AI-assisted research summary: A domestic corporation can be served through the secretary of state in specified cases, and the secretary of state must forward the process and keep a record.
Sec. 171.355. SERVICE OF PROCESS ON SECRETARY OF STATE. (a) Legal process may be served on a domestic corporation by serving it on the secretary of state if the process relates to the forfeiture of the corporation's charter or to the collection of a tax or penalty imposed by this chapter and: (1) if the local agent of the corporation or if the officers named in the corporation's charter or annual report on file with the secretary of state do not reside or cannot be located in the county in which the corporation's principal office, as stated in the charter, is located; or (2) if the principal office of the corporation is not maintained or cannot be located in the county in which the charter states that the office is located. (b) Complete and valid service of process is made on a corporation through the secretary of state by delivering duplicate copies of the process to the secretary of state or the deputy secretary of state. (c) On receipt of legal process under this section, the secretary of state promptly shall forward to the corporation by registered mail a copy of the process. The copy of the process shall be mailed to the address named in the corporation's charter as its principal place of business or to another place of business of the corporation as shown by the records in the secretary of state's office. (d) The failure of the secretary of state to mail a copy of legal process to a corporation does not affect the validity of the service of process. It is competent and sufficient proof of the service of process that the secretary of state certifies under the state seal the receipt of the process. (e) The secretary of state shall keep a record of each legal process served on the secretary under this section showing the date and time of the receipt of the process and the secretary's action on the process. (f) This section is cumulative of other laws relating to service of process. Acts 1981, 67th Leg., p. 1708, ch. 389, Sec. 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1982. Amended by Acts 1993, 73rd Leg., ch. 300, Sec. 38, eff. Aug. 30, 1993. Amended by: Acts 2005, 79th Leg., Ch. 41 (H.B. 297), Sec. 4, eff. September 1, 2005.