prepaid certified mail with return receipt requested. The insurer shall have forty days from the date of service upon the commissioner within which to plead, answer, or otherwise defend the action. Upon service of process upon the commissioner in accordance with this provision, the court shall be deemed to have jurisdiction in personam of the insurer.
A nonadmitted insurer issuing such policy shall be deemed thereby to have authorized service of process against it, in the manner and to the effect as provided in this section, and to have appointed the commissioner as its agent for service of process issuing upon any cause of action arising in this state under any such policy. Any such policy shall contain a provision stating the substance of this section and designating the person to whom the commissioner shall mail process as provided in subsection (2) of this section.
Source: L. 49: p. 471, § 13. CSA: C. 87, § 330. CRS 53: § 72-14-13. C.R.S. 1963: § 7213-13. L. 73: p. 848, § 4. L. 86: (2) amended, p. 556, § 7, effective July 1. L. 89: (2) amended, p. 438, § 9, effective July 1. L. 95: (1) and (3) amended, p. 496, § 15, effective May 16. L. 98:
amended, p. 228, § 2, effective April 10. L. 2001: (2) amended, p. 1213, § 41, effective January 1, 2002.
Cross references: For service of legal process, see § 10-3-1003.