§ 7-6-79 - Service of process on foreign corporation. - Rhode Island Statutes

SECTION 7-6-79

   § 7-6-79  Service of process on foreigncorporation. – (a) The registered agent appointed by a foreign corporation authorized toconduct affairs in this state shall be an agent of the corporation upon whomany process, notice, or demand required or permitted by law to be served uponthe corporation may be served.

   (b) Whenever a foreign corporation authorized to conductaffairs in this state fails to appoint or maintain a registered agent in thisstate, or whenever any registered agent cannot with reasonable diligence befound at the registered office or whenever the certificate of authority of aforeign corporation is suspended or revoked, the secretary of state shall be anagent of the corporation upon whom any process, notice, or demand may beserved. Service on the secretary of state of any process, notice, or demandshall be made by delivering to and leaving with the secretary of state, or withany clerk having charge of the corporation department of the secretary ofstate's office, duplicate copies of the process, notice, or demand. If anyprocess, notice, or demand is served on the secretary of state, the secretaryof state shall immediately forward one of the copies by registered or certifiedmail, addressed to the corporation at its principal office in the state orcountry under the laws of which it is incorporated. Any service upon thesecretary of state is returnable in not less than 30 days.

   (c) The secretary of state shall keep a record of allprocesses, notices, and demands served upon the secretary of state under thissection, and shall record in the record the time of the service and thesecretary of state's action with reference to the service.

   (d) Nothing contained in this section limits or affects theright to serve any process, notice, or demand, required or permitted by law tobe served upon a corporation in any other manner now or subsequently permittedby law.