Section 12931 - [Effective 1/1/2025] Service of process, notices and other papers(a) Service of legal process, notices, or other papers described in or referred to by Section 1452, 1605, 1610, 1612, 11104, or 11105 may be made upon the commissioner in the instances enumerated in this section and under the circumstances prescribed in this section by delivering to the commissioner, the commissioner's deputy, or the commissioner's designated agent for service of process two copies thereof for each person or party defendant so served accompanied by payment of a substituted service fee as determined pursuant to Section 12978 for each person or party, and by complying with the other provisions of this section.(b) The situations under which such service may be so made and the circumstances under which these provisions apply are: (1) Where for any reason the person desiring to have service so made elects to serve the commissioner instead of the attorney in fact, as stipulated pursuant to Section 1323, of a reciprocal or interinsurance exchange, domestic, foreign, admitted, or nonadmitted.(2) Where service is to be made on an admitted foreign or alien insurer, when service cannot be made on the principal statutory agent of such insurer duly appointed pursuant to Article 3 (commencing with Section 1600) of Chapter 4 of Part 2 of Division 1 for reasons specified in Section 1604 or otherwise recognized by law.(3) In actions against nonadmitted insurers, including nonadmitted fraternal benefit societies and reciprocals, under the circumstances described in Article 4 (commencing with Section 1610) of Chapter 4 of Part 2 of Division 1. This provision shall not apply to actions brought under insurance policies or certificates issued by nonadmitted insurers placed by surplus line brokers or special lines surplus line brokers where such insurance contract names a resident of this state as agent for service of process.(4) In actions involving admitted and formerly admitted fraternal benefit societies as described in Section 11104.(c) Upon receipt of two copies of the process, notice, or papers to be served and the fee above prescribed, the commissioner shall promptly mail one of the copies by certified mail (or by registered mail if it is addressed to an area outside of the United States where certified mail service is not available) to the defendant or person to be served at the last principal place of business of the defendant or person to be served, known to the commissioner by the commissioner's official records in the case of a licensee; otherwise, in the case of a nonadmitted insurer, to its last principal place of business known to the commissioner from national directories or reference books or other reliable information available in the commissioner's office. The commissioner shall keep a record of all services made upon the commissioner pursuant to this section. The other copy of the process, notice, or papers shall be retained among the commissioner's official public records for a period not to exceed two years, absent special circumstances which in the commissioner's judgment compel longer retention.(d) Service made in the manner provided for in this section is valid and sufficient and gives jurisdiction over the person of a nonadmitted or unauthorized defendant, provided notice of such service and a copy of the process, notice, or papers being served are sent within 10 days thereafter by certified mail (or by registered mail if it is addressed to an area outside of the United States where certified mail service is not available) by plaintiff or plaintiff's attorney to the defendant at its last known principal place of business, and the receipt or the receipt of defendant's agent for such copy, showing the name of the sender and the name and address of the addressee-defendant thereon, and the affidavit of plaintiff or plaintiff's attorney showing compliance with this section, are filed with the clerk of the court in which such action is pending on or before the date the defendant is required to appear, or within further time as the court may allow. In case of service made pursuant to this section upon a licensee of the commissioner required by law to keep the licensee's current business address or that of its agent for service of process on file with the commissioner, the service shall be valid if the commissioner mailed, postage prepaid, a copy of the process, notice, or papers to the defendant or licensee intended to be served to the licensee's current address as shown by the commissioner's records, or, in the case of an insurer, to its manager, president, or secretary, and an affidavit of compliance by plaintiff or plaintiff's attorney at law is made and filed at the place and within the time mentioned in this subdivision.
(e) A plaintiff or complainant shall not be entitled to a judgment by default in any action, suit, or proceeding in which service of process is effected in the manner provided in this section until the expiration of 30 days from the date on which the affidavit of compliance is filed.(f) This section does not limit or abridge the right to serve any process, notice, papers, or demand upon any insurer in any other manner now or hereafter permitted by law.Amended by Stats 2024 ch 444 (SB 577),s 8, eff. 1/1/2025.Amended by Stats 2021 ch 50 (AB 378),s 254, eff. 1/1/2022.Amended by Stats. 1985, Ch. 770, Sec. 27.This section is set out more than once due to postponed, multiple, or conflicting amendments.