(a) The Commissioner shall not issue a certificate of authority to transact insurance to any insurer unless the insurer has deposited in trust with this state securities eligible for the investment of capital funds of domestic insurers under this title in an amount not less than that required in subsection (b) of this Code section. This Code section does not apply to farmers' mutual fire insurance companies.

(b)

(1) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the amount of the deposit required under this Code section for a certificate to transact any one class of insurance shall be $100,000.00; to transact each additional class of insurance, the amount of deposit shall be $25,000.00, subject to the limitation that not more than $200,000.00 total deposit shall be required for any combination of classes.

(2) As to any foreign insurer, in lieu of such deposit or part of such deposit in this state, the Commissioner shall accept the current certificate in proper form of the public official having supervision over insurers in any other state to the effect that a like deposit or part of like deposit by such insurer is being maintained in public custody in such state in trust for the purpose, among other reasonable purposes, of protection of policyholders and creditors or of the protection of all the insurer's policyholders or of all of its policyholders and obligees.

(3) As to any alien insurer, other than a title insurer, which has entered through and the United States branch of which is licensed to transact insurance in another state, in lieu of such deposit or part thereof in this state, the Commissioner shall accept the certificate of the official having supervision over insurance of such other state in the United States, given under his or her hand and seal, that the insurer maintains within the United States by way of deposits with public depositories, or in trust institutions within the United States approved by such official, assets available for discharge of its United States insurance obligations, which assets shall be in an amount not less than the outstanding liabilities of the insurer arising out of its insurance transactions in the United States together with the larger of the following sums: the largest deposit required by this title to be made in this state by any type of domestic insurer transacting like kinds of insurance or $300,000.00.

(4) As to any alien insurer entering through this state to transact insurance in the United States through a United States branch, such insurer shall deposit in accordance with Chapter 12 of this title assets available for discharge of its United States insurance obligations, which assets shall be in an amount not less than the outstanding liabilities of the insurer arising out of its insurance transactions in the United States together with the larger of the following sums: the largest deposit required by this title to be made in this state by any type of domestic insurer transacting like kinds of insurance or $300,000.00.