Foreign - means insurance companies that do business in Washington state but are not incorporated here.
Domestic - means insurance companies that are incorporated in Washington state.
We encourage you to contact us ahead of time to determine if we can accept service on behalf of a company. There are some situations where our Service of Process is not available.

Email: pdr@oic.wa.gov
Phone: (360) 725-7001

To find information about an insurer or agent/broker check out these websites:

Our searchable Authorized Companies page.
The Secretary of State.
The AM Best Company.

Note: Each company must do business under it own legal name. Because we cannot distinguish a carrier in a group, you may need to look at your policy or declaration to determine the carrier.

You may serve domestic insurance companies through an agent that is authorized by their company to solicit insurance within Washington state. You may find them in the Yellow Pages or on our Washington Domestic Carriers list (PDF 20Kb).
Our office attempts to forward all legal processes with 2 business days of receipt. Service of process to the Commissioner's office is the same as service of process upon the insurer or agent/broker.
Small claim court proceedings must follow the same guidelines as the service of process.

Service of Process helpful tips

See also