215 ILCS 5/123 — Illinois Code / Chapter 215 / Act 5 / Section 123
Section 123
Status: in_force

(215 ILCS 5/123) (from Ch. 73, par. 735) Sec. 123. Service of process upon an unauthorized foreign or alien company. (1) The purpose of this Section is to subject unauthorized foreign and alien companies to the jurisdiction of courts of this State in actions by or on behalf of insureds, reinsureds, or beneficiaries under insurance or reinsurance contracts. The Legislature declares that it is a subject of concern that many residents of this State or corporations authorized to do business in this State hold policies of insurance or reinsurance issued by companies not authorized to do business in this State, thus presenting to such residents or corporations authorized to do business in this State the often insuperable obstacle of resorting to distant forums for the purpose of asserting legal rights under such policies. In furtherance of such State interest, the Legislature herein provides a method of substituted service of process upon such companies and declares that in so doing it exercises its power to protect its residents and corporations authorized to do business in this State and to define, for the purpose of this statute, what constitutes doing business in this State, and also exercises powers and privileges available to the State by virtue of Public Law 15, 79th Congress of the United States, Chapter 20, 1st. Sess., S. 340, as amended, which declares that the business of insurance and every person engaged therein shall be subject to the laws of the several states. (2) Any of the following acts in this State, effected by mail or otherwise, by an unauthorized foreign or alien company: (a) the issuance or delivery of contracts of insurance or reinsurance to residents of this State or to corporations authorized to do business therein, (b) the solicitation of applications for such contracts, (c) the collection of premiums, membership fees, assessments or other considerations for such contracts, or (d) any other transaction of business, is equivalent to and shall constitute an appointment by such company, of the Director and his or her successor or successors in office, to be its true and lawful attorney upon whom may be served all lawful process in any action or proceeding against it, arising out of such policy or contract of insurance or reinsurance, and the acts shall be a signification of its agreement that any such process against it which is so served shall be of the same legal force and validity as if served upon the company. (3) Service of such process shall be made by delivering and leaving with the Director a copy thereof and the payment to the Director of the fee prescribed by this Code. The Director shall keep a record of all process so served upon him or her. Such process shall be sufficient service upon such foreign or alien company provided notice of such service and a copy of the process are, within 10 days thereafter, sent by certified or registered mail by the plaintiff's attorney of record to the defendant at the last known principal place of business of the defendant, and the defendant's receipt and the plaintiff's attorney's affidavit of compliance herewith are filed with the Clerk of the Court in which such action is pending on or before the return date of the process or within such further time as the court may allow. (4) Service of process in any such action against any such company shall in addition to the mode hereinabove described be valid and legal if served upon any person within this State who, in this State on behalf of such company, is (a) soliciting insurance or reinsurance, or (b) making, issuing, or delivering any policies or contracts of insurance or