55-15-20. Withdrawal of foreign corporation.

(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.

(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 the corporation revokes the authority of its registered agent to accept service of process and consents that service of process in any action or proceeding based upon any cause of action arising in this State, or arising out of business transacted in this State, during the time the corporation was authorized to transact business in this State may thereafter be made on such corporation by service thereof on the Secretary of State;

(4) A mailing address to which the Secretary of State may mail a copy of any process served on the Secretary of State under subdivision (3); and

(5) A commitment to file with the Secretary of State a statement of any subsequent change in its mailing address.

(b1) If the Secretary of State finds that such application conforms to law, he shall:

(1) Endorse on the application and an exact or conformed copy thereof the word "filed", and the hour, day, month and year of the filing thereof;

(2) File the application in his office;

(3) Issue a certificate of withdrawal to which he shall affix the exact or conformed copy of the application; and

(4) Send to the foreign corporation or its representative the certificate of withdrawal together with the exact or conformed copy of the application affixed thereto.

(c) After the withdrawal of the foreign corporation is effective, service of process on the Secretary of State in accordance with subsection (b) of this section shall be made by delivering to and leaving with the Secretary of State, or with any clerk authorized by the Secretary of State to accept service of process, duplicate copies of the process and the fee required by G.S. 55-1-22(b). Upon receipt of process in the manner provided in this subsection, the Secretary of State shall immediately mail a copy of the process by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, to the foreign corporation at the mailing address designated pursuant to subsection (b) of this section.