Unauthorized Insurance by Domestic Companies.
§ 58-14-1. Purpose of Article.
It is the purpose of this Article to effectively control and regulate the activities of domestic insurance companies so as to prevent them from engaging in and transacting insurance business in states and jurisdictions in which they are not authorized to do a business of insurance. The General Assembly recognizes that insofar as domestic companies of this State engage in transacting insurance business in states and jurisdictions in which they are not authorized to do business that such activity subjects the domestic companies of this State to the penalties for such unlawful activities in other states and jurisdictions, and that such activities tend to substantially impair the effectiveness of the domestic companies in this State. The General Assembly also recognizes that the practices of unauthorized insurers could be largely corrected if each state would effectively regulate the activities of its domestic companies. The provisions of this Article are in addition to all other statutory provisions designed to control the activities of domestic companies and nothing herein shall be construed to amend, modify or repeal the provisions of existing laws. (1967, c. 935, s. 1.)
§ 58-14-5. Domestic insurers prohibited from transacting business in foreign states without authorization; exceptions.
Except as hereinafter provided, no domestic insurer organized under the laws of this State shall transact or attempt to transact or solicit business in any manner or accept risks in any jurisdiction in which such insurer is not licensed in accordance with the laws of such jurisdiction. There is excepted from the terms of this section the following acts and transactions:
(1) Contracts entered into by a domestic company insuring a risk within a foreign state or jurisdiction, where the law of the foreign state or jurisdiction permits an unauthorized insurer to so contract;
(2) Contracts entered into where the prospective insured is personally present in the state in which the insurer is authorized to transact business when he signs the application;
(3) Contracts of reinsurance between a licensed insurer of the foreign state or jurisdiction and a domestic company;
(4) The issuance of certificates under a lawfully transacted group life or group disability policy, where the master policy was entered into in a state in which the insurer was then authorized to transact business;
(5) The renewal or continuance in force, with or without modification, of contracts otherwise lawful and which were not originally executed in violation of this section. (1967, c. 935, s. 1.)
§ 58-14-10. Domestic insurers; advertising; exceptions.
No domestic insurer shall knowingly solicit or advertise its insurance business in a state or jurisdiction in which it is not licensed as an authorized insurer. Provided, however, that this section shall not prohibit a domestic insurer from advertising through publications, radio or television if such advertising is not expressly directed toward the residents or subjects of insurance in a foreign state or other jurisdiction. Nor shall this section apply to trade journals or directories. (1967, c. 935, s. 1.)
§ 58-14-15. Penalties provided for unauthorized acts.
When any domestic insurer knowingly engages in the practice of soliciting, advertising or making contracts for insurance in states or jurisdictions in which it is not licensed, the Commissioner may issue an order requiring the company to cease and desist from engaging in such activities and, for the purposes of this section, the acts prohibited by G.S. 58-14-10 and the foregoing sections, are declared to be an unfair trade practice within the meaning of G.S. 58-63-15 and G.S. 58-63-40. When the Commissioner has reason to believe that any domestic company has been engaged or is engaging in the practice of knowingly soliciting, advertising or writing contracts of insurance on risks within a state or jurisdiction in which it is not licensed, the Commissioner shall serve the company with notice of hearing and the hearing shall conform with the hearing procedure set forth in G.S. 58-63-25. Any action taken by the Commissioner after the hearing shall comply with G.S. 58-63-32, and any company aggrieved by an order of the Commissioner is entitled to the judicial review provided in G.S. 58-63-35. (1967, c. 935, s. 1; 1991, c. 720, ss. 4, 54; 1995, c. 193, s. 24; 1995 (Reg. Sess., 1996), c. 742, s. 23.)