In civil actions in which service of process may be obtained under the provisions of section 375.256, RSMo, service of process may be made as provided in Rule 54.14 or Rule 54.15 or Rule 54.16.
Rule 54.10.Service on Insurance Companies Not Authorized To Do Business in This State.
Part I · Rule 54: Issuance and Service of Summons or Other Process · Last amended January 1, 1994 · Last verified July 22, 2026
In one sentenceFor civil actions where section 375.256, RSMo, allows service on an insurance company not authorized to do business in Missouri, service of process may be made under Rule 54.14, Rule 54.15, or Rule 54.16.
Full Text of Rule 54.10
Amendment History
Adopted Jan. 19, 1973, eff. Sept. 1, 1973. Amended June 1, 1993, eff. Jan. 1, 1994.
Plain-English Summary
Rule 54.10 addresses insurance companies that are not authorized to do business in Missouri but that can still be reached in Missouri courts under section 375.256, RSMo. As with the related provisions in Rules 54.08 and 54.09, the statute supplies the jurisdictional hook, and Rule 54.10 supplies the procedural pathway for delivering process.
Once section 375.256 authorizes the action, service of process may be made as provided in Rule 54.14 (personal service outside the state), Rule 54.15 (service on the secretary of state, secretary of the public service commission, or director of insurance), or Rule 54.16 (acknowledgment of service by mail). Rule 54.15 is often the natural fit here, since it is built for service through a state official on out-of-state entities that fall under Missouri regulatory statutes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which insurance companies does Rule 54.10 cover?
Insurance companies not authorized to do business in Missouri, in civil actions where service of process is authorized under section 375.256, RSMo.
What service methods does Rule 54.10 make available?
Service may be made as provided in Rule 54.14 (personal service outside the state), Rule 54.15 (service on the secretary of state, secretary of the public service commission, or director of insurance), or Rule 54.16 (acknowledgment of service by mail).
Does Rule 54.10 apply to insurers licensed to do business in Missouri?
No, by its terms the rule addresses insurance companies not authorized to do business in Missouri; licensed insurers would typically be served through ordinary corporate service methods.
Why would service on the director of insurance under Rule 54.15 be used here?
Rule 54.15 is built for service on a state official for entities regulated under statutes like section 375.256, giving plaintiffs a Missouri-based point of service for an unauthorized out-of-state insurer.
Does this rule itself define what makes an insurer unauthorized to do business in Missouri?
No, that determination and the authority to bring the action rest on section 375.256, RSMo; the rule addresses only the available service methods.
Source & verification. Rule text and amendment history are
reproduced verbatim from the Missouri State & Federal Court Rules, adopted by the
Supreme Court of Missouri. Last verified July 22, 2026. ·
Official source
Also known as: service on unauthorized insurerinsurance company service of processout of state insurer serviceservice of process on insurer