(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(2) This section does not apply to substituted service of process on nonresidents.
(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 Regulation of the Financial Services Commission is the agent for service of process for any issuer as defined in s. 517.021, or any dealer, investment adviser, or associated person registered with that office, for any violation of any provision of chapter 517.
(5) The Secretary of State is the agent for service of process for any retailer, dealer or vendor who has failed to designate an agent for service of process as required under s. 212.151 for violations of chapter 212.
(6) For purposes of this section, records may be retained as paper or electronic copies.
History.—s. 4, ch. 67-254; ss. 10, 12, 13, 35, ch. 69-106; s. 14, ch. 71-355; s. 29, ch. 71-377; s. 2, ch. 76-100; s. 16, ch. 79-164; s. 4, ch. 83-215; s. 1, ch. 87-316; s. 10, ch. 90-248; s. 276, ch. 95-147; s. 100, ch. 2003-261; s. 4, ch. 2011-159; s. 1, ch. 2016-132; s. 2, ch. 2022-138; s. 10, ch. 2022-190.
1Note.—Section 10, ch. 2022-190, amended subsection (2), effective January 2, 2023, to read:
(2) This section does not apply to substituted service of process under s. 48.161 or s. 48.181.
Structure Florida Statutes
Title VI - Civil Practice and Procedure
Chapter 48 - Process and Service of Process
48.011 - Process; How Directed.
48.021 - Process; by Whom Served.
48.031 - Service of Process Generally; Service of Witness Subpoenas.
48.042 - Service on Incompetent.
48.051 - Service on State Prisoners.
48.061 - Service on Partnerships and Limited Partnerships.
48.062 - Service on a Limited Liability Company.
48.071 - Service on Agents of Nonresidents Doing Business in the State.
48.081 - Service on Corporation.
48.091 - Corporations; Designation of Registered Agent and Registered Office.
48.092 - Service on Financial Institutions.
48.101 - Service on Dissolved Corporations.
48.102 - Service by Other Means.
48.111 - Service on Public Agencies and Officers.
48.121 - Service on the State.
48.131 - Service on Alien Property Custodian.
48.141 - Service on Labor Unions.
48.151 - Service on Statutory Agents for Certain Persons.
48.161 - Method of Substituted Service on Nonresident.
48.171 - Service on Nonresident Motor Vehicle Owners, Etc.
48.181 - Service on Nonresident Engaging in Business in State.
48.183 - Service of Process in Action for Possession of Premises.
48.184 - Service of Process for Removal of Unknown Parties in Possession.
48.19 - Service on Nonresidents Operating Aircraft or Watercraft in the State.
48.193 - Acts Subjecting Person to Jurisdiction of Courts of State.
48.194 - Personal Service Outside State.
48.195 - Service of Foreign Process.
48.197 - Service in a Foreign Country.
48.20 - Service of Process on Sunday.
48.21 - Return of Execution of Process.
48.22 - Cumulative to Other Laws.
48.27 - Certified Process Servers.
48.29 - Certification of Process Servers.
48.31 - Removal of Certified Process Servers; False Return of Service.