(a) Every society authorized to do business in this State shall appoint, in writing, the Commissioner and each successor in office to be its true and lawful attorney upon whom all lawful process in any action or proceeding against it shall be served and shall agree, in such writing, that any lawful process against it which is served on such attorney shall be of the same legal force and validity as if served upon the society, and that the authority shall continue in force so long as any liability remains outstanding in this State. Copies of such appointment, certified by the Commissioner, shall be deemed sufficient evidence thereof and shall be admitted in evidence with the same force and effect as the original thereof might be admitted.

(b) Service shall only be made upon the Commissioner or, if absent, upon the person in charge of his or her office. It shall be made in duplicate and shall constitute sufficient service upon the society. When legal process against a society is served upon the Commissioner, the Commissioner shall forthwith forward 1 of the duplicate copies by registered mail, prepaid, directed to the secretary or corresponding officer. No such service shall require a society to file its answer, pleading or defense in less than 30 days from the date of mailing the copy of the service to a society. Legal process shall not be served upon a society except in the manner herein provided.

(c) At the time of serving any process upon the Commissioner, the plaintiff or complainant in the action shall pay to the Commissioner a fee of $2.00.

70 Del. Laws, c. 533, §  1;  70 Del. Laws, c. 186, §  1; 

(a) A person who shall knowingly or wilfully make any false or fraudulent statement or representation in or relating to any application for membership or for the purpose of obtaining money from or a benefit in any society shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and upon conviction, be fined not less than $100, nor more than $500, or imprisonment in the county jail not less than 30 days, nor more than 1 year, or both.

(b) Any person who wilfully makes a false or fraudulent statement in any verified report or declaration under oath required or authorized by this chapter or of any material fact or thing contained in a sworn statement concerning the death or disability of an insured for the purpose of procuring payment of a benefit named in the certificate shall be guilty of perjury and shall be subject to the penalties therefor prescribed by law.

(c) Any person who solicits membership for or in any manner assists in procuring membership in any society not licensed to do business in this State shall, upon conviction, be fined not less than $100, nor more than $500.

(d) Any person guilty of a wilful violation of or neglect or refusal to comply with the provisions of this chapter for which a penalty is not otherwise prescribed shall, upon conviction, be subject to the penalties provided by § 106 (general penalty) of this title.

70 Del. Laws, c. 533, §  1; 

(a) Nothing contained in this chapter shall be so construed as to affect or apply to:

(1) Grand or subordinate lodges of societies, orders or associations now doing business in this State which provide benefits exclusively through local or subordinate lodges;

(2) Orders, societies or associations which admit to membership only persons engaged in 1 or more crafts or hazardous occupations, in the same or similar lines of business and the ladies societies or ladies auxiliaries to such orders, societies or associations;

(3) Domestic societies which limit their membership to employees of a particular city or town, designated firm, business house or corporation which provide for a death benefit of not more than $400 or disability benefits of not more than $350 to any person in any 1 year, or both;

(4) Domestic societies or associations of a purely religious, charitable or benevolent description which provide for a death benefit of not more than $400 or for disability benefits of not more than $350 to any 1 person in any 1 year, or both.

(b) Any such society or association described in paragraph (a)(3) or (4) of this section which provides for death or disability benefits for which benefit certificates are issued and any such society or association included in paragraph (a)(4) of this section which has more than 1,000 members shall not be exempted from the provisions of this chapter but shall comply with all requirements thereof.

(c) No society which, by the provisions of this section, is exempt from the requirements of this chapter, except any society described in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, shall give or allow or promise to give or allow to any person any compensation for procuring new members.

(d) Every fraternal benefit society heretofore organized and incorporated and which provides exclusively for benefits in case of death or disability resulting solely from accident and which does not obligate itself to pay natural death or sick benefits shall have all of the privileges and be subject to all the applicable provisions and regulations of this chapter, except that the privileges thereof relating to medical examination, valuations of benefit certificates and incontestability shall not apply to such society.

(e) The Commissioner may require from any society or association, by examination or otherwise, such information as will enable the Commissioner to determine whether such society or association is exempt from the provisions of this chapter.

(f) Societies exempted under the provisions of this chapter shall also be exempt from all other provisions of the insurance laws of this State.

70 Del. Laws, c. 533, §  1; 

All decisions and findings of the Commissioner made under this chapter shall be subject to review as set forth in Chapter 3 of this title and in Chapter 101 of Title 29.

70 Del. Laws, c. 533, §  1;