Florida Statutes
Chapter 655 - Financial Institutions Generally
655.0201 - Service of Process, Notice, Levy, or Demand on Financial Institutions.


(1) Notwithstanding any other Florida law, this section establishes the proper location for service of process upon a financial institution for all types of service of process to be made on a financial institution.
(2) A financial institution authorized by federal or state law to transact business in this state may designate with the Department of State a place or registered agent located within the state as the financial institution’s sole location or agent for service of process, notice, levy, or demand. Any such place or registered agent so designated must be open and available for service of process during regular business hours on regular business days, which, at a minimum, is any time between the hours of 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. local time, on Mondays through Fridays, excluding federal and Florida holidays. After a financial institution designates a place or registered agent within this state, such place or registered agent is the sole location for service of process, including service for actions related to garnishment, levy, injunctions, lawsuits, and the attachment of safety deposit boxes, in accordance with chapters 60, 76, and 77, and the Florida Rules of Civil Procedure.

(3)(a) If a financial institution has no registered agent or service cannot be made in accordance with subsection (2), service may be made to any officer, director, or business agent of the financial institution at its principal place of business or at any other branch, office, or place of business in the state.
(b) Notwithstanding subsection (2), any service required or authorized to be made by the Office of Financial Regulation under the financial institutions codes may be made to any officer, director, or business agent of the financial institution at its principal place of business or any other branch, office, or place of business in the state as set forth in s. 655.031(2).

History.—s. 2, ch. 2005-181; s. 59, ch. 2014-209; s. 34, ch. 2015-148; s. 2, ch. 2016-180.

Structure Florida Statutes

Florida Statutes

Title XXXVIII - Banks and Banking

Chapter 655 - Financial Institutions Generally

655.001 - Purpose; Application.

655.005 - Definitions.

655.012 - General Supervisory Powers; Rulemaking; Seal.

655.013 - Effect on Existing Financial Institutions.

655.015 - Construction; Standards to Be Observed by Commission and Office.

655.016 - Liability When Acting Upon Rule, Order, or Declaratory Statement.

655.017 - Local Regulation Preempted.

655.0201 - Service of Process, Notice, Levy, or Demand on Financial Institutions.

655.031 - Administrative Enforcement Guidelines.

655.032 - Investigations, Subpoenas, Hearings, and Witnesses.

655.0321 - Restricted Access to Certain Hearings, Proceedings, and Related Documents.

655.0322 - Prohibited Acts and Practices; Criminal Penalties.

655.033 - Cease and Desist Orders.

655.034 - Injunctions.

655.035 - Military Lending.

655.037 - Removal of a Financial Institution-Affiliated Party by the Office.

655.0385 - Disapproval of Directors and Executive Officers.

655.03855 - Provisional Directors and Executive Officers.

655.0386 - Transactions With Financial Institution-Affiliated Parties.

655.0391 - Retention of Supervision by Office.

655.0392 - Place of Transacting Business.

655.041 - Administrative Fines; Enforcement.

655.043 - Articles of Incorporation; Amendments; Approval.

655.044 - Accounting Practices; Bad Debts Ineligible to Be Carried as Assets.

655.045 - Examinations, Reports, and Internal Audits; Penalty.

655.047 - Assessments; Financial Institutions.

655.049 - Deposit of Fees and Assessments.

655.057 - Records; Limited Restrictions Upon Public Access.

655.059 - Access to Books and Records; Confidentiality; Penalty for Disclosure.

655.0591 - Trade Secret Documents.

655.061 - Competitive Equality With Federally Organized or Chartered Financial Institutions.

655.071 - International Banking Facilities; Definitions; Notice Before Establishment.

655.41 - Definitions.

655.411 - Conversion of Charter.

655.412 - Merger and Consolidation.

655.414 - Acquisition of Assets; Assumption of Liabilities.

655.416 - Book Value of Assets.

655.417 - Effect of Merger, Consolidation, Conversion, or Acquisition.

655.418 - Nonconforming Activities; Cessation.

655.4185 - Emergency Action.

655.419 - Effect.

655.50 - Florida Control of Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing in Financial Institutions Act.

655.51 - Employment Information.

655.55 - Law Applicable to Deposits in and Contracts Relating to Extensions of Credit by a Deposit or Lending Institution Located in This State.

655.56 - Collection of Fines, Interest, or Premiums on Loans Made by Financial Institutions.

655.60 - Appraisals.

655.762 - Sale of Assets.

655.769 - Definitions of Terms Used in Ss. 655.77-655.91.

655.77 - Deposits by Minors.

655.78 - Deposit Accounts in Two or More Names.

655.79 - Deposits and Accounts in Two or More Names; Presumption as to Vesting on Death.

655.80 - Convenience Accounts.

655.82 - Pay-on-Death Accounts.

655.825 - Deposits in Trust; Applicability of S. 655.82 in Place of Former S. 655.81.

655.83 - Adverse Claim to a Deposit or Fiduciary Account.

655.84 - Limitations; Statements as Correct.

655.85 - Settlement of Checks.

655.851 - Unclaimed Credit Balances.

655.86 - Issuance of Postdated Checks.

655.89 - Legal Holidays; Business Days; Business and Transactions.

655.90 - Closing During Emergencies and Other Special Days.

655.91 - Records of Institutions and Copies Thereof; Retention and Destruction.

655.921 - Transaction of Business by Out-of-State Financial Institutions; Exempt Transactions.

655.922 - Banking Business by Unauthorized Persons; Use of Name.

655.93 - Definitions for Ss. 655.93-655.94.

655.931 - Authority to Engage in Safe-Deposit Business.

655.932 - Lease to Minor.

655.933 - Access by Fiduciaries.

655.934 - Effect of Lessee’s Death or Incapacity.

655.935 - Search Procedure on Death of Lessee.

655.936 - Delivery of Safe-Deposit Box Contents or Property Held in Safekeeping to Personal Representative.

655.937 - Access to Safe-Deposit Boxes Leased in Two or More Names.

655.938 - Adverse Claims to Contents of Safe-Deposit Box.

655.939 - Limiting Right of Access for Failure to Comply With Security Procedures.

655.94 - Special Remedies for Nonpayment of Rent.

655.942 - Standards of Conduct; Institutions.

655.943 - Applications; Verification.

655.946 - Single Interest Insurance Placed by Financial Institutions.

655.947 - Debt Cancellation Products.

655.948 - Significant Events; Notice Required.

655.949 - Personnel; Qualifications.

655.954 - Financial Institution Loans; Credit Cards.

655.955 - Liability of Financial Institution to Third Parties.

655.960 - Definitions; Ss. 655.960-655.965.

655.961 - Violation of Specified Provisions Not Negligence per Se.

655.962 - Lighting; Mirrors; Landscaping.

655.963 - Access Devices.

655.964 - Application.

655.965 - Preemption; Prohibition.

655.966 - Automated Teller Machine; Surcharge Disclosure.

655.967 - State-Funded Endowments.

655.968 - Financial Institutions; Transactions Relating to Iran or Terrorism.