Title 26.1, Insurance

Unless the context or subject matter otherwise requires, in this title the word "commissioner" means the insurance commissioner.

The commissioner shall have an official seal and shall keep an impression of the seal on file in the office of the secretary of state. The commissioner shall employ a deputy and other competent officials and clerks to discharge the duties assigned by the commissioner. When the co…

The commissioner shall: 1. See that all the laws of this state respecting insurance companies and benevolent societies are executed faithfully. 2. Report in detail to the attorney general any violation of law relative to insurance companies and their officers or agents. 3. File t…

The commissioner may issue an order to cease and desist and notice of opportunity for hearing when it appears that any person is engaged in an act or practice which violates or may lead to a violation of this title. Any party aggrieved by the commissioner's order may make written…

The commissioner may bring an action in the district court of Burleigh County to enjoin any acts or practices which are prohibited under this title, upon not less than eight days' notice to the defendants named in the action.

1. Unless otherwise provided by law, a person who violates this title is subject, after hearing by the commissioner, to payment of an administrative monetary fine of up to ten thousand dollars for each violation. 2. In addition to or in lieu of a monetary fine, the commissioner, …

When a consent to service of any process, notice, order, or demand upon the commissioner is provided under this title, the service is to be in duplicate. The commissioner immediately shall forward one copy by registered mail to the person against whom the process, notice, order, …

1. A health care provider or the insurer of a health care provider, if any, shall report all claims, settlements of claims, or final judgments against the health care provider to the commissioner. The report must be made in the manner prescribed by the commissioner and must provi…

1. The commissioner shall charge and collect the following fees: a. For filing articles of incorporation, or copies, or amendments thereof, fifty dollars. b. For each original certificate of authority issued upon admittance and for each annual renewal thereof, one hundred fifty d…

1. There is hereby created a trust fund designated "insurance regulatory trust fund". The following amounts must be deposited in the insurance regulatory trust fund: a. All sums received under section 18-13-03. b. All sums received under section 26.1-01-07. c. All sums received u…

1. It is the responsibility of the insurance department, charged with the administration of the insurance regulatory trust fund, to make such moneys available for investment as fully as is consistent with the cash requirements of the fund and to authorize investment of such money…

In order to effectively meet the cyclical cash flow needs of the insurance regulatory trust fund, the office of management and budget upon approval of the emergency commission is hereby authorized to issue certificates in anticipation of revenue, notes, or bonds, to funds on depo…

The insurance commissioner shall adopt rules to enable groups to form a cooperative that would allow those groups to purchase group health insurance coverage or to self-insure as one entity.

Before December first of each year, the insurance commissioner shall publish maps of the fire districts of the state for use by insurers under this section for the following calendar year. The state firefighter's association and the state fire marshal shall assist the insurance c…

The insurance commissioner shall adopt rules relating to provider-sponsored organizations as defined in section 4001 of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 [Pub. L. 105-33; 111 Stat. 312; 42 U.S.C. 1395 et seq.].

Any rulemaking or any administrative proceeding conducted by the commissioner is subject to chapter 28-32, and any order or decision of the commissioner, unless otherwise specifically provided for by law, is subject to review or appeal in the manner provided by chapter 28-32.

1. Notwithstanding any other provision of this title, the commissioner may adopt rules that allow either an applicant or a licensee to file documents electronically with the commissioner or the commissioner's designee. The rules may contain procedures for the electronic filing of…

The annual salary of the commissioner is one hundred thirty-nine thousand two hundred fifty-six dollars through June 30, 2026, and one hundred forty-three thousand four hundred thirty-four dollars thereafter.

For a violation of any provision of this title, when no penalty is provided specifically, the offender is guilty of an infraction.

The insurance commissioner shall create and implement a program to assist individuals of low income to gain access to prescription medications through prescription drug assistance programs offered by pharmaceutical manufacturers, including free discount and coverage programs. The…

In chapters 26.1-02 through 26.1-04, unless the context or subject matter otherwise requires: 1. "Domestic" means incorporated or formed in this state. 2. "Foreign", when used without limitation, means formed by the authority of any state or government other than this state. 3. "…

In this title, "limited benefit policy" means a policy or certificate issued under a group insurance policy that provides coverage for accident-only, credit, dental, vision, Medicare supplement, long-term care, or disability income insurance; coverage issued as a supplement to li…

The commissioner must be satisfied by examination and evidence that an insurance company is legally qualified to transact business in this state before granting a certificate of authority to the company to issue policies or make insurance contracts. A certificate of authority iss…

The commissioner may address to any insurance company doing or applying for permission to do business in this state any inquiries in relation to the company's activities, condition, or any other matter connected with the company's transactions. The company shall reply in writing …

An insurance company or other insurance entity financially owned or financially controlled by any foreign government outside the United States may not do any insurance business in this state. The commissioner may not grant a license or issue a certificate of authority to any insu…

