Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 735 § 735.158 — Certificate of authority; restriction on types of insurance; requirements for
Oregon Revised Statutes Chapter 735 ·
Oregon Code § 735.158·Enacted ·Last updated March 01, 2026
Statute Text
Certificate of authority; restriction on types of insurance; requirements for
certification; requirements for corporations; fees; expiration and renewal of
certificate.
(1)(a) When permitted by its articles of incorporation or its charter and
bylaws, a captive insurer may apply to the Director of the Department of
Consumer and Business Services for a certificate of authority to transact any
class of insurance.
(b)
Notwithstanding paragraph (a) of this subsection:
(A) A pure
captive insurer may not insure a risk other than a risk of its parent or
affiliate or a controlled unaffiliated business.
(B) An
association captive insurer may not insure a risk other than a risk of:
(i) An affiliate;
(ii) A member
organization of its association; or
(iii) An
affiliate of a member organization of its association.
(C) A captive
insurer may not provide workers compensation insurance, life insurance, health
insurance or any personal property or personal casualty line of insurance,
including but not limited to personal motor vehicle insurance coverage and
homeowners insurance, and any component of such coverage.
(D) A captive
insurer may not accept or cede reinsurance except as provided in ORS 735.168.
(2) To transact
insurance in this state, a captive insurer must:
(a) Obtain from
the director a certificate of authority that authorizes the captive insurer to
transact insurance in this state;
(b) Appoint a
resident registered agent to accept service of process and to otherwise act on
behalf of the captive insurer in this state; and
(c)(A) Hold at
least once each year in this state a board of directors meeting; and
(B) Maintain in
this state:
(i) The principal
place of business of the captive insurer; or
(ii) In the case
of a branch captive insurer, the principal place of business for the branch
operations of the branch captive insurer.
(3) In the case
of a captive insurer formed as a corporation, if the registered agent cannot be
found with reasonable diligence at the registered office of the captive
insurer, the director is the agent of the captive insurer upon whom process,
notice or demand may be served.
(4)(a) An
applicant captive insurer formed as a corporation shall file with the director:
(A) Certified
copies of the articles of incorporation or the charter and bylaws of the
corporation;
(B) A statement
under oath of the president and secretary of the corporation showing the
financial condition of the corporation; and
(C) Any other
statement or document required by the director as adopted by rule.
(b) In addition
to the other information required by this subsection, an applicant captive
insurer shall file with the director evidence of:
(A) The amount
and liquidity of the assets of the applicant captive insurer relative to the
risks to be assumed by the applicant captive insurer;
(B) The adequacy
of the expertise, experience and character of the individual who will manage
the applicant captive insurer;
(C) The overall
soundness of the plan of operation of the applicant captive insurer;
(D) The adequacy
of the loss prevention programs for any parent or member organization of the
applicant captive insurer; and
(E) Any other
factor the director adopts by rule and considers relevant in ascertaining
whether the applicant captive insurer is able to meet the policy obligations of
the applicant captive insurer.
(5)(a) A captive
insurer shall pay to the department nonrefundable fees established by the
director by rule for:
(A) Examining,
investigating and processing the captive insurers application for issuance of
a certificate of authority;
(B) Obtaining a
certificate of authority for the year the director issues a certificate of
authority to the captive insurer in an amount not less than $5,000; and
(C) Renewing a
certificate of authority in an amount not less than $5,000.
(b) The fees a
captive insurer pays to the Department of Consumer and Business Services for
obtaining or renewing a certificate of authority are in lieu of any payment of
premium assessment on receipt of premium by the captive insurer. Fees for
obtaining or renewing a certificate of authority may be increased by the
department by rule and may be scaled on the basis of premiums the captive
insurer collects in any given year.
(c) The director
may retain legal, financial and examination services from outside the
department to perform any functions described in ORS 735.150 to 735.190 and may
charge the applicant captive insurer the reasonable cost of services performed.
(6) If the
director is satisfied that the documents and statements filed by the applicant
captive insurer meet the requirements of ORS 735.150 to 735.190, the director
may issue a certificate of authority that authorizes the captive insurer to
transact insurance in this state.
(7) A certificate
of authority issued under this section expires annually and must be renewed by
December 31 of each year beginning with the year fol
Plain English Explanation
This Oregon statute addresses Certificate of authority; restriction on types of insurance; requirements for
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Key Points
01Part of Oregon statutory law
02Referenced as Oregon Code § 735.158
03Subject to legislative amendments
04Consult a licensed attorney for application to specific cases
Frequently Asked Questions
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