(1) Each licensed insurer, whether domestic, foreign, or alien, shall be deemed to have appointed the Chief Financial Officer and her or his successors in office as its attorney to receive service of all legal process issued against it in any civil action or proceeding in this state; and process so served shall be valid and binding upon the insurer.
(2) Prior to its authorization to transact insurance in this state, each insurer shall file with the department designation of the name and address of the person to whom process against it served upon the Chief Financial Officer is to be forwarded. Each insurer shall also file with the department designation of the name and e-mail address of the person to whom the department shall forward civil remedy notices filed under s. 624.155. The insurer may change a designation at any time by a new filing.
(3) Service of process upon the Chief Financial Officer as the insurer’s attorney pursuant to such an appointment shall be the sole method of service of process upon an authorized domestic, foreign, or alien insurer in this state.
History.—s. 66, ch. 59-205; ss. 13, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 3, ch. 76-168; s. 1, ch. 77-457; ss. 2, 3, ch. 81-318; ss. 56, 64, 809(1st), ch. 82-243; ss. 187, 188, ch. 91-108; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 184, ch. 97-102; s. 801, ch. 2003-261; s. 7, ch. 2020-63.