(a) Any act of transacting insurance by an unauthorized person or a nonadmitted insurer is equivalent to and shall constitute an irrevocable appointment by the unauthorized person or insurer, binding upon it, its executor or administrator, or successor in interest of the Secretary of State or his or her successor in office, to be the true and lawful attorney of the unauthorized person or insurer upon whom may be served all lawful process in any action, suit or proceeding in any court by the commissioner or by the state and upon whom may be served any notice, order, pleading or process in any proceeding before the commissioner and which arises out of transacting insurance in this state by the unauthorized person or insurer. Any act of transacting insurance in this state by a nonadmitted insurer shall signify its acceptance of its agreement that any lawful process in such court action, suit or proceeding and any notice, order, pleading or process in such administrative proceeding before the commissioner so served shall be of the same legal force and validity as personal service of process in this state upon the unauthorized person or insurer.
(b) Service of process in the action shall be made by delivering to and leaving with the Secretary of State, or some person in apparent charge of the office, two copies thereof and by payment to the Secretary of State of the fee prescribed by law. Service upon the Secretary of State as attorney shall be service upon the principal.
(c) The Secretary of State shall forward by certified mail one of the copies of the process or notice, order, pleading or process in proceedings before the commissioner to the defendant in the court proceeding or to whom the notice, order, pleading or process in the administrative proceeding is addressed or directed at its last known principal place of business and shall keep a record of all process so served on the commissioner which shall show the day and hour of service. Service is sufficient, provided:
(1) Notice of service and a copy of the court process or the notice, order, pleading or process in the administrative proceeding are sent within fifteen days by certified mail by the plaintiff or the plaintiff's attorney in the court proceeding or by the commissioner in the administrative proceeding to the defendant in the court proceeding or to whom the notice, order, pleading or process in the administrative proceeding is addressed or directed at the last known principal place of business of the defendant in the court or administrative proceeding; and