(a) To enforce an obligation of a corporation that has converted to a foreign corporation or foreign other business entity, the Secretary of State shall only be the agent for service of process in an action or proceeding against that converted foreign entity, if the agent designated for the service of process for that entity is a natural person and cannot be found with due diligence or if the agent is a corporation and no person, to whom delivery may be made, may be located with due diligence, or if no agent has been designated and if none of the officers, members, managers, or agents of that entity may be located after diligent search, and it is shown by affidavit to the satisfaction of the court. The court then may make an order that service be made by personal delivery to the Secretary of State or to an assistant or Deputy Secretary of State of two copies of the process together with two copies of the order, and the order shall set forth an address to which the process shall be sent by the Secretary of State. Service in this manner is deemed complete on the 10th day after delivery of the process to the Secretary of State.
(b) Upon receipt of the process and order and the fee set forth in Section 12197 of the Government Code, the Secretary of State shall provide notice to that entity of the service of the process by forwarding by certified mail, return receipt requested, a copy of the process and order to the address specified in the order.
(c) The Secretary of State shall keep a record of all process served upon the Secretary of State and shall record the time of service and the Secretary of State’s action with respect to the process served. The certificate of the Secretary of State, under the Secretary of State’s official seal, certifying to the receipt of process, the providing of notice of process to that entity, and the forwarding of the process shall be competent and prima facie evidence of the matters stated therein.
(Added by Stats. 2022, Ch. 237, Sec. 5. (SB 49) Effective January 1, 2023.)