(a) The use and operation by any person or his duly authorized agent or employee of a vehicle over or upon the highways of the State of Illinois, shall be deemed an appointment by such person of the Secretary of State to be his true and lawful attorney upon whom may be served all legal process in any action or proceeding against him, growing out of such use or resulting in damage or loss to person or property, and the use or operation shall be signification of his agreement that such process against him which is so served, shall be of the same legal force and validity as though served upon him personally if such person is a non-resident of this State or at the time a cause of action arises is a resident of this State but subsequently becomes a non-resident of this State, or in the event the vehicle is owned by a non-resident and is being operated over and upon the highways of this State with the owner’s express or implied permission.
     (b) Service of such process shall be made by serving a copy upon the Secretary of State or any employee in his office designated by him to accept such service for him, or by filing such copy in his office, together with an affidavit of compliance from the plaintiff instituting the action, suit, or proceeding, which states that this Section is applicable to the proceeding and that the plaintiff has complied with the requirements of this Section, and a fee of $5 and such service shall be sufficient service upon the person, if notice of such service and a copy of the process are, within 10 days thereafter, sent by registered mail by the plaintiff to the defendant, at the last known address of the defendant, and the plaintiff’s affidavit of compliance herewith is appended to the summons.
     (c) The court in which the action is pending may order such continuances as may be necessary to afford the defendant reasonable opportunity to defend the action. The fee of $5 paid by the plaintiff to the Secretary of State at the time of the service shall be taxed as his cost, if he prevails in the action.
     (d) The Secretary of State shall keep a record of all such processes, which shall show the day and hour of such service.
     (e) When a final judgment is entered against any non-resident defendant who has not received notice and a copy of the process by registered mail, required to be sent to him as above provided, and such person, his heirs, legatees, executor, administrator or other legal representatives, as the case may require, shall within one year after the written notice given to him of such judgment, or within 5 years after such judgment, if no such notice has been given, as stated above, appear and petition the court to be heard regarding such judgment, and shall pay such costs as the court may deem reasonable in that behalf, the person so petitioning the court may appear and answer the plaintiff’s allegations, and thereupon such proceeding shall be had as if the defendant had appeared in due time and no judgment had been entered. If it appears upon the hearing that such judgment ought not to have been entered against the defendant, the judgment may be set aside, altered or amended as shall appear just; otherwise, it shall be ordered that the judgment stands confirmed against the defendant. The judgment shall, after 5 years from the entry thereof, if not set aside in the manner stated above, be deemed and adjudged confirmed against such defendant, and all persons claiming under him by virtue of any act done subsequent to the commencement of such action, and at the end of the 5 years, the court may enter such further orders as shall be required for the enforcement of the judgment.
     (f) Any person instituting any action, suit, or proceeding who uses this Section to effect service of process shall be liable for the attorney’s fees and costs of the defendant if the court finds that the person instituting the action knew or should have known that this Section is not applicable for effecting service in such action.