Section 351.594

Title XXIII CORPORATIONS, ASSOCIATIONS AND PARTNERSHIPS

Chapter 351

Effective - 28 Aug 2009   

  351.594.  Service on foreign corporation. — 1.  The registered agent of a foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state is the corporation's agent for service of process, notice, or demand required or permitted by law to be served on the foreign corporation.

  2.  A foreign corporation may be served by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to the secretary of the foreign corporation at its principal office shown in its application for a certificate of authority or in its most recent corporate registration report, if the foreign corporation:

  (1)  Has no registered agent or its registered agent cannot with reasonable diligence be served;

  (2)  Has withdrawn from transacting business in this state as provided in section 351.596; or

  (3)  Has had its certificate of authority revoked under section 351.602.

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If the corporation has no secretary or if the secretary cannot, after the exercise of reasonable diligence, be served, then service on the corporation may be obtained by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, addressed to any person designated as a director or officer of the corporation at any place of business of the corporation, or at the residence of or any usual business address of such director or officer.

  3.  Service is perfected as provided in subsection 2 of this section at the earliest of:

  (1)  The date the foreign corporation receives the mail;

  (2)  The date shown on the return receipt, if signed on behalf of the foreign corporation; or

  (3)  Five days after its deposit in the United States mail, as evidenced by the postmark, if mailed postpaid and correctly addressed.

  4.  This section does not prescribe the only means, or necessarily the required means, of serving a foreign corporation.

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(L. 1990 H.B. 1432, A.L. 2009 H.B. 481)

(2017) Section does not provide an independent basis for broadening Missouri's personal jurisdiction to include suits unrelated to the foreign corporation's forum activities in the absence of other bases for general jurisdiction.  Norfolk Southern Railway v. Dolan, 512 S.W.3d 41 (Mo.).