(1) If a document delivered to the department for filing satisfies the requirements of s. 617.01201, the department shall file it.

(2) The department files a document by stamping or otherwise endorsing “filed,” together with the Secretary of State’s official title and the date and time of receipt. After filing a document, the department shall send a notice of the filing to the electronic mail address on file for the domestic or foreign corporation or its representative or send a copy of the document to the mailing address of such corporation or its representative. If the record changes the electronic mail address of the domestic or foreign corporation, the department must send such notice to the new electronic mail address and to the most recent prior electronic mail address. If the record changes the mailing address of the domestic or foreign corporation, the department must send such notice to the new mailing address and to the most recent prior mailing address.

(3) If the department refuses to file a document, it shall return it to the domestic or foreign corporation or its representative within 15 days after the document was received for filing, together with a brief, written explanation of the reason for refusal.

(4) The department’s duty to file documents under this section is ministerial. The filing or refusing to file a document does not:

(a) Affect the validity or invalidity of the document in whole or part;

(b) Relate to the correctness or incorrectness of information contained in the document; or

(c) Create a presumption that the document is valid or invalid or that information contained in the document is correct or incorrect.

(5) If not otherwise provided by law and the provisions of this act, the department shall determine, by rule, the appropriate format for, number of copies of, manner of execution of, method of electronic transmission of, and amount of and method of payment of fees for, any document placed under its jurisdiction.

History.—s. 8, ch. 90-179; s. 6, ch. 2018-58.