(a) Each registered limited liability partnership whose principal office is not in this state and each foreign limited liability partnership registered under Section 16959 shall designate as its agent for service of process any natural person or a domestic or foreign corporation entitled to be designated as agent for the service of process pursuant to Section 1505.

(b) In addition to service that may be made as provided in Section 416.40 of the Code of Civil Procedure, delivery by hand of a copy of any process against a registered limited liability partnership or foreign limited liability partnership registered under Section 16959 (1) to any natural person designated by it as agent or (2), if a corporate agent has been designated, to any person named in the latest certificate of the corporate agent filed pursuant to Section 1505 at the office of that corporate agent shall constitute valid service on the registered limited liability partnership or foreign limited liability partnership.

(c) If an agent for the purpose of service of process has resigned and has not been replaced or if the agent designated cannot with reasonable diligence be found at the address designated for personally delivering the process, or if no agent has been designated, and it is shown by affidavit to the satisfaction of the court that process against a registered limited liability partnership or foreign limited liability partnership required to be registered under Section 16959 cannot be served with reasonable diligence upon the designated agent by hand in the manner provided in Section 415.10, subdivision (a) of Section 415.20, or subdivision (a) of Section 415.30 of the Code of Civil Procedure or upon the registered limited liability partnership or foreign limited liability partnership in the manner provided in Section 416.40 of the Code of Civil Procedure, the court may make an order that the service be made upon the registered limited liability partnership or foreign limited liability partnership by delivering by hand to the Secretary of State, or to any person employed in the Secretary of State’s office in the capacity of assistant or deputy, one copy of the process for each defendant to be served, together with a copy of the order authorizing that service. If the court makes that order, the Secretary of State who receives the process, or the person employed in the Secretary of State’s office in the capacity of assistant or deputy who receives the process, is required to accept the process. A fee as set forth in subdivision (b) of Section 12197 of the Government Code shall be paid to the Secretary of State for the use of the state upon receipt of the process. Service in this manner shall be deemed complete on the 10th day after delivery of the process to the Secretary of State.

(d) Upon the receipt of the copy of process and the fee therefor, the Secretary of State shall give notice of the service of process to the registered limited liability partnership or foreign limited liability partnership registered under Section 16959 at its principal executive office, by forwarding to that office, by registered mail with request for return receipt, the copy of the process or, if the records of the Secretary of State do not disclose an address for that principal executive office, by forwarding the copy in the same manner to the last designated agent for service of process who has not resigned. If the agent for service of process has resigned and has not been replaced and the records of the Secretary of State do not disclose an address for its principal executive office, no action need be taken by the Secretary of State.

(e) The Secretary of State shall keep a record of all process served upon the Secretary of State under this section and shall record therein the time of service and the Secretary of State’s action with reference thereto. The certificate of the Secretary of State, under the Secretary of State’s official seal, certifying to the receipt of process, the giving of notice thereof to the registered limited liability partnership or foreign limited liability partnership, and the forwarding of the process pursuant to this section shall be competent and prima facie evidence of the matters stated therein.

(f) The court order pursuant to subdivision (c) that service of process be made upon the registered limited liability partnership or foreign limited liability partnership by delivery to the Secretary of State may be a court order of a court of another state, or of any federal court, if the suit, action, or proceeding has been filed in that court.

(Amended by Stats. 1999, Ch. 1000, Sec. 32. Effective January 1, 2000.)