When the Commissioner of Revenue Services finds that the collection of the tax imposed by this chapter would be facilitated thereby, he may, in his discretion, authorize any person resident or located outside this state engaged in the business of manufacturing cigarettes, or any person resident or located outside this state who ships cigarettes into this state for sale to dealers in this state, and who qualifies as a distributor, but need not have a place of business in this state, upon complying with the requirements of the commissioner, to affix, or cause to be affixed, the stamps required by this chapter on behalf of the purchasers of such cigarettes who would otherwise be taxable therefor, and the commissioner may sell such stamps to such person as provided in section 12-298, or authorize the use of a machine by such person as provided in section 12-299. The commissioner shall require a bond or other security of such nonresident person, satisfactory to the commissioner, in an amount not to exceed ten thousand dollars, conditioned upon the payment of the tax and compliance with such other requirements as the commissioner may specify. Such bond shall be issued by a surety company authorized to do business in the state and shall be in full force and effect for a period of three years and one month following the expiration of the bond or such other period as the commissioner may determine, unless a certificate is issued by the commissioner to the effect that all taxes due the state have been paid. Such nonresident person shall agree to submit his books, accounts and records to examination during reasonable business hours by the commissioner or his authorized agent. Each such nonresident person, other than a foreign corporation which has complied with the provisions of section 33-922, shall, in writing, appoint the Secretary of the State and his successors in office to be his attorney, such appointment to be made, acknowledged and filed in the manner prescribed in said section 33-922. Service upon said attorney shall be sufficient service upon any such nonresident person, whether a foreign corporation which has complied with the provisions of said section 33-922 or not, and may be made by leaving a duly attested copy of the process with the Secretary of the State or at his office. When legal process against any such nonresident person is served upon the Secretary of the State, he shall notify such nonresident person in the manner specified in section 33-929 and shall collect the fee specified therein. Any person complying with the provisions of this section shall thereupon become a licensed distributor within the meaning of this chapter and shall be subject to all provisions of this chapter applicable to licensed distributors, except as otherwise ruled by the commissioner.