(a) A foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state may not withdraw from this state until it obtains a certificate of withdrawal from the Secretary of State. A foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state that merges with and into a domestic corporation pursuant to Code Section 14-3-1106 and is not the surviving corporation in such merger need not obtain a certificate of withdrawal from the Secretary of State.

(b) A foreign corporation authorized to transact business in this state may apply for a certificate of withdrawal by delivering an application to the Secretary of State for filing. The application must set forth:

(1) The name of the foreign corporation and the name of the state or country under whose law it is incorporated;

(2) That it is not transacting business in this state and that it surrenders its authority to transact business in this state;

(3) That it revokes the authority of its registered agent to accept service on its behalf and appoints the Secretary of State as its agent for service of process in any proceeding based on a cause of action arising during the time it was authorized to transact business in this state;

(4) A mailing address to which a copy of any process served on the Secretary of State under paragraph (3) of this subsection may be mailed under subsection (c) of this Code section; and

(5) A commitment to notify the Secretary of State in the future of any change in its mailing address.

(c) After the withdrawal of the corporation is effective, service of process on the Secretary of State under this Code section is service on the foreign corporation. Any party that serves process upon the Secretary of State in accordance with this subsection shall also mail a copy of the process to the chief executive officer, chief financial officer, or the secretary of the foreign corporation, or a person holding a comparable position, at the mailing address set forth under subsection (b) of this Code section.