(1) Service of process upon the Chief Financial Officer as process agent of the insurer under s. 624.422 and s. 626.937 shall be made by serving a copy of the process upon the Chief Financial Officer or upon her or his assistant, deputy, or other person in charge of her or his office. Service may also be made by mail or electronically as provided in s. 48.151. Upon receiving such service, the Chief Financial Officer shall retain a record copy and promptly forward one copy of the process by registered or certified mail or by other verifiable means, as provided under s. 624.307(9), to the person last designated by the insurer to receive the same, as provided under s. 624.422(2). For purposes of this section, records may be retained as paper or electronic copies.
(2) If process is served upon the Chief Financial Officer as an insurer’s process agent, the insurer is not required to answer or plead except within 20 days after the date upon which the Chief Financial Officer sends or makes available by other verifiable means a copy of the process served upon her or him as required by subsection (1).
(3) Process served upon the Chief Financial Officer and sent or made available in accordance with this section and s. 624.307(9) shall for all purposes constitute valid and binding service thereof upon the insurer.
History.—s. 67, 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. 64, 809(1st), ch. 82-243; ss. 187, 188, ch. 91-108; s. 4, ch. 91-429; s. 185, ch. 97-102; s. 802, ch. 2003-261; s. 7, ch. 2011-159; s. 11, ch. 2016-132.