North Carolina General Statutes Chapter 58. Insurance § 58-7-50. Maintenance and removal of records and assets

(a) Every domestic insurer shall maintain its home or principal office in this State and keep therein complete records of its assets, transactions, and affairs, specifically including:

(b) Every domestic insurer shall have and maintain its assets in this State, except as to:

(c) The removal from this State of all or a part of the records or assets of a domestic insurer except pursuant to a plan of merger or consolidation approved by the Commissioner or for such reasonable purposes and periods of time as may be approved by the Commissioner in writing in advance of such removal, or concealment of such records or assets or part thereof from the Commissioner is prohibited. Any person who, without the prior approval of the Commissioner, removes or attempts to remove such records or assets or part thereof from the office or offices in which they are required to be kept and maintained under subsection (a) of this section or who conceals or attempts to conceal such records from the Commissioner, in violation of this subsection, shall be guilty of a Class I felony. Upon any removal or attempted removal of such records or assets or upon retention of such records or assets or part thereof outside this State, beyond the period therefor specified in the consent of the Commissioner under which consent the records were so removed thereat, or upon concealment of or attempt to conceal records or assets in violation of this section, the Commissioner may institute delinquency proceedings against the insurer pursuant to the provisions of Article 30 of this Chapter.

(d) This section is subject to the exceptions provided in G.S. 58-7-55. The Commissioner may allow a domestic insurer to maintain certain records or assets outside this State.

(e) Every domestic insurer that has its home or principal office in a location outside this State on October 1, 1993, shall petition the Commissioner for approval to continue to operate in that manner. The Commissioner, in determining whether to approve or disapprove the petition, shall consider the exceptions of G.S. 58-7-55, as well as any other factors that might affect the Commissioner's ability to regulate the insurer, or that might affect the insurer's ability to service or protect its policyholders.