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HRS §432:2-701

How legal papers are delivered to an insurance society

This section explains how lawsuits and other legal papers must be delivered to an insurance society doing business in Hawaii. The society must name the insurance commissioner as its agent to receive those papers. The commissioner then sends a copy to the society by certified mail, and the society has at least 30 days to respond.

businesses

The statute, as written — Service of process

(a) Every society authorized to do business in this State shall appoint in writing the commissioner and each successor in office to be its true and lawful attorney upon whom all lawful process in any action or proceeding against it shall be served, and shall agree in such writing that any lawful process against it which is served on said attorney shall be of the same legal force and validity as if served upon the society, and that the authority shall continue in force so long as any liability remains outstanding in this State. Copies of such appointment, certified by the commissioner, shall be deemed sufficient evidence thereof and shall be admitted in evidence with the force and effect as the original thereof might be admitted. (b) Service shall only be made upon the commissioner, or if absent, upon the person in charge of the commissioner's office. It shall be made in duplicate and shall constitute sufficient service upon the society. When legal process against a society is served upon the commissioner, the commissioner shall immediately forward one of the duplicate copies by certified mail, prepaid, directed to the secretary or corresponding officer. No such service shall require a society to file its answer, pleading or defense in less than thirty days from the date of mailing the copy of the service to a society. Legal process shall not be served upon a society except in the manner herein provided. At the time of serving any process upon the commissioner, the plaintiff or complainant in the action shall pay to the commissioner a fee of $25.
Read the official text at capitol.hawaii.gov ↗as published Jan 6, 2026our copy taken Aug 20, 2026

LawTrove is not legal advice. The summary above is a computer-generated restatement — the authoritative text is the official version linked above.