§314.  Service of process

A.  Every society authorized to do business in this state shall appoint in writing the secretary of state to be its true and lawful attorney upon whom all lawful process in any action or proceeding against it shall be served, and shall agree in writing that any lawful process against it which is served on said attorney shall be of the same legal force and validity as if served upon the society, and that the authority shall continue in force so long as any liability remains outstanding in this state.  Copies of such appointment, certified by the secretary of state, shall be deemed sufficient evidence thereof and shall be admitted in evidence with the same force and effect as the original thereof might be admitted.

B.  Service shall only be made upon the secretary of state, or if absent, upon the person in charge of the secretary's office.  It shall be made in duplicate and shall constitute sufficient service upon the society.  When legal process against a society is served upon the secretary of state, he shall forthwith forward one of the duplicate copies by registered mail, postage prepaid, or by commercial courier as defined in R.S. 13:3204(D), when the party to be served is located outside of this state, directed to the secretary or corresponding officer of the society.  No such service shall require a society to file its answer, pleading, or defense in less than thirty days from the date of mailing the copy of the service to the society.  Legal process shall not be served upon a society except in the manner herein provided.

Acts 1987, No. 470, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 1988; Acts 1999, No. 395, §4; Redesignated from R.S. 22:575 by Acts 2008, No. 415, §1, eff. Jan. 1, 2009.