§431:2-206  How service on commissionermade.  (a)  A person competent to serve a summons shall serve upon thecommissioner triplicate copies of legal process against an insurer for whom thecommissioner is attorney.  In the absence of the commissioner, the process maybe served upon the chief deputy or the deputy in charge of the insurancefunction.  At the time of service the plaintiff shall pay to the commissioner$12, taxable as costs in the action.

(b)  In lieu of service on the commissioner,legal process may be served upon a domestic reciprocal insurer by serving theinsurer's attorney-in-fact at the attorney-in-fact's principal offices.

(c)  The commissioner shall forthwith send oneof the copies of the process to the person designated for the purpose by theinsurer in its most recent designation filed with the commissioner, or to theinsurer at its last known principal office if no such designation is on file,and return one copy to the plaintiff with the commissioner's acknowledgment ofservice.

(d)  The commissioner shall keep a record ofthe day and hour of service upon the commissioner of all such legal process. No proceedings shall be had against the insurer, and the insurer shall not berequired to appear, plead, or answer until the expiration of forty days afterthe date of service upon the commissioner. [L 1987, c 347, pt of §2; am L 1997,c 368, §1]