1. Every person, other than a corporation organized and existing pursuant to the laws of another state, territory, the District of Columbia, a possession of the United States or a foreign country, who is purporting to do business in this State as a corporation and who willfully fails or neglects to file with the Secretary of State articles of incorporation is subject to a fine of not less than $1,000 but not more than $10,000, to be recovered in a court of competent jurisdiction.

2. When the Secretary of State is advised that a person is subject to the fine described in subsection 1, the Secretary of State may, as soon as practicable, refer the matter to the district attorney of the county in which the person’s principal place of business is located or the Attorney General, or both, for a determination of whether to institute proceedings to recover the fine. The district attorney of the county in which the person’s principal place of business is located or the Attorney General may institute and prosecute the appropriate proceedings to recover the fine. If the district attorney or the Attorney General prevails in a proceeding to recover the fine described in subsection 1, the district attorney or the Attorney General is entitled to recover the costs of the proceeding, including, without limitation, the cost of any investigation and reasonable attorney’s fees.

3. In the course of an investigation of a violation of this section, the Secretary of State may require a person to answer any interrogatory submitted by the Secretary of State that will assist in the investigation.

4. The Secretary of State may adopt regulations to administer the provisions of this section.

(Added to NRS by 2009, 1673; A 2013, 839)