{"data":{"id":"us-ky/krs-304.3-230","jurisdiction":"us-ky","citation":"KRS 304.3-230","heading":"Service of process on insurers -- Secretary of State as attorney for service","body":"of process.\n(1) Upon issuance of a certificate of authority to do business in this state, the following\nshall be deemed to have appointed the Secretary of State as their attorney to receive\nservice of lawful process issued against them in this state:\n(a) Foreign or alien insurers;\n(b) Domestic reciprocal insurers;\n(c) Domestic Lloyd's insurers;\n(d) Qualified self-insurers.\n(2) Such appointment shall be irrevocable, shall b ind any successor in interest or to the\nassets or liabilities of the insurer, and shall remain in effect as long as there is in\nforce in this state or elsewhere a contract that would give rise to a cause of action in\nthis state, made by the insurer, or liabilities or duties arising therefrom.\n(3) Service of lawful process against unauthorized insurers, except in contracts issued\nby insurers or underwriters to those insureds specified in KRS 304.11 -020, shall be\nmade upon the Secretary of State, as provided in KRS 304.11-040.\n(4) Service of lawful process against authorized domestic insurers shall be had pursuant\nto KRS 14A.4-040.\n(5) If the Secretary of State is by law the lawful attorney for service of process, the\nclerk of the court in which action is brou ght shall issue a summons against the\ndefendant named in the complaint and shall serve by certified mail, return receipt\nrequested, two (2) true copies of the summons with two (2) attested copies of\nplaintiff's complaint to the Secretary of State. The Secr etary of State shall\nimmediately mail a copy of the summons and complaint to the defendant; if an\nauthorized insurer, to the person designated pursuant to subsection (7) of KRS\n304.3-150, and if an unauthorized insurer to the last known principal place of\nbusiness. The letter shall be posted by prepaid certified mail, return receipt\nrequested, and shall bear the return address of the Secretary of State. The Secretary\nof State shall make a return to the court showing that the acts contemplated by this\nstatute have been performed, and shall attach to his return the registry receipt, if\nany. Summons shall be deemed to be served on the return of the Secretary of State\nand the action shall proceed as provided in the Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure.\n(6) The Secretary of State shall keep a record of the date and hour of receipt of such\nlawful process, as well as the date it is forwarded to the defendant.\n(7) For the purpose of this section, \"lawful process\" shall include only the summons\nwhich initiates and commen ces a cause of action, and such other initial notices,\nrules, or orders which would be required by the Kentucky Rules of Civil Procedure\nto be by personal service.\n(8) The sheriff serving the summons upon the Secretary of State shall pay to him at the\ntime of service a fee in the amount set forth in KRS 454.210, which shall be taxed\nas costs in the action.","path":[],"source_url":"https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/statutes/statute.aspx?id=36743","current_through":"Includes enactments through the 2026 Regular Session","vintage":"09/05/2026","retrieved_at":"2026-09-05T20:57:37Z","sha256":"d032c42c0a08e5a31e815319e3d3d4ca59ec2d7516ddcf287e94fb536155148c","source_id":"us-ky","stale":false,"prev":"us-ky/krs-304.3-220","next":"us-ky/krs-304.3-235"},"notice":"GroundRules: Original legal text. Not legal advice."}