Oregon DCBS — Division of Financial Regulation — Salem, OR

Serving Insurance Carriers Through Oregon DCBS vs. Registered Agents

In Oregon insurance coverage litigation, personal injury UM/UIM actions, bad-faith claims, and surplus lines disputes, attorneys must navigate the interplay between ORCP 7 D(3)(b) and the Oregon Insurance Code (ORS Chapter 731). Under ORS 731.434(1), every domestic, foreign, and alien insurer authorized to transact insurance in Oregon is required to register a designated Registered Agent for service of process with the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services (DCBS)—which for many major carriers is CT Corporation System (780 Commercial St SE, Salem) or CSC (1127 Broadway St NE, Salem).

However, whenever an authorized insurer fails to appoint or maintain a registered agent in Oregon, when its registered agent cannot with reasonable diligence be found, or when the defendant is an unauthorized or surplus lines insurer subject to ORS 731.324 and ORS 731.328, statutory service of process is made directly upon the Director of the Department of Consumer and Business Services at the Division of Financial Regulation, 350 Winter Street NE, Room 410 (4th Floor), Salem, OR 97301.

• Authorized Insurer Lookup: Before serving, we check both the Oregon SOS Business Registry and the Oregon Division of Financial Regulation (DFR) Company Search to verify whether the insurer designates CT Corp, CSC, a local agent, or the DCBS Director.
• Unauthorized / Surplus Lines Insurers (ORS 731.324 & 731.328): Served in duplicate upon the Director of DCBS at 350 Winter Street NE, Room 410, Salem, OR 97301, paired with mandatory certified/registered mail notice to the insurer’s last known principal place of business.
• Securities & Mortgage Issuers (ORS 59.315): The Director of DCBS also serves as the statutory agent for consent-to-service filings under the Oregon Securities Law.

Procedural Requirements for Serving the DCBS Director at 350 Winter St NE

When serving the Director of DCBS at 350 Winter Street NE, Room 410 under ORS 731.328 or ORS 731.434, the process server delivers duplicate copies of the Summons and Complaint to the clerk on duty in the Director’s office on the 4th floor. Under ORS 731.328(2), to complete statutory service on an unauthorized insurer, the plaintiff or server must also within 10 days send notice of the service and a copy of the process by certified or registered mail to the defendant insurer at its last known principal place of business, and file the post office receipt and affidavit/declaration of compliance with the court.

Why Salem Local Expertise Matters for Insurance Service

Because 350 Winter Street NE (DCBS), 255 Capitol Street NE (Secretary of State), 780 Commercial Street SE (CT Corp), and 1127 Broadway Street NE (CSC) are all located within a two-mile radius in central Salem, our Marion County process servers can seamlessly re-route a serve the same afternoon if a carrier’s statutory designation requires switching between CT Corp/CSC and the DCBS Division of Financial Regulation.