§ 15.02. Consequences of transacting business without authority

(a) A foreign corporation transacting business in this State without a certificate of authority may not maintain a proceeding or raise a counterclaim, crossclaim, or affirmative defense in any court in this State until it obtains a certificate of authority.

(b) The successor to a foreign corporation that transacted business in this State without a certificate of authority and the assignee of a cause of action arising out of that business may not maintain a proceeding or raise a counterclaim, crossclaim, or affirmative defense based on that cause of action in any court in this State until the foreign corporation or its successor or assignee obtains a certificate of authority.

(c) A court may stay a proceeding commenced by a foreign corporation, its successor, or assignee until it determines whether the foreign corporation or its successor requires a certificate of authority. If it so determines, the court may further stay the proceeding until the foreign corporation or its successor obtains the certificate.

(d) A foreign corporation that transacts business in this State without a certificate of authority is liable to the State for:

(1) a civil penalty of $50.00 for each day, not to exceed a total of $10,000.00 for each year, it transacts business in this State without a certificate of authority;

(2) an amount equal to the fees due under this title during the period it transacted business in this State without a certificate of authority; and

(3) other penalties imposed by law.

(e) The Attorney General may file an action in the Civil Division of Superior Court to collect the penalties due under this subsection and to restrain a foreign corporation not in compliance with this chapter from doing business within this State.

(f) Notwithstanding subsections (a) and (b) of this section, the failure of a foreign corporation to obtain a certificate of authority does not impair the validity of its corporate acts or prevent it from defending any proceeding in this State. (Added 1995, No. 179 (Adj. Sess.), § 1, eff. Jan. 1, 1997; amended 2015, No. 128 (Adj. Sess.), § C.11.)