§ 12:314 — Transacting business without authority

A. No foreign corporation transacting business in this state shall be permitted to present any judicial demand before any court of this state unless it has been authorized to transact such business, if required by, and as provided in, this Chapter. The burden of proof shall rest upon the corporation to establish that it has been so authorized, and the only legal evidence thereof shall be the certificate of the secretary of state or a duly authenticated copy thereof.
B. The failure of a foreign corporation to obtain a certificate of authority to transact business in this state shall not impair the validity of any contract or act of such corporation, and shall not prevent such corporation from defending any action, suit or proceeding in any court of this state.
C. A foreign corporation which transacts business in this state without a certificate of authority shall be liable to this state, for the years or parts thereof during which it transacted business in this state without a certificate of authority, in an amount equal to all fees and taxes which would have been imposed by law upon such corporation, had it duly applied for and received a certificate of authority to transact business in this state as required by this Chapter, and had thereafter filed all reports required by this Chapter, plus all penalties imposed by this Chapter for failure to pay such fees and franchise taxes. The Attorney General shall bring proceedings to recover all amounts due this state under the provisions of this section.

Legislative History

Acts 1968, No. 105, §1. Amended by Acts 1976, No. 599, §1.