An insurance company may not transact insurance business in this state, as set forth in section 26.1-02-06, without a certificate of authority from the commissioner. This section does not apply to: 1. The lawful transaction of surplus lines insurance. 2. The lawful transaction of…

Any insurance company claiming an exemption under subsection 6 of section 26.1-02-05 from a requirement that the company have a certificate of authority to do business in this state or comply with the insurance laws of this state shall provide the following information to the ins…

1. Except as provided under this section, a nonprofit agricultural membership organization is not subject to this title or the jurisdiction of the commissioner. Health care coverage provided by a nonprofit agricultural membership organization to members of the organization is not…

Any of the following acts in this state effected by mail or otherwise by or on behalf of an unauthorized insurance company constitutes the transaction of an insurance business in this state: 1. Making or proposing to make, as an insurance company, an insurance contract. 2. Making…

The failure of an insurance company transacting insurance business in this state to obtain a certificate of authority does not impair the validity of any act or contract of the company and does not prevent the company from defending any civil action in any court of this state, bu…

If any unauthorized insurance company fails to pay any claim or loss within the provisions of its insurance contract, any person who assisted or in any manner aided, directly or indirectly, in the procurement of the insurance contract is liable to the insured for the full amount …

Whenever the commissioner believes that any insurance company is violating or is about to violate this chapter, the commissioner, through the attorney general of this state, may cause a complaint to be filed in the district court of Burleigh County to enjoin and restrain the comp…

Any act of transacting insurance business as set forth in this chapter by any unauthorized insurance company is an irrevocable appointment by the company, binding upon the company, its executor or administrator, or successor in interest if a corporation, of the secretary of state…

Service of process is made by delivering to the secretary of state, or some person in apparent charge of the secretary of state's office, two copies thereof and by payment to the secretary of state of the fee prescribed by law. The secretary of state immediately shall forward by …

Before any unauthorized insurance company files or causes to be filed any pleading in any court proceeding instituted against the company by service made as provided in section 26.1-02-11, the company shall either: 1. File with the clerk of the court in which the proceeding is pe…

The attorney general upon request of the commissioner may proceed in the court of this state or any reciprocal state to enforce an order or decision in any court proceeding or in any administrative proceeding before the commissioner.

The commissioner shall determine which states qualify as reciprocal states and shall maintain at all times an up-to-date list of reciprocal states.

A certified copy of any foreign decree may be filed in the office of the clerk of any district court of this state and concurrently in the office of the commissioner with information showing which district court is being used. The clerk, upon receiving verification from the commi…

At the time a foreign decree is filed in this state, the commissioner shall make and file with the clerk of the appropriate district court an affidavit setting forth the name and last-known post-office address of the defendant and verifying that the decree or order is a foreign d…

No execution or other process for enforcement of a foreign decree may issue until thirty days after the date the decree is filed.

If the defendant shows the district court that an appeal from the foreign decree is pending or will be taken, or that a stay of execution has been granted, the court shall stay enforcement of the foreign decree until the appeal is concluded, the time for appeal expires, or the st…

Any person filing a foreign decree shall pay a filing fee as prescribed in subdivision d of subsection 1 of section 27-05.2-03 to the clerk of court. Fees for docketing, transcriptions, or other enforcement proceedings are as provided for decrees of the district court.

Except as otherwise provided by this section and section 26.1-02-22, any insurance company organized or admitted to transact business in this state, including a mutual company, may reinsure any part or all of any risk taken by it in any insurance company or insurer licensed in an…

1. Credit may not be allowed, as an admitted asset or as a deduction from liability, to any ceding insurer for reinsurance unless the reinsurance contract provides, in substance, that in the event of the insolvency of the ceding insurer, the reinsurance must be payable under one …

An insurance or surety company may not assume the whole or any part of any risk covering property located in this state, as a reinsurance company or in any other manner, insured by any insurance company not authorized to transact business in this state.

The commissioner shall revoke the certificate of authority of an insurance, bonding, surety, or indemnity company immediately if, at any time after examination, the commissioner has reason to believe that: 1. Any annual statement or other report required to be submitted by an off…

If the certificate of authority of an insurance, bonding, surety, or indemnity company is revoked pursuant to section 26.1-02-23, the commissioner shall mail a copy of the revocation to the company or to the agents thereof in this state. Thereafter, the company and its agents may…

For the purpose of this section and section 26.1-02-24.2, "fraudulent insurance act" means an act committed by any person who, knowingly and with intent to defraud, presents, causes to be presented, or prepares with knowledge or belief that it will be presented to or by an insure…

In the absence of fraud or bad faith, no person is subject to civil liability of any kind, including for libel and slander, by virtue of filing reports, without malice, or furnishing other information, without malice, required by the insurance laws of this state or required by th…

A person who, on a volunteer basis, provides services or performs duties on behalf of the insurance commissioner for an insurance counseling program is immune from civil liability for any act or omission resulting in damage or injury if at the time of the act or omission the pers…