The Vermont Statutes Online
The Statutes below include the actions of the 2025 session of the General Assembly.
NOTE: The Vermont Statutes Online is an unofficial copy of the Vermont Statutes Annotated that is provided as a convenience.
Title 11 : Corporations, Partnerships and Associations
Chapter 015 : Assumed Business Names, Partnerships, And Unincorporated Nonprofit Associations; Administrative Authority; Administrative Provisions
Subchapter 003 : ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS FOR BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS
(Cite as: 11 V.S.A. § 1656)-
§ 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.)
