Missouri Laws 355.756 – Consequences of transacting business without certificate of authority
1. A foreign corporation transacting business in this state without a certificate of authority may not maintain a proceeding in any court in this state until it obtains a certificate of authority.
2. The successor to a foreign corporation that transacted business in this state without a certificate of authority and the assignee of a cause of action arising out of that business may not maintain a proceeding on that cause of action in any court in this state until the foreign corporation or its successor obtains a certificate of authority.
Terms Used In Missouri Laws 355.756
- 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.
- Corporation: public benefit and mutual benefit corporations. See Missouri Laws 355.066
- Foreign corporation: a corporation organized under a law other than the laws of this state which would be a nonprofit corporation if formed under the laws of this state. See Missouri Laws 355.066
- Proceeding: includes civil suits and criminal, administrative, and investigatory actions. See Missouri Laws 355.066
- State: when referring to a part of the United States, includes a state or commonwealth, and its agencies and governmental subdivisions, and any territory or insular possession, and its agencies and governmental subdivisions, of the United States. See Missouri Laws 355.066
3. A court may stay a proceeding commenced by a foreign corporation, its successor or assignee until it determines whether the foreign corporation or its successor requires a certificate of authority. If it so determines, the court may further stay the proceeding until the foreign corporation or its successor obtains the certificate.
4. A foreign corporation is liable for a civil penalty of one hundred dollars for each day, but not to exceed a total of two thousand dollars for each year, it transacts business in this state without a certificate of authority. The attorney general may collect all penalties due under this subsection.
5. Notwithstanding subsection 1 of this section and subsection 2 of this section, the failure of a foreign corporation to obtain a certificate of authority does not impair the validity of its corporate acts or prevent it from defending any proceeding in this state.