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Legal Information > Service of Process Guidelines

Please Note:

If you are filing a Small Claims Action, information can be found here:

 

The New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner may receive service on behalf of all foreign insurance companies that are licensed in New Hampshire. To serve the Commissioner read the following instructions:

  1. Confirm the company is licensed in New Hampshire. You can do this by doing a search through the State Based Systems. This list is updated quarterly and provides the correct legal name of the company for service.
  2. Determine if the insurance company is a domestic or foreign insurance company by viewing the State Based Systems. See below for *Domestic Company Registered Agent Information or * Foreign Company Registered Agent Information for specific requirements on the process.

Include a $25.00 service fee for each company being served. Two copies of each service are required. Make checks payable to "Treasurer, State of NH". Payment must accompany the documents being served.

*Domestic Company Registered Agent Service Instructions

I. Once you determine the insurance company is a domestic company, find the registered agent information for the company using the New Hampshire Secretary of State Corporate Division link below:

Business lookup Web Page Symbol

Registered Agents Web Page Symbol

II. Type in the name of the company to obtain the registered agent name and click on the entity name or business ID number.

III. If the registered agent information is not listed, contact the Insurance Department for further instructions.

IV. Serve domestic companies directly by serving the registered agent.

*Foreign Company Registered Agent Service Instructions

Once you determine the insurance company is a foreign company, send process to the New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner. The New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner is appointed to receive service on behalf of all foreign insurance companies licensed to do business in New Hampshire. Complete a company search using the company list link above. This list is updated quarterly and will provide the proper legal name of the company for service of process.

The documents served must provide the full and correct legal name of the insurance company (the correct legal name of the insurer is listed on the declarations page of the policy). Note: service cannot be accepted if the correct legal name of the insurance company is not used. For example, ABC Insurance Corporation and ABC Life Inc. may advertise under the name "ABC Insurance Group", but service must be made to "ABC Insurance Corporation and ABC Life Inc." and not to "ABC Insurance Group".

To serve a foreign insurance company, deliver two copies of the applicable documents (summons and petition by the sheriff of Merrimack County, New Hampshire) to the New Hampshire Insurance Department. The documents must list the full and correct legal name of the insurance company (the correct legal name of the insurer is listed on the declarations page of the policy). Deliver Service of Process to: New Hampshire Insurance Commissioner, 21 South Fruit Street, Suite 14, Concord, NH 03301.

Service will be rejected for any of the following reasons:

  • If service is attempted on an individual or an insurance agency, we will not accept service.
  • If the name of the company on the summons is not the full and correct legal name of the company.
  • If the service fee is not included.

Contact the Department if you have additional questions on service of process. Web Page Symbol

RSA 405:10 – Foreign Insurance Companies Web Page Symbol

RSA 406-B:4 – Unauthorized Insurance Web Page Symbol

RSA 400-A:29 – Fee Schedule Web Page Symbol

Companies can change registered agent information by using the UCAA Form Microsoft Word Symbolavailable through the National Association of Insurance Commissioners.

web page format Web page format.

Microsoft Word Symbol Microsoft Word format. You can download a free viewer from Microsoft.

 
 

New Hampshire Insurance Department | 21 South Fruit Street, Suite 14 | Concord, NH 03301
Phone 603.271.2261 | Fax 603.271.1406 | Consumer Hotline 1.800.852.3416

Copyright © State of New Hampshire, 2007