(a) Service on the secretary of state, when the secretary of state is an agent for a domestic or foreign limited partnership as provided in § 61-3-119(b), of any process, notice or demand must be made by delivering to the secretary of state the original and one (1) copy of the process, notice, or demand, duly certified by the clerk of the court in that the suit or action is pending or brought, together with the proper fee. A statement that identifies which of the grounds listed in § 61-3-119(b) for service on the secretary of state must be included. The secretary of state shall endorse the time of receipt upon the original and copy and shall immediately send the copy, along with a written notice that service of the original was also made, by registered or certified mail, with return receipt requested, addressed to the limited partnership at its registered office or principal office, or designated alternative mailing address, as shown in the records on file in the secretary of state's office or as shown in the official registry of the state or country in which the limited partnership is formed. If none of the addresses described in the previous sentence are available to the secretary of state, service may be made to any one (1) of the general partners at the address set forth in the certificate of limited partnership. The secretary of state may require the plaintiff, or complainant as the case may be, or the plaintiff's attorney, to furnish the latter address.

(b) The refusal or failure of the limited partnership to accept delivery of the registered or certified mail provided for in subsection (a), or the refusal or failure to sign the return receipt, does not affect the validity of the service, and any limited partnership refusing or failing to accept delivery of registered or certified mail shall be charged with knowledge of the contents of any process, notice, or demand contained in the registered or certified mail.

(c) When the registered or certified mail return receipt is received by the secretary of state or when a limited partnership refuses or fails to accept delivery of the registered or certified mail and it is returned to the secretary of state, the secretary of state shall forward the receipt or the refused or undelivered mail to the clerk of the court in which the suit or action is pending, together with the original process, notice, or demand, a copy of the notice the secretary of state sent to the defendant limited partnership and the affidavit setting forth compliance with this section. Upon receipt thereof, the clerk shall copy the affidavit on the rule docket of the court and shall mark it, the receipt or refused or undelivered mail, and the copy of notice as of the day received and place them in the file of the suit or action where the process and pleadings are kept, and the receipt or refused or undelivered mail, affidavit, and copy of notice shall be and become a part of the technical record in the suit or action, and service on the defendant shall be complete. Service made under this section has the same legal force and validity as if the service had been made personally in this state.

(d) Subsequent pleadings or papers permitted or required to be served on a defendant domestic or foreign limited partnership may be served on the secretary of state as agent for the defendant limited partnership in the same manner, at the same cost and with the same effect as process, notice or demand are served on the secretary of state as agent for the defendant limited partnership under this section.

(e) No appearance is required in the suit or action by the defendant domestic or foreign limited partnership nor shall any judgment be taken against the domestic or foreign limited partnership in less than one (1) month after the date service is completed under this section.

(f) The secretary of state shall keep a record of all processes, notices, and demands served upon the secretary of state under this section, which record shall include the time of the service and the action with reference thereto.