1. (a) Each foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state shall continuously maintain in this state:

   1. (1) A registered office that may be the same as any of its places of business; and (2) a registered agent at such registered office, who may be:

      1. (A) A natural person who is a resident of this state; (B) a domestic corporation; (C) a foreign corporation which has procured a certificate of authority to transact business or conduct its affairs in this state; (D) a domestic limited liability company; (E) a limited liability company not organized under the laws of this state and which has procured a certificate of registration to transact business or conduct its affairs in this state; (F) a domestic registered limited liability partnership; (G) a registered limited liability partnership not organized under the laws of this state and which has procured a certificate of authority to transact business or conduct its affairs in this state; (H) a domestic statutory trust; or (I) a statutory trust not organized under the laws of this state and which has procured a certificate of registration to transact business or conduct its affairs in this state. The appointment of such registered agent shall be in writing and shall be signed by the registered agent therein appointed. If a natural person is appointed as the registered agent, such appointment shall include the residence address of such person.
2. (b) In addition to persons or entities who may act as a registered agent pursuant to subsection (a) of this section, a foreign corporation may appoint the Secretary of the State and his successors in office to act as its registered agent.

(P.A. 94-186, S. 190, 215; P.A. 96-271, S. 139, 254; P.A. 97-246, S. 32, 99; P.A. 04-240, S. 3.)

History: P.A. 94-186 effective January 1, 1997; P.A. 96-271 designated existing provisions as Subsec. (a) and amended said Subsec. to replace in Subdiv. (2)(A) “An individual who resides in this state and whose business office is identical with the registered office” with “A natural person who is a resident of this state”, delete in Subdiv. (2)(B) “or not-for-profit domestic corporation whose business office is identical with the registered office” and replace in Subdiv. (2)(C) “a foreign corporation or foreign not-for-profit corporation authorized to transact business in this state whose business office is identical with the registered office” with “a corporation not organized under the laws of this state and which has procured a certificate of authority to transact business in this state” and added Subsec. (b) to authorize a foreign corporation to appoint the Secretary of the State or his successor in office as its registered agent, effective January 1, 1997; P.A. 97-246 amended Subsec. (a) to require the corporation to maintain a registered agent “at such registered office” and amended Subsec. (b) to make a technical change, effective June 27, 1997; P.A. 04-240 added Subsec. (a)(2)(D) to (I) re limited liability companies, registered limited liability partnerships and statutory trusts as registered agents, added provisions re appointment of registered agent in writing signed by the agent and re inclusion of residence address in appointment of natural person and made technical changes.