§46A-2-137. Service of process on certain nonresidents.

Any nonresident person, except a nonresident corporation authorized to do business in this state pursuant to the provisions of chapter thirty-one of this code, who takes or holds any negotiable instrument, nonnegotiable instrument, or contract or other writing, arising from a consumer credit sale or consumer lease which is subject to the provisions of this article, other than a sale or lease primarily for an agricultural purpose, or who is a lender subject to the provisions of section one hundred three of this article, shall be conclusively presumed to have appointed the Secretary of State as his attorney-in-fact with authority to accept service of notice and process in any action or proceeding brought against him arising out of such consumer credit sale, consumer lease or consumer loan. A person shall be considered a nonresident hereunder if he is a nonresident at the time such service of notice and process is sought. No act of such person appointing the Secretary of State shall be necessary. Immediately after being served with or accepting any such process or notice, of which process or notice two copies for each defendant shall be furnished the Secretary of State with the original notice or process, together with the fee required by section two, article one, chapter fifty-nine of this code, the Secretary of State shall file in his office a copy of such process or notice, with a note thereon endorsed of the time of service or acceptance, as the case may be, and transmit one copy of such process or notice by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested, by a means which may include electronic issuance and acceptance of electronic return receipts, to such person at his address, which address shall be stated in such process or notice: Provided, That after receiving verification from the United States postal service that acceptance of process or notice has been signed, the Secretary of State shall notify the clerk's office of the court from which the process or notice was issued by a means which may include electronic notification. If the process or notice was refused or undeliverable by the United States postal service the Secretary of State shall return refused or undeliverable mail to the clerk's office of the court from which the process or notice was issued. But no process or notice shall be served on the Secretary of State or accepted fewer than ten days before the return date thereof. The court may order such continuances as may be reasonable to afford each defendant opportunity to defend the action or proceeding.The provisions for service of process or notice herein are cumulative and nothing herein contained shall be construed as a bar to the plaintiff in any action from having process or notice in such action served in any other mode and manner provided by law.