Florida Florida Statutes

§ 48.151 — Service on statutory agents for certain persons

FS § 48.151Ch. 48

Statute text

(1)When any law designates a public officer, board, agency, or commission as the agent for service of process on any person, firm, or corporation, service of process thereunder shall be made by leaving one copy of the process with the public officer, board, agency, or commission or in the office thereof, or by mailing one copy to the public officer, board, agency, or commission, except as provided in subsection (3). The public officer, board, agency, or commission so served shall retain a record copy and promptly send the copy served, by registered or certified mail, to the person to be served as shown by his or her or its records. Proof of service on the public officer, board, agency, or commission shall be by a notice accepting the process which shall be issued by the public officer, board, agency, or commission promptly after service and filed in the court issuing the process. The notice accepting service shall state the date upon which the copy of the process was mailed by the public officer, board, agency, or commission to the person being served and the time for pleading prescribed by the rules of procedure shall run from this date. The service is valid service for all purposes on the person for whom the public officer, board, agency, or commission is statutory agent for service of process. [1] This section does not apply to substituted service of process under s. 48.161 or s. 48.181.

(3)The Chief Financial Officer is the agent for service of process on all insurers applying for authority to transact insurance in this state, all licensed nonresident insurance agents, all nonresident disability insurance agents licensed pursuant to s. 626.835, any unauthorized insurer under s. 626.906 or s. 626.937, domestic reciprocal insurers, fraternal benefit societies under chapter 632, warranty associations under chapter 634, prepaid limited health service organizations under chapter 636, and persons required to file statements under s. 628.461. The Department of Financial Services shall create a secure online portal as the sole means to accept service of process on the Chief Financial Officer under this section.

(4)The Director of the Office of Financial Regulatioe. The Secretary of State and the Department of State are not parties to the lawsuit by reason of substituted service under this section, and additional court filings regarding such lawsuit may not be served upon or sent to the Secretary of State or the Department of State after the substituted service is effectuated.

(10)This section does not apply to persons on whom service is authorized under s. 48.151.

Legislative history

ss. 2, 4, ch. 17254, 1935; CGL 1936 Supp. 4274 (8), (10); s. 1, ch. 59-382; s. 4, ch. 67-254; s. 4, ch. 71-114; s. 1, ch. 71-308; s. 57, ch. 90-132; s. 277, ch. 95-147; s. 11, ch. 2022-190; s. 3, ch. 2025-13.