Virginia Code 13.1-766: Service of process on foreign corporation.
A. The registered agent of a foreign corporation authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth shall be an agent of the foreign corporation upon whom any process, notice, order, or demand required or permitted by law to be served upon the corporation may be served. The registered agent may by instrument in writing, acknowledged before a notary public, designate a natural person or persons in the office of the registered agent upon whom any such process, notice, order, or demand may be served. Whenever any such person accepts service of process, a photographic copy of such instrument shall be attached to the return.
Terms Used In Virginia Code 13.1-766
- Commission: means the State Corporation Commission of Virginia. See Virginia Code 13.1-603
- Corporation: A legal entity owned by the holders of shares of stock that have been issued, and that can own, receive, and transfer property, and carry on business in its own name.
- Foreign corporation: means a corporation authorized by law to issue shares, organized under laws other than the laws of the Commonwealth. See Virginia Code 13.1-603
- in writing: include any representation of words, letters, symbols, numbers, or figures, whether (i) printed or inscribed on a tangible medium or (ii) stored in an electronic or other medium and retrievable in a perceivable form and whether an electronic signature authorized by Virginia Code 1-257
- Notary: means notary public. See Virginia Code 1-226
- Person: includes an individual and an entity. See Virginia Code 13.1-603
- Process: includes subpoenas, the summons and complaint in a civil action, and process in statutory actions. See Virginia Code 1-237
- Service of process: The service of writs or summonses to the appropriate party.
B. Whenever a foreign corporation authorized to transact business in the Commonwealth fails to appoint or maintain a registered agent in the Commonwealth, or whenever its registered agent cannot with reasonable diligence be found at the registered office, then the clerk of the Commission shall be an agent of the foreign corporation upon whom service may be made in accordance with § 12.1-19.1.
C. Nothing in this section shall limit or affect the right to serve any process, notice, order, or demand, required or permitted by law to be served upon a foreign corporation in any other manner now or hereafter permitted by law.
Code 1950, §§ 13-214 to 13-217, 13.1-111; 1956, c. 428; 1975, c. 500; 1985, c. 522; 1986, cc. 571, 622; 1991, c. 672; 2001, cc. 517, 541; 2019, c. 734.