§ 1656. Service of process; Secretary of State as agent
(a) An agent for service of process appointed by a person registered with the Secretary
of State is an agent for service of any process, notice, or demand required or permitted
by law to be served upon the person.
(b) If a person registered with the Secretary of State fails to appoint or maintain an
agent for service of process in this State as required by law, or the agent for service
of process cannot with reasonable diligence be found at the agent’s address, the Secretary
of State is an agent of the person upon whom process, notice, or demand may be served.
(c)(1) Service of any process, notice, or demand on the Secretary of State may be made by
delivering to and leaving with the Secretary of State duplicate copies of the process,
notice, or demand.
(2) If the process, notice, or demand is served on the Secretary of State, the Secretary
of State shall forward one of the copies by registered or certified mail, return receipt
requested, to the company at its principal office or last known address.
(d) Service is effective on the earliest of:
(1) the date the person receives the process, notice, or demand;
(2) the date shown on the return receipt, if signed on behalf of the person; or
(3) five days after the process, notice, or demand is deposited by the Secretary of State
for delivery by the U.S. Postal Service, if postage is prepaid to the address of the
principal office or last known address reflected in the records of the Secretary of
State.
(e) The Secretary of State shall keep a record of all processes, notices, and demands
served pursuant to this section and record the time of and the action taken regarding
the service.
(f) This section shall not affect the right to serve process, notice, or demand upon a
person in any manner otherwise provided by law. (Added 2025, No. 10, § 4, eff. July 1, 2025.)