(A) Every corporation shall have and maintain an agent, sometimes referred to as the "statutory agent," upon whom any process, notice, or demand required or permitted by statute to be served upon a corporation may be served. The agent shall be one of the following:
(1) A natural person who is a resident of this state;
(2) A domestic or foreign corporation, nonprofit corporation, limited liability company, partnership, limited partnership, limited liability partnership, limited partnership association, professional association, business trust, or unincorporated nonprofit association that has a business address in this state. If the agent is an entity other than a domestic corporation, the agent shall meet the requirements of Title XVII of the Revised Code for an entity of the agent's type to transact business or exercise privileges in this state.
(B) The secretary of state shall not accept original articles for filing unless there is filed with the articles a written appointment of an agent signed by the incorporators of the corporation or a majority of them and a written acceptance of the appointment signed by the agent. In all other cases, the corporation shall appoint the agent and shall file in the office of the secretary of state a written appointment of the agent that is signed by any authorized officer of the corporation and a written acceptance of the appointment that is either the original acceptance signed by the agent or a photocopy, facsimile, or similar reproduction of the original acceptance signed by the agent.
(C)(1) The written appointment of an agent shall set forth the name and address in this state of the agent, including the street and number of the agent's primary residence in this state or, if the agent is not a natural person, the agent's usual place of business in this state, and shall otherwise be in such form as the secretary of state prescribes. The secretary of state shall keep a record of the names of corporations and the names and addresses of their respective agents.
(2) As used in division (C)(1) of this section, "usual place of business" means a place in this state that is customarily open during normal business hours and where an individual is generally present who is authorized to perform the services of a registered agent, including accepting service of process and other notifications for the person serving as a statutory agent. "Usual place of business" does not include a post office box, regardless of whether that post office box has an associated street address.
(D) If any agent dies, removes from the state, or resigns, the corporation shall forthwith appoint another agent and file with the secretary of state, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, a written appointment of that agent.
(E) If the agent changes the agent's address from that appearing upon the record in the office of the secretary of state, the corporation or the agent shall forthwith file with the secretary of state, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, a written statement setting forth the new address.
(F) An agent may resign by filing with the secretary of state, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, a written notice to that effect that is signed by the agent and by sending a copy of the notice to the corporation at the current or last known address of its principal office on or prior to the date that notice is filed with the secretary of state. The notice shall set forth the name of the corporation, the name and current address of the agent, the current or last known address, including the street and number or other particular description, of the corporation's principal office, the resignation of the agent, and a statement that a copy of the notice has been sent to the corporation within the time and in the manner prescribed by this division. Upon the expiration of sixty days after such filing, the authority of the agent shall terminate.
(G) A corporation may revoke the appointment of an agent by filing with the secretary of state, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, a written appointment of another agent and a statement that the appointment of the former agent is revoked.
(H) Any process, notice, or demand required or permitted by statute to be served upon a corporation may be served upon the corporation by delivering a copy of it to its agent, if a natural person, or by delivering a copy of it at the address of its agent in this state, as such address appears upon the record in the office of the secretary of state. If (1) the agent cannot be found, or (2) the agent no longer has that address, or (3) the corporation has failed to maintain an agent as required by this section, and if in any such case the party desiring that such process, notice, or demand be served, or the agent or representative of the party, shall have filed with the secretary of state an affidavit stating that one of the foregoing conditions exists and stating the most recent address of the corporation that the party after diligent search has been able to ascertain, then service of process, notice, or demand upon the secretary of state, as the agent of the corporation, may be initiated by delivering to the secretary of state or at the secretary of state's office triplicate copies of such process, notice, or demand and by paying to the secretary of state a fee of five dollars. The secretary of state shall forthwith give notice of such delivery to the corporation at its principal office as shown upon the record in the secretary of state's office and also to the corporation at any different address set forth in the above mentioned affidavit, and shall forward to the corporation at each of those addresses, by certified mail, with request for return receipt, a copy of such process, notice, or demand; and thereupon service upon the corporation shall be deemed to have been made.
(I) The secretary of state shall keep a record of each process, notice, and demand delivered to the secretary of state or at the secretary of state's office under this section or any other law of this state that authorizes service upon the secretary of state, and shall record the time of such delivery and the secretary of state's action thereafter with respect thereto.
(J) This section does not limit or affect the right to serve any process, notice, or demand upon a corporation in any other manner permitted by law.
(K) Except when an original appointment of an agent is filed with the original articles, a written appointment of an agent or a written statement filed by a corporation with the secretary of state shall be signed by any authorized officer of the corporation or by the incorporators of the corporation or a majority of them if no directors have been elected.
(L) For filing a written appointment of an agent other than one filed with original articles, and for filing a statement of change of address of an agent, the secretary of state shall charge and collect the fee specified in division (R) of section111.16of the Revised Code.
(M) Upon the failure of any corporation to appoint another agent or to file a statement of change of address of an agent, the secretary of state shall give notice thereof by certified mail to the corporation at the address set forth in the notice of resignation or on the most recent statement of continued existence filed in this state by the corporation. Unless the failure is cured within thirty days after the mailing by the secretary of state of the notice or within any further period the secretary of state grants, upon the expiration of that period, the articles of the corporation shall be canceled without further notice or action by the secretary of state. The secretary of state shall make a notation of the cancellation on the secretary of state's records. A corporation whose articles have been canceled may be reinstated by filing, within two years of the cancellation, on a form prescribed by the secretary of state, an application for reinstatement and the required appointment of agent or required statement, and by paying the filing fee specified in division (Q) of section111.16of the Revised Code. The rights, privileges, and franchises of a corporation whose articles have been reinstated are subject to section1702.60of the Revised Code. The secretary of state shall furnish the tax commissioner a monthly list of all corporations canceled and reinstated under this division.
(N) This section does not apply to banks, trust companies, insurance companies, or any corporation defined under the laws of this state as a public utility for taxation purposes.
Last updated August 28, 2024 at 4:28 PM