33-1-603. Serving process -- time to plead. (1) Duplicate copies of legal process against an insurer for whom the commissioner is the attorney, pursuant to 33-1-601, must be served upon the commissioner or upon the commissioner's deputy or other person in charge of the office during the commissioner's absence. At the time of service, the plaintiff shall pay to the commissioner $10, taxable as costs in the action. Upon receiving the service, the commissioner shall promptly forward a copy by certified mail to the person last designated by the insurer to receive the service.

(2) When process is served upon the commissioner as an insurer's attorney, the insurer has 30 days within which to appear, answer, or plead after the date of mailing of the copy by the commissioner, exclusive of the date of mailing, as provided by subsection (1).

(3) Process served upon the commissioner and a copy of the process forwarded as provided in this section constitutes service of the process upon the insurer.