(a) Any insurer that is organized under the laws of any other state and is admitted to do business in this state for the purpose of writing insurance may become a domestic insurer by designating its principal place of business at a place in this state and redomesticate by filing articles of incorporation as authorized by subdivision (a) of § 201.6 of the Corporations Code. The domestic insurer shall be entitled to like certificates and licenses to transact business in this state and shall be subject to the authority and jurisdiction of this state.

(b) Any domestic insurer may, upon the prior approval of the commissioner, transfer its domicile to any other state in which it is admitted to transact the business of insurance and redomesticate by filing a statement and designation as authorized by § 2105 of the Corporations Code and a statement of redomestication as authorized by subdivision (c) of § 201.6 of the Corporations Code, and upon the transfer shall cease to be a domestic insurer, and shall be admitted to this state if qualified as a foreign insurer. The commissioner shall approve any proposed transfer unless he or she determines that the transfer is not in the interest of the policyholders of this state. An insurer seeking to transfer its domicile shall provide the commissioner with information and documentation reasonably necessary to make this determination. The commissioner shall either approve or disapprove the transfer within 90 calendar days after the date of the request. The commissioner and his or her authorized representative shall be prohibited from seeking a waiver to extend the 90-calendar-day period, nor shall the insurer be permitted to waive that period.

(c) The certificate of authority, agent and broker appointments and licenses, rates, and other items that the commissioner allows in his or her discretion, that are in existence at the time any insurer licensed to transact the business of insurance in this state transfers its corporate domicile to this or any other state by merger, consolidation, or any other lawful method shall continue in full force and effect upon that transfer if the insurer remains duly qualified to transact the business of insurance in this state. All outstanding policies of any transferring insurer shall remain in full force and effect and need not be endorsed as to the new name of the company or its new location unless so ordered by the commissioner. Every transferring insurer shall file new policy forms with the commissioner on or before the effective date of the transfer, but may use existing policy forms with appropriate endorsements if allowed by, and under those conditions as approved by, the commissioner. However, every transferring insurer shall notify the commissioner of the details of the proposed transfer, and shall file promptly all resulting amendments to corporate documents filed or required to be filed with the commissioner.

(d) An insurer seeking qualification under this section shall pay to the commissioner a filing fee of six thousand three hundred fifty dollars ($6,350). Except for an insurer that is a wholly owned subsidiary of a domestic holding company, an insurer seeking qualification shall file with the Secretary of State a statement of redomestication as prescribed by subdivision (c) of § 201.6 of the Corporations Code and shall also file with the commissioner a designation of an agent for service of process. The commissioner may write a letter to the insurer confirming the redomestication has been approved.

(e) Notwithstanding any other law, this section provides the exclusive means for an admitted insurer to change its domicile to, or transfer its domicile from, this state.

(Amended by Stats. 2017, Ch. 534, Sec. 6. (AB 1699) Effective January 1, 2018.)